Волшебник страны Оз

           "Therelivedherethen,awayattheNorth,abeautifulprincess,whowasalsoapowerfulsorceress. Allhermagicwasusedtohelpthepeople,andshewasneverknowntohurtanyonewhowasgood. HernamewasGayelette,andshelivedinahandsomepalacebuiltfromgreatblocksofruby. Everyonelovedher,buthergreatestsorrowwasthatshecouldfindnoonetoloveinreturn,sinceallthemenweremuchtoostupidanduglytomatewithonesobeautifulandwise. Atlast,however,shefoundaboywhowashandsomeandmanlyandwisebeyondhisyears. Gayelettemadeuphermindthatwhenhegrewtobeamanshewouldmakehimherhusband,soshetookhimtoherrubypalaceandusedallhermagicpowerstomakehimasstrongandgoodandlovelyasanywomancouldwish. Whenhegrewtomanhood,Quelala,ashewascalled,wassaidtobethebestandwisestmaninalltheland, whilehismanlybeautywassogreatthatGayelettelovedhimdearly,andhastenedtomakeeverythingreadyforthewedding. 

           "MygrandfatherwasatthattimetheKingoftheWingedMonkeyswhichlivedintheforestnearGayelette’spalace,andtheoldfellowlovedajokebetterthanagooddinner. Oneday,justbeforethewedding,mygrandfatherwasflyingoutwithhisbandwhenhesawQuelalawalkingbesidetheriver. Hewasdressedinarichcostumeofpinksilkandpurplevelvet,andmygrandfatherthoughthewouldseewhathecoulddo. AthiswordthebandflewdownandseizedQuelala,carriedhimintheirarmsuntiltheywereoverthemiddleoftheriver,andthendroppedhimintothewater. 

           "`Swimout,myfinefellow,’criedmygrandfather,`andseeifthewaterhasspottedyourclothes.’ Quelalawasmuchtoowisenottoswim,andhewasnotintheleastspoiledbyallhisgoodfortune.Helaughed,whenhecametothetopofthewater,andswamintoshore.