شهر زمردین

THE EMERALD CITY

It was a long day. The yellow brick road went past fields and through trees, up hills and down hills. In the evening they began to see small green houses by the road.

Sometimes little people in green clothes came out and looked at the friends. But they did not come near them, because they were afraid of the Cowardly Lion.

‘Everything here is green. Perhaps we’re near the Emerald City,’ said Dorothy. ‘Toto and I are hungry.

Let’s stop at the next house.’

A little woman opened the door, and Dorothy said, ‘Please can we stay the night in your house?’ The little woman looked at the Lion, and Dorothy said quickly, ‘The Lion is my friend, and he never hurts anybody.’ ‘All right,’ the little woman said. ‘ You can all come in?

She put a wonderful dinner on the table. Dorothy and Toto ate a lot of it, and the Lion ate some of it. But the Scarecrow and the Tin Man ate nothing.

‘Where are you all going?’ asked the little woman.

‘To the Emerald City,’ said Dorothy. ‘We want to see the Wizard of Oz.’

‘That’s not easy,’ said the woman. ‘The Wizard never goes out of his house, and nobody sees his face.’ ‘Is the Wizard a man?’ asked the Scarecrow.

‘Nobody knows,’ said the woman. ‘He’s a wizard, so he can be a man, or an animal - or anything!’ ‘How strange!’ said Dorothy. ‘But we need his help, so we must see him.’

The next day they thanked the woman, left the house, arid began walking again. Soon they saw a beautiful city in front of them - it was the Emerald City at last.

The friends went up the yellow brick road to a big green door, and stopped. Slowly, the door opened, and a little man in green clothes stood there.

‘We want to see the Wizard, please,’ said Dorothy.

‘Nobody sees the Wizard/ he said. He is a very good and very famous Wizard, but nobody can see him. ‘We must see him said Dorothy. ‘Please ask him.’ ‘All right/ said the green man. I can take you to his house. But first, you must all put glasses on.’ He opened a big box. In it were lots of glasses. ‘You must wear your glasses all the time he said. ‘Everybody in the city must wear glasses. The Wizard says this.

So they all put on glasses. The green man put on some glasses too, and then he took them through the Emerald City. Everything in the city was green - men, women, children’ houses, shops, streets . ..

The green man took them to a very big house, and they went into a long green room. ‘Wait here/ he said. After a short time he came back.

‘You can see the Wizard he said. ‘But you must go to him one by one. He wants to see the little girl first.’ Then he went away, and a green girl came in. She took Dorothy to a tall green door.

‘The Wizard is in there said the green girl. ‘He’s waiting for you.’

Dorothy went in. On a green chair was a very, very big head- There was no body, or arms, or legs - only a head.

Its mouth opened and the Head said: ‘I am Oz. Who are you, and what do you want?’

‘I am Dorothy’ said the child bravely.

‘Where did you get those red shoes?’’

‘From the bad Witch of the East’ said Dorothy. ‘My house fell on her and killed her.’

‘What is that thing on your face?’

‘A kiss. The good Witch of the North kissed me,’ said Dorothy. ‘I need help, and she told me about you.’ ‘And what do you want?’

‘I want to go home to Kansas’ answered Dorothy, But I don’t know the way. Please help me to get home: The big eyes opened and closed, opened and closed.

Then the mouth opened and the Head spoke again.

‘Well,’ it said. ‘Perhaps l can help you. But first, you must do something for me

‘What do you want me to do ?’ asked Dorothy.

‘Kill the bad Witch of the West.’

‘But I don’t want to kill anybody!’ said Dorothy.

‘You killed her sister. And you are wearing her shoes.

Go how, and kill the Witch of the West.’

’ The little girl began to cry. ‘But how can I kill the Witch? she said. The big eyes opened and looked at her, but the Head did not answer. Dorothy went away, and then her friends went into the Wizard’s room - first the Scarecrow, then the Tin Man, and last the Lion.

Later, they all met in the long green room and talked, Dorothy told her friends about the Head.

‘That’s interesting,’ said the Scarecrow. I didn’t see a Head; I saw a beautiful woman, I asked her for some brains and she said, “ Yes, but first you must help Dorothy to kill the Witch of the West.’” I saw a big animal with two heads,’ said the Tin Man.

‘I asked for a heart. The animal said, “ I can give you a heart; but first you must help Dorothy to kill the Witch of the West.” What did you see, Lion?’

‘I saw a ball of fire,’ said the Cowardly Lion. I said, “I’m a coward; please make me brave, ” And the fire said, “When the Witch of the West is dead, I can help you.

But not before.” I was angry then,’ said the Lion, ‘but the ball of fire got bigger and bigger, so I ran away.’ ‘Oh, what are we going to do?’ said Dorothy.

‘Well,’ said the Scarecrow. ‘We must find the Witch of the West, and then we must kill her.’