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Byjourneyingthroughtheglassmountaintheyhadreachedadelightfulvalleythatwasshapedlikethehollowofagreatcup,withanotherruggedmountainshowingontheothersideofit,andsoftandprettygreenhillsattheends.
Itwasalllaidoutintolovelylawnsandgardens,withpebblepathsleadingthroughthemandgrovesofbeautifulandstatelytreesdottingthelandscapehereandthere.
Therewereorchards,too,bearinglusciousfruitsthatareallinourworld.
Alluringbrooksofcrystalwaterflowedsparklingbetweentheirflower-strewnbanks,whilescatteredoverthevalleyweredozensofthequaintestandmostpicturesquecottagesourtravelershadeverbeheld.
Noneofthemwereinclusters,suchasvillagesortowns,buteachhadamplegroundsofitsown,withorchardsandgardenssurroundingit.
Asthenewarrivalsgazeduponthisexquisitescenetheywereenrapturedbyitsbeautiesandthefragrancethatpermeatedthesoftair,whichtheybreathedsogratefullyaftertheconfinedatmosphereofthetunnel.
Severalminuteswereconsumedinsilentadmirationbeforetheynoticedtwoverysingularandunusualfactsaboutthisvalley.
Onewasthatitwaslightedfromsomeunseensource;fornosunormoonwasinthearchedbluesky,althougheveryobjectwasfloodedwithaclearandperfectlight.
Thesecondandevenmoresingularfactwastheabsenceofanyinhabitantofthissplendidplace.
Fromtheirelevatedpositiontheycouldoverlooktheentirevalley,butnotasinglemovingobjectcouldtheysee.Allappearedmysteriouslydeserted.
Themountainonthissidewasnotglass,butmadeofastonesimilartogranite.
WithsomedifficultyanddangerJimdrewthebuggyoverthelooserocksuntilhereachedthegreenlawnsbelow,wherethepathsandorchardsandgardensbegan.
Thenearestcottagewasstillsomedistanceaway.
“Isn’titfine?”criedDorothy,inajoyousvoice,asshesprangoutofthebuggyandletEurekarunfrolickingoverthevelvetygrass.
“Yes,indeed!”answeredZeb.“Wewereluckytogetawayfromthosedreadfulvegetablepeople.”
“Itwouldn’tbesobad,”remarkedtheWizard,gazingaroundhim,“ifwewereobligedtoliveherealways.Wecouldn’tfindaprettierplace,I’msure.”
Hetookthepigletsfromhispocketandletthemrunonthegrass,andJimtastedamouthfulofthegreenbladesanddeclaredhewasverycontentedinhisnewsurroundings.
“Wecan’twalkintheairhere,though,”calledEureka,whohadtrieditandfailed;buttheothersweresatisfiedtowalkontheground,andtheWizardsaidtheymustbenearerthesurfaceoftheearththentheyhadbeenintheMangaboocountry,foreverythingwasmorehomelikeandnatural.
“Butwherearethepeople?”askedDorothy.
Thelittlemanshookhisbaldhead.
“Can’timagine,mydear,”hereplied.
Theyheardthesuddentwitteringofabird,butcouldnotfindthecreatureanywhere.
Slowlytheywalkedalongthepathtowardthenearestcottage,thepigletsracingandgambolingbesidethemandJimpausingateverystepforanothermouthfulofgrass.
Presentlytheycametoalowplantwhichhadbroad,spreadingleaves,inthecenterofwhichgrewasinglefruitaboutaslargeasapeach.
Thefruitwassodaintilycoloredandsofragrant,andlookedsoappetizinganddeliciousthatDorothystoppedandexclaimed:
“Whatisit,doyous’pose?”
Thepigletshadsmelledthefruitquickly,andbeforethegirlcouldreachoutherhandtopluckiteveryoneoftheninetinyoneshadrushedinandcommencedtodevouritwithgreateagerness.
“It’sgood,anyway,”saidZeb,“orthoselittlerascalswouldn’thavegobbleditupsogreedily.”
“Wherearethey?”askedDorothy,inastonishment.
Theyalllookedaround,butthepigletshaddisappeared.
“Dearme!”criedtheWizard;“theymusthaverunaway.ButIdidn’tseethemgo;didyou?”
“No!”repliedtheboyandthegirl,together.
“Here,—piggy,piggy,piggy!”calledtheirmaster,anxiously.
Severalsquealsandgruntswereinstantlyheardathisfeet,buttheWizardcouldnotdiscoverasinglepiglet.
“Whereareyou?”heasked.
“Why,rightbesideyou,”spokeatinyvoice.“Can’tyouseeus?”
“No,”answeredthelittleman,inapuzzledtone.
“Wecanseeyou,”saidanotherofthepiglets.
TheWizardstoopeddownandputouthishand,andatoncefeltthesmallfatbodyofoneofhispets.Hepickeditup,butcouldnotseewhatheheld.
“Itisverystrange,”saidhe,soberly.“Thepigletshavebecomeinvisible,insomecuriousway.”
“I’llbetit’sbecausetheyatethatpeach!”criedthekitten.
“Itwasn’tapeach,Eureka,”saidDorothy.“Ionlyhopeitwasn’tpoison.”
“Itwasfine,Dorothy,”calledoneofthepiglets.
“We’lleatallwecanfindofthem,”saidanother.
“ButWEmustn’teatthem,”theWizardwarnedthechildren,“orwetoomaybecomeinvisible,andloseeachother.Ifwecomeacrossanotherofthestrangefruitwemustavoidit.”
Callingthepigletstohimhepickedthemallup,onebyone,andputthemawayinhispocket;foralthoughhecouldnotseethemhecouldfeelthem,andwhenhehadbuttonedhiscoatheknewtheyweresafeforthepresent.
Thetravelersnowresumedtheirwalktowardthecottage,whichtheypresentlyreached.
Itwasaprettyplace,withvinesgrowingthicklyoverthebroadfrontporch.
Thedoorstoodopenandatablewassetinthefrontroom,withfourchairsdrawnuptoit.
Onthetablewereplates,knivesandforks,anddishesofbread,meatandfruits.
Themeatwassmokinghotandtheknivesandforkswereperformingstrangeanticsandjumpinghereandthereinquiteapuzzlingway.
Butnotasinglepersonappearedtobeintheroom.
“Howfunny!”exclaimedDorothy,whowithZebandtheWizardnowstoodinthedoorway.
Apealofmerrylaughteransweredher,andtheknivesandforksfelltotheplateswithaclatter.
Oneofthechairspushedbackfromthetable,andthiswassoastonishingandmysteriousthatDorothywasalmosttemptedtorunawayinfright.
“Herearestrangers,mama!”criedtheshrillandchildishvoiceofsomeunseenperson.
“SoIsee,mydear,”answeredanothervoice,softandwomanly.
“Whatdoyouwant?”demandedathirdvoice,inastern,gruffaccent.
“Well,well!”saidtheWizard;“aretherereallypeopleinthisroom?”
“Ofcourse,”repliedtheman’svoice.
“And—pardonmeforthefoolishquestion—but,areyouallinvisible?”
“Surely,”thewomananswered,repeatingherlow,ripplinglaughter.“AreyousurprisedthatyouareunabletoseethepeopleofVoe?”
“Why,yes,”stammeredtheWizard.“AllthepeopleIhaveevermetbeforewereveryplaintosee.”
“Wheredoyoucomefrom,then?”askedthewoman,inacurioustone.
“Webelonguponthefaceoftheearth,”explainedtheWizard,“butrecently,duringanearthquake,wefelldownacrackandlandedintheCountryoftheMangaboos.”
“Dreadfulcreatures!”exclaimedthewoman’svoice.“I’veheardofthem.”
“Theywalledusupinamountain,”continuedtheWizard;“butwefoundtherewasatunnelthroughtothisside,sowecamehere.Itisabeautifulplace.Whatdoyoucallit?”
“ItistheValleyofVoe.”
“Thankyou.Wehaveseennopeoplesincewearrived,sowecametothishousetoenquireourway.”
“Areyouhungry?”askedthewoman’svoice.
“Icouldeatsomething,”saidDorothy.
“SocouldI,”addedZeb.
“Butwedonotwishtointrude,Iassureyou,”theWizardhastenedtosay.
“That’sallright,”returnedtheman’svoice,morepleasantlythanbefore.“Youarewelcometowhatwehave.”
AshespokethevoicecamesoneartoZebthathejumpedbackinalarm.
Twochildishvoiceslaughedmerrilyatthisaction,andDorothywassuretheywereinnodangeramongsuchlight-heartedfolks,evenifthosefolkscouldn’tbeseen.
“Whatcuriousanimalisthatwhichiseatingthegrassonmylawn?”enquiredtheman’svoice.
“That’sJim,”saidthegirl.“He’sahorse.”
“Whatishegoodfor?”wasthenextquestion.
“Hedrawsthebuggyyouseefastenedtohim,andwerideinthebuggyinsteadofwalking,”sheexplained.
“Canhefight?”askedtheman’svoice.
“No!hecankickprettyhardwithhisheels,andbitealittle;butJimcan’t‘zactlyfight,”shereplied.
“Thenthebearswillgethim,”saidoneofthechildren’svoices.
“Bears!”exclaimedDorothy.“Aretherebearshere?”
“Thatistheoneevilofourcountry,”answeredtheinvisibleman.
“ManylargeandfiercebearsroamintheValleyofVoe,andwhentheycancatchanyofustheyeatusup;butastheycannotseeus,weseldomgetcaught.”
“Arethebearsinvis’ble,too?”askedthegirl.
“Yes;fortheyeatofthedama-fruit,aswealldo,andthatkeepsthemfrombeingseenbyanyeye,whetherhumanoranimal.”
“Doesthedama-fruitgrowonalowbush,andlooksomethinglikeapeach?”askedtheWizard.
“Yes,”wasthereply.
“Ifitmakesyouinvis’ble,whydoyoueatit?”Dorothyenquired.
“Fortworeasons,mydear,”thewoman’svoiceanswered.
“Thedama-fruitisthemostdeliciousthingthatgrows,andwhenitmakesusinvisiblethebearscannotfindustoeatusup.
Butnow,goodwanderers,yourluncheonisonthetable,sopleasesitdownandeatasmuchasyoulike.”
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