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.com/abcpalm.html"Yes, but we're out of Keretaria," Nox reminded her cheerfully."What's thatsignpost say, my girl?"Hurrying forward, Handy squinted up at the rough board nailed to a bluespruce, and then began to clench and unclench her one free fist."TURN HERE!" directed the sign."Turn here and go straight back where youcame from.""Well, I'll be buttered!" cried the Goat Girl, throwing down every one ofher weapons."I'll be churned and buttered.""But what had we butter do?" muttered the Royal Ox, so taken aback by thesaucy message that even his tongue was twisted."Why, we'll go straight on, of course," declared Handy Mandy, tossing heryellow plaits defiantly."Who are whoever they are to tell us ourbusiness?" And recovering her weapons one by one, the Goat Girl trampeddown the crooked lane directly ahead of them, the Royal Ox with lifted noseand horns, stepping warily behind her.CHAPTER 6TURN TOWN!Determined as she was, Handy found it impossible to go straight on, for thelane curved and twisted this way and that, ending finally in a perfectcorkscrew turn.The trees on both sides were now so dense Handy and theRoyal Ox could not have left the road even had they wished to do so."We'regoing round and round and getting nowhere," said Nox in an abused voice."Of all the roads in Oz, why did we have to pick this one?""Because it dared us, I suppose.HiC4Yi!" exclaimed Handy, leaning againsta tree to rest."I'm dizzy as a bat and hungry as a goat.""Too bad you're not a goat," murmured Nox, who had stopped to nibble thelower branches of a maple."These leaves are quite tender.""Well, I may come to them," sighed Handy, looking at him enviously."Butshall we go on? I think one more turn will bring us out of here."Page 25ABC Amber Palm Converter, http://www.processtext.com/abcpalm.htmlHandy was right, for one more round brought them to the end of corkscrewlane, but only to find themselves facing a high, forbidding wall.Therewere a gate and turnstile in the wall, and beyond the Goat Girl caught aglimpse of a confused, whirling village where everything seemed to beturning round or over."It's just because I'm so dizzy," thought Handy,clutching her head with her one free hand.But Nox, peering over hershoulder, gave a loud and indignant bellow as a house on the corner of thestreet nearest them turned completely over and began spinning merrily onits chimney, while the fence running around the bakery shop next doorstarted really to run around, kicking up its posts with great glee andabandon."HuC4what kind of silly place is this?" rumbled the Ox, backing hastilyaway.But Handy Mandy had seen a whole row of little pies in the bakeshopwindow, and motioning vigorously for Nox to follow, stepped over the stileand through the movable gate.It was too much of a squeeze for Nox, butdetermined not to be left behind, he jumped neatly over.A revolving signon one of the large public buildings caught their attention at once, but asthe building was going one way and the sign another, it was several minutesbefore they could discover what it said."TURN TOWN!" read the Goat Girl in some surprise."So that's where we are!And would you looC4ook, every house on every street is going round orover.MercyC4ercy on us, and where do you suppose the people are?""Turning over and over in their beds, I take it.It is still quite early,you know," whispered the Royal Ox, speaking cautiously out of the corner ofhis mouth."But come on, the streets are not turning, and perhaps if wehurry we can go through before they waken and turn on us.Hurry, hurry.What are you waiting for?""Food," sighed Handy wistfully."I thought I might catch us a few pies, OldToggins.Here, watch my stuff, and I'll bring us each some."Nox looked sharply up and down the street, as the Goat Girl set down herPage 26ABC Amber Palm Converter, http://www.processtext.com/abcpalm.htmlaxe, rake, spade, gun, broom and sword and started off toward the bakery.Not only the fence, but the shop itself was turning now.Handy quitecleverly waited till the gate came opposite her and dashed through, but theopen door of the shop kept going by so rapidly she was knocked down severaltimes before she finally darted inside.As she disappeared, Nox gave anuneasy snort, but cheered up as the shop window came past and he saw Handywith a pie in every hand smile at him reassuringly.But alas, the whirlingfloor of the shop was too much for the Goat Girl, and as she started out,there was a clatter of broken china and falling furniture."Great Gazoo, what's she done now?" moaned Nox as Handy leaped through thedoor and fell sprawling in the little garden [ Pobierz całość w formacie PDF ]