四位旅行者安全地走过了森林里的余下路程。他们刚走出阴暗的森林,又遇上一座陡峭的山,从山顶到山脚都覆盖着大石块。
“这座山很难爬,”稻草人说,“但我们必须翻过去。”
于是,稻草人领路,大家跟着他。他们刚要爬上最下面的一块石头,突然一个粗鲁的声音喊道:
“别过来!”
“你是谁?”稻草人问。接着,一个脑袋从石头后面探出来,那个声音又说:
“这座山是我们的,任何人都不许过去。”
“但我们必须过去,”稻草人说,“我们要去夸德令国。”
“你们不能过去!”那声音回答。话音刚落,从石头后面走出一个人,旅行者们从没见过这么奇特的长相。
这人矮墩墩的,布满皱纹的粗脖子上长着一颗头顶扁平的大脑袋。更怪的是,他没有胳膊。稻草人看到这情景,并不害怕,他觉得这个无助的家伙并不能拦阻大家翻山赶路。于是,稻草人一边勇敢地往前走,一边说:
“很抱歉,我们不能按你说的办,不管你愿意不愿意,我们都必须翻过山去。”
突然,那人闪电般飞快地伸展脖子,嗖地射出脑袋,拿扁平的头顶击中了稻草人的腰。稻草人被撞翻了,骨碌碌滚下山。转眼间,那脑袋又迅速缩回去,那人刺耳地笑着说:
“没你想得那么简单!”
一阵狂笑从其他石头后面传出。多萝西看见山坡上有几百个长着锤子头的没有胳膊的人,每块石头后面都有一个。
狮子听见他们嘲笑稻草人滚下山坡,非常生气。他怒吼一声,冲上山坡,吼声像雷一样隆隆回响。
这时,一个脑袋又嗖地射出,狮子像被炮弹击中一样,滚下山坡。
多萝西跑下去扶起稻草人。狮子浑身肿痛,走过来对多萝西说:
“和这些会发射脑袋的人打也没用;谁也抵挡不住他们。”
“那我们怎么办?”多萝西问。
“召唤飞猴,”铁皮樵夫说,“你还有一次使唤他们的权力。”
“太好了。”多萝西说着,戴上金冠,念起了咒语。飞猴像往常一样迅速,不一会儿整个猴群就站在了多萝西面前。
“您有什么吩咐?”猴王深鞠一躬,问道。
“请带我们飞过这座山,去夸德令国。”小姑娘回答。
“遵命。”猴王说。飞猴们立刻托起四位旅行者和托托,带着他们飞去。他们飞过山上时,长着锤子头的人气得大叫,把脑袋高高地射向空中,但他们够不到飞猴。飞猴们托着多萝西和她的伙伴们安全地飞越石山,把他们送到了美丽的夸德令国。
“这是您最后一次能召唤我们,”猴王对多萝西说,“再见,祝您好运。”
“再见,非常感谢你们。”小姑娘回答。随后,飞猴们飞上天空,转眼不见踪影。
夸德令国看起来富裕幸福。平坦的小路隔开一片连一片的成熟稻田,潺潺的溪流穿田而过,溪上架着坚固的桥。篱笆、房子和桥都漆成鲜红色,像在温基国漆成黄色,在芒奇金国漆成蓝色一样。夸德令人又矮又胖,长得圆滚滚的,他们性格温和,都穿着红衣服,红色在绿草和变黄的稻谷映衬下格外鲜艳。
飞猴们把他们放在一间农舍旁。四位旅行者走过去敲门。一位农妇打开了门,多萝西问她要一些吃的。于是,农妇请大家吃了一顿丰盛的晚餐,有三种蛋糕、四种饼干,还给了托托一碗牛奶。
“这里离格林达的城堡有多远?”小姑娘问。
“不是很远,”农妇回答,“沿着这条路往南走,很快就到了。”
大家谢过这位好心的农妇,又起身上路。他们穿过稻田,走过精巧的小桥,一直来到一座美丽的城堡前。城门由三位年轻姑娘守卫,她们都身穿漂亮的镶着金穗带的红色制服。见多萝西走过来,其中一个说:
“你为什么来南方国度?”
“来拜见统治这里的好女巫,”多萝西答道,“你能带我去见她吗?”
“请你们报上名来,我去请示格林达,看她是不是愿意见你们。”于是,大家把名字告诉女卫兵,那姑娘就走进城堡去了。不一会儿,她回来对多萝西他们说,格林达请他们立即进城堡。
The four travelers passed through the rest of the forest in safety, and when they came out from its gloom saw before them a steep hill, covered from top to bottom with great pieces of rock.
“That will be a hard climb,” said the Scarecrow, “but we must get over the hill, nevertheless.”
So he led the way and the others followed. They had nearly reached the first rock when they heard a rough voice cry out,
“Keep back!”
“Who are you?” asked the Scarecrow.
Then a head showed itself over the rock and the same voice said,
“This hill belongs to us, and we don’t allow anyone to cross it.”
“But we must cross it,” said the Scarecrow. “We’re going to the country of the Quadlings.”
“But you shall not!” replied the voice, and there stepped from behind the rock the strangest man the travelers had ever seen.
He was quite short and stout and had a big head, which was flat at the top and supported by a thick neck full of wrinkles. But he had no arms at all, and, seeing this, the Scarecrow did not fear that so helpless a creature could prevent them from climbing the hill. So he said,
“I’m sorry not to do as you wish, but we must pass over your hill whether you like it or not,” and he walked boldly forward.
As quick as lightning the man’s head shot forward and his neck stretched out until the top of the head, where it was flat, struck the Scarecrow in the middle and sent him tumbling, over and over, down the hill. Almost as quickly as it came the head went back to the body, and the man laughed harshly as he said,
“It isn’t as easy as you think!”
A chorus of boisterous laughter came from the other rocks, and Dorothy saw hundreds of the armless Hammer-Heads upon the hillside, one behind every rock.
The Lion became quite angry at the laughter caused by the Scarecrow’s mishap, and giving a loud roar that echoed like thunder, he dashed up the hill.
Again a head shot swiftly out, and the great Lion went rolling down the hill as if he had been struck by a cannon ball.
Dorothy ran down and helped the Scarecrow to his feet, and the Lion came up to her, feeling rather bruised and sore, and said,
“It is useless to fight people with shooting heads; no one can withstand them.”
“What can we do, then?” she asked.
“Call the Winged Monkeys,” suggested the Tin Woodman. “You have still the right to command them once more.”
“Very well,” she answered, and putting on the Golden Cap she uttered the magic words. The Monkeys were as prompt as ever, and in a few moments the entire band stood before her.
“What are your commands?” inquired the King of the Monkeys, bowing low.
“Carry us over the hill to the country of the Quadlings,” answered the girl.
“It shall be done,” said the King, and at once the Winged Monkeys caught the four travelers and Toto up in their arms and flew away with them. As they passed over the hill the Hammer-Heads yelled with vexation, and shot their heads high in the air, but they could not reach the Winged Monkeys, which carried Dorothy and her comrades safely over the hill and set them down in the beautiful country of the Quadlings.
“This is the last time you can summon us,” said the leader to Dorothy; “so good-bye and good luck to you.”
“Good-bye, and thank you very much,” returned the girl; and the Monkeys rose into the air and were out of sight in a twinkling.
The country of the Quadlings seemed rich and happy. There was field upon field of ripening grain, with well-paved roads running between, and pretty rippling brooks with strong bridges across them. The fences and houses and bridges were all painted bright red, just as they had been painted yellow in the country of the Winkies and blue in the country of the Munchkins. The Quadlings themselves, who were short and fat and looked chubby and good-natured, were dressed all in red, which showed bright against the green grass and the yellowing grain.
The Monkeys had set them down near a farmhouse, and the four travelers walked up to it and knocked at the door. It was opened by the farmer’s wife, and when Dorothy asked for something to eat the woman gave them all a good dinner, with three kinds of cake and four kinds of cookies, and a bowl of milk for Toto.
“How far is it to theCastleofGlinda?” asked the child.
“It is not a great way,” answered the farmer’s wife. “Take the road to the South and you will soon reach it.”
Thanking the good woman, they started afresh and walked by the fields and across the pretty bridges until they saw before them a very beautiful Castle. Before the gates were three young girls, dressed in handsome red uniforms trimmed with gold braid; and as Dorothy approached, one of them said to her:
“Why have you come to the South Country?”
“To see the Good Witch who rules here,” she answered. “Will you take me to her?”
“Let me have your name, and I will ask Glinda if she will receive you.” They told who they were, and the girl soldier went into the Castle. After a few moments she came back to say that Dorothy and the others were to be admitted at once.