Удивительный волшебник из Страны Оз / The Wonderful Wizard of Oz

Uncle Henry never laughed. He worked hard from morning till night and did not know what joy was. He was gray also, from his long beard to his rough boots.

It was Toto that made Dorothy laugh, and saved her from becoming gray. Toto was a little black dog, with silky fur and small black eyes. Toto played all day long, and Dorothy played with him. She loved him very much.

Today, however, they were not playing. Uncle Henry sat upon the doorstep and looked anxiously at the sky. It was even grayer than usual. Dorothy held Toto in her arms, and looked at the sky too.

Aunt Em was washing the dishes.

They heard a low wail of the wind in the north. Then came a sharp whistling from the south.

Suddenly Uncle Henry stood up.

“There’s a cyclone coming, Em,” he called to his wife. “I’ll go look after the stock.” Then he ran toward the sheds where the cows and horses were kept.

Aunt Em dropped her work and came to the door. “Quick, Dorothy!” she screamed. “Run for the cellar!”

Toto jumped out of Dorothy’s arms and hid under the bed, and the girl ran to get him.

Aunt Em was very afraid. She threw open the trap door in the floor and climbed down the ladder into the small, dark hole. Dorothy caught Toto at last and ran to do the same. When she was halfway across the room, the house shook so hard that she fell down.

Then a strange 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 was in the exact center of the cyclone. The great pressure of the wind on every side of the house raised it up higher and higher, until it was at the very top of the cyclone, which carried it as easily as a feather.

It was very dark, and the wind howled horribly. However, Dorothy thought it wasn’t so bad. 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, barking loudly.

Hour after hour passed away. Dorothy wondered if she would be dashed to pieces when the house fell again.

But hours passed and nothing terrible happened. She stopped worrying and decided to wait calmly. Eventually, she crept to her bed, and lay down upon it; and Toto followed and lay down beside her.

Dorothy soon closed her eyes and fell asleep.

Chapter 2

The Council with the Munchkins

She was awakened by a jolt. If Dorothy had not been lying on the soft bed she might have been hurt.