AbdulHannanMujawar/ch_development · Datasets at Hugging Face

text stringlengths 0 83
which they had come.

"Never mind," said Zeb, "we don't want to get back, anyhow."

"I'm not so sure of that," returned Dorothy. "The mother dragon may come
down and catch us here."

"It is possible," agreed the Wizard, "if this proves to be the path she
usually takes. But I have been examining this tunnel, and I do not see
any signs of so large a beast having passed through it."

"Then we're all right," said the girl, "for if the dragon went the other
way she can't poss'bly get to us now."

"Of course not, my dear. But there is another thing to consider. The
mother dragon probably knows the road to the earth's surface, and if she
went the other way then we have come the wrong way," said the Wizard,
thoughtfully.

"Dear me!" cried Dorothy. "That would be unlucky, wouldn't it?"

"Very. Unless this passage also leads to the top of the earth," said
Zeb. "For my part, if we manage to get out of here I'll be glad it isn't
the way the dragon goes."

"So will I," returned Dorothy. "It's enough to have your pedigree flung
in your face by those saucy dragonettes. No one knows what the mother
might do."

They now moved on again, creeping slowly up another steep incline. The
lanterns were beginning to grow dim, and the Wizard poured the remaining
oil from one into the other, so that the one light would last longer.
But their journey was almost over, for in a short time they reached a
small cave from which there was no further outlet.

They did not realize their ill fortune at first, for their hearts were
gladdened by the sight of a ray of sunshine coming through a small crack
in the roof of the cave, far overhead. That meant that their world--the
real world--was not very far away, and that the succession of perilous
adventures they had encountered had at last brought them near the
earth's surface, which meant home to them. But when the adventurers
looked more carefully around them they discovered that they were in a
strong prison from which there was no hope of escape.

"But we're _almost_ on earth again," cried Dorothy, "for there is the
sun--the most _beau'ful_ sun that shines!" and she pointed eagerly at
the crack in the distant roof.

"Almost on earth isn't being there," said the kitten, in a discontented
tone. "It wouldn't be possible for even me to get up to that crack--or
through it if I got there."

"It appears that the path ends here," announced the Wizard, gloomily.

"And there is no way to go back," added Zeb, with a low whistle of
perplexity.

"I was sure it would come to this, in the end," remarked the old
cab-horse. "Folks don't fall into the middle of the earth and then get
back again to tell of their adventures--not in real life. And the whole
thing has been unnatural because that cat and I are both able to talk
your language, and to understand the words you say."

"And so can the nine tiny piglets," added Eureka. "Don't forget them,
for I may have to eat them, after all."

"I've heard animals talk before," said Dorothy, "and no harm came of
it."

"Were you ever before shut up in a cave, far under the earth, with no
way of getting out?" enquired the horse, seriously.

"No," answered Dorothy. "But don't you lose heart, Jim, for I'm sure
this isn't the end of our story, by any means."

The reference to the piglets reminded the Wizard that his pets had not
enjoyed much exercise lately, and must be tired of their prison in his
pocket. So he sat down upon the floor of the cave, brought the piglets
out one by one, and allowed them to run around as much as they pleased.

"My dears," he said to them, "I'm afraid I've got you into a lot of
trouble, and that you will never again be able to leave this gloomy
cave."

"What's wrong?" asked a piglet. "We've been in the dark quite a while,
and you may as well explain what has happened."

The Wizard told them of the misfortune that had overtaken the wanderers.

"Well," said another piglet, "you are a wizard, are you not?"

"I am," replied the little man.

"Then you can do a few wizzes and get us out of this hole," declared the
tiny one, with much confidence.

"I could if I happened to be a real wizard," returned the master sadly.
"But I'm not, my piggy-wees; I'm a humbug wizard."

"Nonsense!" cried several of the piglets, together.

which they had come.

"Never mind," said Zeb, "we don't want to get back, anyhow."

"I'm not so sure of that," returned Dorothy. "The mother dragon may come

down and catch us here."

"It is possible," agreed the Wizard, "if this proves to be the path she

usually takes. But I have been examining this tunnel, and I do not see

any signs of so large a beast having passed through it."

"Then we're all right," said the girl, "for if the dragon went the other

way she can't poss'bly get to us now."

"Of course not, my dear. But there is another thing to consider. The

mother dragon probably knows the road to the earth's surface, and if she

went the other way then we have come the wrong way," said the Wizard,

thoughtfully.

"Dear me!" cried Dorothy. "That would be unlucky, wouldn't it?"

"Very. Unless this passage also leads to the top of the earth," said

Zeb. "For my part, if we manage to get out of here I'll be glad it isn't

the way the dragon goes."

"So will I," returned Dorothy. "It's enough to have your pedigree flung

in your face by those saucy dragonettes. No one knows what the mother

might do."

They now moved on again, creeping slowly up another steep incline. The

lanterns were beginning to grow dim, and the Wizard poured the remaining

oil from one into the other, so that the one light would last longer.

But their journey was almost over, for in a short time they reached a

small cave from which there was no further outlet.

They did not realize their ill fortune at first, for their hearts were

gladdened by the sight of a ray of sunshine coming through a small crack

in the roof of the cave, far overhead. That meant that their world--the

real world--was not very far away, and that the succession of perilous

adventures they had encountered had at last brought them near the

earth's surface, which meant home to them. But when the adventurers

looked more carefully around them they discovered that they were in a

strong prison from which there was no hope of escape.

"But we're _almost_ on earth again," cried Dorothy, "for there is the

sun--the most _beau'ful_ sun that shines!" and she pointed eagerly at

the crack in the distant roof.

"Almost on earth isn't being there," said the kitten, in a discontented

tone. "It wouldn't be possible for even me to get up to that crack--or

through it if I got there."

"It appears that the path ends here," announced the Wizard, gloomily.

"And there is no way to go back," added Zeb, with a low whistle of

perplexity.

"I was sure it would come to this, in the end," remarked the old

cab-horse. "Folks don't fall into the middle of the earth and then get

back again to tell of their adventures--not in real life. And the whole

thing has been unnatural because that cat and I are both able to talk

your language, and to understand the words you say."

"And so can the nine tiny piglets," added Eureka. "Don't forget them,

for I may have to eat them, after all."

"I've heard animals talk before," said Dorothy, "and no harm came of

it."

"Were you ever before shut up in a cave, far under the earth, with no

way of getting out?" enquired the horse, seriously.

"No," answered Dorothy. "But don't you lose heart, Jim, for I'm sure

this isn't the end of our story, by any means."

The reference to the piglets reminded the Wizard that his pets had not

enjoyed much exercise lately, and must be tired of their prison in his

pocket. So he sat down upon the floor of the cave, brought the piglets

out one by one, and allowed them to run around as much as they pleased.

"My dears," he said to them, "I'm afraid I've got you into a lot of

trouble, and that you will never again be able to leave this gloomy

cave."

"What's wrong?" asked a piglet. "We've been in the dark quite a while,

and you may as well explain what has happened."

The Wizard told them of the misfortune that had overtaken the wanderers.

"Well," said another piglet, "you are a wizard, are you not?"

"I am," replied the little man.

"Then you can do a few wizzes and get us out of this hole," declared the

tiny one, with much confidence.

"I could if I happened to be a real wizard," returned the master sadly.

"But I'm not, my piggy-wees; I'm a humbug wizard."

"Nonsense!" cried several of the piglets, together.