Изумрудный город страны Оз
15. How Dorothy Happened to Get Lost
"We’retheSpoonBrigade,"saidone.
"IntheserviceofhisMajestyKingKleaver,"saidanother.
"Andyouareourprisoners,"saidathird.
Dorothysatdownonanoldstumpandlookedatthem,hereyestwinklingwithamusement.
"Whatwouldhappen,"sheinquired,"ifIshouldsetmydogonyourBrigade?"
"Hewoulddie,"repliedoneofthespoons,sharply."Oneshotfromourdeadlymusketswouldkillhim,bigasheis."
"Don’triskit,Dorothy,"advisedtheYellowHen."Rememberthisisafairycountry,yetnoneofusthreehappenstobeafairy."
Dorothygrewsoberatthis.
"P’rapsyou’reright,Billina,"sheanswered."Buthowfunnyitis,tobecapturedbyalotofspoons!"
"Idonotseeanythingveryfunnyaboutit,"declaredaspoon."We’retheregularmilitarybrigadeofthekingdom."
"Whatkingdom?"sheasked.
"Utensia,"saidhe.
"Ineverheardofitbefore,"assertedDorothy.Thensheaddedthoughtfully,"Idon’tbelieveOzmaeverheardofUtensia,either.Tellme,areyounotsubjectsofOzmaofOz?"
"Wehaveneverheardofher,"retortedaspoon."WearesubjectsofKingKleaver,andobeyonlyhisorders,whicharetobringallprisonerstohimassoonastheyarecaptured.Sosteplively,mygirl,andmarchwithus,orwemaybetemptedtocutoffafewofyourtoeswithourswords."
ThisthreatmadeDorothylaughagain.Shedidnotbelieveshewasinanydanger;butherewasanewandinterestingadventure,soshewaswillingtobetakentoUtensiathatshemightseewhatKingKleaver’skingdomwaslike.
