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第18章

the patchwork girl of oz-第18章

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

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take you to see Dorothy。 Tell her your story and



I'm sure she will help you。 Dorothy is Ozma's



best friend; and if you can win her to your side



your uncle is pretty safe to live again。〃 Then he



turned to the Woozy and said: 〃I'm afraid you



are not important enough to be introduced to



the Sawhorse; after all。〃







〃I'm a better beast than he is;〃 retorted the



Woozy; indignantly。 〃My eyes can flash fire; and



his can't。〃







〃Is this true?〃 inquired the Scarecrow; turning



to the Munchkin boy。







〃Yes;〃 said Ojo; and told how the Woozy had



set fire to the fence。







〃Have you any other accomplishments?〃



asked the Scarecrow。







〃I have a most terrible growlthat is;



sometimes;〃 said the Woozy; as Scraps laughed



merrily and the Shaggy Man smiled。 But the Patch…



work Girl's laugh made the Scarecrow forget all



about the Woozy。 He said to her:







〃What an admirable young lady you are; and



what jolly good company! We must be better



acquainted; for never before have I met a girl



with such exquisite coloring or such natural;



artless manners。〃







〃No wonder they call you the Wise Scarecrow;〃



replied Scraps。







〃When you arrive at the Emerald City I will see



you again;〃 continued the Scarecrow。 〃Just now I



am going to call upon an old friendan ordinary



young lady named Jinjurwho has Promised to



repaint my left ear for me。 You may have noticed



that the paint on my left ear has peeled off and



faded; which affects my hearing on that side。



Jinjur always fixes me up when I get weather…



worn。〃







〃When do you expect to return to the Emerald



City?〃 asked the Shaggy Man。







〃I'll be there this evening; for I'm anxious



to have a long talk with Miss Scraps。 How is it;



Sawhorse; are you equal to a swift run?〃







〃Anything that suits you suits me;〃 returned



the wooden horse。







So the Scarecrow mounted to the jeweled



saddle and waved his hat; when the Sawhorse



darted away so swiftly that they were out of



sight in an instant。



















Chapter Fourteen







Ojo Breaks the Law











〃What a queer man;〃 remarked the Munchkin boy;



when the party had resumed its journey。







〃And so nice and polite;〃 added Scraps; bobbing



her Lead。 〃I think he is the handsomest man I've



seen since I came to life。〃







〃Handsome is as handsome does;〃 quoted the



Shaggy Man; 〃but we must admit that no living



scarecrow is handsomer。 The chief merit of my



friend is that he is a great thinker; and in Oz it



is considered good policy to follow his advice。〃







〃I didn't notice any brains in his head;〃



observed the Glass Cat。







〃You can't see 'em work; but they're there; all



right;〃 declared the Shaggy Man。 〃I hadn't much



confidence in his brains myself; when first I came



to Oz; for a humbug Wizard gave them to him; but I



was soon convinced that the Scarecrow is really



wise; and; unless his brains make him so; such



wisdom is unaccountable。〃







〃Is the Wizard of Oz a humbug?〃 asked Ojo。







〃Not now。 He was once; but he has reformed



and now assists Glinda the Good; who is the



Royal Sorceress of Oz and the only one licensed



to practice magic or sorcery。 Glinda has taught



our old Wizard a good many clever things; so



he is no longer a humbug。〃







They walked a little while in silence and



then Ojo said:







〃If Ozma forbids the Crooked Magician to



restore Unc Nunkie to life; what shall I do?〃







The Shaggy Man shook his head。







〃In that case you can't do anything;〃 he said。



〃But don't be discouraged yet。 We will go to



Princess Dorothy and tell her your troubles; and



then we will let her talk to Ozma。 Dorothy has the



kindest little heart in the world; and she has



been through so many troubles herself that she is



sure to sympathize with you。〃







〃Is Dorothy the little girl who came here from



Kansas?〃 asked the boy。







〃Yes。 In Kansas she was Dorothy Gale。 I used to



know her there; and she brought me to the Land of



Oz。 But now Ozma has made her a Princess; and



Dorothy's Aunt Em and Uncle Henry are here; too。〃



Here the Shaggy Man uttered a long sigh; and then



he continued: 〃It's a queer country; this Land of



Oz; but I like it; nevertheless。〃







〃What is queer about it?〃 asked Scraps。







〃You; for instance;〃 said he。







〃Did you see no girls as beautiful as I am in



your own country?〃 she inquired。







〃None with the same gorgeous; variegated



beauty;〃 he confessed。 〃In America a girl stuffed



with cotton wouldn't be alive; nor would anyone



think of making a girl out of a patchwork quilt。〃







〃What a queer country America must be!〃 she



exclaimed in great surprise。 〃The Scarecrow; whom



you say is wise; told me I am the most beautiful



creature he has ever seen。〃







〃I know; and perhaps you are…from a scarecrow



point of view;〃 replied the Shaggy Man; but why he



smiled as he said it Scraps could not imagine。







As they drew nearer to the Emerald City the



travelers were filled with admiration for the



splendid scenery they beheld。 Handsome houses



stood on both sides of the road and each had a



green lawn before it as well as a pretty flower



garden。







〃In another hour;〃 said the Shaggy Man; 〃we



shall come in sight of the walls of the Royal



City。〃







He was walking ahead; with Scraps; and behind



them came the Woozy and the Glass Cat。 Ojo had



lagged behind; for in spite of the warnings he



had received the boy's eyes were fastened on the



clover that bordered the road of yellow bricks and





he was eager to discover if such a thing as a



six…leaved clover really existed。







Suddenly he stopped short and bent over to



examine the ground more closely。 Yes; here at last



was a clover with six spreading leaves。 He counted



them carefully; to make sure。 In an instant his



heart leaped with joy; for this was one of the



important things he had come forone of the



things that would restore dear Unc Nunkie to life。







He glanced ahead and saw that none of his



companions was looking back。 Neither were any



other people about; for it was midway between



two houses。 The temptation was too strong to



be resisted。







〃I might search for weeks and weeks; and



never find another six…leaved clover;〃 he told



himself; and quickly plucking the stem from the



plant he placed the prized clover in his basket;



covering it with the other things he carried



there。 Then; trying to look as if nothing had



happened; he hurried forward and overtook his



comrades。







The Emerald City; which is the most splendid as



well as the most beautiful city in any fairyland;



is surrounded by a high; thick wall of green



marble; polished smooth and set with glistening



emeralds。 There are four gates; one facing the



Munchkin Country; one facing the Country of the



Winkies; one facing the Country of the Quadlings



and one facing the Country of the Gillikins。 The



Emerald City lies directly in the center of these



four important countries of Oz。 The gates had bars



of pure gold; and on either side of each gateway



were built high towers; from which floated gay



banners。 Other towers were set at distances along



the walls; which were broad enough for four people



to walk abreast upon。







This enclosure; all green and gold and



glittering with precious gems; was indeed a



wonderful sight to greet our travelers; who first



observed it from the top of a little hill; but



beyond the wall was the vast city it surrounded;



and hundreds of jeweled spires; domes and



minarets; flaunting flags and banners; reared



their crests far above the towers of the gateways。



In the center of the city our friends could see



the tops of many magnificent trees; some nearly as



tall as the spires of the buildings; and the



Shaggy Man told them that these trees were in the



royal gardens of Princess Ozma。







They stood a long time on the hilltop; feasting



their eyes on the splendor of the Emerald City。







〃Whee!〃 exclaimed Scraps; clasping her padded



hands in ecstacy; 〃that'll do for me to live in;



all right。 No more of the Munchkin Country for



these patchesand no more of the Crooked



Magician!〃







〃Why; you belong to Dr。 Pipt;〃 replied Ojo;



looking at her in amazement。 〃You were made for a



servant; Scraps; so you are personal property and



not your own mistress。〃







〃Bother Dr。 Pipt! If he wants me; let him



come here and get me。 I'll not go back to his



den of my own accord; that's certain。 Only one



place in the Land of Oz is fit to live in; and



that's the Emerald City。 It's lovely! It's almost



as beautiful as I am; Ojo。〃







〃In this country;〃 remarked the Shaggy Man;



〃people live wherever our Ruler tells them to。 It



wouldn't do to have everyone live in the Emerald



City; you know; for some must plow the land and



raise grains and fruits and vegetables; while



others chop wood in the forests; or fish in the



rivers; or herd the sheep and the cattle。〃







〃Poor things!〃 said Scraps。







〃I'm not sure they are not happier than the city



people;〃 replied the Shaggy Man。 〃There's a



freedom and independence in country life that not



even the Emerald City can give one。 I know that



lots of the city people would like to get back to



the land。 The Scarecrow lives in the country; and



so do the Tin Woodman and Jack Pumpkinhead; yet



all three would be welcome to live in Ozma's



palace if they cared to。 Too much splendor becomes



tiresome; you know。 But; if we're to reach the



Emerald City before sundown; we must hurry; for it



is yet a long way off。〃







The entrancing sight of the city had put new



energy into them all and they hurried forward



with lighter steps than before。 There was much



to interest them along the roadway; for the



houses were now set more closely together and



they met a good many people who were coming



or going from one place or another。 All these



seemed  happy…faced;  ple

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