Exile
My young friend, give me your hand and we will rush with you far, far away, to the Magic Land, which is separated from the whole world by the Great Desert and a chain of huge mountains. There, under the eternally hot sun, cute and funny little people live - Munchkins, Winkies, Talkers and many other different tribes.
It was in the country of the Munchkins that a hurricane caused by the sorceress Gingem brought a house from Kansas with a girl, Ellie, and a dog, Totoshka. Gingema died, and for Ellie and Totoshka, extraordinary adventures began.
In those days, in the center of the country, in the beautiful Emerald City, the great wizard Goodwin lived. It was Ellie who went to him, hoping that Goodwin would help her return to her homeland.
On the way, Ellie took with her a reanimated straw scarecrow, a Woodcutter made of iron, and a Cowardly Lion. Each of them had their own dream. The Scarecrow wanted to get brains in a straw head; The woodcutter sought a loving heart; The lion needed courage. And although Goodwin turned out to be a fake wizard, he granted all their wishes. He gave the Scarecrow smart brains of bran mixed with needles and pins, the Tin Woodman a kind heart of silk stuffed with sawdust, the Cowardly Lion a courage that hissed and foamed in a golden dish.
Goodwin got bored with living in Fairyland and left in a hot air balloon. Flying away, Goodwin appointed the Scarecrow as his successor, and he became the ruler of the Emerald City. The woodcutter was chosen as the ruler of the Miguns, who inhabited the Purple Country. And the Bold Lion became the king of the beasts.
When the cherished desires of Ellie's three friends were fulfilled, she returned to her homeland, to her father and mother. She and Toto were carried by Gingema's magic silver slippers, which the dog found in the witch's cave.
The Scarecrow did not enjoy his high position as ruler of the Emerald City for long. In the hands of the evil and treacherous carpenter Oorfene Deuce, who lived in the country of the Munchkins, a life-giving powder accidentally fell into the hands. The carpenter made wooden soldiers, revived them, and with the help of this strong army captured the Emerald City. The Scarecrow and the Tin Woodman who came to his rescue were captured by Deuce. He put them on the top of a high tower, behind bars.
Asking for help, the Scarecrow and the Woodcutter wrote a letter to Ellie, and it was taken to Kansas by their good friend, the crow Kaggi-Karr. The girl did not leave her friends in trouble and went to the Magic Land for the second time.
Ellie was accompanied by her uncle, the one-legged sailor Charlie Black, a great master of all sorts of inventions. He made a land ship, and on this ship he and Ellie crossed the desert.
The fight against Oorfene Deuce and his mighty wooden soldiers was not easy, but Ellie and her friends won.
Urfin was tried.
For all his crimes, he deserved cruel punishment, but the one-legged sailor Charlie Black turned to his fellow judges:
- Friends, isn't it better to leave this person just alone with himself?
And Ellie supported him:
- Right. This will be the most severe punishment for him.
The Scarecrow, the Tin Woodman and the Bold Lion agreed with the sailor and the girl, and the former king of the Emerald City was escorted out of the city gates to the whistling and hooting of the townspeople and farmers. On the way, for a laugh, someone slipped him a wooden clown animated by him, his favorite and an earpiece, and Oorfene Deuce mechanically squeezed it in his hand.
“Go wherever you like,” Faramant, the Guardian of the city gates, told Oorfene, who accompanied him, “and try to become a good man. First of all, you will benefit from it yourself.
Deuce did not respond to these good words. He gave Faramant a sullen look from under his shaggy brows and quickly walked away from the city along the road paved with yellow bricks.
“Everyone has abandoned me,” the former king of the Emerald City mused bitterly. “All who flattered me in the days of my power, who feasted at my table, who extolled me to the skies, all now praise little Ellie and the Giant from beyond the mountains ...” (That was the name of Charlie Black in Fairyland.)
But, turning back, Oorfene realized that he was wrong. One true creature was found: the bear Thumper trailed in the distance behind the owner. No, the Thumper will never leave him, no matter what trouble Oorfene Deuce gets into. After all, it was Oorfene who, with the mysterious power of a wonderful powder, revived his skin when it lay like a pitiful dusty rug on the floor, and for this the bear owes him eternal gratitude ...
- Stomper, come to me!
The bear ran up to the owner with a joyful trot:
- I'm here, my lord! What do you order?
"Lord…"
This word eased Oorfene's spiritual wound. Yes, he is still the overlord of at least one humble servant and an insignificant clown. What if?. Vague hopes flashed through Oorfene's mind. Is it too early to celebrate the victory of his enemies?
He, Oorfene Deuce, is still young, he is free, and no one has taken away from him his indomitable will, the ability to take advantage of the favorable circumstances of his cunning, dodgy mind, skillful hands.
Oorfene's hunched figure straightened, a faint smile lit up his swarthy face with shaggy eyebrows and a predatory grin of his mouth.
Turning towards the Emerald City, Oorfene shook his fist:
- You will regret, unfortunate simpletons, that they let me out!
“Yes, they will regret it,” the clown squeaked.
Deuce sat on the bear's back.
“Carry me, my glorious Stomper, to my homeland, to the Munchkins,” he ordered. “There we have a house with you. I hope no one touched him. There we will find a home for the first time.
- And we have a garden there, lord, - picked up the Stomper, - and fat rabbits are found in the neighboring forest. I do not need food, but I will catch them for you.
The good-natured muzzle of the bear shone with joy that he would again live with his adored master, away from everyone, in peace and contentment.
Not such were Oorfene's thoughts.
The house will serve as a temporary refuge for me, Deuce reflected, I will hide until I am forgotten. And there ... we'll see there! .. "
Painful was the path of Oorfene Deuce to the country of the Munchkins. He dreamed of returning unnoticed, but Kaggi-Karr spoiled the case. With the help of numerous relatives, the crow tracked down where the exile went. All who lived near the road paved with yellow bricks were timely notified by the messengers of Kaggi-Karr about the approach of Oorfene.
Men and women, old men and children, came out of the houses, lined up along the road and silently followed Oorfene with contemptuous glances. Juice would feel better if he was scolded, thrown stones and sticks at him. But this deathly silence, hatred written on all faces, icy eyes ... All this was many times worse.
The vengeful crow calculated correctly. The journey of Oorfene Deuce to his native places resembled a protracted procession to the execution.
With what pleasure would Deuce have rushed at each of the enemies, would have clutched at his throat, would have heard his death rattle ... But it was impossible. And he rode on a bear with his head bowed low and his teeth gritting with rage.
And the clown Eot Ling, sitting on his shoulder, whispered in his ear:
“Nothing, my lord, nothing, everything will pass!” We will laugh at them!
Oorfene spent the night in the forest under the trees, because not one of the inhabitants of the Emerald or Blue country would give him his shelter for the night. The exile ate fruits plucked from trees. He was very emaciated, and as he approached the forest of the Sabertooth Tigers, he almost wished that his encounter with the predators would end his torment. However, the thirst for life and the desire to take revenge on the offenders took over, and Oorfene slipped unnoticed through a dangerous place.
And finally, home. The exile was relieved to be convinced that the Munchkins did not touch his possessions and all the property was preserved intact. He took the keys from a secret place, opened the locks and entered the rooms, gloomy and dusty during the long absence of the owner.
Alexander Volkov
fire god Marranov
EXILE
My young friend, give me your hand and we will rush with you far, far away, to the Magic Land, which is separated from the whole world by the Great Desert and a chain of huge mountains. There, under the ever-hot sun, cute and funny little people live - Munchkins, Winkies, Talkers and many other different tribes.
It was in the country of the Munchkins that the hurricane caused by the sorceress Gingem brought a house from Kansas with the girl Ellie and the dog Totoshka. Gingema died, and for Ellie and Totoshka, extraordinary adventures began.
In those days, in the center of the country, in the beautiful Emerald City, lived the Great Wizard Goodwin. It was Ellie who went to him, hoping that Goodwin would help her return to her homeland.
On the way, Ellie took with her a reanimated straw scarecrow, a Woodcutter made of iron, and a Cowardly Lion. Each of them had their own dream. The Scarecrow wanted to get brains in a straw head; The woodcutter sought a loving heart; The lion needed courage. And although Goodwin turned out to be a fake wizard, he granted all their wishes. He gave the Scarecrow smart brains from bran mixed with needles and pins. To the Tin Woodman - a kind silk heart stuffed with sawdust, to the Cowardly Lion - courage that hissed and foamed in a golden dish.
Goodwin got bored with living in Fairyland and left in a hot air balloon. Flying away, Goodwin appointed the Scarecrow as his successor, and he became the ruler of the Emerald City. The woodcutter was chosen as the ruler of the Miguns, who inhabited the Purple Country. And the Bold Lion became the king of the beasts.
When the cherished desires of Ellie's three friends were fulfilled, she returned to her homeland, to her father and mother. She and Toto were carried by Gingema's magical silver slippers, which the dog had found in the witch's cave.
The Scarecrow did not enjoy his high position as ruler of the Emerald City for long. In the hands of the evil and treacherous carpenter Oorfene Deuce, who lived in the country of the Munchkins, a life-giving powder accidentally fell into the hands. The carpenter made wooden soldiers, revived them, and with the help of this strong army captured the Emerald City. Scared and. the Tin Woodman who came to his rescue was captured by Deuce. He put them on the top of a high tower, behind bars.
Asking for help. The Scarecrow and the Woodcutter wrote a letter to Ellie, and it was taken to Kansas by their good friend, the crow Kaggi-Karr. The girl did not leave her friends in trouble and went to the Magic Land for the second time. Ellie was accompanied by her uncle, the one-legged sailor Charlie Black, a great master of all sorts of inventions. He made a land ship, and on this ship he and Ellie crossed the desert.
The fight against Oorfene Deuce and his mighty wooden soldiers was not easy, but Ellie and her friends won 2.
Urfin was tried.
For all his crimes, he deserved severe punishment, but the one-legged sailor Charlie Black turned to his fellow judges.
- Friends, isn't it better to leave this person just alone with himself?
And Ellie supported him:
- Right. This will be the most severe punishment for him.
The Scarecrow, the Tin Woodman and the Bold Lion agreed with the sailor and the girl, and the former king of the Emerald City was escorted out of the city gates to the whistling and hooting of the townspeople and farmers. On the way, for a laugh, someone slipped him a wooden clown animated by him, his favorite and an earpiece, and Oorfene Deuce mechanically squeezed it in his hand.
- Go where you want, - Faramant, the Guard of the city gates, who accompanied him, said to Oorfene. – and try to be a good person. First of all, you will benefit from it yourself.
Deuce didn't respond to those kind words. He gave Faramant a sullen look from under his shaggy brows and walked quickly away from the city along the yellow brick road.
“Everyone has abandoned me,” the former king of the Emerald City mused bitterly. “All who flattered me in the days of my power, who feasted at my table, who extolled me to the skies, all now praise little Ellie and the Giant from beyond the mountains ... (That was the name of Charlie Block in Fairyland.)”
But, turning back, Oorfene realized that he was wrong. One true creature was found: the bear Thumper trailed in the distance behind the owner. No, the Thumper will never leave him, no matter what trouble Oorfene Deuce gets into. After all, it was Oorfene who, with the mysterious power of a wonderful powder, revived his skin when it lay like a pitiful dusty rug on the floor, and for this the bear owes him eternal gratitude ...
- Stomper, come to me!
The bear ran up to its owner at a joyful trot.
- I'm here, my lord! What do you order?
"Lord…"
This word eased Oorfene's spiritual wound. Yes, he is still the overlord for at least one humble servant and an insignificant clown. And what if?.. Vague hopes flashed through Oorfene's brain. Is it too early to celebrate the victory of his enemies?
He, Oorfene Deuce, is still young, he is free, and no one has taken away from him his indomitable will, the ability to take advantage of the favorable circumstances of his cunning, dodgy mind, skillful hands.
Oorfene's hunched figure straightened, a faint smile lit up his swarthy face with shaggy eyebrows and a predatory grin of his mouth.
Turning towards the Emerald City, Oorfene shook his fist:
“You will still regret, unfortunate simpletons, that you let me go free! ..
“Yes, they will regret it,” the clown squeaked.
Deuce sat on the bear's back.
“Carry me, my glorious Stomper, to my homeland, to the Munchkins,” he ordered. “There we have a house with you. I hope no one touched him. There we will find a home for the first time.
- And we have a garden there, lord, - picked up the Stomper, - and fat rabbits are found in the neighboring forest. I do not need food, but I will catch them for you.
The good-natured muzzle of the bear shone with joy that he would again live with his adored master, away from everyone, in peace and contentment.
Not such were Oorfene's thoughts.
The house will serve as a temporary refuge for me, Deuce reflected, I will hide until I am forgotten. And there ... we'll see there! .. "
Painful was the path of Oorfene Deuce to the country of the Munchkins. He dreamed of returning unnoticed, but Kaggi-Karr spoiled the case. With the help of numerous relatives, the crow tracked down where the exile went. All who lived near the road, paved with yellow bricks, were promptly notified by the messengers of Kaggi-Karr about the approach of Oorfene.
Men and women, old men and children, came out of the houses, lined up along the road and silently followed Oorfene with contemptuous glances. Juice would feel better if he was scolded, thrown stones and sticks at him. But this deathly silence, hatred written on all faces, icy eyes ... All this was many times worse.
Air battle
Seven years have passed since Oorfene Deuce lost his power over the Emerald City. Much has changed in the world. Ellie Smith, who left Enchantland forever, graduated from high school and entered College of Education in a neighboring city: she chose for herself a modest share of a folk teacher. Her younger sister Annie (she was born while Ellie was in the Underworld) went to first grade and began to learn the mysteries of the alphabet.
The one-legged sailor Charlie Black bought a ship and made several voyages to the Kuru-Kusu Islands, the inhabitants of which met him every time with joy.
And how were things in Fairyland? The Winkies and Munchkins continued to live as before, but the life of the underground miners, with whom Ellie visited on the third and last trip to the land of miracles, completely changed.
There, in the colossal Cave, Ellie and her second cousin Fred Canning had many strange, marvelous adventures. They succeeded in restoring the vanished source of Sleeping Water, and with this water they put the seven underground kings to sleep, who in turn ruled the miners. The most ridiculous and curious thing was that the kings, having woken up, forgot about their royal dignity and turned into blacksmiths, tillers, weavers. Along with their former subjects, they worked hard, earning food for themselves and their families.
done with royalty, the inhabitants of the Cave moved to the upper world and occupied empty lands in the neighborhood of the country of the Munchkins. There they sowed wheat and flax, planted gardens, fattened livestock, processed metals. They did not part with dark glasses very soon, because their eyes, accustomed to twilight, could not endure sunlight for a long time. Ellie's third journey is described in the book Seven Underground Kings.
Only in the life of Oorfene Deuce did not happen any changes during the long years of loneliness. He dug up the garden and began to cultivate vegetables, collecting three crops a year.
How diligently the former king looked at the soil of his plot, wielding a shovel! How he wanted to find at least one single seed of that amazing plant from which he received the life-giving powder! Oh, if he had come across such a seed, he would not have made wooden soldiers again! No, he would make an iron-studded monster, invulnerable to arrows and fire, and again become the ruler of Fairyland.
But his search was in vain and even meaningless. After all, if at least one sprout, one living piece of an unusual plant survived extermination, it would again flood the neighborhood.
Every evening, every morning, Oorfene looked into the sky in the hope that a storm would break out, similar to the one that had once brought him the seeds of extraordinary plants. But ferocious hurricanes swept over the country, leaving nothing but destruction.
And Oorfene, after he was king and reveled in the consciousness of power over thousands and thousands of people, had to be content with a modest share of a gardener. Of course, there was no need to worry about subsistence under the fertile sky of Wonderland, especially since the Stomper often dragged a fat rabbit or hare to the owner. But this was not what the exile wanted: at night he dreamed of a royal mantle on his shoulders, and he woke up disappointed, with a beating heart.
In the first months of his solitary life, Oorfene sometimes met Munchkins while walking, especially if he went towards the village of Kogidy, where he was born and raised. However, the tribesmen ran away from him, as if from the plague, trying not to meet his eyes, and even their backs seemed to radiate hatred.
But weeks turned into months, months into years, and human hostility to Oorfene faded away. Memories of his crimes faded, obscured by new events, new worldly concerns.
A few years later, the inhabitants of Cogida began to greet the exile in a friendly way, and if Oorfene wanted to move to the village, no one would interfere with him. But Oorfene sullenly answered greetings, did not enter into conversations, and showed with his whole appearance that the company of people was unpleasant to him. Shrugging their shoulders, the Munchkins walked away from the unsociable gardener. And Oorfene still indulged in gloomy dreams of how he would take revenge on people, if only he could.
And fate went to meet him.
Once at noon, Oorfene was digging in the garden, when suddenly his attention was attracted by a sharp scream coming from above. The exile raised his head. Three eagles fought high in the azure sky. The battle was fierce, two birds attacked one, trying to hit her with their beak and wing beats. The victim of the attack desperately fought back, trying to elude the enemies, but she did not succeed. At first, the eagles seemed to Oorfene not particularly large, but they began to decline, and Deuce was convinced that their size was enormous.
The terrible battle continued, the scream of the monstrous eagles becoming more and more audible as the birds approached the ground. The wounded bird weakened under the blows of enemies, its movements became more and more erratic. And suddenly, folding her wings, she, somersaulting, flew down.
The eagle fell with a dull noise on the lawn in front of Oorfene's house. The gardener timidly approached him. A bird, even mortally wounded, with an accidental blow of its wing could hurt a person.
Going up to the eagle, Oorfene made sure that he was of colossal size: his outstretched wings occupied the entire area from edge to edge, and there were thirty paces. And then Oorfene was amazed to see that the bird was alive. Her torso trembled slightly, her eyes were strangely mixed with pride and pleading. The other two eagles descended with the clear intention of finishing off the enemy.
“Protect,” the huge bird muttered hoarsely.
Deuce grabbed a huge stake that stood by the fence and lifted it with a determined look. The attackers soared up, but continued to circle over the possession of Oorfene.
“They will finish me,” said the wounded eagle. “Human, dig a hole next to me and pretend you're going to bury me. My enemies will leave this land only after they are convinced that I am buried. When it gets dark, I will hide in the bushes, and you will throw the earth into an empty hole.
At night, the cunning invention was fulfilled, and in the morning the monstrous eagles, circling over the empty grave, flew north.
History of Carfax
Countless are the wonders of Fairyland, and the whole human life it would not be enough to know them all. As if it was not so great, how different was the diversity of nature, how many human tribes, extraordinary animals and birds inhabited it!
In a secluded valley of the Round the World Mountains, in their northern part, a tribe of giant eagles lived. From there was born Carfax, an unexpected guest of Oorfene Deuce.
This is what Carfax told the exile when he recovered from his wounds.
“Our tribe has been living in the Round-the-World Mountains for a very long time,” said the eagle, “its number is very small. And the reason for this is this. Our food is tours and mountain goats that inhabit the slopes of the mountains and deep gorges. The goat tribe could multiply and live without worries, but we, the eagles, prevent this by hunting for them.
With our vigilance, strength and speed of flight, we could exterminate all the goats and aurochs, but we do not. The disappearance of animals would also mean our end: we would starve to death. And therefore, since ancient times, the number of members of our tribe should not exceed one hundred.
– How do you do it? asked an interested Oorfene.
“Our laws are very strict on this matter,” Carfax replied. - The eagle family has the right to breed a chick only if one of the adult members of the tribe dies of old age or dies from an accident, for example, smashes against a rock during a careless attack on prey.
“But who gets the right to give a replacement to the deceased?”
- This right is given in order of strict priority to all families inhabiting the Eagle Valley. The custom has been sacredly carried out for centuries, but recently it has been broken, and this has brought great disasters to our people. We live a very long time,” continued Carfax, “one and a half to two hundred years, so a little one does not appear in our valley every year. You should have seen how the eagles take care of him, how they quarrel over who to feed the chick or warm under the wing! Often they push away from the baby mother... What can you do, - Carfax sighed, - our women have strong maternal feelings, and each of them gets the happiness to breed a cub only once or twice in her long life.
“It’s easier for us people to deal with this matter,” Oorfene thought. “You can have as many guys as you want, although this is a decent burden.”
Carfax continued:
- I am eighty years old, we, giant eagles, are in the prime of strength and health. This year, for the first time, it was my friend Araminta and me that took the turn to hatch the chick. How joyfully we looked forward to that happy day when the wife would be allowed to lay an egg! What a cozy nest of thin branches and leaves they have prepared in the deepening of the rock! .. And everything collapsed. The dastardly chief Arraches, breaking an ancient law, announced that the chick would be bred in his family!
He needed an heir, since his only son had crashed shortly before, hunting for a tour ... - Carfax trembled with indignation, talking about the dishonorable act of the leader, and the gardener thought with mockery that he, Oorfene, would not boil because of such nonsense.
“Tell me, man, was Arraches worthy to remain our leader after such a dishonorable violation of fatherly customs?” I, at least, thought it would be a disgrace to obey him. I have found supporters. We were preparing an uprising to overthrow Arrajes. Unfortunately, a low traitor made his way into our ranks, he told the leader about everything, gave out the names of the conspirators. Arrachez and his supporters suddenly attacked us. Each of my friends dealt with two or three adversaries. Araminta died in the first minutes of the battle. I was attacked by Arrajes and the eagle who betrayed the conspiracy. Thinking to find salvation in flight, I crossed the mountains around the world and went deeper into the Fairyland. The enemies were not far behind… You know the rest,” Carfax finished wearily.
There was a long silence. Then the eagle spoke:
- My life is in your hands. I can't go back to the mountains. Even if I settle in the most remote part of them, Arrachez and his spies will hunt me down and kill me. It is impossible for me to hunt in your forests.
You feed me the animals you call hares and rabbits. They are delicious, but how can I see them in a thick thicket, let alone grab them with my claws ...
Thinking, Urfin said:
“The stomper catches game for you and will do so until you get better. And then we'll see, maybe I'll figure out how to feed you.
And then in the dark soul of Oorfene the thought arose that this gigantic bird could serve his purposes. Here is a long-awaited means to break out of obscurity again and "grab fate by the horns," as he liked to put it.
“But I have to be very careful,” thought Oorfene. “This bird, with its strange notions of justice, will not help me if it considers my actions to be even a little dishonorable ... However, I will not rush, I will have enough time to think everything over.”
Ideas of Oorfene Deuce
Asking imperceptible questions, Oorfene Deuce was convinced that in Eagle Valley they knew nothing about human affairs. Carfax was unaware of either Oorfene's rapid rise or his ignominious fall. The exile forbade Thumper from even a word about the past and ordered the clown to watch so that the bird and the bear, who loved to chat, did not meet alone. He himself began to act more boldly. He had long conversations with the recovering eagle and, as if inadvertently, admitted that he had only one desire in his mind - to bring good to people.
“Then why do you live in the forest far away from the rest of the pack?” Carfax wondered.
“You see, helping one village is too small for me,” Oorfene cunningly. “Now, if I managed to become the head of a whole people, there I would turn around and show myself.
"Who's stopping you from becoming a leader?" - the simple-minded eagle was perplexed.
“My countrymen don't understand me,” Deuce wriggled. “They think that I am ambitious for power, but in fact I set myself much higher goals.
Such conversations were repeated more than once, and finally the eagle believed in the nobility of Oorfene. Carfax agreed to help his friend achieve a high position among people, and then let him do as much good as he wants.
This is exactly what Oorfene Deuce wanted. It remained to figure out how to regain their former power with the help of a giant bird.
“Just not the war…” thought Oorfene. “If I ask Carfax to kill even one person for the sake of my elevation, he will immediately guess my intentions. He can tear me to pieces for deceit… – Oorfene imagined with horror the monstrous bird attacking him. “I must act wiser. It is necessary with the help of an eagle to become the ruler of some backward people. And when I take these people into my hands, I will have both an army and weapons ... Then beware, Scarecrow and Woodcutter!
Oorfene began to think in his thoughts in which part of the country he could most easily become a ruler. And then he remembered the Jumpers.
The warlike tribe of Jumpers lived in the mountains between the Big River and the possessions of Stella. No one has yet managed to cross the country of the Jumpers, they did not let anyone in.
Ellie Smith, during her first stay in Fairyland, was heading to the good fairy Stella with her friends the Scarecrow, the Tin Woodman and the Bold Lion. On their way, the area of Jumpers, surrounded by mountains, became an insurmountable obstacle. The Scarecrow tried to climb the mountain, followed by the Lion, but they were knocked down by the mighty fists of the Jumpers. Ellie and her companions would never have reached Stella's Pink Palace if Ellie had not owned the Golden Hat at that time, which gave power over the Flying Monkeys. The girl summoned the Flying Monkeys, and they carried the travelers to Stella's palace by air. This is described in the book "The Wizard of the Emerald City".
Many centuries ago, the Marrans (as the Jumpers called themselves) lived in the Underground country on the banks of the river that flowed into the Middle Lake. According to legend, they took refuge in the dungeon from strong enemies who pressed them from all sides. There, among the rocks, the Marranos built a city, the ruins of which were seen by Ellie Smith and Fred Canning when they completed a long and dangerous journey into the bowels of the earth.
In that distant era, the Marrans knew how to make fire, made iron tools, fished and hunted the Six-legged, which were found in abundance in the vicinity. But over time, there were too many Marranos, they did not have enough fish and animal meat, and it was impossible to engage in arable farming on stony soil.
The Marrans, led by Prince Gron, left their gloomy land. They tried to take part of their vast plain from the underground miners, but the warriors of the seven kings repelled the attack and drove the Jumpers upstairs.
It was hard for the Marrans in upper world. Their eyes, accustomed to the eternal gloom of the Cave, for many months could not adjust to the bright daylight. The settlers moved only at night. Half-blind, they wandered around the Magic Land for a long time, died in battles with its indigenous population, suffered huge damage from predatory animals, died of hunger, drowned while crossing rivers ... Several years passed like that.
During the wanderings, the Marrans became wild, lost their tools, forgot how to use fire. Finally, Gron led a small group of fugitives to a secluded, unoccupied valley, which became their refuge for centuries. Here they again multiplied, but remained at a very low stage of development.
First, the memories that their ancestors lived in some strange, gloomy world were passed on by the Marrans from fathers to children, then the memories turned into legends, and then the legends were forgotten. The Marrans lived in solitude for so long that people who lived in other parts of the Fairyland knew very little about them.
He knew little about the Marrans and Oorfene Deuce. What are their dwellings? What do they eat? Do they have hobbies? What can capture their imagination? Oorfene could not answer all these questions. And to come to a strong, independent tribe, not knowing what awaits you there, was too dangerous.
"I must make a thorough reconnaissance," thought Oorfene. But who will do this reconnaissance? It is impossible to go on your own: he must suddenly appear before the Jumpers as a master. Send Thumper? The bear is heavy and clumsy, he lacks the ability to hide and act secretly, as befits a good scout. And then Oorfene's gaze fell on a wooden clown, who was scurrying around in the corner of the room.
- That's who I need! Deuce exclaimed happily.
He remembered how the clown helped him during the siege of the Emerald City. Several attacks by wooden soldiers were repulsed, and Oorfene was in great difficulty. And then Eot Ling visited the city on reconnaissance, found out that the rich man Ruf Bilan hates the Scarecrow, and the eagle owl Guamoko persuaded Bilan to open the city gates.
“Eot Ling, come here!” - Oorfene ordered, and the clown, waddling, hobbled towards him.
Do you need me, lord?
- Yes. I think I will entrust you with one very important task.
Oorfene Deuce shared his plans with the clown and told what Eot Ling should do. The clown listened to Urfin Deuce and remarked:
“The Land of Jumpers is very far away, lord. The journey there will be long and dangerous.
“Carfax will make the journey in a few hours. He will drive you and you will look out for everything you need.
Oorfene Deuce and his faithful servant Eot Ling were looking forward to the eagle's recovery. The huge bird to the last bone ate rabbits and hares regularly delivered by the Stomper. Carfax became attached to a good-natured bear, which, sparing no effort, roamed the forest in pursuit of game.
And now the time has come when the eagle for the first time after the fall made the first, still uncertain flight. When he flew low over the forest, the flapping of his huge wings shook the branches of trees, and frightened squirrels rushed headlong down. Every day Carfax flew farther and higher, his strength grew stronger, and finally the day came when he invited Oorfene Deuce to ride on his back.
Oorfene agreed with great apprehension: after all, it is terrible to find yourself high in the air, not feeling any other support under you, except for the moving back of an eagle. But if he does not dare to fly, it means that he will not see the country of Jumpers, will not achieve power, will not take revenge on his enemies. And Deuce overcame his fear.
The first step is always difficult. Soon Oorfene was happy to expose his face to the oncoming wind, proudly looking at the fields and forests rushing past below.
- My! Soon it will all be mine again! he muttered softly so that Carfax wouldn't hear.
Oorfene told the eagle about his intention to become the head of the Jumper tribe.
“These are dark, ignorant people,” Deuce said, “and their life is extremely hard. I want to bring them all the joys that are available to a person under the sun of our country.
Carfax agreed to deliver Eoth Ling to the Leapers. Oorfene sewed clothes for the clown out of rabbit skins. Putting it on, Eot Ling turned into a small, nimble animal. Now, if he catches the eye of any of the Jumpers, he will in no way suspect him of a scout from foreign lands.
One morning, Carfax rose from the lawn in front of Oorfene's house and flew east to the country of Jumpers. A bunch of rabbits hung around the eagle's neck - a supply of food. On the back of an eagle, clutching its feathers, lay a clown.
The eagle returned by the evening of the next day. He said that at night, when the Jumpers were sleeping, he carried the scout over the mountain and lowered it in a secluded place. There Eot Ling will be waiting for him in ten days.
How long those days seemed to Oorfene!
But the moment finally came when Carfax returned from the second flight and brought the clown, unharmed and very pleased. Eot Ling first of all threw off the suit of rabbit skins that bored him and looked pointedly at the owner. He realized that the conversation would be secret, and took the clown into the house.
- Well, lord, - Eot Ling exclaimed cheerfully, when they were alone, - what simpletons they are! Ah, what simpletons!.. But simpletons are dangerous, don't put your finger in their mouths! he added emphatically.
- Tell me! Deuce ordered impatiently.
And the clown began the story of what he saw and heard in the country of the Marranos during his ten days' stay there.
Life and customs of Jumpers
Eot Ling learned a lot. Like a big rat in his gray robe, he snooped around the villages, climbed into dwellings, peeped, eavesdropped. Only once did he almost get caught. He was grabbed by a boy (children are more observant than adults), but the clown bit him so much that the curious boy howled in pain and released dangerous prey.
This is what Eot Ling learned.
The Leaper Tribe is numerous, with several thousand grown men alone. At this message, Oorfene shook his head approvingly and thought: "They will make a strong army."
Jumper Country is located in a circular valley, surrounded by a ring of mountains with steep slopes. The mountains do not let the wind into the valley, and during the day it is always warm there, but the nights are cold. Residents do not build houses, for this they lack the skill. They live in thatched huts and even under awnings. They dress lightly, men wear long pants and sleeveless jackets, women wear short dresses. The Marrans barter clothes, axes, knives, shovels from the Chatterboxes, subjects of the fairy Stella. In return, they give gems mined in the mountains.
Jumpers are short but stocky, have large heads, long strong arms with large fists, and leg muscles so developed that they allow people to make huge jumps. For this, the inhabitants of neighboring countries called them Jumpers. But the Marrans themselves do not like this nickname. They are ruled by Prince Torm...
- Probably, this is a respectable old man with a long gray beard? Oorfene interrupted the clown's story.
“You are mistaken, lord,” objected Eoth Ling. “Imagine, they don’t wear beards or mustaches at all.
They consider facial hair a great inconvenience and get rid of it in a very curious way. In their country there is a spring surrounded by caustic brown mud. When the young man Marran begins to grow a mustache and a beard, he goes to this source and covers his face with mud, and then lets it dry in the sun. After a few hours, the dirt falls off in chunks and takes the hair with it forever. The relatives who performed such an operation are greeted with songs and dances, only then Marran receives citizenship rights and can marry.
“It is truly amazing,” said Oorfene.
Eot Ling went on with his long story.
Thunderstorms are very frequent in the Marran Valley. Eot Ling stayed there for only ten days, during which time there were two thunderstorms.
Thunderstorms in Jumperland are terrible. Lightning flashes continuously, thunder peals, reflected from the mountain slopes, merge into a prolonged deafening rumble, rain pours in torrents. Lightning often strikes the thatched tents of the Marrans and sets them on fire. The inhabitants jump out and stare in horror at the raging flames, not even trying to extinguish it. Fire for the Marrans is a formidable punishing deity, they worship him, but do not dare to use fire in their modest life.
“Yes, this is a real treasure,” Oorfene thought. “That’s where you can turn around!”
In the center of the valley lies a huge shallow lake, overgrown with reeds. Many ducks nest in the reeds. When the young are hatched, still poorly able to fly, the Marrans round up and beat the ducklings with a sling. They salt their prey and store it in natural cellars - cold caves that go deep into the mountains.
Fertile fields spread around the lake. There the Leapers sow wheat. They don't bake bread because they don't know how to make fire. Wheat grains are ground between millstones, and the flour is made into a cold-water prison.
- They are mine! exclaimed Urfin. “When I teach them how to roast duck and bake bread, they will follow me anywhere. In their eyes, I will be a great miracle worker.
Despite such meager nutrition, the Marrans are very healthy and strong people. They have a lot of free time, and they give it to sports - jumping, running, and especially fisticuffs.
Boxing competitions at the Marrans are a favorite pastime. The terrible blows that they inflict on each other can knock down a bull, and at least something for the fighters. It's funny how they celebrate the winner. He has the right to paint his bruises with dark clay and flaunt them as insignia. The defeated, on the contrary, must hide the bruises and heal them as soon as possible. On the part of the vanquished, it is considered shameless to boast of injuries received in battle.
Marranos are gambling fans and bet on boxers or runners. But they do not know money and pay with their own freedom. The loser works for a happy fan for a month, two or more: he builds a new hut for him, cultivates the field, grinds grain, catches and salts ducks.
Those who have fallen into captivity for a while are marked with a special sign: a vertical strip is drawn on the forehead with caustic milkweed juice, which lasts a long time. If the period of slavery has not expired, but the strip has gone, it is renewed. Another poor fellow, imprudently betting, does not come out of captivity for whole years, and the mark of his slavery is indelibly eaten into his skin.
Even the gloomy Oorfene cheered up listening to these funny details about the life of the Jumpers. He became more and more convinced that it would be easy for him to subjugate these simple-hearted people to his power.
Finishing his story, Eot Ling warned the owner:
– Marranos – dangerous people, Lord! They are quick-tempered and quick to punish. As soon as it seems to someone that he was deceived or offended, he immediately gets into a fight and already here does not spare either himself or his opponent.
“Good, good, my faithful servant, you have obtained very valuable information. I see that good warriors will come out of the Marranos, but you cannot take them by force, a cunning trick is needed here. And I already know how to proceed.
Oorfene went to the backyard and began to boil water in a cauldron in order to dye his best suit red with the juice from the madder roots. This began preparations for his risky undertaking.
Extraordinary Appearance
Oorfene Deuce was finally convinced that the appearance of Carfax was a new gift of fate, which seemed to have forgotten about him for many years. All that was left was to take advantage of this gift. But here Oorfene did not have to be taught. He decided to come to the Marrans in the formidable guise of the lord of fire. Fascinated by his power, the Jumpers immediately recognize Oorfene Deuce as their leader.
There were nine days left before the new moon. On a moonless night in a dark sky, the Marrans will see Oorfene in the glow of fire, and he will descend to them on an unprecedented bird. Who does not shudder at the sight of such miracles?
The exile was preparing to leave the region that was disgusting to him. The indefatigable Carfax, accompanied by a clown, made several flights to the country of the Marranos. There, Eot Ling hid Oorfene's carpentry tools and the most needed household items at night. In the end, the eagle took Thumper away. Invulnerable to arrows and spears, not knowing sleep, not needing food, a devoted beast will be an invaluable guardian of his master among his strong and dangerous future subjects. It was also important that bears were not found in the country of the Jumpers, and the Stomper would seem to them an extraordinary creature.
And then the day came. Oorfene went on a long journey. He didn't lock the house up like he did last time. Deuce dragged brushwood inside and set it on fire. Whether or not he succeeds in gaining power over the Jumpers, he still will not return here, to the tedious, monotonous existence of a modest gardener.
“Come what may, I will go towards fate!” Oorfin decided.
In the blaze of flame he will begin new life, in the brilliance of the flame will leave the former.
Oorfene's house blazed like a huge fire. The inhabitants of Cogida saw a distant glow, and in its vague reflection a gigantic shadow swept over the village.
Hundreds of years have passed in the land of the Marrans since their migration from the Underground, marked by many natural disasters: fires, floods, landslides. But never before had the Marrans experienced such disturbing, exciting events as on that memorable evening. To begin with, after dusk, an unprecedented brown beast appeared on the streets of the village where Prince Torm lived and shouted in a trumpet voice:
“Get ready, Marrans, get ready!” This evening, your future mighty master, the fiery god Oorfene Deuce, will appear in the sky before you!
- People of the Marran country, rejoice and have fun, the fiery god Oorfene Deuce is coming to you from heaven!
Trembling with surprise and fear, the half-dressed Marrans ran out of their huts and from under the awnings, asking Prince Torm what all this meant. But Torm could not give them an answer.
And the strange heralds continued to shout.
And then a giant shadow appeared over the village, and a fiery glow could be seen above it.
“Those are flashes of lightning…” the startled Marrans whispered.
The shadow descended lower and lower, and a thunderous voice was heard from above:
“I greet you, my beloved Marrans!”
A colossal bird descended onto the platform in front of the astonished crowd, and a man in a scarlet cloak, in a bright red cap with white feathers, easily jumped from its back, and in his hand raised high a torch burned, scattering sparks far away. It seemed that a living fire appeared in the darkness of the night.
Yes, Oorfene Deuce managed to appear unusually effectively for the first time in front of the Jumpers!
Confused, frightened people fell to their knees, covering their faces with their hands from the bright flame. The visitor from heaven spoke in a sonorous voice:
“Don't be afraid, my children! I came to you not with evil, but with good. And above all, I will make you make sure that this flame, which has always brought you death and destruction, will henceforth become your faithful servant. Good Stomper, - Oorfene turned to the bear, - get some straw!
Not far away lay a pile of straw prepared for the construction of a hut. The bear dragged several armfuls to the owner. Deuce piled them up in a neat pile and set them on fire. The fire shot up, and the frightened Marrans backed away.
Oorfene laughed.
- No need for fear! Radiant Torm and Princess Yuma! And you, venerable elders Grem, Lax, Wenk, come closer!
He knows everyone by name! Miracle, miracle! This is a god, not a man!
Eot Ling announced loudly:
- The Great Oorfene is subject to everything - the earth and the sky!
- Oorfene Deuce is noble, he wishes everyone well.
The flame began to burn out, and the emboldened Marrans moved closer to the fire. The night was crisp, as always in the valley, and the people were quite cold. But as they approached the fire, a pleasant warmth came over them. Torm and the elders substituted one or the other side to the fire, and they had the idea that the celestial stranger had brought with him solar heat and light.
The magical power of Oorfene Deuce was recognized indisputably: he became not just the king of the Marrans, he became their deity.
Charlie Black lighter
Among the property of Oorfene Deuce was one item that he treasured the most. In the outside world, beyond the mountains, this item was valued cheaply, but in the Magic Land it seemed like a real miracle.
It was an ordinary lighter, an elegant flat thing that hid in the palm of its owner.
This lighter went to Oorfene when, overthrown from the throne, he was in prison awaiting trial. The one-legged sailor Charlie Black came to the former king. He talked for a long time with Urfin, trying to get him to repent for the crimes he had committed. But Deuce showed no remorse.
The frustrated sailor turned to leave, but at that moment a shiny little thing slipped out of his pocket and fell on the straw that covered the floor. No sooner had Black left the door than the prisoner rushed to the fallen object. It was a lighter, and Oorfene knew its value.
Footsteps were heard outside: the sailor missed his loss. Oorfene instantly put the lighter under the mattress and sat down on the bunk. Charlie Black left with nothing, but he did not grieve - he had a spare lighter in his backpack.
Oorfene hid the find in his clothes and took it into exile. From the lighter came a smell that Oorfene liked: it was the smell of gasoline, although the exile had no idea what gasoline was. Over time, the gasoline evaporated. This worried Deuce, but he managed to get a bottle of light transparent oil, it replaced gasoline.
For years and years Oorfene Deuce kept the lighter as a beautiful trinket that you can admire from time to time. But now that he has decided to act as the fiery god of the Marranos, she has rendered Oorfene a great service. With her help, Deuce proved to the Jumpers that fire is obedient to him and instantly arises at his command.
It's one thing to strike flint with a flint, waiting for the spark to hit the tinder, and then fan it to make a flame. All this takes time and does not make a strong impression. And quite another thing is when the fire flies out of the outstretched hand of the ruler at one moment and ignites a bunch of straw, flashing brightly and hotly.
Of course, he could buy matches in the village shop, but for someone who wants to be known as a fire god, a lighter will serve much better!
Oorfene struck the imagination of the Marrans on the very first evening of his appearance: to the enthusiastic cries of the audience, he many times extracted fire from his outstretched hand.
How the gods live
The desire to become the ruler of the Magic Land as quickly as possible again possessed Oorfene Deuce so strongly that he did not want to waste a single extra day.
Oorfene spent the first night in Torm's hut on his own bed, and in the morning he announced to the prince that he should immediately begin building a palace for him, the fiery god.
He, the god, left beautiful halls in his heavenly possessions.
A thousand people began to carry stones from the mountain slopes to the hill chosen by Oorfene. Other workers scooped sticky silt from the bottom of the lake to replace the cement.
Oorfene showed the Marrans how to lay the foundation of the building, fitting the stones one to the other, and how to fasten them with cement. The Marranos turned out to be very receptive, and things went well for them. The most capable Djus appointed foremen and foremen. Oorfene took out his tools from the hiding place during a thunderstorm, when thunder and lightning flashed incessantly, and the frightened Marrans lay in huts, closing their eyes and covering their heads with their hands.
Herald Eoth Ling announced to the Leapers that the items their master would work with were sacred. They were sent to the great Oorfene by the lord of heaven, the Sun, and touching them without the permission of God is a great sin.
Oorfene began to make jambs for doors and windows, carved ceiling beams and rafters for the roof, prepared window frames. The matter was in full swing in his skillful hands. The work gave him pleasure, because for so many years he did not take up an ax and a chisel. Here would forget Oorfene about ambitious plans. But he recalled the shame with which he was escorted out of the Emerald City, how he was treated with disdain when it was considered that he was no longer able to harm.
And Oorfene gloomily whispered through clenched teeth:
“Enemies will have no mercy!” Revenge, revenge!
And respectful onlookers crowded around Oorfene and admired his products. Everything that was connected with the carpentry work - the whistle of a planer on the board, the bale of a chisel, the buzz of a saw - everything seemed to the Jumpers some kind of miracle, which only a deity could perform.
Prince Torm was extremely pleased when the fiery god allowed him to plan several times with a planer. He collected the shavings that fell to the ground and solemnly carried them to his hut, as a sign of God's mercy.
The walls of the palace rose higher and higher every day, and the building became more impressive; The Marranos looked at him with awe.
In nature, the Jumpers had a curious property: having run and jumped during the day, they slept like a dead sleep at night, and it was impossible to wake them up, even if you shoot a cannon over the ear. Oorfene Deuce cleverly took advantage of this. Through Eot Ling, he announced to the inhabitants that each family should bring a precious stone as a gift to the god, otherwise misfortune would befall them in the near future.
The frightened Marranos dragged Urfine their best jewels. One night, when the inhabitants of the valley were sleeping soundly, he flew on an eagle to the country of Chatterboxes. There, in the Pink City, he found a merchant, gave him two dozen precious stones, and he undertook to buy beautiful furniture, carpets, curtains, kitchen utensils, window glass and much more for Oorfene.
In the following nights, everything purchased was transferred to the Marran Valley and hidden in a secluded cave. All these secrets did not please Carfax.
“Why not shop openly, in broad daylight?” said the noble eagle. Oorfene was cunning and dodging.
“My dear friend Carfax, understand,” said Deuce, “if I deceive the Marrans, it is only for a good purpose. When they are convinced that I have the gift of magic, they will more willingly follow me to a happy life.
The palace was completed. It was covered with tiles, which women made of clay, and Oorfene himself burned it. But there was nothing inside the house, and the windows looked like empty frames.
In the evening Oorfene said to Torm:
“Excellent prince, I invite you and your wife and your advisers to my housewarming party tomorrow.
Torm was surprised:
“Great Oorfene, you don’t have anything in the palace.
“Don’t let that bother you,” Oorfene smiled arrogantly. “The Divine has access to something that you, mere mortals, have no idea about.
The whole night Oorfene and the bear worked without a minute's rest. And when Torm and the elders approached the palace in the morning, they gasped in amazement.
The palace shone with freshly washed glass windows. Inside, guests were greeted with unprecedented luxury: lush carpets on the floors, colored curtains on the windows, elegant furniture filled the rooms, and a pleasant smell of food came from the dining room.
“A miracle,” cried the Marrans, and fell to their knees.
The dishes cooked on fire were unusually liked by the prince, princess and nobles. On the table were fresh bread, roast ducks, baked fruit, and various delicacies that the Jumpers had never tasted before.
This is how the gods live! Torm said admiringly, leaning back in his chair and stroking his stuffed belly.
“Yes, this is how the gods live,” Oorfene confirmed. “But from now on, you, Marrans, will also live like this, if you obediently follow my orders.
We are ready, great god! cried the Jumpers.
“First of all, you need to build houses,” Deuce said.
- Are we at home? Us?! cried the Marranos in holy horror. - Like yours?
“Well, not exactly like that,” Oorfene remarked casually, “of course, smaller and simpler, but still you will begin to live in houses. And further - you have to cook food on fire. You can see how much more delicious this food is than that one.
The faces of the Marrans reflected their long fear of fire, that formidable punitive deity.
- Follow me! Oorfin ordered. He led the guests into the kitchen and showed them the flame that burned peacefully in the stove.
“You see how I tamed the fire,” Deuce said. - He will come to your hearths in the same meek way, he will heat the dwellings, women will cook soup on him and bake rolls.
“Truly, the fiery god of the Marrans is great and kind! praised Oorfene Torm and his advisers.
From that day on, a large construction project began in the secluded valley of the Marranos. The entire burden of work fell on the commoners. The nobles themselves did nothing. They only urged on the masons and carpenters trained by Oorfene, and they worked from sunrise to sunset with short breaks for food. The workers sadly recalled the fun competitions in boxing, running and jumping, and began to think that it was not such a great joy, perhaps, the appearance of a fiery deity among them. But religious fear did not allow them to linger on such thoughts.
The settlement of Torm, Wenck, Grem and other nobles in their new homes took place with pomp. The people, crowding at the windows covered with mica, tried to look at the silhouettes of the feasting, to hear drunken voices: Oorfene taught the Marrans to prepare an intoxicating drink from wheat grains.
The noble Marrans were now behind Oorfene's mountain. Even if they had guessed that Urfin was an ordinary person who had appropriated the divine title, they would still follow him to the ends of the world. Now they recalled with horror the past time, when they lived in the same huts as the mob, ate the same prison and salted ducks ...
Marrano aristocrats have long accumulated a lot of precious stones - amethysts, rubies, emeralds. They had done some trading with the Chatterboxes before, bartering for their necessities. But now this trade has acquired wide dimensions.
The Marrans came out onto the mountainside facing Stella's domain, waving their arms and shouting, drawing the attention of the Chatterboxes. Chatterboxes approached them and admired the brilliance of precious stones.
Soon a real bazaar was formed in the half-mountain. Chatterboxes brought chickens and rams, milk and butter, fruits, fabrics and beautiful furniture for sale. And when Torm acquired a carved table and chairs for him, exactly the same as in the palace of the god, correct guesses crept into his head, but he did not tell anyone about them.
Of course, commoners did not build stone houses for themselves. Before they were when the leaders of the tribe harnessed them to hard work. Having completed the construction of houses, they set about expanding the crops. Bread-making and the rapidly developing distillation demanded much more grain than before. Firewood was needed to fire stoves in the houses of aristocrats, and every morning a string of woodcutters went to the forest, and in the evening people returned with heavy bundles. In the past, life was much easier for the common people.
Two or three months passed, and new burdens fell on the subjects of Prince Torm.
Competing among themselves who would furnish their house more luxuriously, the nobles squandered the jewelry accumulated by their ancestors, and there was nothing to buy beautiful carpets, expensive furniture and outfits. And then the aristocrats forced the poor to mine emeralds and diamonds for them.
And since the gems had already been selected from the surface, mines had to be dug. To prevent the walls of the shafts from collapsing, it was necessary to fix them with props, and for the props it was necessary to go to a distant forest.
Fearing that the miners would not hide the treasures they found, the rich assigned overseers to them, and in order for the overseers to honestly fulfill their duties, they were given a good reward. Again, the poor suffered from this.
These sad pictures were observed by the wise Carfax, and they revolted him. The eagle himself lived well in the Marran Valley. There were goats in the mountains, and they fell into the claws of a gigantic bird. There were many ducks on the lake, and Carfax did not disdain this prey.
But every day his heart grew heavier. In the evenings, the eagle spoke with Oorfene:
“Where is the happiness that you promised this poor people?
Oorfene exclaimed with false enthusiasm:
- And you look how Prince Torm lives! How Wenk, Graham and others live!
“There aren't many of them,” Carfax protested. – And the vast majority began to live much worse.
- Not all at once! Oorfene fought back. - It will be the turn of others.
“I believe you less and less,” the noble bird remarked sadly. - The prince and his advisers are surrounded by luxury because thousands of people work for them.
In order not to argue with the eagle, Oorfene tried less often to catch his eye. And in the valley of the Marranos, things continued to go as the cunning ambitious man had planned.
Arachne began to read again. The chronicle returned to Oorfene Deuce and began to tell how he spent boring years in his secluded home in the country of the Munchkins.
For ten years Oorfin dug in his garden, and suddenly his fate changed dramatically. Near his dwelling, the giant eagle Carfax fell, wounded in battle with other eagles. The former king cured Carfax, and a friendship developed between them. The cunning Oorfene assured the noble bird that he had only one thing on his mind: to make other people happy. It would be good for him to become the king of a backward people living in poverty and ignorance. This people under the rule of Oorfene will live to glory.
The darkest people in the Fairyland were the Jumpers, who inhabited a secluded valley among the mountains. The Jumpers, who called themselves the Marrans, were so far behind other tribes that they did not even know how to use fire. This and took advantage of dexterous Juice. He flew into the country of the Marranos at night, on the back of a gigantic eagle, dressed in purple, with a burning torch in his hand. Deuce declared himself a fiery god descended from the sky, and the gullible Marrans submitted to his dominion.
Oorfene began by attracting the prince and the elders to his side. Instead of the huts in which they lived, warm, cozy houses were built for them. Deuce taught the noble Marranos to cook delicious dishes on fire, accustomed them to luxury and feasts, and they stood behind Oorfene Mountain: he brought them an easy, free life at the expense of ordinary people.
The common people were ready to rebel, but Oorfene deftly directed their anger at the neighboring tribes.
Your happiness is not here! - said Marranam Urfin. - From your meager barren land, I will lead you to conquer the rich plains with fruit groves, with herds of fat sheep. We will seize the comfortable dwellings of the Winkers and the Munchkins, we will seize the riches of the Emerald City.
The militant Marranos enthusiastically responded to the call of Oorfene. A strong army has gathered. Deuce captured the Tin Woodman, subdued the Winkers, and led the soldiers to the Emerald Land. By that time, the Emerald City had turned into an island, blockheads under the leadership of the Scarecrow surrounded it with a wide channel.
The soldiers of Urfin built a bridge across the canal, the city fortifications fell under the onslaught of the enemy. The Scarecrow, the Long-bearded Soldier Din Gior and the Gatekeeper Faramant were again captured by the impudent invader. And again, a girl and a boy from the big world came to their aid.
Having read up to this point, Arachne triumphantly exclaimed:
Yeah, I knew that Ramina was wrong! All the same, Ellie reappeared in Fairyland.
But soon the sorceress fell silent. The girl turned out to be Ellie's younger sister, and her name was Annie. Annie was ten years younger than her sister. After listening to Ellie's stories about her wonderful adventures, Annie and her friend Tim O'Kelly began to dream of traveling to Enchanted Land, and their dreams came true. They crossed the Great Desert and the World Mountains on amazing animals called mules. What kind of animals they were, the gnomes did not really find out, but they became aware that mules eat sunlight. Annie and Tim visited the fox state, rendered an important service to the fox king Tonkonyukh XVI, and he, in gratitude, presented the girl with a silver hoop that makes everyone who put it on invisible.
This magic hoop, and even a magic all-seeing box, received by the Scarecrow as a gift from good fairy Stella helped Annie and Tim a lot in their fight against the insidious Oorfene. Having freed the Woodcutter and the rest of the captives from imprisonment, Annie and Tim moved with them to the Purple Country, which had already overthrown the rule of the Marrans.
Oorfene led his army on a campaign against Annie and her friends. It so happened that when Oorfene's army approached the Purple Palace, two teams played the final match for the national championship in volleyball at the Miguns. (Tim O'Kelly taught Migunov how to play volleyball.) The Marrans went to the enemies in the most belligerent mood. They were burning with a thirst for revenge: Deuce invented that their relatives and friends, left in the purple country to maintain order, were killed by the Winkies, and the corpses were cut into pieces and fed to pigs.
And now the Marrans, hurrying to a mortal battle, noticed among the players and fans their friends and brothers, the very ones who, according to Urfin, were brutally killed. These "killed ones" laughed, joked with Migunami and merrily tossed the ball.
The Marrans realized that they had been fooled, that the Fiery God was a deceiver who set people against each other for the sole purpose of dominating them. Oorfene's power fell in an instant, and the overthrown god fled in disgrace. His ambitious hopes were dashed again.
Oh, how unlucky the poor fellow is, - Arachne sighed sympathetically. - He had big plans, but the skill was not enough ...
It happened about a year ago.
All these years, Deuce has dreamed of once again getting some kind of miracle cure for seizing power, and suddenly he is given the opportunity to save the giant Carfax eagle, wounded in a fight with other eagles. Having deceived an honest and noble bird, he, under the guise of a "Fire God", flies to the country of the Marrans - a people who once lived in the Underground next to underground miners, but were forced to move to the surface and settled in the mountains north of the Pink Country. For a long time of wandering, the Marrans became wild and lagged behind in development to the point that they even forgot how to handle fire. "Giving" them fire, Oorfene becomes the spiritual leader of the Marrans. He teaches them how to build houses, cook dishes on fire, but these benefits are available only to the prince and the elders. In addition, the top of the tribe forces commoners to mine precious stones for themselves. When social tension reaches its breaking point in society, Deuce redirects the class hatred of the commoners to the plainsmen with a carefully crafted speech. He collects an army from the Marranos (two thousand soldiers) and leads them to conquer neighboring countries. But shortly before the start of the campaign, the ambitious invader loses one of his allies: Carfax, having learned about Oorfene's true goals, turns away from him with contempt and flies away to his home, in the Eagle Valley, not forgetting to predict the coming defeat to Deuce. First, Deuce captures the Tin Woodman and captures the Purple Country, and then storms the Emerald City, which by this time has become an island - blockheads, on the orders of the Scarecrow, dug a wide channel around it, filled with water from the Affira River flowing nearby. The Marrans begin plundering the conquered lands.
At this time, two children from the outside world appear in the Magic Land - Annie (Ellie's younger sister) and her friend Tim, who dreamed of visiting this fairy-tale world since childhood. In this they were helped by Fred Canning, who built the mechanical mules of Caesar and Hannibal, on which the children went on their journey. Once in the Fairyland, the guys find themselves in the country of foxes, where Annie saves King Tonkonyuha the Sixteenth, who fell into a trap, and in gratitude he gives the girl a magic silver hoop with a ruby star, making its owner and everyone around him invisible. Then they meet the ruler of the Yellow Country, the sorceress Villina, who advises the guys to use the magic box that the sorceress Stella once gave to the Scarecrow to defeat the usurper so that he could see something at a distance. Along the way they visit new town Underground miners who came to the ground - among them the guys see kings who have forgotten their past, who have become hardworking artisans and fiery revolutionaries. With the help of a magic hoop, Annie and Tim bypass all the Marran patrols and get to the Emerald City, where they meet the crow Kaggi-Karr, who dedicates them to all the details. Tim steals a magic box from the palace, and friends see exactly where the usurper is holding the Scarecrow and the Woodcutter captive. Having freed them, the guys leave for the Purple Country, not forgetting to save Faramant and Dean Gior from captivity. And the affairs of Oorfene himself are going badly. In the Purple Country, the Winkies themselves were able to capture the detachment left "to maintain order" after they learned the main weakness of the Marrans - complete immobility and helplessness during sleep. (Oorfene treated the Marrans for this with a tincture of nuh-nuh tree nuts, which, however, was highly addictive.) The army sent to conquer the Blue Country was defeated by well-armed Underground miners. Among the rest of the Marrans, desertion and fermentation began, they were already tired of serving. In order to prevent a rebellion of his own soldiers and throw them to suppress the uprising in the Purple Country, Oorfene Deuce announces that the Miguns brutally killed all the captured soldiers and, moreover, they are going to go to war in the Marran Valley to kill the population remaining there. However, the game of volleyball, which Tim taught the inhabitants of the Magic Land, allows you to avoid a bloody battle - the Marrans, who are thirsty for revenge, see among the players, including "killed" comrades. The "Fire God" is exiled in disgrace, while Annie and Tim return home.
