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第13章

the patchwork girl of oz-第13章

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the country and the climate grand?〃







〃It's the finest country in all the world; even



if it is a fairyland。 and I'm happy every minute I



live in it;〃 said the Shaggy Man。 〃But tell me



something about yourselves。〃







So Ojo related the story of his visit to the



house of the Crooked Magician; and how he met



there the Class Cat; and how the Patchwork Girl



was brought to life and of the terrible accident



to Unc Nunkie and Margdotte。 Then he told how he



had set out to find the five different things



which the Magician needed to make a charm that



would restore the marble figures to life; one



requirement being three hairs from a Woozy's tail。







〃We found the Woozy;〃 explained the boy;



〃and he agreed to give us the three hairs; but



we couldn't pull them out。 So we had to bring



the Woozy along with us。〃







〃I see;〃 returned the Shaggy Man; who had



listened with interest to the story。 〃But perhaps



I; who am big and strong; can pull those three



hairs from the Woozy's tail。〃







〃Try it; if you like;〃 said the Woozy。







So the Shaggy Man tried it; but pull as hard



as he could he failed to get the hairs out of the



Woozy's tail。 So he sat down again and wiped



his shaggy face with a shaggy silk handkerchief



and said:







〃It doesn't matter。 If you can keep the Woozy



until you get the rest of the things you need;



you can take the beast and his three hairs to



the Crooked Magician and let him find a way



to extract 'em。 What are the other things you are



to find?〃







〃One;〃 said Ojo; 〃is a six…leaved clover。〃







〃You ought to find that in the fields around



the Emerald City;〃 said the Shaggy Man。



〃There is a Law against picking six…leaved



clovers; but I think I can get Ozma to let you



have one。〃







〃Thank you;〃 replied Ojo。 〃The next thing



is the left wing of a yellow butterfly。〃







〃For that you must go to the Winkle Country;〃



the Shaggy Man declared。 〃I've never noticed any



butterflies there; but that is the yellow country



of Oz and it's ruled; by a good friend of mine;



the Tin Woodman。〃







〃Oh; I've heard of him!〃 exclaimed Ojo。 〃He



must be a wonderful man。〃







〃So he is; and his heart is wonderfully kind。



I'm sure the Tin Woodman will do all in his



power to help you to save your Unc Nunkie



and poor Margolotte。〃







〃The next thing I must find;〃 said the



Munchkin boy; 〃is a gill of water from a dark



well。〃







〃Indeed! Well; that is more difficult;〃 said



the Shaggy Man; scratching his left ear in a



puzzled way。 〃I've never heard of a dark well;



have you?〃







〃No;〃 said Ojo。







〃Do you know where one may be found?〃 inquired



the Shaggy Man。







〃I can't imagine;〃 said Ojo。







〃Then we must ask the Scarecrow。〃







〃The Scarecrow! But surely; sir; a scarecrow



can't know anything。〃







〃Most scarecrows don't; I admit;〃 answered



the Shaggy Man。 〃But this Scarecrow of whom



I speak is very intelligent。 He claims to possess



the best brains in all Oz。〃







〃Better than mine?〃 asked Scraps。







〃Better than mine?〃 echoed the Glass Cat。



〃Mine are pink; and you can see 'em work。〃







〃Well; you can't see the Scarecrow's brains



work; but they do a lot of clever thinking;〃



asserted the Shaggy Man。 〃If anyone knows where a



dark well is; it's my friend the Scarecrow。〃







〃Where does he live?〃 inquired Ojo。







〃He has a splendid castle in the Winkle



Country; near to the palace of his friend the



Tin Woodman; and he is often to be found in



the Emerald City; where he visits Dorothy at



the royal palace。〃







〃Then we will ask him about the dark well;〃



said Ojo。







〃But what else does this Crooked Magician



want?〃 asked the Shaggy Man。







〃A drop of oil from a live man's body。〃







〃Oh; but there isn't such a thing。〃







〃That is what I thought;〃 replied Ojo; 〃but



the Crooked Magician said it wouldn't be called



for by the recipe if it couldn't be found; and



therefore I must search until I find it。〃







〃I wish you good luck;〃 said the Shaggy Man;



shaking his head doubtfully; 〃but I imagine



you'll have a hard job getting a drop of oil from



a live man's body。 There's blood in a body; but



no oil。〃







〃There's cotton in mine;〃 said Scraps; dancing



a little jig。







〃I don't doubt it;〃 returned the Shaggy Man



admiringly。 〃You're a regular comforter and as



sweet as patchwork can be。 All you lack is



dignity。〃







〃I hate dignity;〃 cried Scraps; kicking a pebble



high in the air and then trying to catch it as it



fell。 〃Half the fools and all the wise folks are



dignified; and I'm neither the one nor the other。〃







〃She's just crazy;〃 explained the Glass Cat。







The Shaggy Man laughed。







〃She's delightful; in her way;〃 he said。 〃I'm



sure Dorothy will be pleased with her; and the



Scarecrow will dote on her。 Did you say you



were traveling toward the Emerald City?〃







〃Yes;〃 replied Ojo。 〃I thought that the best



place to go; at first; because the six…leaved clover



may be found there。〃







〃I'll go with you;〃 said the Shaggy Man; 〃and



show you the way。〃







〃Thank you;〃 exclaimed Ojo。 〃I hope it won't



put you out any。〃







〃No;〃 said the other; 〃I wasn't going anywhere



in particular。 I've been a rover all my life; and



although Ozma has given me a suite of beautiful



rooms in her palace I still get the wandering



fever once in a while and start out to roam the



country over。 I've been away from the Emerald City



several weeks; this time; and now that I've met



you and your friends I'm sure it will interest me



to accompany you to the great city of Oz and



introduce you to my friends。〃







〃That will be very nice;〃 said the boy;



gratefully。







〃I hope your friends are not dignified;〃



observed Scraps。







〃Some are; and some are not;〃 he answered;



〃but I never criticise my friends。 If they are



really true friends; they may be anything they



like; for all of me。〃







〃There's some sense in that;〃 said Scraps;



nodding her queer head in approval。 〃Come on; and



let's get to the Emerald City as soon as



possible。〃 With this she ran up the path; skipping



and dancing; and then turned to await them。







〃It is quite a distance from here to the Emerald



City;〃 remarked the Shaggy Man; 〃so we shall not



get there to…day; nor to…morrow。 Therefore let us



take the jaunt in an easy manner。 I'm an old



traveler and have found that I never gain anything



by being in a hurry。 'Take it easy' is my motto。



If you can't take it easy; take it as easy as you



can。〃







After walking some distance over the road of



yellow bricks Ojo said he was hungry and would



stop to eat some bread and cheese。 He offered a



portion of the food to the Shaggy Man; who thanked



him but refused it。







〃When I start out on my travels;〃 said he;



〃I carry along enough square meals to last me



several weeks。 Think I'll indulge in one now;



as long as we're stopping anyway。〃







Saying this; he took a bottle from his pocket



and shook from it a tablet about the size of one



of Ojo's finger…nails。







〃That;〃 announced the Shaggy Man; 〃is a square



meal; in condensed form。 Invention of the great



Professor Woggle…Bug; of the Royal College of



Athletics。 It contains soup; fish; roast meat;



salad; apple…dumplings; ice cream and chocolate…



drops; all boiled down to this small size; so it



can be conveniently carried and swallowed when you



are hungry and need a square meal。〃







〃I'm square;〃 said the Woozy。 〃Give me one;



please。〃







So the Shaggy Man gave the Woozy a tablet from



his bottle and the beast ate it in a twinkling。







〃You have now had a six course dinner;〃



declared the Shaggy Man。







〃Pshaw!〃 said the Woozy; ungratefully; 〃I



want to taste something。 There's no fun in that



sort of eating。〃







〃One should only eat to sustain life;〃 replied



the Shaggy Man; 〃and that tablet is equal to a



peck of other food。〃







〃I don't care for it。 I want something I can



chew and taste;〃 grumbled the Woozy。







〃You are quite wrong; my poor beast;〃 said



the Shaggy Man in a tone of pity。 〃Think how



tired your jaws would get chewing a square



meal like this; if it were not condensed to the



size of a small tabletwhich you can swallow



in a jiffy。〃







〃Chewing isn't tiresome; it's fun;  maintained



the Woozy。 〃I always chew the honey…bees when I



catch them。 Give me some bread and cheese; Ojo。〃







〃No; no! You've already eaten a big dinner!〃



protested the Shaggy Man。







〃May be;〃 answered the Woozy; 〃but I guess



I'll fool myself by munching some bread and



cheese。 I may not be hungry; having eaten all



those things you gave me; but I consider this



eating business a matter of taste; and I like to



realize what's going into me。〃







Ojo gave the beast what he wanted; but the



Shaggy Man shook his shaggy head reproachfully and



said there was no animal so obstinate or hard to



convince as a Woozy。







At this moment a patter of footsteps was heard;



and looking up they saw the live phonograph



standing before them。 It seemed to have passed



through many adventures since Ojo and his comrades



last saw the machine; for the varnish of its



wooden case was all marred and dented and



scratched in a way that gave it an aged and



disreputable appearance。







〃Dear me!〃 exclaimed  Ojo; staring hard。



〃What has happened to you?〃







〃Nothing much;〃 replied the phonograph in



a sad and depressed voice。 〃I've had enough



things thrown at me; since I left you; to stock



a department store and furnish half a dozen



bargain…counters。〃







〃Are you so broken up that you can't play?〃



asked Scraps。







〃No; I still am able to grind out delicious



music。 Just now I've a record on tap that is



really superb;〃 said the phonograph; growing more



cheerful。







〃T

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