Y wl rmembr ɖr wz no rod—nt īvn a paʈwe—btwn ɖ casl v ɖ Wicid Wić n ɖ Emṛld Siti. Ẃn ɖ for travlrz wnt in srć v ɖ Wić ś hd sìn ɖm cmñ, n so snt ɖ Wñd Munciz t brñ ɖm t hr. It wz mć hardr t fînd ɖer we bac ʈru ɖ big fīldz v butrcups n yelo deiziz ɖn it wz biyñ carid. Ɖe ń, v cors, ɖe mst g stret īst, twd ɖ rîzñ sún; n ɖe startd of in ɖ rît we. Bt at nūn, ẃn ɖ sún wz ovr ɖer hedz, ɖe dd nt nǒ ẃć wz īst n ẃć wz wst, n ɖt wz ɖ rīzn ɖe wr lost in ɖ gret fīldz. Ɖe cept on wōcñ, hvr, n at nît ɖ mūn cem ǎt n śon brîtli. So ɖe le dǎn amñ ɖ swīt-smelñ yelo flǎrz n slept sǎndli untl mornñ—ol bt ɖ Scercro n ɖ Tin Wŭdmn.
Ɖ nxt mornñ ɖ sún wz bhnd a clǎd, bt ɖe startd on, az f ɖe wr qt śr ẃć we ɖe wr gwñ.
“F w wōc far inuf,” sd Doṛʈi, “I am śr w śl smtm cm t sm ples.”
Bt de bî de pást awe, n ɖe stl sw nʈñ bfr ɖm bt ɖ scarlit fīldz. Ɖ Scercro bgan t grumbl a bit.
“W hv śrli lost ǎr we,” h sd, “n unls w fînd it agn in tîm t rīć ɖ Emṛld Siti, I śl nvr gt mî brenz.”
“Nr I mî hart,” dclerd ɖ Tin Wŭdmn. “It sīmz t m I cn scersli wêt tl I gt t Óz, n y mst admit ɖs z a vri loñ jrni.”
“Y si,” sd ɖ Cawdli Layn, wɖ a ẃimpr, “I hv’nt ɖ curij t cīp trampñ fr evr, wɖt gtñ enẃr at ol.”
Ɖen Doṛʈi lost hart. Ś sat dǎn on ɖ gras n lct at hr cmpańnz, n ɖe sat dǎn n lct at hr, n Toto faund ɖt fr ɖ frst tîm in hiz lîf h wz tù tîrd t ćes a buṭflî ɖt flù past hiz hed. So h pt ǎt hiz tuñ n pantd n lct at Doṛʈi az f t asc ẃt ɖe śd d nxt.
“S’poz w cōl ɖ fīldmîs,” ś sjstd. “Ɖe cd probbli tel s ɖ we t ɖ Emṛld Siti.”
“T b śr ɖe cd,” craid ɖ Scercro. “Ẃ dd’nt w ʈnc v ɖt bfr?”
Doṛʈi blù ɖ litl ẃisl ś hd olwz carid abt hr nec sins ɖ Qīn v ɖ Mîs hd gvn it t hr. In a fy minits ɖe hŕd ɖ paṭrñ v tîni fīt, n mni v ɖ smōl gre mîs cem runñ p t hr. Amñ ɖm wz ɖ Qīn hrslf, hu asct, in hr sqīci litl vôs:
“Ẃt cn I d fr mî frendz?”
“W hv lost ǎr we,” sd Doṛʈi. “Cn y tel s ẃr ɖ Emṛld Siti z?”
“Srtnli,” ansrd ɖ Qīn; “bt it z a gret we of, fr y hv hd it at yr bacs ol ɖs tîm.” Ɖen ś notist Doṛʈi’z Goldn Cap, n sd, “Ẃ d’nt y yz ɖ ćarm v ɖ Cap, n cōl ɖ Wñd Munciz t y? Ɖe wl cari y t ɖ Siti v Óz in les ɖn an aur.”
“I dd’nt nǒ ɖr wz a ćarm,” ansrd Doṛʈi, in s’prîz. “Ẃt z it?”
“It z ritn insd ɖ Goldn Cap,” rplaid ɖ Qīn v ɖ Mîs. “Bt f y r gwñ t cōl ɖ Wñd Munciz w mst run awe, fr ɖe r fl v misćif n ʈnc it gret fun t pleg s.”
“W’nt ɖe hrt m?” asct ɖ grl añśsli.
“Ǒ, no. Ɖe mst obe ɖ werr v ɖ Cap. Gdbî!” N ś scamprd ǎt v sît, wɖ ol ɖ mîs huriyñ aftr hr.
Doṛʈi lct insd ɖ Goldn Cap n sw sm wrdz ritn upn ɖ lînñ. Ɖz, ś ʈt, mst b ɖ ćarm, so ś réd ɖ d’rex́nz cerḟli n pt ɖ Cap upn hr hed.
“Ep-pe, pep-pe, cac-ce!” ś sd, standñ on hr left ft.
“Ẃt dd y se?” asct ɖ Scercro, hu dd nt nǒ ẃt ś wz dwñ.
“Hil-lo, hol-lo, hel-lo!” Doṛʈi wnt on, standñ ɖs tîm on hr rît ft.
“Hlo!” rplaid ɖ Tin Wŭdmn cāmli.
“Ziz-zi, zuz-zi, zic!” sd Doṛʈi, hu wz nǎ standñ on bʈ fīt. Ɖs endd ɖ seyñ v ɖ ćarm, n ɖe hŕd a gret ćaṭrñ n flapñ v wñz, az ɖ band v Wñd Munciz flù p t ɖm.
Ɖ Cñ baud lo bfr Doṛʈi, n asct, “Ẃt z yr cmand?”
“W wś t g t ɖ Emṛld Siti,” sd ɖ ćîld, “n w hv lost ǎr we.”
“W wl cari y,” rplaid ɖ Cñ, n no snr hd h spocn ɖn tū v ɖ Munciz còt Doṛʈi in ɖer armz n flù awe wɖ hr. Uɖrz tc ɖ Scercro n ɖ Wŭdmn n ɖ Layn, n wn litl Munci sizd Toto n flù aftr ɖm, olɖo ɖ dog traid hard t bît him.
Ɖ Scercro n ɖ Tin Wŭdmn wr rɖr frîtnd at frst, fr ɖe rmembrd hǎ badli ɖ Wñd Munciz hd trītd ɖm bfr; bt ɖe sw ɖt no harm wz intndd, so ɖe roud ʈru ɖ er qt ćirḟli, n hd a fîn tîm lcñ at ɖ priti gardnz n wŭdz far b’lo ɖm.
“Ẃ d y hv t obe ɖ ćarm v ɖ Goldn Cap?” ś asct.
“Ɖt z a loñ stori,” ansrd ɖ Cñ, wɖ a wñd laf; “bt az w hv a loñ jrni bfr s, I wl pas ɖ tîm bî telñ y abt it, f y wś.”
“I śl b glad t hír it,” ś rplaid.
“Wns,” bgan ɖ līdr, “w wr a fri ppl, livñ haṗli in ɖ gret forist, flayñ fṛm tri t tri, ītñ nuts n frūt, n dwñ jst az w plizd wɖt cōlñ enbdi mastr. Phps sm v s wr rɖr tù fl v misćif at tîmz, flayñ dǎn t pl ɖ teilz v ɖ animlz ɖt hd no wñz, ćesñ brdz, n ʈrowñ nuts at ɖ ppl hu wōct in ɖ forist. Bt w wr cerlis n hapi n fl v fun, n injoid evri minit v ɖ de. Ɖs wz mni yirz ago, loñ bfr Óz cem ǎt v ɖ clǎdz t rūl ovr ɖs land.
“Ɖr livd hir ɖen, awe at ɖ Norʈ, a bytifl prinses, hu wz olso a pǎrfl sorṣres. Ol hr majic wz yzd t hlp ɖ ppl, n ś wz nvr noun t hrt enwn hu wz gd. Hr nem wz Geylét, n ś livd in a hansm palis bilt fṛm gret blocs v rūbi. Evrwn luvd hr, bt hr gretist soro wz ɖt ś cd fînd nwn t luv in rtrn, sins ol ɖ men wr mć tù stypid n ugli t mêt wɖ wn so bytifl n wîz. At last, hvr, ś faund a bô hu wz hansm n manli n wîz bynd hiz yirz. Geylét md p hr mînd ɖt ẃn h grù t b a man ś wd mc him hr huzbnd, so ś tc him t hr rūbi palis n yzd ol hr majic pǎrz t mc him az stroñ n gd n luvli az eni wmn cd wś. Ẃn h grù t manhd, Qelala, az h wz cōld, wz sd t b ɖ bst n wîzist man in ol ɖ land, ẃl hiz manli byti wz so gret ɖt Geylét luvd him dirli, n hesnd t mc evrʈñ redi fr ɖ wedñ.
“Mî granfaɖr wz at ɖt tîm ɖ Cñ v ɖ Wñd Munciz ẃć livd in ɖ forist nir Geylét’z palis, n ɖ old felo luvd a joc betr ɖn a gd dinr. Wn de, jst bfr ɖ wedñ, mî granfaɖr wz flayñ ǎt wɖ hiz band ẃn h sw Qelala wōcñ bsd ɖ rivr. H wz drest in a rić costym v pnc silc n prpl velvit, n mî granfaɖr ʈt h wd si ẃt h cd d. At hiz wrd ɖ band flù dǎn n sizd Qelala, carid him in ɖer armz untl ɖe wr ovr ɖ midl v ɖ rivr, n ɖen dropt him intu ɖ wōtr.
“‘Swim ǎt, mî fîn felo,’ craid mî granfaɖr, ‘n si f ɖ wōtr hz spotd yr cloɖz.’ Qelala wz mć tù wîz nt t swim, n h wz nt in ɖ līst spôld bî ol hiz gd fortyn. H laft, ẃn h cem t ɖ top v ɖ wōtr, n swam in t śor. Bt ẃn Geylét cem runñ ǎt t him ś faund hiz silcs n velvit ol ruind bî ɖ rivr.
“Ɖ prinses wz angri, n ś ń, v cors, hu dd it. Ś hd ol ɖ Wñd Munciz bròt bfr hr, n ś sd at frst ɖt ɖer wñz śd b taid n ɖe śd b trītd az ɖe hd trītd Qelala, n dropt in ɖ rivr. Bt mî granfaɖr plīdd hard, fr h ń ɖ Munciz wd drǎn in ɖ rivr wɖ ɖer wñz taid, n Qelala sd a cînd wrd fr ɖm olso; so ɖt Geylét fîṇli sperd ɖm, on cndiśn ɖt ɖ Wñd Munciz śd evr aftr d ʈri tîmz ɖ bidñ v ɖ ǒnr v ɖ Goldn Cap. Ɖs Cap hd bn md fr a wedñpreznt t Qelala, n it z sd t hv cost ɖ prinses haf hr cñdm. V cors mî granfaɖr n ol ɖ uɖr Munciz at wns agrìd t ɖ cndiśn, n ɖt z hǎ it hapnz ɖt w r ʈri tîmz ɖ slevz v ɖ ǒnr v ɖ Goldn Cap, hsvr h me b.”
“N ẃt bcem v ɖm?” asct Doṛʈi, hu hd bn gretli inṭrestd in ɖ stori.
“Qelala biyñ ɖ frst ǒnr v ɖ Goldn Cap,” rplaid ɖ Munci, “h wz ɖ frst t le hiz wiśz upn s. Az hiz brîd cd nt ber ɖ sît v s, h cōld s ol t him in ɖ forist aftr h hd marid hr n ordrd s olwz t cīp ẃr ś cd nvr agn set îz on a Wñd Munci, ẃć w wr glad t d, fr w wr ol afreid v hr.
“Ɖs wz ol w evr hd t d untl ɖ Goldn Cap fél intu ɖ handz v ɖ Wicid Wić v ɖ Wst, hu md s inslev ɖ Wnciz, n afṭwd drîv Óz himslf ǎt v ɖ Land v ɖ Wst. Nǎ ɖ Goldn Cap z yrz, n ʈri tîmz y hv ɖ rît t le yr wiśz upn s.”
Az ɖ Munci Cñ finiśt hiz stori Doṛʈi lct dǎn n sw ɖ grīn, śînñ wōlz v ɖ Emṛld Siti bfr ɖm. Ś wundrd at ɖ rapid flît v ɖ Munciz, bt wz glad ɖ jrni wz ovr. Ɖ strenj crīćrz set ɖ travlrz dǎn cerḟli bfr ɖ get v ɖ Siti, ɖ Cñ baud lo t Doṛʈi, n ɖen flù swiftli awe, foloud bî ol hiz band.
“Ɖt wz a gd rîd,” sd ɖ litl grl.
“Yes, n a qc we ǎt v ǎr trublz,” rplaid ɖ Layn. “Hǎ luci it wz y bròt awe ɖt wundrfl Cap!”
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