Удивительный волшебник из Страны Оз / The Wonderful Wizard of Oz. Лаймен Фрэнк Баум

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      The Lion was about to reply when suddenly they came to another ditch across the road. But this one was too broad for the Lion to jumps across.

      So they started thinking about what they could do. The Scarecrow said:

      “There is a big tree here. If the Tin Woodman can chop it down, so that it will fall to the other side, we can walk across it easily.”

      “That is a good idea,” said the Lion. “One would almost suspect you had brains in your head, instead of straw.”

      The Woodman set to work at once, and he chopped the tree almost all the way through. Then the Lion pushed with all his might, and slowly the big tree tipped and fell across the ditch.

      They had just started to cross this new bridge when a sharp growl made them all look up. They saw running toward them two great beasts with bodies like bears and heads like tigers.

      “They are the Kalidahs!” said the Cowardly Lion, beginning to tremble.

      “Quick!” cried the Scarecrow. “Let us cross over.”

      So Dorothy went first, holding Toto in her arms, the Tin Woodman followed, and the Scarecrow came next. The Lion, even though he was afraid, turned to face the Kalidahs, and roared so terribly that the beasts stopped and looked at him in surprise. But then they remembered that they were bigger and there were two of them, and rushed forward again. The Lion crossed over the tree and turned to see what they would do next. Without stopping an instant the beasts also began to cross the tree. And the Lion said to Dorothy:

      “We are lost, for they will surely tear us to pieces. But stand close behind me, and I will fight them as long as I am alive.”

      “Wait a minute!” called the Scarecrow. He asked the Woodman to chop away the end of the tree that rested on their side of the ditch. The Tin Woodman began to use his axe at once, and, just as the two Kalidahs were nearly across, the tree fell with a crash into the ditch. The beasts fell down with it and hit the sharp rocks at the bottom.

      “Well,” said the Cowardly Lion, “Those creatures frightened me so badly that my heart is beating yet.”

      “Ah,” said the Tin Woodman sadly, “I wish I had a heart to beat.”

      This adventure made the travelers more anxious than ever to get out of the forest. They walked so fast that Dorothy became tired, and had to ride on the Lion’s back. To their great joy in the afternoon they suddenly came upon a broad river. On the other side of the water they could see the road of yellow brick running through a beautiful country, with green meadows dotted with bright flowers. They were very pleased to see this delightful country before them.

      “How will we cross the river?” asked Dorothy.

      “The Tin Woodman must build us a raft, so we can float to the other side,” said the Scarecrow.

      So the Woodman took his axe and began to chop down small trees to make a raft. But it took some time, and when the night came the work was not done. So they found a cozy place under the trees where they slept well until the morning.

      Chapter 8

      The Deadly Poppy Field

      The travelers awakened the next morning refreshed and full of hope. Dorothy breakfasted like a princess with peaches and plums from the trees beside the river. Behind them was the dark forest they had passed through, and before them was a lovely, sunny country.

      The raft was nearly done, and after the Tin Woodman had cut a few more logs and fastened them together, they were ready to start. Dorothy sat down in the middle of the raft and held Toto in her arms. Then the Cowardly Lion stepped upon the raft, and then the Scarecrow and the Tin Woodman. They had long poles in their hands to push the raft through the water.