English
IsupposeyouhavereadsomuchaboutthemagnificentEmeraldCitythatthereislittleneedformetodescribeithere.
ItistheCapitalCityoftheLandofOz,whichisjustlyconsideredthemostattractiveanddelightfulfairylandinalltheworld.
TheEmeraldCityisbuiltallofbeautifulmarblesinwhicharesetaprofusionofemeralds,everyoneexquisitelycutandofverygreatsize.
Thereareotherjewelsusedinthedecorationsinsidethehousesandpalaces,suchasrubies,diamonds,sapphires,amethystsandturquoises.
Butinthestreetsandupontheoutsideofthebuildingsonlyemeraldsappear,fromwhichcircumstancetheplaceisnamedtheEmeraldCityofOz.
Ithasninethousand,sixhundredandfifty-fourbuildings,inwhichlivedfifty-seventhousandthreehundredandeighteenpeople,uptothetimemystoryopens.
Allthesurroundingcountry,extendingtothebordersofthedesertwhichenclosedituponeveryside,wasfullofprettyandcomfortablefarmhouses,inwhichresidedthoseinhabitantsofOzwhopreferredcountrytocitylife.
AltogetherthereweremorethanhalfamillionpeopleintheLandofOz—althoughsomeofthem,asyouwillsoonlearn,werenotmadeoffleshandbloodasweare—andeveryinhabitantofthatfavoredcountrywashappyandprosperous.
NodiseaseofanysortwaseverknownamongtheOzites,andsonooneeverdiedunlesshemetwithanaccidentthatpreventedhimfromliving.Thishappenedveryseldom,indeed.
TherewerenopoorpeopleintheLandofOz,becausetherewasnosuchthingasmoney,andallpropertyofeverysortbelongedtotheRuler.
Thepeoplewereherchildren,andshecaredforthem.
Eachpersonwasgivenfreelybyhisneighborswhateverherequiredforhisuse,whichisasmuchasanyonemayreasonablydesire.
Sometilledthelandsandraisedgreatcropsofgrain,whichwasdividedequallyamongtheentirepopulation,sothatallhadenough.
Thereweremanytailorsanddressmakersandshoemakersandthelike,whomadethingsthatanywhodesiredthemmightwear.
Likewisetherewerejewelerswhomadeornamentsfortheperson,whichpleasedandbeautifiedthepeople,andtheseornamentsalsowerefreetothosewhoaskedforthem.
Eachmanandwoman,nomatterwhatheorsheproducedforthegoodofthecommunity,wassuppliedbytheneighborswithfoodandclothingandahouseandfurnitureandornamentsandgames.
Ifbychancethesupplyeverranshort,morewastakenfromthegreatstorehousesoftheRuler,whichwereafterwardfilledupagainwhentherewasmoreofanyarticlethanthepeopleneeded.
Everyoneworkedhalfthetimeandplayedhalfthetime,andthepeopleenjoyedtheworkasmuchastheydidtheplay,becauseitisgoodtobeoccupiedandtohavesomethingtodo.
Therewerenocrueloverseerssettowatchthem,andnoonetorebukethemortofindfaultwiththem.
Soeachonewasproudtodoallhecouldforhisfriendsandneighbors,andwasgladwhentheywouldacceptthethingsheproduced.
YouwillknowbywhatIhaveheretoldyou,thattheLandofOzwasaremarkablecountry.
Idonotsupposesuchanarrangementwouldbepracticalwithus,butDorothyassuresmethatitworksfinelywiththeOzpeople.
Ozbeingafairycountry,thepeoplewere,ofcourse,fairypeople;butthatdoesnotmeanthatallofthemwereveryunlikethepeopleofourownworld.
Therewereallsortsofstrangecharactersamongthem,butnotasingleonewhowasevil,orwhopossessedaselfishorviolentnature.
Theywerepeaceful,kindhearted,lovingandmerry,andeveryinhabitantadoredthebeautifulgirlwhoruledthemanddelightedtoobeyhereverycommand.
InspiteofallIhavesaidinageneralway,thereweresomepartsoftheLandofOznotquitesopleasantasthefarmingcountryandtheEmeraldCitywhichwasitscenter.
FarawayintheSouthCountrytherelivedinthemountainsabandofstrangepeoplecalledHammer-Heads,becausetheyhadnoarmsandusedtheirflatheadstopoundanyonewhocamenearthem.
Theirneckswerelikerubber,sothattheycouldshootouttheirheadstoquiteadistance,andafterwarddrawthembackagaintotheirshoulders.
TheHammer-Headswerecalledthe“WildPeople,”butneverharmedanybutthosewhodisturbedtheminthemountainswheretheylived.
Insomeofthedenseforeststherelivedgreatbeastsofeverysort;yetthesewereforthemostpartharmlessandevensociable,andconversedagreeablywiththosewhovisitedtheirhaunts.
TheKalidahs—beastswithbodieslikebearsandheadsliketigers—hadoncebeenfierceandbloodthirsty,buteventheywerenownearlyalltamed,althoughattimesoneoranotherofthemwouldgetcrossanddisagreeable.
NotsotameweretheFightingTrees,whichhadaforestoftheirown.
Ifanyoneapproachedthemthesecurioustreeswouldbenddowntheirbranches,twinethemaroundtheintruders,andhurlthemaway.
ButtheseunpleasantthingsexistedonlyinafewremotepartsoftheLandofOz.
Isupposeeverycountryhassomedrawbacks,soeventhisalmostperfectfairylandcouldnotbequiteperfect.
Oncetherehadbeenwickedwitchesintheland,too;butnowthesehadallbeendestroyed;so,asIsaid,onlypeaceandhappinessreignedinOz.
ForsometimeOzmahadruledoverthisfaircountry,andneverwasRulermorepopularorbeloved.
Sheissaidtobethemostbeautifulgirltheworldhaseverknown,andherheartandmindareaslovelyasherperson.
DorothyGalehadseveraltimesvisitedtheEmeraldCityandexperiencedadventuresintheLandofOz,sothatsheandOzmahadnowbecomefirmfriends.
ThegirlRulerhadevenmadeDorothyaPrincessofOz,andhadoftenimploredhertocometoOzma’sstatelypalaceandlivetherealways;butDorothyhadbeenloyaltoherAuntEmandUncleHenry,whohadcaredforhersinceshewasababy,andshehadrefusedtoleavethembecausesheknewtheywouldbelonelywithouther.
However,Dorothynowrealizedthatthingsweregoingtobedifferentwithheruncleandauntfromthistimeforth,soaftergivingthematterdeepthoughtshedecidedtoaskOzmatograntheraverygreatfavor.
Afewsecondsaftershehadmadethesecretsignalinherlittlebedchamber,theKansasgirlwasseatedinalovelyroominOzma’spalaceintheEmeraldCityofOz.
Whenthefirstlovingkissesandembraceshadbeenexchanged,thefairRulerinquired:
“Whatisthematter,dear?Iknowsomethingunpleasanthashappenedtoyou,foryourfacewasverysoberwhenIsawitinmyMagicPicture.
Andwheneveryousignalmetotransportyoutothissafeplace,whereyouarealwayswelcome,Iknowyouareindangerorintrouble.”
Dorothysighed.
“Thistime,Ozma,itisn’tI,”shereplied.
“Butit’sworse,Iguess,forUncleHenryandAuntEmareinaheapoftrouble,andthereseemsnowayforthemtogetoutofit—anyhow,notwhiletheyliveinKansas.”
“Tellmeaboutit,Dorothy,”saidOzma,withreadysympathy.
“Why,youseeUncleHenryispoor;forthefarminKansasdoesn’t‘mounttomuch,asfarmsgo.
SoonedayUncleHenryborrowedsomemoney,andwrotealettersayingthatifhedidn’tpaythemoneybacktheycouldtakehisfarmforpay.
Coursehe‘spectedtopaybymakingmoneyfromthefarm;buthejustcouldn’t.
An’sothey’regoingtotakethefarm,andUncleHenryandAuntEmwon’thaveanyplacetolive.
They’reprettyoldtodomuchhardwork,Ozma;soI’llhavetoworkforthem,unless—”
Ozmahadbeenthoughtfulduringthestory,butnowshesmiledandpressedherlittlefriend’shand.
“Unlesswhat,dear?”sheasked.
Dorothyhesitated,becauseherrequestmeantsomuchtothemall.
“Well,”saidshe,“I’dliketolivehereintheLandofOz,whereyou’veoften‘vitedmetolive.ButIcan’t,youknow,unlessUncleHenryandAuntEmcouldliveheretoo.”
“Ofcoursenot,”exclaimedtheRulerofOz,laughinggaily.“So,inordertogetyou,littlefriend,wemustinviteyourUncleandAunttoliveinOz,also.”
“Oh,willyou,Ozma?”criedDorothy,claspingherchubbylittlehandseagerly.
“WillyoubringthemherewiththeMagicBelt,andgivethemanicelittlefarmintheMunchkinCountry,ortheWinkieCountry—orsomeotherplace?”
“Tobesure,”answeredOzma,fullofjoyatthechancetopleaseherlittlefriend.
“Ihavelongbeenthinkingofthisverything,Dorothydear,andoftenIhavehaditinmymindtoproposeittoyou.
Iamsureyouruncleandauntmustbegoodandworthypeople,oryouwouldnotlovethemsomuch;andforYOURfriends,Princess,thereisalwaysroomintheLandofOz.”
Dorothywasdelighted,yetnotaltogethersurprised,forshehadclungtothehopethatOzmawouldbekindenoughtograntherrequest.
When,indeed,hadherpowerfulandfaithfulfriendrefusedheranything?
“Butyoumustnotcallme‘Princess’,”shesaid;“forafterthisIshallliveonthelittlefarmwithUncleHenryandAuntEm,andprincessesoughtnottoliveonfarms.”
“PrincessDorothywillnot,”repliedOzmawithhersweetsmile.“Youaregoingtoliveinyourownroomsinthispalace,andbemyconstantcompanion.”
“ButUncleHenry—”beganDorothy.
“Oh,heisold,andhasworkedenoughinhislifetime,”interruptedthegirlRuler;“sowemustfindaplaceforyouruncleandauntwheretheywillbecomfortableandhappyandneednotworkmorethantheycareto.
Whenshallwetransportthemhere,Dorothy?”
“Ipromisedtogoandseethemagainbeforetheywereturnedoutofthefarmhouse,”answeredDorothy;“so—perhapsnextSaturday—”
“Butwhywaitsolong?”askedOzma.“AndwhymakethejourneybacktoKansasagain?Letussurprisethem,andbringthemherewithoutanywarning.”
“I’mnotsurethattheybelieveintheLandofOz,”saidDorothy,“thoughI’vetold‘em‘boutitlotsoftimes.”
“They’llbelievewhentheyseeit,”declaredOzma;“andiftheyaretoldtheyaretomakeamagicaljourneytoourfairyland,itmaymakethemnervous.
IthinkthebestwaywillbetousetheMagicBeltwithoutwarningthem,andwhentheyhavearrivedyoucanexplaintothemwhatevertheydonotunderstand.”
“Perhapsthat’sbest,”decidedDorothy.“Thereisn’tmuchuseintheirstayingatthefarmuntiltheyareputout,‘causeit’smuchnicerhere.”
“Thento-morrowmorningtheyshallcomehere,”saidPrincessOzma.
“IwillorderJelliaJamb,whoisthepalacehousekeeper,tohaveroomsallpreparedforthem,andafterbreakfastwewillgettheMagicBeltandbyitsaidtransportyouruncleandaunttotheEmeraldCity.”
“Thankyou,Ozma!”criedDorothy,kissingherfriendgratefully.
“Andnow,”Ozmaproposed,“letustakeawalkinthegardensbeforewedressfordinner.Come,Dorothydear!”
Share this article to
FINISH