【英】《绿野仙踪》 第1集： The Cyclone

Dorothy lived in the middle of the Kansas prairies with Uncle Henry, a farmer, and Aunt Em, his wife. They had a small house with four walls, a floor, and a roof. The only cellar was a small hole dug in the ground, called a cyclone cellar.

When Dorothy stood in the door and looked outside, she saw only the gray prairie all around. There weren’t any trees or other houses. The land was baked by the sun and had little cracks through it and the grass was burned.

Dorothy was an orphan when she came to live with Aunt Em and Uncle Henry, who didn’t laugh. It was Toto, a little black dog with silky hair and twinkling eyes, who made Dorothy laugh. The two played all day together and she loved him.

Today, however, they were not playing. Uncle Henry sat upon the doorstep and looked at the sky, which was even grayer than usual. Dorothy stood in the door with Toto in her arms and looked at the sky, too. Aunt Em was washing the dishes.

From the far north they heard a low wail of the wind. Uncle Henry and Dorothy could see where the long grass bowed in waves before the coming storm. There now came a sharp whistling from the south, and as they turned their eyes that way they saw ripples in the grass coming from that direction.

“There’s a cyclone coming, Em!” Uncle Henry suddenly shouted. He ran off toward the cows and horses.

Aunt Em shouted, “Quick, Dorothy! Run for the cellar!”

Toto jumped out of Dorothy’s arms and ran under the bed. Aunt Em threw open the trapdoor in the floor and climbed into the dark hole. Dorothy grabbed Toto and ran after her.

Suddenly a great shriek came from the wind and the house shook, throwing Dorothy to the floor.

Then, a strange thing happened.

The house whirled and rose in the air into the exact center of the cyclone. It took the house higher and higher until it was at the top and carried the house miles away.

It was dark and the wind howled horribly. As the house settled in the tornado, Dorothy felt as if she were being rocked gently. Toto ran around the room and barked. Dorothy waited to see what would happen.

Hours passed. Dorothy felt lonely and the wind was so loud it hurt her ears. After hours more, she crawled to her bed and lay down. Toto lay down beside her.

As the house swayed and the wind howled, Dorothy closed her eyes and fell asleep.