登陆注册
5255700000019

第19章 Chapter Nine The High Coco-Lorum of Thi(1)

And now the Patchwork Girl came dancing out of the wall again. "Come on!" she called. "It isn't there. There isn't any wall at all.""What! No wall?" exclaimed the Wizard.

"Nothing like it," said Scraps. "It's a make-believe.

You see it, but it isn't. Come on into the city; we've been wasting time."With this she danced into the wall again and once more disappeared. Button-Bright, who was rather venturesome, dashed away after her and also became invisible to them. The others followed more cautiously, stretching out their hands to feel the wall and finding, to their astonishment, that they could feel nothing because nothing opposed them. They walked on a few steps and found themselves in the streets of a very beautiful city. Behind them they again saw the wall, grim and forbidding as ever; but now they knew it was merely an illusion, prepared to keep strangers from entering the city.

But the wall was soon forgotten, for in front of them were a number of quaint people who stared at them in amazement, as if wondering where they had come from.

Our friends forgot their good manners, for a time, and returned the stares with interest, for so remarkable a people had never before been discovered in all the remarkable Land of Oz.

Their heads were shaped like diamonds and their bodies like hearts. All the hair they had was a little bunch at the tip top of their diamond-shaped heads and their eyes were very large and round and their noses and mouths very small. Their clothing was tight-fitting and of brilliant colors, being handsomely embroidered in quaint designs with gold or silver threads; but on their feet they wore sandals, with no stockings whatever. The expression of their faces was pleasant enough, although they now showed surprise at the appearance of strangers so unlike themselves, and our friends thought they seemed quite harmless.

"I beg your pardon," said the Wizard, speaking for his party, "for intruding upon you uninvited, but we are traveling on important business and find it necessary to visit your city. Will you kindly tell us by what name your city is called?"They looked at one another uncertainly, each expecting some other to answer. Finally a short one whose heart-shaped body was very broad replied:

"We have no occasion to call our city anything. It is where we live, that is all.""But by what name do others call your city?" asked the Wizard.

"We know of no others, except yourselves," said the man. And then he inquired: "Were you born with those queer forms you have, or has some cruel magician transformed you to them from your natural shapes?""These are our natural shapes," declared the Wizard, "and we consider them very good shapes, too."The group of inhabitants was constantly being enlarged by others who joined it. All were evidently startled and uneasy at the arrival of strangers.

"Have you a King?" asked Dorothy, who knew it was better to speak with someone in authority. But the man shook his diamond-like head.

"What is a King?" he asked.

"Isn't there anyone who rules over you?" inquired the Wizard.

"No," was the reply, "each of us rules himself; or, at least, tries to do so. It is not an easy thing to do, as you probably know."The Wizard reflected.

"If you have disputes among you," said he, after a little thought, "who settles them?""The High Coco-Lorum," they answered in a chorus.

"And who is he?"

"The judge who enforces the laws," said the man who had first spoken.

"Then he is the principal person here?" continued the Wizard.

"Well, I would not say that," returned the man in a puzzled way. "The High Cocolorum is a public servant.

However, he represents the laws, which we must all obey.""I think," said the Wizard, "we ought to see your High Coco-Lorum and talk with him. Our mission here requires us to consult one high in authority, and the High Coco-Lorum ought to be high, whatever else he is."The inhabitants seemed to consider this proposition reasonable, for they nodded their diamond-shaped heads in approval. So the broad one who had been their spokesman said: "Follow me," and, turning, led the way along one of the streets.

The entire party followed him, the natives falling in behind. The dwellings they passed were quite nicely planned and seemed comfortable and convenient. After leading them a few blocks their conductor stopped before a house which was neither better nor worse than the others. The doorway was shaped to admit the strangely formed bodies of these people, being narrow at the top, broad in the middle and tapering at the bottom. The windows were made in much the same way, giving the house a most peculiar appearance. When their guide opened the gate a music-box concealed in the gate-post began to play, and the sound attracted the attention of the High Coco-Lorum, who appeared at an open window and inquired:

"What has happened now?"

But in the same moment his eyes fell upon the strangers and he hastened to open the door and admit them -- all but the animals, which were left outside with the throng of natives that had now gathered. For a small city there seemed to be a large number of inhabitants, but they did not try to enter the house and contented themselves with staring curiously at the strange animals. Toto followed Dorothy.

Our friends entered a large room at the front of the house, where the High Coco-Lorum asked them to be seated.

"I hope your mission here is a peaceful one," he said, looking a little worried, "for the Thists are not very good fighters and object to being conquered.""Are your people called Thists?" asked Dorothy.

"Yes. I thought you knew that. And we call our city Thi.""Oh!"

"We are Thists because we eat thistles, you know,"continued the High Coco-Lorum.

"Do you really eat those prickly things?" inquired Button-Bright wonderingly.

"Why not?" replied the other. "The sharp points of the thistles cannot hurt us, because all our insides are gold-lined.""Gold-lined!"

同类推荐
  • 绕口令集

    绕口令集

    本书为公版书,为不受著作权法限制的作家、艺术家及其它人士发布的作品,供广大读者阅读交流。汇聚授权电子版权。
  • 杂病治例

    杂病治例

    本书为公版书,为不受著作权法限制的作家、艺术家及其它人士发布的作品,供广大读者阅读交流。汇聚授权电子版权。
  • 中山传信录

    中山传信录

    本书为公版书,为不受著作权法限制的作家、艺术家及其它人士发布的作品,供广大读者阅读交流。汇聚授权电子版权。
  • Utilitarianism

    Utilitarianism

    本书为公版书,为不受著作权法限制的作家、艺术家及其它人士发布的作品,供广大读者阅读交流。汇聚授权电子版权。
  • 胡文敬集

    胡文敬集

    本书为公版书,为不受著作权法限制的作家、艺术家及其它人士发布的作品,供广大读者阅读交流。汇聚授权电子版权。
热门推荐
  • 他的韶光拥抱黑夜

    他的韶光拥抱黑夜

    她为了一个忘记的承诺,一次新生命和系统做契约,踏上拯救BOSS的道路。只是…BOSS你能不能正常点???咱能不能别分分钟黑化?司韶光只想真诚的告诉系统:我能不能去拯救下我自己!系统表示:乖,你面前的BOSS正在嗷嗷待拯救。医生:再跑的话,我就真的打断你的腿已经“瘫”了的司韶光:……偏执症音乐家:把你的骨血做成我的琴怎么样?抱着钢琴腿不撒手的司韶光:……执事长:听说舞会上你和别人cheers?被迫泡红酒浴的司韶光:……复出影帝:那群女人男人要给你生猴子整面墙都被贴他照片的司韶光:……魔帝:你给了那个伪君子一个什么wink刚刚被封闭视觉的司韶光:……
  • 世界500强企业员工的15种美德

    世界500强企业员工的15种美德

    本书总结了为世界500强企业优秀员工所推崇的十五种职场美德,分别是:忠诚、敬业、诚信、感恩、勤奋、责任、节俭、激情、坚韧、团队、执行、专注、自制、认真、谦虚。它们是世界500强企业成功的秘诀,也是所有想成功的人必须具备的崇高美德。
  • 只要会呼吸,就能做冥想

    只要会呼吸,就能做冥想

    《只要会呼吸,就能做冥想》中,美国克利亚瑜伽大师托宾·布莱克跟我们分享了他的冥想秘诀,告诉我们如何从头开始练习冥想,如何安排时间和姿势,如何调整呼吸,如何应对冥想过程中包括“走神”在内的各种障碍,如何进入深度冥想,达到“无牵无挂的慈悲”境界,感受个体生命与宇宙的交流……通过100天简单易学的练习,托尼·布莱克会让你发现,冥想是上天赐予每个人最珍贵的礼物,哪怕没有一丝基础,你也可以轻松上手,体味冥想带给你的深度愉悦和持久宁静!
  • 伪装残心公主

    伪装残心公主

    原本是快乐的生日,却成了妈咪的忌日。是她夺去了妈咪的生命。是她夺去了妈咪的爱情。如果不是她。我就不会被爸爸赶出家门。如果不是她。我就不会变成孤儿。我要变得更强。我要报仇。一个人独自踏上异国他乡。一个人独自来到死亡之谷。一个人……从始到终都是一个人。她坚强,其实她脆弱。她微笑,其实她哭泣。她一直在伪装着。一直在欺骗着。十年后,她回国,去到了月光梦学院。遇到了王子们,遇到了她的女儿。一切的爱恨纠葛,一切的恩怨情仇。就在这个月光梦里面解决吧。
  • 龙王的女婿

    龙王的女婿

    不小心吞掉“薄荷糖”,就成为龙王的女婿……龙王是集团大BOSS,未婚妻是一颗小辣椒,众位长老……虎视眈眈……呃,这个世界真危险……
  • 浪生余世

    浪生余世

    我们都在等待,等待对方先开口,等待对方先主动,等待对方先联系,等待对方先找你,可往往,这些等待,总会让你错过一段美好的爱情,不是没有缘分,而是你自己放弃掉爱情的机会。
  • 汉雄

    汉雄

    他建立了一个国家前所未有的尊严。他给了一个族群挺立千年的自信。他的国号成为一个民族永远的名字。马刀下的冤魂和马鞍上的得意,没有丝毫区别,所有的生命,都是平等的,任何人都没有无故剥夺的权力。没人可以随便欺辱大汉的子民,没人可以在大汉的国土上任意的抢掠杀戮。无论我们的敌人有多么的强大,汉家的血脉终将激励着我们拿起刀剑,争取属于自己的尊严和荣誉。要让这帮草原鞑子领教汉家儿郎的勇武,用他们的尸山血河铸就大汉民族的辉煌。云啸向天怒吼,大汉雄起。龙王书友QQ群:282022096,欢迎各位朋友共同讨论篡秦的发展。
  • 二分之一的眷恋:恋人来了

    二分之一的眷恋:恋人来了

    问世间情为何物,只教人生死相许!身处新校园,只为帮好友出谋划策!却不料自己反而在这过程中遇上一个高级无赖!第一次,在演唱会的互动游戏中,他紧抱住她不放,她道:“你这算当众调戏?”第二次,他无耻的坐到她身边欠扁的率先开口:“朕的‘子民’哪”她嘴角抽了又抽,压制住心中的那团火,怒瞪他,完全不知道应该怎么回他那句话,她姓夜,名紫冥!紫冥的紫,紫冥的冥。
  • 漫漫婚路

    漫漫婚路

    丈夫骗我挪用公款给他周转,他用公款买了钻戒追小三。妈妈借高利贷替我还债,被高利贷逼疯。渣男反脸不认人。我心灰意冷在酒吧微信约了陌生男人,一夜荒唐后本以为各自相忘再无牵扯,不料他竟是小三的小叔。既然上天给我机会,我决定踩死渣男,当他婶婶。以为只是相互利用,却不料情愫暗生。逃过小三和他前女友的算计,爱情总算渐入佳境,然而世事难料,命运总会开一些不怀好意的玩笑。我从医院出来,低着头说我怀孕了。他大喜过望:好啊,终于第一次当爹了。我艰难开口:孩子不是你的。三年后我心静如水,带着孩子来到湖边,垂钓之人转身回眸,依然帅得天怒人怨。“这个孩子,怎么长得和我一模一样?”--情节虚构,请勿模仿
  • 飞升咨询所

    飞升咨询所

    诸天万界,每日都有大量至强者打破位面桎梏飞升,而林枫的工作,便是给因飞升失败意外掉落地球的异界大能们送温暖。“咳,给我介绍个工作,送你堕天使之翼。”路西法脸色一红。“额,教我上网,给你在封神榜上记个名……”姜子牙拿着手机,纠结万分。“给我一吨肉,以后让你在神兽界横着走!”饕餮面黄肌瘦,营养不良。