登陆注册
5255700000028

第28章 Chapter Twelve The Czarover of Herku(3)

"It's the zosozo," he explained, "which is an invention of my own. I and all my people eat zosozo, and it gives us tremendous strength. Would you like to eat some?""No, thank you," replied the girl. "I -- I don't want to get so thin.""Well, of course one can't have strength and flesh at the same time," said the Czarover. "Zosozo is pure energy, and it's the only compound of its sort in existence. I never allow our giants to have it, you know, or they would soon become our masters, since they are bigger than we; so I keep all the stuff locked up in my private laboratory. Once a year I feed a teaspoonful of it to each of my people -- men, women and children -- so every one of them is nearly as strong as I am. Wouldn't you like a dose, sir?" he asked, turning to the Wizard.

"Well," said the Wizard, "if you would give me a little zosozo in a bottle, I'd like to take it with me on my travels. It might come handy, on occasion.""To be sure. I'll give you enough for six doses,"promised the Czarover. "But don't take more than a teaspoonful at a time. Once Ugu the Shoemaker took two teaspoonsful, and it made him so strong that when he leaned against the city wall he pushed it over, and we had to build it up again.""Who is Ugu the Shoemaker?" asked Button-Bright curiously, for he now remembered that the bird and the rabbit had claimed Ugu the Shoemaker had enchanted the peach he had eaten.

"Why, Ugu is a great magician, who used to live here.

But he's gone away, now," replied the Czarover.

"Where has he gone?" asked the Wizard quickly.

"I am told he lives in a wickerwork castle in the mountains to the west of here. You see, Ugu became such a powerful magician that he didn't care to live in our city any longer, for fear we would discover some of his secrets. So he went to the mountains and built him a splendid wicker castle, which is so strong that even Iand my people could not batter it down, and there he lives all by himself.""This is good news," declared the Wizard, "for Ithink this is just the magician we are searching for.

But why is he called Ugu the Shoemaker?"

"Once he was a very common citizen here and made shoes for a living," replied the monarch of Herku. "But he was descended from the greatest wizard and sorcerer who has ever lived -- in this or in any other country -- and one day Ugu the Shoemaker discovered all the magical books and recipes of his famous great-grand-father, which had been hidden away in the attic of his house. So he began to study the papers and books and to practice magic, and in time he became so skillful that, as I said, he scorned our city and built a solitary castle for himself.""Do you think," asked Dorothy anxiously, "that Ugu the Shoemaker would he wicked enough to steal our Ozma of Oz?""And the Magic Picture?" asked Trot.

"And the Great Book of Records of Glinda the Good?"asked Betsy.

"And my own magic tools?" asked the Wizard.

"Well," replied Czarover, "I won't say that Ugu is wicked, exactly, but he is very ambitious to become the most powerful magician in the world, and so I suppose he would not be too proud to steal any magic things that belonged to anybody else -- if he could manage to do so.""But how about Ozma? Why would he wish to steal her?"questioned Dorothy.

"Don't ask me, my dear. Ugu doesn't tell me why he does things, I assure you.""Then we must go and ask him ourselves," declared the little girl.

"I wouldn't do that, if I were you," advised the Czarover, looking first at the three girls and then at the boy and the little Wizard and finally at the stuffed Patchwork Girl. "If Ugu has really stolen your Ozma, he will probably keep her a prisoner, in spite of all your threats or entreaties. And, with all his magical knowledge, he would be a dangerous person to attack. Therefore, if you are wise, you will go home again and find a new Ruler for the Emerald City and the Land of Oz. But perhaps it isn't Ugu the Shoemaker who has stolen your Ozma.""The only way to settle that question," replied the Wizard, "is to go to Ugu's castle and see if Ozma is there. If she is, we will report the matter to the great Sorceress, Glinda the Good, and I'm pretty sure she will find a way to rescue our darling ruler from the Shoemaker.""Well, do as you please," said the Czarover. "But, if you are all transformed into hummingbirds or caterpillars, don't blame me for not warning you."They stayed the rest of that day in the City of Herku and were fed at the royal table of the Czarover and given sleeping rooms in his palace. The strong monarch treated them very nicely and gave the Wizard a little golden vial of zosozo, to use if ever he or any of his party wished to acquire great strength.

Even at the last the Czarover tried to. persuade them not to go near Ugu the Shoemaker, but they were resolved on the venture and the next morning bade the friendly monarch a cordial good-bye and, mounting upon their animals, left the Herkus and the City of Herku and headed for the mountains that lay to the west.

同类推荐
  • The Circus Boys On The Flying Rings

    The Circus Boys On The Flying Rings

    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。
  • 皇明诗选

    皇明诗选

    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。
  • 明词综

    明词综

    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。
  • 实知篇

    实知篇

    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。
  • 中州人物考

    中州人物考

    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
  • 智慧故事(语文新课标课外必读第十一辑)

    智慧故事(语文新课标课外必读第十一辑)

    国家教育部颁布了最新《语文课程标准》,统称新课标,对中、小学语文教学指定了阅读书目,对阅读的数量、内容、质量以及速度都提出了明确的要求,这对于提高学生的阅读能力,培养语文素养,陶冶情操,促进学生终身学习和终身可持续发展,对于提高广大人民的文学素养具有极大的意义。
  • 最后的道族

    最后的道族

    遥远的宇宙边荒,一柄赤刀蓦然降临劈碎明月……
  • 九神变

    九神变

    简介:道术与魔法双修,生出九尾九翼,闯深渊魔域,破六道鸿蒙,取元晶,掠元丹,制魔杖法器,祭仙剑法宝,纵横异界大陆,争霸王朝帝国,挥舞着九双彩色翅膀的全系元素魔法师,摇曳着九条斑斓巨尾的全职元气修炼者,自由穿越九大位面空间和亿万个次空元,傲视九重天,武动天河星辰,天上地下横行无忌的九界至尊。。这一切都来源于一个神秘的图腾!
  • 快穿之反派有戏

    快穿之反派有戏

    五十死的蹊跷,被个系统士绑定去各世界去替女配死,这样才能回去继续生活,可她攒了几万年的寿命回去一看,还是让她去死吧。系统士发现,自己的这位宿主,很怂
  • 惊世田园:弃女芳华绝代

    惊世田园:弃女芳华绝代

    带着鲜活的灵动,紫衣降生了,虽然只是哇哇大哭,但她的哭声里充满了对未知美好的期盼......谁知理想很丰满,现实嘛......嗯,有些骨干,不,应该是很骨干,家大业大的父亲放逐了她和她的母亲,嗯,是抛弃,是凄惨的抛弃......好吧,母亲不哭,有女紫衣,您今后该笑,是开心幸福的大笑!咦~,二师兄,您的裤裤上咋会有个洞?额!父亲大人,请您不要求我,我记得你曾经喊我叫做“赔钱货”......【欢迎加入云起娘子粉,群号码:276048473】
  • 逆袭之路沁在上

    逆袭之路沁在上

    坠入深海的一瞬间,觉的一切都如此可笑,一定要坚持下来,为了自己
  • 大还丹金虎白龙论

    大还丹金虎白龙论

    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。
  • 巨人崛起

    巨人崛起

    是什么让人变得伟大?对大卫·霍瓦特来说,他的人生并没有按计划实现。39岁的他单身,失业,和祖母比蒂一起住在纽约州的罗切斯特。大部分日子都是和一群无家可归的人在市中心的酒吧里打发,但他仍坚信他能成就伟大的事业,问题是他还不知道怎么去做。《巨人崛起》验证了人们跨越梦想和现实之间不可避免的鸿沟,改变世界的艰辛过程。是什么让人变得伟大?请跟随大卫的脚步来探索真相。
  • 做人要大气

    做人要大气

    大千世界,芸芸众生。人格魅力中有一种成分叫“大气”。无论一个人身份高低,事业成就大小,他的魅力如何,关键都要看他是否大气。什么是大气?大气是一个人做人做事的态度、风范、气度和深度,大气是一个人综合力量的体现,散发着一种无形的气质。大气者海纳百川,胸怀日月,有着从容淡定、低调自然、胸有成竹的气量,同时也拥有着成熟勇敢、能屈能伸的气度。
  • 为你筑爱为牢

    为你筑爱为牢

    在安城,江黎川的名号如雷贯耳,人人都说,他手段狠辣,冷血无情。只有苏棉知道,那只不过是他的伪装罢了。她在他以爱之名的世界里,慢慢沉醉沦陷。殊不知,他能宠她上天,却也能让她身败名裂。二十二岁,她亲手设计出来的家,却在转眼间成为他和别人的婚房!而她却在雨夜,险些命丧黄泉。*三年前,她看着他怀中所搂着的名模,质问出声:“江黎川,那是我们的家,你不是说要娶我的吗?”换来的,却是他冷冷的嗤笑。纷涌而至的,是那些甩在她脸上的文件。原来从头到尾,都只不过是她的自作多情。*三年后,她是名声大噪的顶级建筑设计师,而他,依旧还是那个人人羡慕,却又敬畏的江黎川。狭路相逢,他却斩断她所有的后路。换来的,却是她的冷笑讥嘲:“江黎川,这一次,你又打算让我怎样的身败名裂?”“我只想,把你留在身边。”可时至今日,她再也不是当初那个不谙世事的小女孩了。她知道,江黎川对她的向来就只是恨。*直到她腹中的孩子被他亲手化作一滩血水。她方才明白,她再一次的信错了他。“江黎川,我这辈子做过最错的一件事情就是信错了你!”她声声诘问,但换来的却是他的冷漠疏离。后来的一场绑架案,逐渐解开那些冰封冷藏的隐晦和仇恨。那些不好的过往曾经被她悉数忘却,她犹如初时般美好,从此,她的世界里再也没有江黎川。可他却紧紧的圈她入怀,不肯放手:“苏棉,我们重新开始。”*恢复记忆那一刻,她奋不顾身想要逃离,逃离关于江黎川的一切。他却拦截下她所有的路:“苏棉,无论逃到哪里,我结婚证上的那个名字,永远都是你。”