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第11章

the patchwork girl of oz-第11章

小说: the patchwork girl of oz 字数: 每页3500字

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now?〃







〃Any time you like;〃 answered the Woozy。







So Ojo went up to the queer creature and



taking hold of one of the hairs began to pull。



He pulled harder。 He pulled with all his might;



but the hair remained fast。







〃What's the trouble?〃 asked the Woozy;



which Ojo had dragged here and there all



around the clearing in his endeavor to pull out



the hair。







〃It won't come;〃 said the boy; panting。







〃I was afraid of that;〃 declared the beast。



〃You'll have to pull harder。〃







〃I'll help you;〃 exclaimed Scraps; coming to



the boy's side。 〃You pull the hair; and I'll pull



you; and together we ought to get it out easily。〃







〃Wait a jiffy;〃 called the Woozy; and then



it went to a tree and hugged it with its front



paws; so that its body couldn't be dragged



around by the pull。 〃All ready; now。 Go ahead!〃







Ojo grasped the hair with both hands and



pulled with all his strength; while Scraps seized



the boy around his waist and added her strength



to his。 But the hair wouldn't budge。 Instead; it



slipped out of Ojo's hands and he and Scraps



both rolled upon the ground in a heap and never



stopped until they bumped against the rocky



cave。







〃Give it up;〃 advised the Glass Cat; as the



boy arose and assisted the Patchwork Girl to her



feet。 〃A dozen strong men couldn't pull out



those Hairs。 I believe they're clinched on the



under side of the Woozy's thick skin。〃







〃Then what shall I do?〃 asked the boy;



despairingly。 〃If on our return I fail to take



these three hairs to the Crooked Magician; the



other things I have come to seek will be of no



use at all; and we cannot restore Unc Nunkie



and Margolotte to life。〃







〃They're goners; I guess;〃 said the Patchwork



Girl。







〃Never mind;〃 added the cat。 〃I can't see that



old Unc and Margolotte are worth all this trouble;



anyhow。〃







But Ojo did not feel that way。 He was so



disheartened that he sat down upon a stump and



began to cry。







The Woozy looked at the boy thoughtfully。







〃Why don't you take me with you?〃 asked the



beast。 〃Then; when at last you get to the



Magician's house; he can surely find some way to



pull out those three hairs。〃







Ojo was overjoyed at this suggestion。







〃That's it!〃 he cried; wiping away the tears



and springing to his feet with a smile。 〃If I take



the three hairs to the Magician; it won't matter



if they are still in your body。〃







〃It can't matter in the least;〃 agreed the



Woozy。







〃Come on; then;〃 said the boy; picking up his



basket; 〃let us start at once。 I have several other



things to find; you know。〃







But the Class Cat gave a little laugh and



inquired in her scornful way:







〃How do you intend to get the beast out of this



forest?〃







That puzzled them all for a time。







〃Let us go to the fence; and then we may find a



way;〃 suggested Scraps。 So they walked through the



forest to the fence; reaching it at a point



exactly opposite that where they had entered the



enclosure。







〃How did you get in?〃 asked the Woozy。







〃We climbed over;〃 answered Ojo。







〃I can't do that;〃 said the beast。 〃I'm a very



swift runner; for I can overtake a honey…bee as



it flies; and I can jump very high; which is the



reason they made such a tall fence to keep me



in。 But I can't climb at all; and I'm too big to



squeeze between the bars of the fence。〃







Ojo tried to think what to do。







〃Can you dig?〃 he asked。







〃No;〃 answered the Woozy; 〃for I have no



claws。 My feet are quite flat on the bottom of



them。 Nor can I gnaw away the boards; as I



have no teeth。〃







〃You're not such a terrible creature; after all;〃



remarked Scraps。







〃You haven't heard me growl; or you wouldn't say



that;〃 declared the Woozy。 〃When I growl; the



sound echoes like thunder all through the valleys



and woodlands; and children tremble with fear; and



women cover their heads with their aprons; and big



men run and hide。 I suppose there is nothing in



the world so terrible to listen to as the growl of



a Woosy。〃







〃Please don't growl; then;〃 begged Ojo;



earnestly。







〃There is no danger of my growling; for



I am not angry。 Only when angry do I utter



my fearful; ear…splitting; soul…shuddering growl。



Also; when I am angry; my eyes flash fire;



whether I growl or not。〃







〃Real fire?〃 asked Ojo。







〃Of course; real fire。 Do you suppose they'd



flash imitation fire?〃 inquired the Woozy; in an



injured tone。







〃In that case; I've solved the riddle;〃 cried



Scraps; dancing with glee。 〃Those fence…boards



are made of wood; and if the Woozy stands



close to the fence and lets his eyes flash fire;



they might set fire to the fence and burn it up。



Then he could walk away with us easily; being



free。〃







〃Ah; I have never thought of that plan; or I



would have been free long ago;〃 said the Woozy。



〃But I cannot flash fire from my eyes unless I am



very angry。〃







〃Can't you get angry 'bout something; please?〃



asked Ojo。







〃I'll try。 You just say 'Krizzle…Kroo' to me。〃







〃Will that make you angry?〃 inquired the boy~。







〃Terribly angry。〃







〃What does it mean?〃 asked Scraps。







〃I don't know; that's what makes me so angry;〃



re…plied the Woozy。







He then stood close to the fence; with his



head near one of the boards; and Scraps called out



〃Krizzle…Kroo!〃 Then Ojo said 〃Krizzle…Kroo!〃



and the Glass Cat said 〃Krizzle…Kroo!〃 The Woozy



began  to tremble with anger and small sparks



darted from his eyes。 Seeing this; they all cried



〃Krizzle…Kroo!〃 together; and that made the



beast's eyes flash fire so fiercely that the



fence…board caught the sparks and began to smoke。



Then it burst into flame; and the Woozy stepped



back and said triumphantly:







〃Aha! That did the business; all right。 It was



a happy thought for you to yell all together; for



that made me as angry as I have ever been。



Fine sparks; weren't they?〃







〃Reg'lar fireworks;〃 replied Scraps; admiringly。







In a few moments the board had burned to a



distance of several feet; leaving an opening big



enough for them all to pass through。 Ojo broke



some branches from a tree and with them



whipped the fire until it was extinguished。







〃We don't want to burn the whole fence



down;〃 said he; 〃for the flames would attract



the attention of the Munchkin farmers; who



would then come and capture the Woozy again。



I guess they'll be rather surprised when they



find he's escaped。〃







〃So they will;〃 declared the Woozy; chuckling



gleefully。 〃When they find I'm gone the farmers



will be badly scared; for they'll expect me to eat



up their honey…bees; as I did before。〃







〃That reminds me;〃 said the boy; 〃that you must



promise not to eat honey…bees while you are in our



company。〃







〃None at all?〃







〃Not a bee。 You would get us all into trouble;



and we can't afford to have any more trouble than



is necessary。 I'll feed you all the bread and



cheese you want; and that must satisfy you。〃







〃All right; I'll promise;〃 said the Woozy;



cheerfully。 〃And when I promise anything you



can depend on it; 'cause I'm square。〃







〃I don't see what difference that makes;〃



observed the Patchwork Girl; as they found the



path and continued their journey。 〃The shape



doesn't make a thing honest; does it?〃







〃Of course it does;〃 returned the Woozy; very



decidedly。 〃No one could trust that Crooked



Magician; for instance; just because he is



crooked; but a square Woozy couldn't do anything



crooked if he wanted to。〃







〃I am neither square nor crooked;〃 said



Scraps; looking down at her plump body。







〃No; you're round; so you're liable to do



anything;〃 asserted the Woozy。 〃Do not blame me;



Miss Gorgeous; if I regard you with suspicion。



Many a satin ribbon has a cotton back。〃







Scraps didn't understand this; but she had an



uneasy misgiving that she had a cotton back



herself。 It would settle down; at times; and make



her squat and dumpy; and then she had to roll



herself in the road until her body stretched out again。



















Chapter Ten







Shaggy Man to the Rescue











They had not gone very far before Bungle; who had



run on ahead; came bounding back to say that the



road of yellow bricks was just before them。 At



once they hurried forward to see what this famous



road looked like。







It was a broad road; but not straight; for it



wandered over hill and dale and picked out the



easiest places to go。 All its length and breadth



was paved with smooth bricks of a bright yellow



color; so it was smooth and level except in a few



places where the bricks had crumbled or been



removed; leaving holes that might cause the unwary



to stumble。







〃I wonder;〃 said Ojo; looking up and down the



road; 〃which way to go。〃







〃Where are you bound for?〃 asked the Woozy。







〃The Emerald City;〃 he replied。







〃Then go west;〃 said the Woozy。 〃I know this



road pretty well; for I've chased many a honey…bee



over it。〃







〃Have you ever been to the Emerald City?〃



asked Scraps。







〃No。 I am very shy by nature; as you may have



noticed; so I haven't mingled much in society。〃







〃Are you afraid of men?〃 inquired the Patchwork



Girl。







〃Me? With my heart…rending growl…my horrible;



shudderful growl? I should say not。 I am not



afraid of anything;〃 declared the Woozy。







〃I wish I could say the same;〃 sighed Ojo。 〃I



don't think we need be afraid when we get to the



Emerald City; for Unc Nunkie has told me that



Ozma; our girl Ruler; is very lovely and kind; and



tries to help everyone who is in trouble。 But they



say there are many dangers lurking on the road to



the great Fairy City; and so we must be very



careful。〃







〃I hope nothing will break me;〃 said the



Gla

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