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

'

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.

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.

'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.