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第17章

[英文]绿野仙踪(英文版)-第17章

小说: [英文]绿野仙踪(英文版) 字数: 每页3500字

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    〃Well; then; what can be done?〃 inquired the Woodman。
    The Scarecrow decided to think; and he thought so hard that the
pins and needles began to stick out of his brains。  Finally he said:
    〃Why not call the Winged Monkeys; and ask them to carry you
over the desert?〃
    〃I never thought of that!〃 said Dorothy joyfully。  〃It's just
the thing。  I'll go at once for the Golden Cap。〃
    When she brought it into the Throne Room she spoke the magic
words; and soon the band of Winged Monkeys flew in through the
open window and stood beside her。
    〃This is the second time you have called us;〃 said the Monkey
King; bowing before the little girl。  〃What do you wish?〃
    〃I want you to fly with me to Kansas;〃 said Dorothy。
    But the Monkey King shook his head。
    〃That cannot be done;〃 he said。  〃We belong to this country alone;
and cannot leave it。  There has never been a Winged Monkey in Kansas yet;
and I suppose there never will be; for they don't belong there。  We shall
be glad to serve you in any way in our power; but we cannot cross the desert。
Good…bye。〃
    And with another bow; the Monkey King spread his wings and
flew away through the window; followed by all his band。
    Dorothy was ready to cry with disappointment。  〃I have wasted
the charm of the Golden Cap to no purpose;〃 she said; 〃for the
Winged Monkeys cannot help me。〃
    〃It is certainly too bad!〃 said the tender…hearted Woodman。
    The Scarecrow was thinking again; and his head bulged out so
horribly that Dorothy feared it would burst。
    〃Let us call in the soldier with the green whiskers;〃 he said;
〃and ask his advice。〃
    So the soldier was summoned and entered the Throne Room
timidly; for while Oz was alive he never was allowed to come
farther than the door。
    〃This little girl;〃 said the Scarecrow to the soldier;
〃wishes to cross the desert。  How can she do so?〃
    〃I cannot tell;〃 answered the soldier; 〃for nobody has ever
crossed the desert; unless it is Oz himself。〃
    〃Is there no one who can help me?〃 asked Dorothy earnestly。
    〃Glinda might;〃 he suggested。
    〃Who is Glinda?〃 inquired the Scarecrow。
    〃The Witch of the South。  She is the most powerful of all the
Witches; and rules over the Quadlings。  Besides; her castle stands
on the edge of the desert; so she may know a way to cross it。〃
    〃Glinda is a Good Witch; isn't she?〃 asked the child。
    〃The Quadlings think she is good;〃 said the soldier; 〃and she
is kind to everyone。  I have heard that Glinda is a beautiful woman;
who knows how to keep young in spite of the many years she has lived。〃
    〃How can I get to her castle?〃 asked Dorothy。
    〃The road is straight to the South;〃 he answered; 〃but it is
said to be full of dangers to travelers。  There are wild beasts in
the woods; and a race of queer men who do not like strangers to
cross their country。  For this reason none of the Quadlings ever
come to the Emerald City。〃
    The soldier then left them and the Scarecrow said:
    〃It seems; in spite of dangers; that the best thing Dorothy
can do is to travel to the Land of the South and ask Glinda to
help her。  For; of course; if Dorothy stays here she will never
get back to Kansas。〃
    〃You must have been thinking again;〃 remarked the Tin Woodman。
    〃I have;〃 said the Scarecrow。
    〃I shall go with Dorothy;〃 declared the Lion; 〃for I am
tired of your city and long for the woods and the country again。
I am really a wild beast; you know。  Besides; Dorothy will need
someone to protect her。〃
    〃That is true;〃 agreed the Woodman。  〃My axe may be of service
to her; so I also will go with her to the Land of the South。〃
    〃When shall we start?〃 asked the Scarecrow。
    〃Are you going?〃 they asked; in surprise。
    〃Certainly。  If it wasn't for Dorothy I should never have had brains。
She lifted me from the pole in the cornfield and brought me to the
Emerald City。  So my good luck is all due to her; and I shall never
leave her until she starts back to Kansas for good and all。〃
    〃Thank you;〃 said Dorothy gratefully。  〃You are all very kind
to me。  But I should like to start as soon as possible。〃
    〃We shall go tomorrow morning;〃 returned the Scarecrow。  〃So
now let us all get ready; for it will be a long journey。〃



               19。  Attacked by the Fighting Trees

    The next morning Dorothy kissed the pretty green girl good…bye;
and they all shook hands with the soldier with the green whiskers;
who had walked with them as far as the gate。  When the Guardian of
the Gate saw them again he wondered greatly that they could leave
the beautiful City to get into new trouble。  But he at once
unlocked their spectacles; which he put back into the green box;
and gave them many good wishes to carry with them。
    〃You are now our ruler;〃 he said to the Scarecrow;
〃so you must come back to us as soon as possible。〃
    〃I certainly shall if I am able;〃 the Scarecrow replied;
〃but I must help Dorothy to get home; first。〃
    As Dorothy bade the good…natured Guardian a last farewell she said:
    〃I have been very kindly treated in your lovely City; and
everyone has been good to me。  I cannot tell you how grateful I am。〃
    〃Don't try; my dear;〃 he answered。  〃We should like to keep
you with us; but if it is your wish to return to Kansas; I hope
you will find a way。〃  He then opened the gate of the outer wall;
and they walked forth and started upon their journey。
    The sun shone brightly as our friends turned their faces
toward the Land of the South。  They were all in the best of spirits;
and laughed and chatted together。  Dorothy was once more filled with
the hope of getting home; and the Scarecrow and the Tin Woodman were
glad to be of use to her。  As for the Lion; he sniffed the fresh air
with delight and whisked his tail from side to side in pure joy at
being in the country again; while Toto ran around them and chased
the moths and butterflies; barking merrily all the time。
    〃City life does not agree with me at all;〃 remarked the Lion;
as they walked along at a brisk pace。  〃I have lost much flesh
since I lived there; and now I am anxious for a chance to show the
other beasts how courageous I have grown。〃
    They now turned and took a last look at the Emerald City。
All they could see was a mass of towers and steeples behind the
green walls; and high up above everything the spires and dome
of the Palace of Oz。
    〃Oz was not such a bad Wizard; after all;〃 said the Tin
Woodman; as he felt his heart rattling around in his breast。
    〃He knew how to give me brains; and very good brains; too;〃
said the Scarecrow。
    〃If Oz had taken a dose of the same courage he gave me;〃
added the Lion; 〃he would have been a brave man。〃
    Dorothy said nothing。  Oz had not kept the promise he made her;
but he had done his best; so she forgave him。  As he said; he was
a good man; even if he was a bad Wizard。
    The first day's journey was through the green fields and
bright flowers that stretched about the Emerald City on every side。
They slept that night on the grass; with nothing but the stars
over them; and they rested very well indeed。
    In the morning they traveled on until they came to a thick wood。
There was no way of going around it; for it seemed to extend to the
right and left as far as they could see; and; besides; they did not
dare change the direction of their journey for fear of getting lost。
So they looked for the place where it would be easiest to get into
the forest。
    The Scarecrow; who was in the lead; finally discovered a big
tree with such wide…spreading branches that there was room for the
party to pass underneath。  So he walked forward to the tree; but
just as he came under the first branches they bent down and twined
around him; and the next minute he was raised from the ground and
flung headlong among his fellow travelers。
    This did not hurt the Scarecrow; but it surprised him; and he
looked rather dizzy when Dorothy picked him up。
    〃Here is another space between the trees;〃 called the Lion。
    〃Let me try it first;〃 said the Scarecrow; 〃for it doesn't hurt
me to get thrown about。〃  He walked up to another tree; as he spoke;
but its branches immediately seized him and tossed him back again。
    〃This is strange;〃 exclaimed Dorothy。  〃What shall we do?〃
    〃The trees seem to have made up their minds to fight us;
and stop our journey;〃 remarked the Lion。
    〃I believe I will try it myself;〃 said the Woodman; and
shouldering his axe; he marched up to the first tree that had
handled the Scarecrow so roughly。  When a big branch bent down to
seize him the Woodman chopped at it so fiercely that he cut it in two。
At once the tree began shaking all its branches as if in pain; and the
Tin Woodman passed safely under it。
    〃Come on!〃 he shouted to the others。  〃Be quick!〃  They all
ran forward and passed under the tree without injury; except Toto;
who was caught by a small branch and shaken until he howled。
But the Woodman promptly chopped off the branch and set the
little dog free。
    The other trees of the forest did nothing to keep them back;
so they made up their minds that only the first row of trees could
bend down their branches; and that probably these were the
policemen of the forest; and given this wonderful power in order
to keep strangers out of it。
    The four travelers walked with ease through the trees until they
came to the farther edge of the wood。  Then; to their surprise; they
found before them a high wall which seemed to be made of white china。
It was smooth; like the surface of a dish; and higher than their heads。
    〃What shall we do now?〃 asked Dorothy。
    〃I will make a ladder;〃 said the Tin Woodman; 〃for we certainly
must climb over the wall。〃



                  20。  The Dainty China Country

    While the Woodman was making a ladder from wood which he found
in the forest Dorothy lay down and slept; for she was tired by the
long walk。  The Lion also curled himself up to sleep and Toto lay
beside him。
    The Scarecrow watched the Woodman while he worked; and said to him:
    〃I cannot think why this wall is here; nor what it is made of。〃
    〃Rest your brains and do not worry about the wall;〃 replied the Woodman。
〃When we have climbed over it; we shall know what is on the other side。〃
    After a time the ladder was finished。  It looked clumsy; but
the Tin Woodman was sure it was strong and would answer their purpose。
The Scarecrow waked Dorothy and the Lion and Toto; and told them that
the ladder was ready。  The Scarecrow climbed up the ladder first; but
he was so awkward that Dorothy had to follow close behind and keep him
from falling off。  When he got his head over the top of the wall the
Scarecrow said; 〃Oh; my!〃
    〃Go on;〃 exclaimed Dorothy。
    So the Scarecrow climbed farther up and sat down on the top of
the wall; and Dorothy put her head over and cried; 〃Oh; my!〃 just
as the Scarecrow had done。
    Then Toto came up; and immediately began to bark; but Dorothy
made him be still。
    The Lion climbed the ladder next; and the Tin Woodman came
last; but both of them cried; 〃Oh; my!〃 as soon as they looked
over the wall。  When they were all si

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