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The Wonderful Wizard of Oz. B1 / Удивительный волшебник из Страны Оз

© А. А. Грек, адаптация, словарь, упражнения, 2024

© ООО «Издательство АСТ», 2024

Chapter 1
The Cyclone

Dorothy lived in a little house in Kansas, with Uncle Henry, Aunt Em, and a small black dog whose name was Toto. They had a little house. Uncle Henry and Aunt Em had a large bed in one corner, and Dorothy a little bed in another corner.

When Aunt Em came there to live, she was a young, pretty wife. Now, she was thin, gray and gaunt, and never smiled. When Dorothy, who was an orphan, first came to her, Aunt Em had been so startled by the child's laughter that she would scream and press her hand upon her heart whenever Dorothy's merry voice reached her ears; and she still looked at the little girl with wonder that she could find anything to laugh at.

Uncle Henry worked hard from morning till night and did not know what joy was. Uncle Henry never laughed. He was gray also, from his long beard to his rough boots, and he looked stern and solemn, and rarely spoke. It was Toto that made Dorothy laugh. Toto played all day long, and Dorothy played with him, and loved him dearly. Toto was not gray; he was a little black dog, with long silky hair and small black eyes that twinkled merrily on either side of his funny, wee nose.

When Dorothy stood in the doorway and looked around, she could see nothing but the great gray prairie on every side. Not a tree nor a house broke the broad sweep of flat country that reached to the edge of the sky in all directions. There were no trees and no hills in Kansas, and it was often very windy. Even the grass was not green. Sometimes the wind came very fast and very suddenly. It was a cyclone, and it blew trees and people and houses away. Everyone had cellars below the houses. And when there was a cyclone, people came into their cellars and stayed there. One day Uncle Henry went out and looked up at the sky. Aunt Em was washing the dishes. Dorothy stood in the door with Toto in her arms, and looked at the sky too. Suddenly Uncle Henry ran quickly back into the house. 'There will be a cyclone,' he called to Aunt Em and Dorothy, 'We must go into the cellar!'

Then he ran toward the sheds where the cows and horses were kept.

Toto jumped out of Dorothy's arms and hid below the bed, and the girl ran after him. Aunt Em, very scared, threw open the trap door in the floor and went down the ladder into the little, dark hole. 'Quick, Dorothy!' she screamed. 'Run for the cellar!' Dorothy caught Toto finally and ran after her aunt.

But before she came there, the cyclone hit the house.

And then a very odd thing happened. The house whirled around two or three times and rose slowly through the air. Dorothy felt as if she were going up in a balloon.

The house moved, and it went slowly up, up, up into the sky. Aunt Em and Uncle Henry were down in the cellar below the ground, but the house, Dorothy, and Toto went up to the top of the cyclone. Dorothy looked through the open cellar door and saw hills and houses, a long way down. She closed the cellar door.

The wind blew the house along for a long time. At first Dorothy was scared. It was very dark, and the wind howled horribly around her, but then Dorothy found she was riding quite easily. After the first few whirls around, and one other time when the house tipped badly, she felt as if she were being rocked gently, like a baby in a cradle.

Toto did not like it. He ran about the room, now here, now there, barking loudly; but Dorothy sat quite still on the floor and waited to see what would happen. Toto came too near the open door, and fell in; and at first the little girl thought she had lost him. She crept to the hole, caught Toto by the ear, and dragged him into the room again, afterward closing the trap door so that no more accidents could happen.

'We can't do anything about it,' she said to Toto. 'So let's wait and see.' And after two or three hours, she and Toto went to bed. In spite of the swaying of the house and the wailing of the wind, Dorothy soon closed her eyes and fell fast asleep.

When Dorothy woke up, the house was on the ground and everything was quiet around. The cyclone had set the house down very gently – for a cyclone – in the midst of a country of wonderful beauty. There were lovely patches of green all around, with trees and rich and nice fruits. She took Toto, opened the door, and went out. They saw tall trees and beautiful flowers, and little houses with blue doors.

While she was looking eagerly at the strange and beautiful sights, she noticed coming toward her a group of the queerest people she had ever seen.

Three were men and one woman, and all were oddly dressed. They wore round hats that rose a foot above their heads, with little bells around the brims that tinkled sweetly as they moved. They were not as big as the grown folk she had always been used to; but neither were they very small. In fact, they seemed about as tall as Dorothy, who was a well-grown child for her age, although they were, so far as looks go, many years older.

When these people drew near the house where Dorothy was standing in the doorway, they paused and whispered among themselves, as if afraid to come farther.

Dorothy cried. 'This isn't Kansas, Toto! And who are these people?'

There were three very short men in blue hats, coats and trousers, and a little old woman in a beautiful white dress. The woman walked up to Dorothy and said, 'Thank you, thank you! Now the people are free!' Her face was covered with wrinkles, her hair was nearly white, and she walked rather stiffly.

'Why are you thanking me?' Dorothy asked.

'You killed the Witch of the East,' said the woman. 'She was bad, and her people, the Munchkins, were very afraid of her. Now she is killed, and we and the Munchkins want to say thank you.'

The little old woman and the three little men all smiled happily at Dorothy, but Dorothy did not understand anything. Dorothy listened to this speech with wonder. What could the little woman possibly mean by saying she had killed the Wicked Witch of the East? Dorothy was an innocent, harmless little girl, who had been carried by a cyclone many miles from home; and she had never killed anything in her life.

'But I didn't kill her!' she said with hesitation, 'You are very kind, but there must be some mistake. I have not killed anything.'

'Your house did, anyway,' replied the little old woman, with a laugh, 'and that is the same thing. See!' she continued, pointing to the corner of the house. 'Your house fell on the Witch,' laughed the little woman. 'Look! You can see her feet!'

Dorothy looked and saw two feet, with silver shoes, under the house. Suddenly, one of the Munchkins cried. 'Look! Her feet are disappearing in the hot sun.'

'There is nothing to be done,' said the little woman calmly.

'But who was she?' asked Dorothy.

'She has held all the Munchkins in bondage for many years, making them slave for her night and day. They are the people who live in this land of the East where the Wicked Witch ruled.'

A second later, there were only the silver shoes.

'Good,' said the little woman. She picked up the shoes and gave them to Dorothy. 'These are your shoes now. You must wear them, because witch's shoes can sometimes do wonderful things.'

'Thank you', said Dorothy. 'But who are you? Are you a Munchkin?'

'No, but I'm their friend. I'm the Witch of the North, and I came to see the dead Witch of the East. But don't be afraid-I'm a good witch'.

'But Aunt Em says there aren't any witches.'

'Who is Aunt Em?' inquired the little old woman. 'Oh yes, there are!' said the Witch. 'Here in the country of Oz we have four witches. The witches of the North and the South are good witches, but those of the East and the West are bad witches. Now the Witch of the East is dead, so there is only one bad witch. We have a famous wizard, too. We call him the Wizard of Oz, and he lives in the Emerald City. How many witches and wizards are there in your country?'

'We don't have any,' said Dorothy. Suddenly she remembered Aunt Em and Uncle Henry. 'How can I get back home to Kansas?' she asked.

'Where is Kansas?' asked the good Witch. 'I don't know a country called Kansas, so I can't tell you the way.'

Dorothy began to cry. 'Oh no! What can I do?'

'Please don't cry!' said the Witch. 'Go and see the Wizard of Oz. He's a good wizard, and perhaps he can help you. It's a long way, and you must walk there. I can't go with you, but I can give you my kiss.'

She gave Dorothy a little kiss. It looked like a small red flower on Dorothy's face.

'Now nothing can hurt you,' she said. 'It is a long journey, through a country that is sometimes pleasant and sometimes dark and terrible. However, I will use all the magic arts I know of to keep you from harm. Look – it is the road to the Emerald City. It is made of yellow bricks, so you cannot lose your way. Goodbye.'

She reached down and picked up the shoes, and after shaking the dust out of them handed them to Dorothy.

'Goodbye!' said the three little Munchkins.

When Dorothy was left alone she began to feel hungry. She gave some bread to Toto, and taking a pail from the shelf she carried it down to the little brook and filled it with clear, sparkling water. Then she went back to the house, and having helped herself and Toto to a good drink of the cool, clear water, she set about making ready for the journey to the City of Emeralds.

She took a little basket and filled it with bread from the cupboard, laying a white cloth over the top.

She closed the door, locked it, and put the key carefully in the pocket of her dress. 'Come on, Toto!' she called. 'We're going to find the Wizard of Oz.' And so, with Toto trotting along soberly behind her, she started on her journey.

Glossary

corner ['kɔ:nə] – угол

dearly ['dɪəlɪ] – нежно

hill [hɪl] – холм

suddenly ['sʌd(ə)nlɪ] – внезапно

cyclone ['saɪkləʊn] – ураган, цунами, циклон

blow away [bləʊ ə'weɪ] – сдувать

cellar ['selə] – подвал

called [kɔ:ld] – по имени

ladder ['lædə] – лестница

happen ['hæp(ə)n] – случаться, происходить

move [mu: v] – двигаться

howl [haʊl] – выть

horribly ['hɒrɪblɪ] – ужасно

badly ['bædlɪ] – сильно

drag [dræɡ] – тащить

accident ['æksɪd(ə)nt] – несчастный случай

eagerly ['i:ɡəlɪ] – жадно

queer [kwɪə] – странный

disappear [dɪsə'pɪə] – исчезать

East [i: st] – восток

West [west] – запад

wizard ['wɪzəd] – волшебник

perhaps [pə'hæps] – возможно

hurt [hɜ:t] – причинить боль, обидеть, ранить

leave [li: v] – оставить, бросить

Chapter 2
The Scarecrow, the Tin Man and the Cowardly Lion

Dorothy and Toto walked along the yellow brick road for a long time. She was surprised, as she walked along, to see how beautiful the country was about her.

Toward evening, when Dorothy was tired with her long walk and began to wonder where she should pass the night, she came to a house rather larger than the rest. It turned out to be the home of one of the richest Munchkins in the land. He gathered his friends with him to celebrate their freedom from the bondage of the Wicked Witch. The people said hello to Dorothy kindly, and told her to come to supper and to spend the night with them. Dorothy thanked them wholeheartedly and stayed with them till the morning.

On the next day she said good-bye to her friends and went on with Toto along the yellow brick road. When they were tired, they stopped at the road. Not far away, there was a scarecrow, and Dorothy and Toto went across to look at it. Dorothy leaned her chin upon her hand and gazed thoughtfully at the Scarecrow.

'Hello,' said the Scarecrow.

'Did you speak?' asked the girl, in wonder. 'Oh! You can talk!'

'Of course I can talk,' said the Scarecrow. 'But I can't move, here on this pole… I want to get down. Can you help me? If you will please take away the pole I shall be greatly obliged to you.'

Carefully, Dorothy took the Scarecrow off his pole.

'Thank you very much,' said the Scarecrow. He moved his arms and legs, and straw flew everywhere. 'Who are you?' he asked. 'And where are you going?'

'I'm Dorothy, and I'm going to the Emerald City. I want to go home to Kansas, but I don't know the way. I want to ask the Wizard of Oz for help.'

'Where is the Emerald City?' asked the Scarecrow.

'And who is the Wizard of Oz? I don't know anything, you see, because I have no brains in my head – just straw.'

'Oh dear!' said Dorothy. 'I'm so sorry,'

'I would very much like to have some brains,' the Scarecrow said. 'Can I go to the Emerald City with you? Maybe the Wizard of Oz can give me some brains. What do you think?'

'I don't know,' said Dorothy. 'But yes, please let's go with us. He's a well-known wizard, and maybe he can help you.' She felt very sorry for the Scarecrow. 'Don't be afraid of Toto,' she said. 'He never hurts people.'

'Nothing can hurt me,' said the Scarecrow. 'I'm not afraid of anything… Well, that's not true. I'm afraid of fire, you know.'

Dorothy helped him over the fence, and they started along the path of yellow brick for the Emerald City.

Dorothy was walking along the road with her new friend. Soon she felt hungry, so she sat down and she and Toto had some bread and apples. 'Would you like some, Scarecrow?' said Dorothy.

'No, thank you,' said the Scarecrow. 'I don't need to eat or drink. You can't eat when you're made of straw… Now, tell me about your home.'

So Dorothy told him about Kansas, and Uncle Henry and Aunt Em, and the cyclone.

'But why do you want to come back?' asked the Scarecrow. 'It's so beautiful here, and Kansas, you say, has no trees, no green hills, no gardens. I don't understand.'

'That's because you have no brains,' said Dorothy. ' Kansas is my home. We say, “East, west – home's best”, and it's true. I want to return home. No matter how dreary and gray our homes are, we people of flesh and blood would rather live there than in any other country, be it ever so beautiful. There is no place like home.'

'Won't you tell me a story, while we are resting?' asked the child.

The Scarecrow looked at her reproachfully, and answered:

'My life has been so short that I really know nothing whatever. I was only made a day before yesterday. What happened in the world before that time is all unknown to me. Luckily, when the farmer made my head, one of the first things he did was to paint my ears, so that I heard what was going on. There was another Munchkin with him, and the first thing I heard was the farmer saying, “How do you like those ears?”

'“They aren't straight,” answered the other.

'“Never mind,” said the farmer. “They are ears just the same,” which was true enough.

'“Now I'll make the eyes,” said the farmer. So he painted my right eye, and as soon as it was finished I found myself looking at him and at everything around me with a great deal of curiosity, for this was my first glimpse of the world.

'“That's a rather pretty eye,” remarked the Munchkin who was watching the farmer. “Blue paint is just the color for eyes.”

'“I think I'll make the other a little bigger,” said the farmer. And when the second eye was done I could see much better than before. Then he made my nose and my mouth. But I did not speak, because at that time I didn't know what a mouth was for. I had the fun of watching them make my body and my arms and legs; and when they fastened on my head, at last, I felt very proud, for I thought I was just as good a man as anyone.

'“This fellow will scare the crows fast enough,” said the farmer. “He looks just like a man.”

'“Why, he is a man,' said the other, and I quite agreed with him. The farmer carried me under his arm to the cornfield, and set me up on a tall stick, where you found me. He and his friend soon after walked away and left me alone.

'I did not like to be left alone like that. So I tried to walk after them. But my feet would not touch the ground, and I was forced to stay on that pole. It was a lonely life to lead, for I had nothing to think of, having been made such a little while before. Many crows and other birds flew into the cornfield, but as soon as they saw me they flew away again, thinking I was a Munchkin; and this pleased me and made me feel that I was quite an important person. By and by an old crow flew near me, and after looking at me carefully he perched upon my shoulder and said:

'“I wonder if that farmer wanted to fool me in this clumsy manner. Any crow of sense could see that you are only stuffed with straw.” Then he hopped down at my feet and ate all the corn he wanted. The other birds, seeing he was not harmed by me, came to eat the corn too, so in a short time there was a great flock of them about me.

'I felt sad at this, for it showed I was not such a good Scarecrow after all; but the old crow comforted me, saying, “If you only had brains in your head you would be as good a man as any of them, and a better man than some of them. Brains are the only things worth having in this world, no matter whether one is a crow or a man.”

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