English
Whentheycametothesignpost,there,totheirjoy,werethetentsoftheWizardpitchedbesidethepathandthekettlebubblingmerrilyoverthefire.
TheShaggyManandOmbyAmbyweregatheringfirewoodwhileUncleHenryandAuntEmsatintheircampchairstalkingwiththeWizard.
TheyallranforwardtogreetDorothy,assheapproached,andAuntEmexclaimed:“Goodnessgracious,child!Wherehaveyoubeen?”
“You’veplayedhookythewholeday,”addedtheShaggyMan,reproachfully.
“Well,yousee,I’vebeenlost,”explainedthelittlegirl,“andI’vetriedawfulhardtofindthewaybacktoyou,butjustcouldn’tdoit.”
“Didyouwanderintheforestallday?”askedUncleHenry.
“Youmustbea’moststarved!”saidAuntEm.
“No,”saidDorothy,“I’mnothungry.Ihadawheelbarrowandapianoforbreakfast,andlunchedwithaKing.”
“Ah!”exclaimedtheWizard,noddingwithabrightsmile.“Soyou’vebeenhavingadventuresagain.”
“She’sstarkcrazy!”criedAuntEm.“Whoeverheardofeatingawheelbarrow?”
“Itwasn’tverybig,”saidDorothy;“andithadazuzuwheel.”
“AndIatethecrumbs,”saidBillina,soberly.
“Sitdownandtellusaboutit,”beggedtheWizard.
“We’vehuntedforyouallday,andatlastInoticedyourfootstepsinthispath—andthetracksofBillina.
Wefoundthepathbyaccident,andseeingitonlyledtotwoplacesIdecidedyouwereateitheroneortheotherofthoseplaces.
Sowemadecampandwaitedforyoutoreturn.
Andnow,Dorothy,telluswhereyouhavebeen—toBunburyortoBunnybury?”
“Why,I’vebeentoboth,”shereplied;“butfirstIwenttoUtensia,whichisn’tonanypathatall.”
Shethensatdownandrelatedtheday’sadventures,andyoumaybesureAuntEmandUncleHenryweremuchastonishedatthestory.
“ButafterseeingtheCuttenclipsandtheFuddles,”remarkedheruncle,“weoughtnottowonderatanythinginthisstrangecountry.”
“Seemsliketheonlycommonandordinaryfolkshereareourselves,”rejoinedAuntEm,diffidently.
“Nowthatwe’retogetheragain,andonereunitedparty,”observedtheShaggyMan,“whatarewetodonext?”
“Havesomesupperandanight’srest,”answeredtheWizardpromptly,“andthenproceeduponourjourney.”
“Whereto?”askedtheCaptainGeneral.
“Wehaven’tvisitedtheRigmarolesortheFlutterbudgetsyet,”saidDorothy.“I’dliketoseethem—wouldn’tyou?”
“Theydon’tsoundveryinteresting,”objectedAuntEm.“Butperhapstheyare.”
“Andthen,”continuedthelittleWizard,“wewillcallupontheTinWoodmanandJackPumpkinheadandouroldfriendtheScarecrow,onourwayhome.”
“Thatwillbenice!”criedDorothy,eagerly.
“Can’tsayTHEYsoundveryinteresting,either,”remarkedAuntEm.
“Why,they’rethebestfriendsIhave!”assertedthelittlegirl,“andyou’resuretolikethem,AuntEm,‘causeEVER’bodylikesthem.”
Bythistimetwilightwasapproaching,sotheyatethefinesupperwhichtheWizardmagicallyproducedfromthekettleandthenwenttobedinthecozytents.
Theywereallupbrightandearlynextmorning,butDorothydidn’tventuretowanderfromthecampagainforfearofmoreaccidents.
“Doyouknowwherethere’saroad?”sheaskedthelittleman.
“No,mydear,”repliedtheWizard;“butI’llfindone.”
Afterbreakfasthewavedhishandtowardthetentsandtheybecamehandkerchiefsagain,whichwereatoncereturnedtothepocketsoftheirowners.
ThentheyallclimbedintotheredwagonandtheSawhorseinquired:
“Whichway?”
“Nevermindwhichway,”repliedtheWizard.“Justgoasyoupleaseandyou’resuretoberight.I’veenchantedthewheelsofthewagon,andtheywillrollintherightdirection,neverfear.”
AstheSawhorsestartedawaythroughthetreesDorothysaid:
“Ifwehadoneofthosenew-fashionedairshipswecouldfloatawayoverthetopoftheforest,andlookdownandfindjusttheplaceswewant.”
“Airship?Pah!”retortedthelittleman,scornfully.
“Ihatethosethings,Dorothy,althoughtheyarenothingnewtoeitheryouorme.
Iwasaballoonistformanyyears,andoncemyballooncarriedmetotheLandofOz,andoncetotheVegetableKingdom.
AndonceOzmahadaGumpthatflewalloverthiskingdomandhadsenseenoughtogowhereitwastoldto—whichairshipswon’tdo.
ThehousewhichthecyclonebroughttoOzallthewayfromKansas,withyouandTotoinit—wasarealairshipatthetime;soyouseewe’vegotplentyofexperienceflyingwiththebirds.”
“Airshipsarenotsobad,afterall,”declaredDorothy.“Somedaythey’llflyallovertheworld,andperhapsbringpeopleeventotheLandofOz.”
“ImustspeaktoOzmaaboutthat,”saidtheWizard,withaslightfrown.“Itwouldn’tdoatall,youknow,fortheEmeraldCitytobecomeaway-stationonanairshipline.”
“No,”saidDorothy,“Idon’ts’poseitwould.Butwhatcanwedotopreventit?”
“I’mworkingoutamagicrecipetofuddlemen’sbrains,sothey’llnevermakeanairshipthatwillgowheretheywantittogo,”theWizardconfidedtoher.
“Thatwon’tkeepthethingsfromflying,nowandthen,butit’llkeepthemfromflyingtotheLandofOz.”
JustthentheSawhorsedrewthewagonoutoftheforestandabeautifullandscapelayspreadbeforethetravelers’eyes.
Moreover,rightbeforethemwasagoodroadthatwoundawaythroughthehillsandvalleys.
“Now,”saidtheWizard,withevidentdelight,“weareontherighttrackagain,andthereisnothingmoretoworryabout.”
“It’safoolishthingtotakechancesinastrangecountry,”observedtheShaggyMan.
“Hadwekepttotheroadsweneverwouldhavebeenlost.
Roadsalwaysleadtosomeplace,elsetheywouldn’tberoads.”
“Thisroad,”addedtheWizard,“leadstoRigmaroleTown.I’msureofthatbecauseIenchantedthewagonwheels.”
Sureenough,afterridingalongtheroadforanhourortwotheyenteredaprettyvalleywhereavillagewasnestledamongthehills.
ThehouseswereMunchkinshaped,fortheywerealldomes,withwindowswiderthantheywerehigh,andprettybalconiesoverthefrontdoors.
AuntEmwasgreatlyrelievedtofindthistown“neitherpapernorpatch-work,”andtheonlysurprisingthingaboutitwasthatitwassofardistantfromallothertowns.
AstheSawhorsedrewthewagonintothemainstreetthetravelersnoticedthattheplacewasfilledwithpeople,standingingroupsandseemingtobeengagedinearnestconversation.
Sooccupiedwiththemselvesweretheinhabitantsthattheyscarcelynoticedthestrangersatall.SotheWizardstoppedaboyandasked:
“IsthisRigmaroleTown?”
“Sir,”repliedtheboy,“ifyouhavetraveledverymuchyouwillhavenoticedthateverytowndiffersfromeveryothertowninonewayoranotherandsobyobservingthemethodsofthepeopleandthewaytheyliveaswellasthestyleoftheirdwellingplacesitoughtnottobeadifficultthingtomakeupyourmindwithoutthetroubleofaskingquestionswhetherthetownbearstheappearanceoftheoneyouintendedtovisitorwhetherperhapshavingtakenadifferentroadfromtheoneyoushouldhavetakenyouhavemadeanerrorinyourwayandarrivedatsomepointwhere—”
“Landsakes!”criedAuntEm,impatiently;“what’sallthisrigmaroleabout?”
“That’sit!”saidtheWizard,laughingmerrily.“It’sarigmarolebecausetheboyisaRigmaroleandwe’vecometoRigmaroleTown.”
“Dotheyalltalklikethat?”askedDorothy,wonderingly.
“Hemighthavesaid‘yes’or‘no’andsettledthequestion,”observedUncleHenry.
“Nothere,”saidOmbyAmby.“Idon’tbelievetheRigmarolesknowwhat‘yes’or‘no’means.”
Whiletheboyhadbeentalkingseveralotherpeoplehadapproachedthewagonandlistenedintentlytohisspeech.
Thentheybegantalkingtooneanotherinlong,deliberatespeeches,wheremanywordswereusedbutlittlewassaid.
Butwhenthestrangerscriticizedthemsofranklyoneofthewomen,whohadnooneelsetotalkto,begananaddresstothem,saying:
“Itistheeasiestthingintheworldforapersontosay‘yes’or‘no’whenaquestionthatisaskedforthepurposeofgaininginformationorsatisfyingthecuriosityoftheonewhohasgivenexpressiontotheinquiryhasattractedtheattentionofanindividualwhomaybecompetenteitherfrompersonalexperienceortheexperienceofotherstoansweritwithmoreorlesscorrectnessoratleastanattempttosatisfythedesireforinformationonthepartoftheonewhohasmadetheinquiryby—”
“Dearme!”exclaimedDorothy,interruptingthespeech.“I’velostalltrackofwhatyouaresaying.”
“Don’tletherbeginoveragain,forgoodnesssake!”criedAuntEm.
Butthewomandidnotbeginagain.Shedidnotevenstoptalking,butwentrightonasshehadbegun,thewordsflowingfromhermouthinastream.
“I’mquitesurethatifwewaitedlongenoughandlistenedcarefully,someofthesepeoplemightbeabletotellussomething,intime,”saidtheWizard.
“Let’sdon’twait,”returnedDorothy.“I’veheardoftheRigmaroles,andwonderedwhattheywerelike;butnowIknow,andI’mreadytomoveon.”
“SoamI,”declaredUncleHenry;“we’rewastingtimehere.”
“Why,we’reallreadytogo,”saidtheShaggyMan,puttinghisfingerstohisearstoshutoutthemonotonousbabbleofthosearoundthewagon.
SotheWizardspoketotheSawhorse,whotrottednimblythroughthevillageandsoongainedtheopencountryontheothersideofit.
Dorothylookedback,astheyrodeaway,andnoticedthatthewomanhadnotyetfinishedherspeechbutwastalkingasgliblyasever,althoughnoonewasneartohearher.
“Ifthosepeoplewrotebooks,”OmbyAmbyremarkedwithasmile,“itwouldtakeawholelibrarytosaythecowjumpedoverthemoon.”
“Perhapssomeof‘emdowritebooks,”assertedthelittleWizard.“I’vereadafewrigmarolesthatmighthavecomefromthisverytown.”
“Someofthecollegelecturersandministersarecertainlyrelatedtothesepeople,”observedtheShaggyMan;“anditseemstometheLandofOzisalittleaheadoftheUnitedStatesinsomeofitslaws.
Forhere,ifonecan’ttalkclearly,andstraighttothepoint,theysendhimtoRigmaroleTown;whileUncleSamletshimroamaroundwildandfree,totortureinnocentpeople.”
Dorothywasthoughtful.TheRigmaroleshadmadeastrongimpressionuponher.Shedecidedthatwhenevershespoke,afterthis,shewoulduseonlyenoughwordstoexpresswhatshewantedtosay.
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