پیرمردی از کانزاس

THE OLD MAN FROM KANSAS

The little green man opened the door. He gave them all glasses,; then he took them through the city to the Wizard’s house. There, in the long green room, the friends waited, and waited . . . and waited.

After three hours the Scarecrow said, ‘I’m tired of . waiting.’ He called the green man. We want to see the Wizard now. Or we’re going to call the Magic Monkeys.

Please tell the Wizard that.’

The green man went away to speak to the Wizard through the door. The Wizard knew about the Magic Monkeys, and he was very afraid of them. So he said to the green man, ‘These people can come and see me at nine o’clock tomorrow morning.’

Nine o’clock the green man took the friends to the ‘ Wizard’s room. They went in and looked all round, but - they could not see anybody. Then a voice said, ‘I am the Wizard of Oz. Who are you, and what do you want?’ ‘Where are you?’ asked Dorothy.

‘l am everywhere, but you can’t see me. Now answer me - who are you and what do you want?’

‘You know us all,’ said the Scarecrow. ‘You said to me, “Help Dorothy to kill the Witch of the West, and you can have some brains’ Well, the Witch is dead, and now I want my brains.’

‘And I want my heart,’ said the Tin Man.

‘And I want to be brave’ said the Cowardly Lion.

‘And I want to go home to Kansas,’ said Dorothy.

‘Is the Witch truly dead?’ asked the Voice.

‘Yes’ said Dorothy. I threw a bucket of water over her, and she disappeared.’

‘Very well’ said the Voice. ‘Come again tomorrow. I must think about things first and— ‘

‘No l’ said the Tin Man, ‘I want my heart now!’ I’m not going to wait another minute!’ said the Scarecrow.

‘And I’m going to eat you!’ the Lion shouted very angrily. Toto was afraid. He jumped away from the Lion, and hit a screen near the wall. The screen fell over, and behind it the friends saw an old man with no hair.

The Tin M an looked angry and picked up his axe.

‘Who are you?’ he said.

‘Please don’t hurt me!’ said the old man, in a quiet little voice. I’m the Wizard of Oz.’

‘But the Wizard of Oz is a big head without a body/ said Dorothy.

‘No, he’s a beautiful woman,’ said the Scarecrow.

‘You’re wrong/ said the Tin Man. ‘The Wizard of Oz is a big animal with two heads.’

“No” said the lion. ‘The wizard is a ball of fire’

‘You’re all wrong’ said the old man. I am the Wizard . . . Well, I’m not a true wizard. Oh, I know a lot of tricks, but I don’t know any true magic. You see, I’m from Kansas too. I went from town to town and did magic tricks.

And I went up in a big balloon. The balloon was always on a rope, but one day something went wrong* The rope broke and the balloon blew away. For a long time the wind carried my balloon across the sky.

Then I came down here, in the country of Oz. The people saw my balloon and said, “This man is a wizard! He comes out of the sky!” They were afraid of me and wanted to work for me . . . So they built this city for me, and I called it the Emerald City.

Well, emeralds are green, so I made green glasses for everybody. That’s why everything in the city looks green.’

The Scarecrow took off his glasses. ‘Oh,’ he said.

‘Now I understand. The Emerald City isn’t green. It just looks green. It’s all a trick.

That’s right,’ said the old man. ‘Well, all that happened many years ago. I never went out because I was afraid of the two bad Witches. Now they are dead , thanks to you, Dorothy. But I’m very sorry, I don’t know ‘ah true magic, so I can’t help you.’ You’re a very bad man,’ said Dorothy.

No , my child. I’m a very good man, but I am a very bad wizard, that’s true.’

‘What about my brains?’ said the Scarecrow.

You don’t need brains. You understand things, you can think you learn quickly. You’re very clever.’ I want brains,’ said the Scarecrow.

:“Very well,’ said the old man. ‘I can give you some brains tomorrow morning.

‘What about my heart?’ asked the Tin Man.

‘You don’t need a heart,’ said the old man. ‘You laugh, you cry, you love, you feel sorry for people.’ The Tin Man looked, angry and picked up his axe.

‘All right - please don’t hurt me!’ said the old man. ‘I can give you a heart tomorrow morning.’

I want to be brave/ said the Cowardly Lion.

But you are brave. You do a lot of brave things! No, no - don’t eat me! Come here tomorrow morning. I’m going to make you brave.’

‘What about Toto and me?’ asked Dorothy.

We can go up in my balloon/ said the Wizard. “The wind blew us here from Kansas - perhaps it can blow us back to Kansas again.

The next morning the friends came again to the Wizard’s room. The old man was ready. He took a bottle with BRAINS on it in big green letters, and carefully opened the Scarecrow’s head.

‘Don’t move. I’m putting your brains in,’ he said.

‘There - now you’re the cleverest scarecrow in Oz.’ The Scarecrow thanked him.

Next the Wizard gave the Tin M an a small red heart.

‘Wear this always,’ he said.

The Tin Man was very happy and thanked the Wizard again and again.

Then the old man took a bottle with BE BRAVE on it.

‘Drink this,’ he said to the Cowardly Lion.

The Lion drank. ‘Yes. Yes, I feel brave!’ he shouted.

‘Very, very brave! Thank you!

The Wizard smiled at them. ‘You didn’t need my magic,’ he said. ‘But you’re all happy now, and that’s a good thing. Now, Dorothy,’ he said, ‘come and see my balloon. It’s all ready. I mended it last night.’ They went out into the garden behind the Wizard’s house. The balloon was very big. There was a small box under it, and the Wizard of Oz jumped into the box.

‘Come on, Dorothy!’ he shouted. ‘We’re going to Kansas. Say goodbye to your friends.’

Dorothy kissed the Scarecrow, the Lion, and the Tin Man, and said goodbye. ‘Come on, Toto,’ she said, ‘We’re going home to Kansas. We’re going to see Aunt Em and Uncle Henry.’

But just then Toto saw a cat. He jumped out of Dorothy’s arms and ran after it.

‘Toto! ‘ called Dorothy, and she began to run after him.