CHAPTER 32 THE RETURN TO THE ISLAND

 When they awoke, Zuzu and Lulu rubbed their eyes very hard, and looked around them in wonder; as, indeed, well they might. They were now not in the fairy palace at all, but once more alone, and at the top of the Golden Ladder, whose long lines they could see far, far below them, shining like the beams of the sun at evening or morning. Near by them rose the walls of the rocky pass in which lived Jankow, the Dragon, and near them was the end of the tail of the Dragon. They could hear its harsh¹ voice coming to their ears very plainly.

 

197"Do not be afraid," said Zuzu to Lulu, "for I am sure that the Fairy Queen will protect us, even though we do not see her at the moment. We shall be quite safe, also, because I have the wooden leg of the Dragon; and here I have the shadow of the King, all straight and fine and new again; and you have the White Cricket² in your pocket; so I am sure they will all be glad to see us back again when we tell them where we have been."

 

At the same time, although Zuzu spoke³ boldly, both he and Lulu kept very close to the wall as they edged along the narrow opening from the top of the Golden Ladder to the front of the gorge⁴ where the head of the Dragon lay.

 

The Dragon was engaged in loud roaring as usual, but his voice was hoarse⁵ and weary⁶. Instead of sitting up straight upon his front feet, he leaned over against the side of the rock-wall in a very sad sort of way.

 

"Oh, dear!" said the Dragon to himself—so loudly that they heard his words distinctly—"this is indeed terrible to have to go through life with but one leg in front. Some say that as a Dragon has a dozen legs, and a tail as well, he should not miss a leg here or there, but I am sure those who say this do not know the real truth. If only I could get back my leg, I would ask no questions, I am sure."

 

198At this Zuzu felt the Enchanted⁷ Banjo nudge him in the side, and guessing what it meant, he stepped forward boldly.

 

"Good Dragon Jankow," he said, "here then is your leg, as good as new. Let us pass, and we shall put back the leg, so that you can sit up again and see all that is going on; but we claim your promise, and you must ask no questions."

 

The Dragon turned upon him one of its large eyes in which at first chiefly anger showed; but when its eye fell upon the wooden leg the Dragon's mouth opened in a wide smile of joy.

 

"Is it a bargain?" asked Zuzu.

 

The Dragon nodded three times, which meant that it was a bargain; so Zuzu leaned the shadow of the King against a tree not far away, and, handing Lulu the Enchanted Banjo, he began at once to screw back in place the wooden leg of the Dragon.

 

When he had completed this act the Dragon wriggled⁸ all over with joy, sat up straight in front again, and gave a loud roar of pleasure.

 

"Now," it said, "I am something like a Dragon once more; and let all persons beware⁹ of my might. Arrngh! Arrngh! Arrngh!"

 

199"I am sure, my good friends," he explained to them, "you can not understand how much I have missed that leg. Many persons will tell you that a wooden leg is a very poor one, but I can assure you that when you have been used to a wooden leg for several hundred years it is a very good leg indeed to have, and one that you miss very much when it is gone. As you go on toward the palace, my dear friends, I wish you would inform the King that his faithful Army is again quite ready for business, and will defend the Island against all intruders."

 

Zuzu and Lulu now ran forward through the wood quite rapidly for a way, but as they approached the palace their steps began to lag. "Suppose mamma should want to punish us," said Zuzu. This caused Lulu to think very hard for a moment.

 

"It may be that she will," said she finally, "but perhaps, on the other hand, she too will be glad to have us back and no questions asked. It seems to me that the best thing we can do is to have the Banjo play for us. Perhaps they will forgive us without our asking it, but we would better ask the Banjo how we can tell about that."

 

So again they placed the Banjo in position and once more it began to play; and it told how one can always tell whether or not one's mother wants one.

 

200THE WISE DANDELIONS

 

When dandelions have grown white

Then they are wise as wise can be;

Their fluff, all feathery and light,

Holds messages for you and me.

We ask: "Does mamma want me now?"

Then puff¹⁰ our cheeks and blow and blow

And when the fluff flies off, somehow,

It means that homeward we must go.

It's always true, no matter where

You are, if you will try the spell

And puff the fluff into the air,

If mamma wants you, it will tell.

But still, it's strange—you wonder why,

And more and more your wonder grows

When you see right before your eye

How well the dandelion knows.

Whene'er you take the ball of fluff

And whisper to it soft and low

And hold your breath, and then go "Puff!"

Away the fluff is sure to go.

And then if homeward you make speed

You'll find the message was quite true

For if you ask mamma, indeed,

She'll say: "What? Want you? Yes, I do!"

Lulu picked up a big, white, fluffy¹¹ dandelion, and blew and blew at the top until all the fluff was gone.

 

"Ah," said she, "it is plain that mamma will be glad to see us back again."

1 harsh   

adj.严厉（酷）的，刺耳的，刺目的，毛糙的

参考例句：

• The sunlight is very harsh.太阳光很刺眼。
• Although his words are harsh,there is positiveness in them.虽然他的话很苛刻，但有建设性。

2 cricket   

n.蟋蟀，板球运动；adj.公平的

参考例句：

• The England cricket team scored quite a useful total.英格兰板球队得分总数令人满意。
• We could hear the shrill of the midsummer cricket.我们可以听到仲夏时节蟋蟀的尖叫声。
• Your behaviour isn't cricket.你的行为不光彩。

3 spoke   

n.（车轮的）辐条；轮辐；破坏某人的计划；阻挠某人的行动 v.讲，谈（speak的过去式）；说；演说；从某种观点来说

参考例句：

• They sourced the spoke nuts from our company.他们的轮辐螺帽是从我们公司获得的。
• The spokes of a wheel are the bars that connect the outer ring to the centre.辐条是轮子上连接外圈与中心的条棒。

4 gorge   

n.咽喉，胃，暴食，山峡；v.塞饱，狼吞虎咽地吃

参考例句：

• East of the gorge leveled out.峡谷东面地势变得平坦起来。
• It made my gorge rise to hear the news.这消息令我作呕。

5 hoarse   

adj.嘶哑的，沙哑的

参考例句：

• He asked me a question in a hoarse voice.他用嘶哑的声音问了我一个问题。
• He was too excited and roared himself hoarse.他过于激动，嗓子都喊哑了。

6 weary   

adj.疲劳的，使人疲劳的；vi.厌烦，不耐烦

参考例句：

• He has laid out all his strength and is weary.他使出了全部气力，非常疲倦。
• I am weary of his constant complaints.我对他不断发牢骚感到厌烦。

7 enchanted   

adj. 被施魔法的，陶醉的，入迷的 动词enchant的过去式和过去分词

参考例句：

• She was enchanted by the flowers you sent her. 她非常喜欢你送给她的花。
• He was enchanted by the idea. 他为这个主意而欣喜若狂。

8 wriggled   

v.扭动，蠕动，蜿蜒行进( wriggle的过去式和过去分词 )；（使身体某一部位）扭动；耍滑不做，逃避（应做的事等）

参考例句：

• He wriggled uncomfortably on the chair. 他坐在椅子上不舒服地扭动着身体。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• A snake wriggled across the road. 一条蛇蜿蜒爬过道路。 来自《现代汉英综合大词典》

9 beware   

vt./vi.谨防，当心

参考例句：

• Beware of the fire.留心火烛。
• Beware of being too impatient with others.注意不要对他人太没有耐心。

10 puff   

n.一口(气)；一阵(风)；v.喷气，喘气

参考例句：

• He took a puff at his cigarette.他吸了一口香烟。
• They tried their best to puff the book they published.他们尽力吹捧他们出版的书。

11 fluffy   

adj.有绒毛的，空洞的

参考例句：

• Newly hatched chicks are like fluffy balls.刚孵出的小鸡像绒毛球。
• The steamed bread is very fluffy.馒头很暄。