登陆注册
5255700000027

第27章 Chapter Twelve The Czarover of Herku(2)

"I don't believe your Czarover can hold a candle to our Ozma.""He wouldn't hold a candle under any circumstances, or to any living person," replied the man very seriously, "for he has slaves to do such things and the Mighty Vig is too dignified to do anything that others can do for him. He even obliges a slave to sneeze for him, if ever he catches cold. However, if you dare to face our powerful ruler, follow me.""We dare anything," said the Wizard, "so go ahead."Through several marble corridors having lofty ceilings they passed, finding each corridor and doorway guarded by servants; but these servants of the palace were of the people and not giants, and they were so thin that they almost resembled skeletons. Finally they entered a great circular room with a high domed ceiling where the Czarover sat on a throne cut from a solid block of white marble and decorated with purple silk hangings and gold tassels.

The ruler of these people was combing his eyebrows when our friends entered his throneroom and stood before him, but he put the comb in his pocket and examined the strangers with evident curiosity. Then he said:

"Dear me, what a surprise! You have really shocked me. For no outsider has ever before come to our City of Herku, and I cannot imagine why you have ventured to do so.""We are looking for Ozma, the Supreme Ruler of the Land of Oz," replied the Wizard.

"Do you see her anywhere around here?" asked the Czarover.

"Not yet, Your Majesty; but perhaps you may tell us where she is.""No; I have my hands full keeping track of my own people. I find them hard to manage because they are so tremendously strong.""They don't look very strong," said Dorothy. "It seems as if a good wind would blow em way out of the city, if it wasn't for the wall.""Just so -- just so," admitted the Czarover. "They really look that way, don't they? But you must never trust to appearances, which have a way of fooling one.

Perhaps you noticed that I prevented you from meeting any of my people. I protected you with my giants while you were on the way from the gates to my palace, so that not a Herku got near you.""Are your people so dangerous, then?" asked the Wizard.

"To strangers, yes; but only because they are so friendly. For, if they shake hands with you, they are likely to break your arms or crush your fingers to a jelly.""Why?" asked Button-Bright.

"Because we are the strongest people in all the world.""Pshaw!" exclaimed the boy, "that's bragging. You prob'ly don't know how strong other people are. Why, once I knew a man in Philadelphi' who could bend iron bars with just his hands!""But-mercy me!-it's no trick to bend iron bars," said His Majesty. "Tell me, could this man crush a block of stone with his bare hands?""No one could do that," declared the boy.

"If I had a block of stone I'd show you," said the Czarover, looking around the room. "Ah, here is my throne. The back is too high, anyhow, so I'll just break off a piece of that."He rose to his feet and tottered in an uncertain way around the throne. Then he took hold of the back and broke off a piece of marble over a foot thick.

"This," said he, coming back to his seat, is very solid marble and much harder than ordinary stone. Yet Ican crumble it easily with my fingers -- a proof that Iam very strong."

Even as he spoke he began breaking off chunks of marble and crumbling them as one would a bit of earth.

The Wizard was so astonished that he took a piece in his own hands and tested it, finding it very hard indeed.

Just then one of the giant servants entered and exclaimed:

"Oh, Your Majesty, the cook has burned the soup! What shall we do?""How dare you interrupt me?" asked the Czarover, and grasping the immense giant by one of his legs he raised him in the air and threw him headfirst out of an open window.

"Now, tell me," he said, turning to Button-Bright, "could your man in Philadelphia crumble marble in his fingers?""I guess not," said Button-Bright, much impressed by the skinny monarch's strength.

"What makes you so strong?" inquired Dorothy.

同类推荐
  • 林泉老人评唱投子青和尚颂古空谷集

    林泉老人评唱投子青和尚颂古空谷集

    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。
  • 上清七圣玄纪经

    上清七圣玄纪经

    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。
  • 三要达道论

    三要达道论

    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。
  • 蜀宫应制

    蜀宫应制

    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。
  • 佛说生经

    佛说生经

    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
  • 罗生门(化境文库)

    罗生门(化境文库)

    本书收录芥川的中短篇小说共二十一篇,他的小说情节精巧新奇,峰回路转,代表作《罗生门》呈现人性选择的极限,《鼻子》则表现人性的微妙善变,《竹林中》则让读者拥有了对人性“横看成岭侧成峰”的复杂视角。除了给他这些给他带来世界性声誉的这些作品,本书还收录了《六宫宫主》《小白》等国内罕见的篇目,篇篇动人、余味深长。
  • 和抑郁症患者在一起

    和抑郁症患者在一起

    陈集益,70后重要作家。曾就读于鲁迅文学院第七届中青年作家高级研讨班。浙江省作协签约作家。在《十月》《人民文学》《中国作家》《钟山》《天涯》等大型文学期刊发表小说六十万字。2009年获《十月》新锐人物奖。2010年获浙江省青年文学之星奖。
  • 英雄之法尊天下

    英雄之法尊天下

    《英雄》之中的法尊唐天被人陷害坑杀,好友连续在现实里遭到意外,唐天只身下江南,终结了罪恶之手后跳楼自杀。醒来之后,他却发现是在三年之前。那一年,他十八岁。那一年,《英雄》正式公测。那一年,他得到了大衍双龙之杖。那一年,他和秦欢结怨,不死不休!以前的恩怨已然过去,现在的一切需要用心好好把握!
  • 洪荒之我是大巫

    洪荒之我是大巫

    一个地球人进入洪荒之后,才知道传说与真理等等一系列的故事,
  • 史上最强丫鬟

    史上最强丫鬟

    她,是从天而降的女婴,药王族的圣女。他,是离歌王府世子,朝中混吃等死的御史大人。一场阴谋,她变成了他的妻子,她不愿,但谁知他早就已经深陷其中。她毒舌,他腹黑,她高傲渴望自由,他隐忍负重只盼大仇得报。只是一场婚礼下去,离歌王府不复存在。他于她终于也开始了新的旅程。“丫头,我爱你,这片江山你可愿意与我一同坐拥?”“少爷还是如当初那般肉麻无比。”终于,他成了皇,但他的后宫却只有她一人。
  • 让你越玩越聪明的400个思维游戏

    让你越玩越聪明的400个思维游戏

    思维能力在人的生活中有着举足轻重的作用。无论你是什么身份,从事何种职业,拥有良好的思维能力,都将使你离成功更近一步。本书精选哈佛大学、耶鲁大学、北京大学、清华大学等世界著名高校给学生做的400个思维游戏,集知识性、趣味性、独特性、实用性于一体。将充分运用到读者的观察力、思考力、分析力、判断力、计算力、推理力、想象力和创造力。让读者和全世界最聪明的学生一起思考,最大限度地开发潜能,并掌握全世界聪明学生都在用的思维方法。逐步形成有条理、有创新、有辨别能力的黄金思维体系,从而提高读者解决问题的能力,轻松面对生活中的各种挑战。
  • 动物侦探:山猫亨利的失踪

    动物侦探:山猫亨利的失踪

    圣地亚哥动物园的山猫亨利昨晚被劫走了!是谁干的,目的何在!跟随法兰克侦探的脚步走遍每个展馆寻找蛛丝马迹,问遍每个目击证人找寻答案。如果你正在给孩子们挑选一本有关动物园的故事,那么这本书是您最好的选择!
  • 爱你是最好的时光2

    爱你是最好的时光2

    有一种爱情,就算分离再久,一旦相遇就会有奇迹。聂宇晟学成归来,成为当地医院的心外科医生。七年来,聂宇晟设想过无数次自己与昔日恋人谈静重逢的场景,却没想到再见时,他成了谈静儿子的主治医生。一贯冷静、自律又沉稳的聂宇晟,面对这个他曾经呵护备至、爱到无以复加的谈静,变得迷茫与不解……
  • 小妇人

    小妇人

    这部小说以家庭生活为描写对象,以家庭成员的感情纠葛为线索,描写了马奇一家的天伦之爱。马奇家的四姐妹中,无论是为了爱情甘于贫困的梅格,还是通过自己奋斗成为作家的乔,以及坦然面对死亡的贝思和以扶弱为己任的艾米,虽然她们的理想和命运都不尽相同,但是她们都具有自强自立的共同特点。描写了她们对家庭的眷恋;对爱的忠诚以及对亲情的渴望。《小妇人》故事情节简单真实,却感人至深,问世一百多年以来,被译成各种文字,成为世界文学宝库中的经典名作。
  • Prester John

    Prester John

    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。