English
DorothyleftBunburythesamewayshehadentereditandwhentheywereintheforestagainshesaidtoBillina:
“Ineverthoughtthatthingsgoodtoeatcouldbesodis’gree’ble.”
“OftenI’veeatenthingsthattastedgoodbutweredisagreeableafterward,”returnedtheYellowHen.“Ithink,Dorothy,ifeatablesaregoingtoactbadly,it’sbetterbeforethanafteryoueatthem.”
“P’rapsyou’reright,”saidthelittlegirl,withasigh.“Butwhatshallwedonow?”
“Letusfollowthepathbacktothesignpost,”suggestedBillina.“Thatwillbebetterthangettinglostagain.”
“Why,we’relostanyhow,”declaredDorothy;“butIguessyou’rerightaboutgoingbacktothatsignpost,Billina.”
Theyreturnedalongthepathtotheplacewheretheyhadfirstfoundit,andatoncetook“theotherroad”toBunnybury.
Thisroadwasamerenarrowstrip,wornhardandsmoothbutnotwideenoughforDorothy’sfeettotread.
Still,itwasaguide,andthewalkingthroughtheforestwasnotatalldifficult.
Beforelongtheyreachedahighwallofsolidwhitemarble,andthepathcametoanendatthiswall.
AtfirstDorothythoughttherewasnoopeningatallinthemarble,butonlookingcloselyshediscoveredasmallsquaredooraboutonalevelwithherhead,andunderneaththiscloseddoorwasabell-push.
Nearthebell-pushasignwaspaintedinneatlettersuponthemarble,andthesignread:
NOADMITTANCE
EXCEPTONBUSINESS
ThisdidnotdiscourageDorothy,however,andsherangthebell.
Prettysoonaboltwascautiouslywithdrawnandthemarbledoorswungslowlyopen.
Thenshesawitwasnotreallyadoor,butawindow,forseveralbrassbarswereplacedacrossit,beingsetfastinthemarbleandsoclosetogetherthatthelittlegirl’sfingersmightbarelygobetweenthem.
Backofthebarsappearedthefaceofawhiterabbit—averysoberandsedateface—withaneye-glassheldinhislefteyeandattachedtoacordinhisbutton-hole.
“Well!whatisit?”askedtherabbit,sharply.
“I’mDorothy,”saidthegirl,“andI’mlost,and—”
“Stateyourbusiness,please,”interruptedtherabbit.
“Mybusiness,”shereplied,“istofindoutwhereIam,andto—”
“NooneisallowedinBunnyburywithoutanorderoraletterofintroductionfromeitherOzmaofOzorGlindatheGood,”announcedtherabbit;“sothatsettlesthematter,”andhestartedtoclosethewindow.
“Waitaminute!”criedDorothy.“I’vegotaletterfromOzma.”
“FromtheRulerofOz?”askedtherabbit,doubtingly.
“Ofcourse.Ozma’smybestfriend,youknow;andI’maPrincessmyself,”sheannounced,earnestly.
“Hum—ha!Letmeseeyourletter,”returnedtherabbit,asifhestilldoubtedher.
SoshehuntedinherpocketandfoundtheletterOzmahadgivenher.
Thenshehandeditthroughthebarstotherabbit,whotookitinhispawsandopenedit.
Hereaditaloudinapompousvoice,asiftoletDorothyandBillinaseethathewaseducatedandcouldreadwriting.Theletterwasasfollows:
“ItwillpleasemetohavemysubjectsgreetPrincessDorothy,thebearerofthisroyalmissive,withthesamecourtesyandconsiderationtheywouldextendtome.”
“Ha—hum!Itissigned‘OzmaofOz,’”continuedtherabbit,“andissealedwiththeGreatSealoftheEmeraldCity.Well,well,well!Howstrange!Howremarkable!”
“Whatareyougoingtodoaboutit?”inquiredDorothy,impatiently.
“Wemustobeytheroyalmandate,”repliedtherabbit.
“WearesubjectsofOzmaofOz,andweliveinhercountry.
AlsoweareundertheprotectionofthegreatSorceressGlindatheGood,whomadeuspromisetorespectOzma’scommands.”
“ThenmayIcomein?”sheasked.
“I’llopenthedoor,”saidtherabbit.Heshutthewindowanddisappeared,butamomentafterwardabigdoorinthewallopenedandadmittedDorothytoasmallroom,whichseemedtobeapartofthewallandbuiltintoit.
Herestoodtherabbitshehadbeentalkingwith,andnowthatshecouldseeallofhim,shegazedatthecreatureinsurprise.
Hewasagoodsizedwhiterabbitwithpinkeyes,muchlikeallotherwhiterabbits.
Buttheastonishingthingabouthimwasthemannerinwhichhewasdressed.
Heworeawhitesatinjacketembroideredwithgold,andhavingdiamondbuttons.
Hisvestwasrose-coloredsatin,withtourmalinebuttons.
Histrouserswerewhite,tocorrespondwiththejacket,andtheywerebaggyattheknees—likethoseofazouave—beingtiedwithknotsofroseribbons.
Hisshoeswereofwhiteplushwithdiamondbuckles,andhisstockingswererosesilk.
Therichnessandevenmagnificenceoftherabbit’sclothingmadeDorothystareatthelittlecreaturewonderingly.
TotoandBillinahadfollowedherintotheroomandwhenhesawthemtherabbitrantoatableandspranguponitnimbly.
Thenhelookedatthethreethroughhismonocleandsaid:
“Thesecompanions,Princess,cannotenterBunnyburywithyou.”
“Whynot?”askedDorothy.
“Inthefirstplacetheywouldfrightenourpeople,whodislikedogsaboveallthingsonearth;and,secondly,theletteroftheRoyalOzmadoesnotmentionthem.”
“Butthey’remyfriends,”persistedDorothy,“andgowhereverIgo.”
“Notthistime,”saidtherabbit,decidedly.
“You,yourself,Princess,areawelcomevisitor,sinceyoucomesohighlyrecommended;butunlessyouconsenttoleavethedogandtheheninthisroomIcannotpermityoutoenterthetown.”
“Nevermindus,Dorothy,”saidBillina.“Goinsideandseewhattheplaceislike.Youcantellusaboutitafterward,andTotoandIwillrestcomfortablyhereuntilyoureturn.”
Thisseemedthebestthingtodo,forDorothywascurioustoseehowtherabbitpeoplelivedandshewasawareofthefactthatherfriendsmightfrightenthetimidlittlecreatures.
ShehadnotforgottenhowTotoandBillinahadmisbehavedinBunbury,andperhapstherabbitwaswisetoinsistontheirstayingoutsidethetown.
“Verywell,”shesaid,“I’llgoinalone.Is’poseyou’retheKingofthistown,aren’tyou?”
“No,”answeredtherabbit,“I’mmerelytheKeeperoftheWicket,andapersonoflittleimportance,althoughItrytodomyduty.
Imustnowinformyou,Princess,thatbeforeyouenterourtownyoumustconsenttoreduce.”
“Reducewhat?”askedDorothy.
“Yoursize.Youmustbecomethesizeoftherabbits,althoughyoumayretainyourownform.”
“Wouldn’tmyclothesbetoobigforme?”sheinquired.
“No;theywillreducewhenyourbodydoes.”
“CanYOUmakemesmaller?”askedthegirl.
“Easily,”returnedtherabbit.
“Andwillyoumakemebigagain,whenI’mreadytogoaway?”
“Iwill,”saidhe.
“Allright,then;I’mwilling,”sheannounced.
Therabbitjumpedfromthetableandran—orratherhopped—tothefurtherwall,whereheopenedadoorsotinythatevenTotocouldscarcelyhavecrawledthroughit.
“Followme,”hesaid.
Now,almostanyotherlittlegirlwouldhavedeclaredthatshecouldnotgetthroughsosmalladoor;butDorothyhadalreadyencounteredsomanyfairyadventuresthatshebelievednothingwasimpossibleintheLandofOz.
Soshequietlywalkedtowardthedoor,andateverystepshegrewsmallerandsmalleruntil,bythetimetheopeningwasreached,shecouldpassthroughitwithease.
Indeed,asshestoodbesidetherabbit,whosatuponhishindlegsandusedhispawsashands,herheadwasjustaboutashighashisown.
ThentheKeeperoftheWicketpassedthroughandshefollowed,afterwhichthedoorswungshutandlockeditselfwithasharpclick.
Dorothynowfoundherselfinacitysostrangeandbeautifulthatshegaveagaspofsurprise.
Thehighmarblewallextendedallaroundtheplaceandshutoutalltherestoftheworld.
Andhereweremarblehousesofcuriousforms,mostofthemresemblingoverturnedkettlesbutwithdelicateslenderspiresandminaretsrunningfarupintothesky.
Thestreetswerepavedwithwhitemarbleandinfrontofeachhousewasalawnofrichgreenclover.
Everythingwasasneataswax,thegreenandwhitecontrastingprettilytogether.
Buttherabbitpeoplewere,afterall,themostamazingthingsDorothysaw.
Thestreetswerefullofthem,andtheircostumesweresosplendidthattherichdressoftheKeeperoftheWicketwascommonplacewhencomparedwiththeothers.
Silksandsatinsofdelicatehuesseemedalwaysusedformaterial,andnearlyeverycostumesparkledwithexquisitegems.
Buttheladyrabbitsoutshonethegentlemenrabbitsinsplendor,andthecutoftheirgownswasreallywonderful.
Theyworebonnets,too,withfeathersandjewelsinthem,andsomewheeledbabycarriagesinwhichthegirlcouldseeweebunnies.
Somewerelyingasleepwhileotherslaysuckingtheirpawsandlookingaroundthemwithbigpinkeyes.
AsDorothywasnobiggerinsizethanthegrown-uprabbitsshehadachancetoobservethemcloselybeforetheynoticedherpresence.
Thentheydidnotseematallalarmed,althoughthelittlegirlnaturallybecamethecenterofattractionandregardedherwithgreatcuriosity.
“Makeway!”criedtheKeeperoftheWicket,inapompousvoice;“makewayforPrincessDorothy,whocomesfromOzmaofOz.”
Hearingthisannouncement,thethrongofrabbitsgaveplacetothemonthewalks,andasDorothypassedalongtheyallbowedtheirheadsrespectfully.
WalkingthusthroughseveralhandsomestreetstheycametoasquareinthecenteroftheCity.
InthissquareweresomeprettytreesandastatueinbronzeofGlindatheGood,whilebeyonditweretheportalsoftheRoyalPalace—anextensiveandimposingbuildingofwhitemarblecoveredwithafiligreeoffrostedgold.
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