The Marvelous Land of Oztby L. Frank Baum

Chapter 22. The Transformation of Old Mombi

The Witch was at first frightened at finding herself captured by the enemy ['enImI] (схваченная врагом); but soon she decided that she was exactly as safe [seIf] (в безопасности) in the Tin Woodman's button [bAtn]-hole (петлице) as growing ['grquIN] (растя) upon the bush [buS] (кусту). For no one knew the rose and Mombi to be one, and now that she was without the gates of the City her chances ['CRnsIz] of escaping [Is'keIpIN] (отделаться) altogether [Lltq'geDq] (совсем) from Glinda were much improved [Im'prHvd] (were ~  улучшились).

"But there is no hurry ['hArI] (спешки)," thought Mombi. "I will wait awhile [q'waIl] (немного) and enjoy [In'GOI] (получу удовольствие от) the humiliation [hjH"mIli'eIS(q)n] (унижения) of this Sorceress when she finds [faIndz] (узнает, что) I have outwitted [aut'wItId] (перехитрила) her." So throughout [TrH'aut] (всю) the night the rose lay quietly ['kwaIqtli] (тихо) on the Woodman's bosom ['buzqm] (груди), and in the morning, when Glinda summoned ['sAmqnd] (созвала) our friends to a consultation ["kPnsql'teISqn], Nick Chopper carried his pretty flower with him to the white silk tent.

"For some reason (причине)," said Glinda, "we have failed ['feIld] (нам не удалось) to find this cunning ['kAnIN] (хитрую) old Mombi; so I fear our expedition ["ekspI'dISqn] will prove a failure ['feIljq] (окажется неудачной). And for that I am sorry ['sPrI] (жаль), because without our assistance [q'sIstqns] (помощи) little Ozma will never be rescued ['reskjHd] (спасена) and restored (возвращена) to her rightful ['raItf(q)l] (законное) position as Queen of the Emerald City."

"Do not let us give up (давайте не будем сдаваться) so easily," said the Pumpkinhead. "Let us do something else."

"Something else must really be done," replied Glinda, with a smile. "yet I cannot understand how I have been defeated [dI'fJtId] (побеждена) so easily by an old Witch who knows far less (намного меньше) of magic than I do myself."

"While we are on the ground I believe it would be wise for us to conquer the Emerald City for Princess Ozma, and find the girl afterward," said the Scarecrow." And while the girl remains [rI'meInz] (остаётся) hidden [hIdn] (спрятанной) I will gladly ['glxdli] (с радостью) rule in her place, for I understand the business of ruling ['rHlIN] (правления) much better than Jinjur does."

"But I have promised ['prPmIst] (обещала) not to molest [mqu'lest] (беспокоить) Jinjur," objected [qb'GektId] (возразила) Glinda.

"Suppose you all return with me to my kingdom ['kINdqm] (королевство) -- or Empire ['empaIq] (империю), rather," said the Tin Woodman, politely including [In'klHdIN] (включая) the entire party in a royal wave [weIv] (взмахом) of his arm. "It will give me great pleasure ['pleZq] (удовольствие) to entertain ["entq'teIn] (принимать) you in my castle, where there is room enough and to spare [speq] (более чем достаточно). And if any of you wish to be nickelplated ['nIk(q)l'pleItId] (), my valet ['vxlIt] (слуга) will do it free of all expense [Iks'pens] (совершенно бесплатно)."

While the Woodman was speaking Glinda's eyes had been noting ['nqutIN] (заметили) the rose in his button [bAtn]-hole (петлице), and now she imagined [I'mxGInd] (показалось) she saw the big red leaves of the flower tremble ['tremb(q)l] (дрожат) slightly. This quickly aroused [q'rauzd] (вызвало) her suspicions [sq'spIS(q)nz] (подозрения), and in a moment more the Sorceress had decided that the seeming ['sJmIN] (кажущаяся) rose was nothing else than a transformation of old Mombi. At the same instant (мгновение) Mombi knew she was discovered and must quickly plan an escape, and as transformations ["trxnsfq'meIS(q)nz] (превращения) were easy to her she immediately took the form of a Shadow ['Sxdqu] (Тени) and glided ['glaIdId] (скользнула) along the wall of the tent toward the entrance ['entrqns] (выходу), thinking thus to disappear ["dIsq'pIq] (исчезнуть).

But Glinda had not only equal ['i:kwql] (равное) cunning ['kAnIN] (умение), but far more experience than the Witch. So the Sorceress reached the opening ['qupnIN] (вход) of the tent before the Shadow ['Sxdqu] (Тени), and with a wave [weIv] (взмахом) of her hand closed [klquzd] (закрыла) the entrance ['entrqns] (вход) so securely [sI'kjuqli] (плотно) that Mombi could not find a crack [krxk] (щель) big enough to creep ['krJp] (прокрасться) through. The Scarecrow and his friends were greatly surprised at Glinda's actions ['xkS(q)nz] (действиям); for none of them had noted ['nqutId] (заметил) the Shadow ['Sxdqu]. But the Sorceress said to them:

"Remain perfectly ['pE:fIktlI] (совершенно) quiet, all of you! For the old Witch is even now with us in this tent, and I hope to capture ['kxpCq] (схватить) her."

These words so alarmed [q'lRmd] (встревожили) Mombi that she quickly transformed herself from a shadow to a Black Ant [xnt] (муравья), in which shape [SeIp] (форме) she crawled along the ground, seeking ['sJkIN] (ища) a crack [krxk] (щель) or crevice ['krevIs] (трещину) in which to hide [haId] (спрятать) her tiny (крохотное) body.

Fortunately ['fLtSnItli] (к счастью), the ground where the tent had been pitched [pICt] (разбита), being just before the city gates, was hard and smooth [smHD] (гладкая); and while the Ant [xnt] (муравей) still crawled about, Glinda discovered it and ran quickly forward to effect [I'fekt] (совершить) its capture ['kxpCq] (поимку) But, just as her hand was descending [dI'sendIN] (опускалась), the Witch, now fairly frantic ['frxntIk] (обезумев) with fear, made her last transformation, and in the form of a huge ['hjHdZ] (огромного) Griffin sprang [sprxN] (выскочила) through the wall of the tent -- tearing ['teqrIN] (порвав) the silk asunder [q'sAndq] (на куски) in her rush [rAS] (порыве) -- and in a moment had darted ['dRtId] (унеслась) away with the speed [spJd] (скоростью) of a whirlwind ['wE:lwInd] (вихря).

Glinda did not hesitate ['hezIteIt] to follow (не колеблясь последовала за ней). She sprang [sprxN] (вскочила) upon the back of the Saw-Horse and cried:

"Now you shall prove that you have a right to be alive! Run -- run -- run!"

The Saw-Horse ran. Like a flash [flxS] (молния) he followed the Griffin, his wooden legs moving ['mHvIN] (двигались) so fast that they twinkled ['twINk(q)ld] (мерцали) like the rays [reIz] (лучи) of a star [stR] (звезды). Before our friends could recover [rI'kAvq] (оправиться) from their surprise both the Griffin and the Saw-Horse had dashed [dxSt] (унеслись) out of sight.

"Come! Let us follow!" cried the Scarecrow.

They ran to the place where the Gump was lying and quickly tumbled ['tAmb(q)ld] (бросились) aboard [q'bLd] (на борт).

"Fly!" commanded Tip, eagerly ['Jgqli] (нетерпеливо).

"Where to?" asked the Gump, in its calm [kRm] (спокойным) voice.

"I don't know," returned Tip, who was very nervous ['nE:vqs] (нервный) at the delay [dI'leI] (задержки); "but if you will mount [maunt] (поднимешься) into the air I think we can discover which way Glinda has gone."

"Very well," returned the Gump, quietly ['kwaIqtli] (тихо); and it spread [spred] (расправил) its great wings and mounted ['mauntId] (поднялся) high into the air.

Far away, across the meadows ['medquz] (луга), they could now see two tiny specks [speks] (пятнышка), speeding ['spJdIN] (гоняющихся) one after the other; and they knew these specks [speks] must be the Griffin and the Saw-Horse. So Tip called the Gump's attention to them and bade [beId] (попросил) the creature try to overtake ['quvq'teIk] (обогнать) the Witch and the Sorceress. But, swift [swIft] (быстрым) as was the Gump's flight, the pursued [pq'sjHd] (преследуемый) and pursuer [pq'sjHq] (преследователь) moved more swiftly yet, and within a few moments ['mqumqnts] were blotted ['blPtId] out (еле виднелись) against the dim [dIm] (неясном) horizon [hq'raIzn] (горизонте) .

"Let us continue to follow them, nevertheless ["nevqDq'les] (несмотря на (это))," said the Scarecrow. "for the Land of Oz is of small extent [Iks'tent] (протяженности), and sooner or later they must both come to a halt [hLlt] (остановиться)."

Old Mombi had thought herself very wise to choose the form of a Griffin, for its legs were exceedingly [Ik'si:dINlI] (чрезвычайно) fleet [fli:t] (быстрые) and its strength [streNT] (сила) more enduring [In'djuqrIN] (выносливая) than that of other animals ['xnIm(q)lz] (животных) . But she had not reckoned ['rekqnd] (не приняла во внимание) on the untiring [An'taIqrIN] (неутомимую) energy ['enqGI] of the SawHorse, whose wooden limbs [lImz] (конечности) could run for days without slacking ['slxkIN] (замедляя) their speed [spJd] (скорости). Therefore, after an hour's hard running, the Griffin's breath began to fail [feIl] (сбиваться), and it panted ['pxntId] (пыхтел) and gasped [gRspt] (задыхался) painfully ['peInfqlI] (тяжело), and moved more slowly than before. Then it reached the edge [eG] (края) of the desert and began racing ['reIsIN] (скакать) across the deep sands [sxndz] (пескам). But its tired feet sank [sxNk] (погрузились) far into the sand [sxnd] (песок), and in a few minutes ['mInIts] the Griffin fell forward, completely [kqm'plJtlI] (совершенно) exhausted [I'gzLstId] (обессиленный), and lay still upon the desert waste ['weIst] (путоши).

Glinda came up a moment later, riding ['raIdIN] (сидя на) the still vigorous ['vIgqrqs] (сильной) Saw-Horse; and having unwound ['An'waund] (размотав) a slender golden thread [Tred] (нить) from her girdle ['gE:dl] (пояса) the Sorceress threw [TrH] (бросила) it over the head of the panting ['pxntIN] (задыхавшегося) and helpless ['helplIs] (беспомощного) Griffin, and so destroyed [dIs'trOId] (разрушила) the magical power ['pauq] (силу) of Mombi's transformation.

For the animal, with one fierce [fIqs] (сильной) shudder ['SAdq] (дрожью), disappeared from view, while in its place was discovered the form of the old Witch, glaring ['gleqrIN] (свирепо сверкая глазами) savagely ['sxvIGli] (дико) at the serene [sI'ri:n] (спокойное) and beautiful face of the Sorceress.

 Обработка Алексея Винидиктова

До встречи!

Искренне ваш,
Алексей Винидиктов
www.vinidiktov.ru