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第15章

the patchwork girl of oz-第15章

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

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wondered if they would prove friendly and kind。



Above all else; he could not drive from his mind



the important errand on which he had come; and he



was determined to devote every energy to finding



the things that were necessary to prepare



the magic recipe。 He believed that until dear



Unc Nunkie was restored to life he could feel



no joy in anything; and often he wished that



Unc could be with him; to see all the astonishing



things Ojo was seeing。 But alas Unc Nunkie was now



a marble statue in the house of the Crooked



Magician and Ojo must not falter in his efforts to



save him。







The country through which they were passing was



still rocky and deserted; with here and there a



bush or a tree to break the dreary landscape。 Ojo



noticed one tree; especially; because it had such



long; silky leaves and was so beautiful in shape。



As he approached it he studied the tree earnestly;



wondering if any fruit grew on it or if it bore



pretty flowers。







Suddenly he became aware that he had been



looking at that tree a long timeat least for



five minutesand it had remained in the same



position; although the boy had continued to



walk steadily on。 So he stopped short。 and when



he stopped; the tree and all the landscape; as



well as his companions; moved on before him



and left him far behind。







Ojo uttered such a cry of astonishment that



it aroused the Shaggy Man; who also halted。



The others then stopped; too; and walked back



to the boy。







〃What's wrong?〃 asked the Shaggy Man。







〃Why; we're not moving forward a bit; no



matter how fast we walk;〃 declared Ojo。 〃Now



that we have stopped; we are moving backward!



Can't you see? Just notice that rock。〃







Scraps looked down at her feet and said:



〃The yellow bricks are not moving。〃







〃But the whole road is;〃 answered Ojo。







〃True; quite true;〃 agreed the Shaggy Man。



〃I know all about the tricks of this road; but I



have been thinking of something else and didn't



realize where we were。〃







〃It will carry us back to where we started



from;〃 predicted Ojo; beginning to be nervous。







〃No;〃 replied the Shaggy Man; 〃it won't do



that; for I know a trick to beat this tricky road。



I've traveled this way before; you know。 Turn



around; all of you; and walk backward。〃







〃What good will that do?〃 asked the cat。







〃You'll find out; if you obey me;〃 said the



Shaggy Man。







So they all turned their backs to the direction



in which they wished to go and began walking



backward。 In an instant Ojo noticed they were



gaining ground and as they proceeded in this



curious way they soon passed the tree which had



first attracted his attention to their difficulty。







〃How long must we keep this up; Shags?〃



asked Scraps; who was constantly tripping and



tumbling down; only to get up again with a



laugh at her mishap。







〃Just a little way farther;〃 replied the Shaggy



Man。







A few minutes later he called to them to turn



about quickly and step forward; and as they



obeyed the order they found themselves treading



solid ground。







〃That task is well over;〃 observed the Shaggy



Man。 〃It's a little tiresome to walk backward; but



that is the only way to pass this part of the



road; which has a trick of sliding back and



carrying with it anyone who is walking upon it。〃







With new courage and energy they now



trudged forward and after a time came to a



place where the road cut through a low hill;



leaving high banks on either side of it。 They



were traveling along this cut; talking together;



when the Shaggy Man seized Scraps with one



arm and Ojo with another and shouted: 〃Stop!〃







〃What's wrong now?〃 asked the Patchwork Girl。







〃See there!〃 answered the Shaggy Man; pointing



with his finger。







Directly in the center of the road lay a



motionless object that bristled all over with



sharp quills; which resembled arrows。 The body was



as big as a ten…bushel basket; but the projecting



quills made it appear to be four times bigger。







〃Well; what of it?〃 asked Scraps。







〃That is Chiss; who causes a lot of trouble



along this road;〃 was the reply。







〃Chiss! What is Chiss?







〃I think it is merely an overgrown porcupine;



but here in Oz they consider Chiss an evil spirit。



He's different from a reg'lar porcupine; because



he can throw his quills in any direction; which



an American porcupine cannot do。 That's what



makes old Chiss so dangerous。 If we get too



near; he'll fire those quills at us and hurt us



badly。〃







〃Then we will be foolish to get too near;



said Scraps。







〃I'm not afraid;〃 declared the Woozy。 〃The Chiss



is cowardly; I'm sure; and if it ever heard my



awful; terrible; frightful growl; it would be



scared stiff。〃







〃Oh; can you growl?〃 asked the Shaggy Man。







〃That is the only ferocious thing about me;〃



asserted the Woozy with evident pride。 〃My growl



makes an earthquake blush and the thunder ashamed



of itself。 If I growled at that creature you call



Chiss; it would immediately think the world had



cracked in two and bumped against the sun and



moon; and that would cause the monster to run as



far and as fast as its legs could carry it。〃







〃In that case;〃 said the Shaggy Man; 〃you are



now able to do us all a great favor。 Please



growl。〃







〃But you forget;〃 returned the Woozy; 〃my



tremendous growl would also frighten you; and



if you happen to have heart disease you might



expire。〃







〃True; but we must take that risk;〃 decided



the Shaggy Man; bravely。 〃Being warned of



what is to occur we must try to bear the terrific



noise of your growl; but Chiss won't expect it;



and it will scare him away。〃







The Woozy hesitated。







〃I'm fond of you all; and I hate to shock you;〃



it said。







〃Never mind;〃 said Ojo。







〃You may be made deaf。〃







〃If so; we will forgive you。







〃Very well; then;〃 said the Woozy in a



determined voice; and advanced a few steps toward



the giant porcupine。 Pausing to look back; it



asked: 〃All ready?〃







〃All ready!〃 they answered。







〃Then cover up your ears and brace yourselves



firmly。 Now; thenlook out!〃







The Woozy turned toward Chiss; opened wide its



mouth and said:







〃Quee…ee…ee…eek。〃







〃Go ahead and growl;〃 said Scraps。







〃Why; II did growl!〃 retorted the Woozy;



who seemed much astonished。







〃What; that little squeak?〃 she cried。







〃It is the most awful growl that ever was heard;



on land or sea; in caverns or in the sky;〃



protested the Woozy。 〃I wonder you stood the shock



so well。 Didn't you feel the ground tremble? I



suppose Chiss is now quite dead with fright。〃







The Shaggy Man laughed merrily。







〃Poor Wooz!〃 said he; 〃your growl wouldn't



scare a fly。〃







The Woozy seemed to be humiliated and surprised。



It hung its head a moment; as if in shame or



sorrow; but then it said with renewed confidence:



〃Anyhow; my eyes can flash fire; and good fire;



too; good enough to set fire to a fence!〃







〃That is true;〃 declared Scraps; 〃I saw it



done myself。 But your ferocious growl isn't as



loud as the tick of a beetleor one of Ojo's



snores when he's fast asleep。〃







〃Perhaps;〃 said the Woozy; humbly; 〃I have



been mistaken about my growl。 It has always



sounded very fearful to me; but that may; have



been because it was so close to my ears。〃







〃Never mind;〃 Ojo said soothingly; 〃it is a



great talent to be able to flash fire from your



eyes。 No one else can do that。〃







As they stood hesitating what to do Chiss



stirred and suddenly a shower of quills came



flying toward them; almost filling the air; they



were so many。 Scraps realized in an instant that



they had gone too near to Chiss for safety; so



she sprang in front of Ojo and shielded him



from the darts; which stuck their points into her



own body until she resembled one of those



targets they shoot arrows at in archery games。



The Shaggy Man dropped flat on his face to



avoid the shower; but one quill struck him in



the leg and went far in。 As for the Glass Cat;



the quills rattled off her body without making



even a scratch; and the skin of the Woozy was



so thick and tough that he was not hurt at all。







When the attack was over they all ran to the



Shaggy Man; who was moaning and groaning; and



Scraps promptly pulled the quill out of his leg。



Then up he jumped and ran over to Chiss; putting



his foot on the monster's neck and holding it a



prisoner。 The body of the great porcupine was now



as smooth as leather; except for the holes where



the quills had been; for it had shot every single



quill in that one wicked shower。







〃Let me go!〃 it shouted angrily。 〃How dare



you put your foot on Chiss?〃







〃I'm going to do worse than that; old boy;〃



replied the Shaggy Man。 〃You have annoyed



travelers on this road long enough; and now



I shall put an end to you。〃







〃You can't!〃 returned Chiss。 〃Nothing can



kill me; as you know perfectly well。〃







〃Perhaps that is true;〃 said the Shaggy Man



in a tone of disappointment。 〃Seems to me I've



been told before that you can't be killed。 But if



I let you go; what will you do?〃







〃Pick up my quills again;〃 said Chiss in a



sulky voice。







〃And then shoot them at more travelers? No;



that won't do。 You must promise me to stop



throwing quills at people。〃







〃I won't promise anything of the sort;〃 declared



Chiss。







〃Why not?〃







〃Because it is my nature to throw quills; and



every animal must do what Nature intends it



to do。 It isn't fair for you to blame me。 If it were



wrong for me to throw quills; then I wouldn't



be made with quills to throw。 The proper thing



for you to do is to keep out of my way。







〃Why; there's some sense in that argument;



admitted the Shaggy Man; thoughtfully; 〃but



people who are strangers; and don't know

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