English
AftertheWizardhadwipedthedampnessfromhisswordandtakenitapartandputthepiecesintotheirleatherncaseagain,themanwiththestarorderedsomeofhispeopletocarrythetwohalvesoftheSorcerertothepublicgardens.
Jimprickeduphisearswhenheheardtheyweregoingtothegardens,andwantedtojointheparty,thinkinghemightfindsomethingpropertoeat;soZebputdownthetopofthebuggyandinvitedtheWizardtoridewiththem.
Theseatwasamplywideenoughforthelittlemanandthetwochildren,andwhenJimstartedtoleavethehallthekittenjumpeduponhisbackandsattherequitecontentedly.
Sotheprocessionmovedthroughthestreets,thebearersoftheSorcererfirst,thePrincenext,thenJimdrawingthebuggywiththestrangersinsideofit,andlastthecrowdofvegetablepeoplewhohadnoheartsandcouldneithersmilenorfrown.
Theglasscityhadseveralfinestreets,foragoodmanypeoplelivedthere;butwhentheprocessionhadpassedthroughtheseitcameuponabroadplaincoveredwithgardensandwateredbymanyprettybrooksthatflowedthroughit.
Therewerepathsthroughthesegardens,andoversomeofthebrookswereornamentalglassbridges.
DorothyandZebnowgotoutofthebuggyandwalkedbesidethePrince,sothattheymightseeandexaminetheflowersandplantsbetter.
“Whobuilttheselovelybridges?”askedthelittlegirl.
“Noonebuiltthem,”answeredthemanwiththestar.“Theygrow.”
“That’squeer,”saidshe.“Didtheglasshousesinyourcitygrow,too?”
“Ofcourse,”hereplied.“Butittookagoodmanyyearsforthemtogrowaslargeandfineastheyarenow.
ThatiswhywearesoangrywhenaRainofStonescomestobreakourtowersandcrackourroofs.”
“Can’tyoumendthem?”sheenquired.
“No;buttheywillgrowtogetheragain,intime,andwemustwaituntiltheydo.”
Theyfirstpassedthroughmanybeautifulgardensofflowers,whichgrewnearestthecity;butDorothycouldhardlytellwhatkindofflowerstheywere,becausethecolorswereconstantlychangingundertheshiftinglightsofthesixsuns.
Aflowerwouldbepinkonesecond,whitethenext,thenblueoryellow;anditwasthesamewaywhentheycametotheplants,whichhadbroadleavesandgrewclosetotheground.
WhentheypassedoverafieldofgrassJimimmediatelystretcheddownhisheadandbegantonibble.
“Anicecountrythisis,”hegrumbled,“wherearespectablehorsehastoeatpinkgrass!”
“It’sviolet,”saidtheWizard,whowasinthebuggy.
“Nowit’sblue,”complainedthehorse.“Asamatteroffact,I’meatingrainbowgrass.”
“Howdoesittaste?”askedtheWizard.
“Notbadatall,”saidJim.“IftheygivemeplentyofitI’llnotcomplainaboutitscolor.”
Bythistimethepartyhadreachedafreshlyplowedfield,andthePrincesaidtoDorothy:
“Thisisourplanting-ground.”
SeveralMangabooscameforwardwithglassspadesanddugaholeintheground.
ThentheyputthetwohalvesoftheSorcererintoitandcoveredhimup.
Afterthatotherpeoplebroughtwaterfromabrookandsprinkledtheearth.
“Hewillsproutverysoon,”saidthePrince,“andgrowintoalargebush,fromwhichweshallintimebeabletopickseveralverygoodsorcerers.”
“Doallyourpeoplegrowonbushes?”askedtheboy.
“Certainly,”wasthereply.“Donotallpeoplegrowuponbusheswhereyoucamefrom,ontheoutsideoftheearth?”
“NotthatIeverhearof.”
“Howstrange!ButifyouwillcomewithmetooneofourfolkgardensIwillshowyouthewaywegrowintheLandoftheMangaboos.”
Itappearedthattheseoddpeople,whiletheywereabletowalkthroughtheairwithease,usuallymoveduponthegroundintheordinaryway.
Therewerenostairsintheirhouses,becausetheydidnotneedthem,butonalevelsurfacetheygenerallywalkedjustaswedo.
ThelittlepartyofstrangersnowfollowedthePrinceacrossafewmoreoftheglassbridgesandalongseveralpathsuntiltheycametoagardenenclosedbyahighhedge.
Jimhadrefusedtoleavethefieldofgrass,wherehewasengagedinbusilyeating;sotheWizardgotoutofthebuggyandjoinedZebandDorothy,andthekittenfolloweddemurelyattheirheels.
Insidethehedgetheycameuponrowafterrowoflargeandhandsomeplantswithbroadleavesgracefullycurvinguntiltheirpointsnearlyreachedtheground.
InthecenterofeachplantgrewadaintilydressedMangaboo,fortheclothingofallthesecreaturesgrewuponthemandwasattachedtotheirbodies.
ThegrowingMangabooswereofallsizes,fromtheblossomthathadjustturnedintoaweebabytothefull-grownandalmostripemanorwoman.
Onsomeofthebushesmightbeseenabud,ablossom,ababy,ahalf-grownpersonandaripeone;buteventhosereadytopluckweremotionlessandsilent,asifdevoidoflife.
ThissightexplainedtoDorothywhyshehadseennochildrenamongtheMangaboos,athingshehaduntilnowbeenunabletoaccountfor.
“Ourpeopledonotacquiretheirreallifeuntiltheyleavetheirbushes,”saidthePrince.
“Youwillnoticetheyareallattachedtotheplantsbythesolesoftheirfeet,andwhentheyarequiteripetheyareeasilyseparatedfromthestemsandatonceattainthepowersofmotionandspeech.
Sowhiletheygrowtheycannotbesaidtoreallylive,andtheymustbepickedbeforetheycanbecomegoodcitizens.”
“Howlongdoyoulive,afteryouarepicked?”askedDorothy.
“Thatdependsuponthecarewetakeofourselves,”hereplied.
“Ifwekeepcoolandmoist,andmeetwithnoaccidents,weoftenliveforfiveyears.
I’vebeenpickedoversixyears,butourfamilyisknowntobeespeciallylonglived.”
“Doyoueat?”askedtheboy.
“Eat!No,indeed.Wearequitesolidinsideourbodies,andhavenoneedtoeat,anymorethandoesapotato.”
“Butthepotatoessometimessprout,”saidZeb.
“Andsometimeswedo,”answeredthePrince;“butthatisconsideredagreatmisfortune,forthenwemustbeplantedatonce.”
“Wheredidyougrow?”askedtheWizard.
“Iwillshowyou,”wasthereply.“Stepthisway,please.”
Heledthemwithinanotherbutsmallercircleofhedge,wheregrewonelargeandbeautifulbush.
“This,”saidhe,“istheRoyalBushoftheMangaboos.AllofourPrincesandRulershavegrownuponthisonebushfromtimeimmemorial.”
Theystoodbeforeitinsilentadmiration.
OnthecentralstalkstoodpoisedthefigureofagirlsoexquisitelyformedandcoloredandsolovelyintheexpressionofherdelicatefeaturesthatDorothythoughtshehadneverseensosweetandadorableacreatureinallherlife.
Themaiden’sgownwassoftassatinandfellaboutherinamplefolds,whiledaintylace-liketraceriestrimmedthebodiceandsleeves.
Herfleshwasfineandsmoothaspolishedivory,andherpoiseexpressedbothdignityandgrace.
“Whoisthis?”askedtheWizard,curiously.
ThePrincehadbeenstaringhardatthegirlonthebush.Nowheanswered,withatouchofuneasinessinhiscoldtones:
“SheistheRulerdestinedtobemysuccessor,forsheisaRoyalPrincess.WhenshebecomesfullyripeImustabandonthesovereigntyoftheMangaboostoher.”
“Isn’tsheripenow?”askedDorothy.
Hehesitated.
“Notquite,”saidhe,finally.“Itwillbeseveraldaysbeforesheneedstobepicked,oratleastthatismyjudgment.Iaminnohurrytoresignmyofficeandbeplanted,youmaybesure.”
“Probablynot,”declaredtheWizard,nodding.
“Thisisoneofthemostunpleasantthingsaboutourvegetablelives,”continuedthePrince,withasigh,“thatwhileweareinourfullprimewemustgivewaytoanother,andbecoveredupinthegroundtosproutandgrowandgivebirthtootherpeople.”
“I’msurethePrincessisreadytobepicked,”assertedDorothy,gazinghardatthebeautifulgirlonthebush.“She’sasperfectasshecanbe.”
“Nevermind,”answeredthePrince,hastily,“shewillbeallrightforafewdayslonger,anditisbestformetoruleuntilIcandisposeofyoustrangers,whohavecometoourlanduninvitedandmustbeattendedtoatonce.”
“Whatareyougoingtodowithus?”askedZeb.
“ThatisamatterIhavenotquitedecidedupon,”wasthereply.
“IthinkIshallkeepthisWizarduntilanewSorcererisreadytopick,forheseemsquiteskillfulandmaybeofusetous.
Buttherestofyoumustbedestroyedinsomeway,andyoucannotbeplanted,becauseIdonotwishhorsesandcatsandmeatpeoplegrowingalloverourcountry.”
“Youneedn’tworry,”saidDorothy.“Wewouldn’tgrowunderground,I’msure.”
“Butwhydestroymyfriends?”askedthelittleWizard.“Whynotletthemlive?”
“Theydonotbelonghere,”returnedthePrince.“Theyhavenorighttobeinsidetheearthatall.”
“Wedidn’tasktocomedownhere;wefell,”saidDorothy.
“Thatisnoexcuse,”declaredthePrince,coldly.
Thechildrenlookedateachotherinperplexity,andtheWizardsighed.Eurekarubbedherpawonherfaceandsaidinhersoft,purringvoice:
“Hewon’tneedtodestroyME,forifIdon’tgetsomethingtoeatprettysoonIshallstarvetodeath,andsosavehimthetrouble.”
“Ifheplantedyou,hemightgrowsomecat-tails,”suggestedtheWizard.
“Oh,Eureka!perhapswecanfindyousomemilk-weedstoeat,”saidtheboy.
“Phoo!”snarledthekitten;“Iwouldn’ttouchthenastythings!”
“Youdon’tneedmilk,Eureka,”remarkedDorothy;“youarebigenoughnowtoeatanykindoffood.”
“IfIcangetit,”addedEureka.
“I’mhungrymyself,”saidZeb.“ButInoticedsomestrawberriesgrowinginoneofthegardens,andsomemelonsinanotherplace.
Thesepeopledon’teatsuchthings,soperhapsonourwaybacktheywillletusgetthem.”
“Nevermindyourhunger,”interruptedthePrince.
“Ishallorderyoudestroyedinafewminutes,soyouwillhavenoneedtoruinourprettymelonvinesandberrybushes.Followme,please,tomeetyourdoom.”
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