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pubOne.info thank you for your continued support and wish to present you this new edition. in an Underground World; and How with the

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Publié par	Pub One Info
Date de parution	27 septembre 2010
Nombre de lectures	0
EAN13	9782819926719
Langue	English

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Dorothy and the Wizard in Oz
A Faithful Record of Their AmazingAdventures
in an Underground World; and How with the
Aid of Their Friends Zeb Hugson, Eureka
the Kitten, and Jim the Cab-Horse,
They Finally Reached the
Wonderful Land
of Oz
by
L. Frank Baum
“Royal Historian of Oz”
To My Readers
It's no use; no use at all. The children won't letme stop telling tales of the Land of Oz. I know lots of otherstories, and I hope to tell them, some time or another; but justnow my loving tyrants won't allow me. They cry: “Oz— Oz! more aboutOz, Mr. Baum! ” and what can I do but obey their commands?
This is Our Book— mine and the children's. For theyhave flooded me with thousands of suggestions in regard to it, andI have honestly tried to adopt as many of these suggestions ascould be fitted into one story.
After the wonderful success of “Ozma of Oz” it isevident that Dorothy has become a firm fixture in these Oz stories.The little ones all love Dorothy, and as one of my small friendsaptly states: “It isn't a real Oz story without her. ” So here sheis again, as sweet and gentle and innocent as ever, I hope, and theheroine of another strange adventure.
There were many requests from my littlecorrespondents for “more about the Wizard. ” It seems the jolly oldfellow made hosts of friends in the first Oz book, in spite of thefact that he frankly acknowledged himself “a humbug. ” The childrenhad heard how he mounted into the sky in a balloon and they wereall waiting for him to come down again. So what could I do but tell“what happened to the Wizard afterward”? You will find him in thesepages, just the same humbug Wizard as before.
There was one thing the children demanded which Ifound it impossible to do in this present book: they bade meintroduce Toto, Dorothy's little black dog, who has many friendsamong my readers. But you will see, when you begin to read thestory, that Toto was in Kansas while Dorothy was in California, andso she had to start on her adventure without him. In this bookDorothy had to take her kitten with her instead of her dog; but inthe next Oz book, if I am permitted to write one, I intend to tella good deal about Toto's further history.
Princess Ozma, whom I love as much as my readers do,is again introduced in this story, and so are several of our oldfriends of Oz. You will also become acquainted with Jim theCab-Horse, the Nine Tiny Piglets, and Eureka, the Kitten. I amsorry the kitten was not as well behaved as she ought to have been;but perhaps she wasn't brought up properly. Dorothy found her, yousee, and who her parents were nobody knows.
I believe, my dears, that I am the proudeststory-teller that ever lived. Many a time tears of pride and joyhave stood in my eyes while I read the tender, loving, appealingletters that came to me in almost every mail from my littlereaders. To have pleased you, to have interested you, to have wonyour friendship, and perhaps your love, through my stories, is tomy mind as great an achievement as to become President of theUnited States. Indeed, I would much rather be your story-teller,under these conditions, than to be the President. So you havehelped me to fulfill my life's ambition, and I am more grateful toyou, my dears, than I can express in words.
I try to answer every letter of my youngcorrespondents; yet sometimes there are so many letters that alittle time must pass before you get your answer. But be patient,friends, for the answer will surely come, and by writing to me youmore than repay me for the pleasant task of preparing these books.Besides, I am proud to acknowledge that the books are partly yours,for your suggestions often guide me in telling the stories, and Iam sure they would not be half so good without your clever andthoughtful assistance.
L. FRANK BAUM
Coronado, 1908.
1. The Earthquake
The train from 'Frisco was very late. It should havearrived at Hugson's Siding at midnight, but it was already fiveo'clock and the gray dawn was breaking in the east when the littletrain slowly rumbled up to the open shed that served for thestation-house. As it came to a stop the conductor called out in aloud voice:
“Hugson's Siding! ”
At once a little girl rose from her seat and walkedto the door of the car, carrying a wicker suit-case in one hand anda round bird-cage covered up with newspapers in the other, while aparasol was tucked under her arm. The conductor helped her off thecar and then the engineer started his train again, so that itpuffed and groaned and moved slowly away up the track. The reasonhe was so late was because all through the night there were timeswhen the solid earth shook and trembled under him, and the engineerwas afraid that at any moment the rails might spread apart and anaccident happen to his passengers. So he moved the cars slowly andwith caution.
The little girl stood still to watch until the trainhad disappeared around a curve; then she turned to see where shewas.
The shed at Hugson's Siding was bare save for an oldwooden bench, and did not look very inviting. As she peered throughthe soft gray light not a house of any sort was visible near thestation, nor was any person in sight; but after a while the childdiscovered a horse and buggy standing near a group of trees a shortdistance away. She walked toward it and found the horse tied to atree and standing motionless, with its head hanging down almost tothe ground. It was a big horse, tall and bony, with long legs andlarge knees and feet. She could count his ribs easily where theyshowed through the skin of his body, and his head was long andseemed altogether too big for him, as if it did not fit. His tailwas short and scraggly, and his harness had been broken in manyplaces and fastened together again with cords and bits of wire. Thebuggy seemed almost new, for it had a shiny top and side curtains.Getting around in front, so that she could look inside, the girlsaw a boy curled up on the seat, fast asleep.
She set down the bird-cage and poked the boy withher parasol. Presently he woke up, rose to a sitting position andrubbed his eyes briskly.
“Hello! ” he said, seeing her, “are you DorothyGale? ”
“Yes, ” she answered, looking gravely at his tousledhair and blinking gray eyes. “Have you come to take me to Hugson'sRanch? ”
“Of course, ” he answered. “Train in? ”
“I couldn't be here if it wasn't, ” she said.
He laughed at that, and his laugh was merry andfrank. Jumping out of the buggy he put Dorothy's suit-case underthe seat and her bird-cage on the floor in front.
“Canary-birds? ” he asked.
“Oh no; it's just Eureka, my kitten. I thought thatwas the best way to carry her. ”
The boy nodded.
“Eureka's a funny name for a cat, ” he remarked.
“I named my kitten that because I found it, ” sheexplained. “Uncle Henry says 'Eureka' means 'I have found it.'”
“All right; hop in. ”
She climbed into the buggy and he followed her. Thenthe boy picked up the reins, shook them, and said “Gid-dap! ”
The horse did not stir. Dorothy thought he justwiggled one of his drooping ears, but that was all.
“Gid-dap! ” called the boy, again.
The horse stood still.
“Perhaps, ” said Dorothy, “if you untied him, hewould go. ”
The boy laughed cheerfully and jumped out.
“Guess I'm half asleep yet, ” he said, untying thehorse. “But Jim knows his business all right— don't you, Jim? ”patting the long nose of the animal.
Then he got into the buggy again and took the reins,and the horse at once backed away from the tree, turned slowlyaround, and began to trot down the sandy road which was justvisible in the dim light.
“Thought that train would never come, ” observed theboy. “I've waited at that station for five hours. ”
“We had a lot of earthquakes, ” said Dorothy.“Didn't you feel the ground shake? ”
“Yes; but we're used to such things in California, ”he replied. “They don't scare us much. ”
“The conductor said it was the worst quake he everknew. ”
“Did he? Then it must have happened while I wasasleep, ” he said thoughtfully.
“How is Uncle Henry? ” she enquired, after a pauseduring which the horse continued to trot with long, regularstrides.
“He's pretty well. He and Uncle Hugson have beenhaving a fine visit. ”
“Is Mr. Hugson your uncle? ” she asked.
“Yes. Uncle Bill Hugson married your Uncle Henry'swife's sister; so we must be second cousins, ” said the boy, in anamused tone. “I work for Uncle Bill on his ranch, and he pays mesix dollars a month and my board. ”
“Isn't that a great deal? ” she asked,doubtfully.
“Why, it's a great deal for Uncle Hugson, but notfor me. I'm a splendid worker. I work as well as I sleep, ” headded, with a laugh.
“What is your name? ” said Dorothy, thinking sheliked the boy's manner and the cheery tone of his voice.
“Not a very pretty one, ” he answered, as if alittle ashamed. “My whole name is Zebediah; but folks just call me'Zeb. ' You've been to Australia, haven't you? ”
“Yes; with Uncle Henry, ” she answered. “We got toSan Francisco a week ago, and Uncle Henry went right on to Hugson'sRanch for a visit while I stayed a few days in the city with somefriends we had met. ”
“How long will you be with us? ” he asked.
“Only a day. Tomorrow Uncle Henry and I must startback for Kansas. We've been away for a long time, you know, and sowe're anxious to get home again. ”
The boy flicked the big, boney horse with his whipand looked thoughtful. Then he started to say something to hislittle companion, but before he could speak the buggy began to swaydangerously from side to side and the earth seemed to rise upbefore them. Next minute there was a roar and a sharp crash, and ather side Dorothy saw the ground open in a wide crack and then cometogether again.
“Goodness! ” she cried, grasping the iron rail ofthe seat. “What was that? ”
“That was an awful big quake, ” replied Zeb, with awhite face. “It almost got us that time, Dorothy. ”
The horse had stopped short, and stood firm as arock. Zeb shook t