the patchwork girl of oz-第2章

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tired　of　living　all　alone　in　the　woods　and　wanted



to　travel　and　see　people。　For　a　long　time　he　had



wished　to　explore　the　beautiful　Land　of　Oz



in　which　they　lived。　When　they　were　outside；



Unc　simply　latched　the　door　and　started　up　the



path。　No　one　would　disturb　their　little　house；



even　if　anyone　came　so　far　into　the　thick　forest



while　they　were　gone。







At　the　foot　of　the　mountain　that　separated　the



Country　of　the　Munchkins　from　the　Country　of　the



Gillikins；　the　path　divided。　One　way　led　to　the



left　and　the　other　to　the　rightstraight　up　the



mountain。　Unc　Nunkie　took　this　righthand　path　and



Ojo　followed　without　asking　why。　He　knew　it　would



take　them　to　the　house　of　the　Crooked　Magician；



whom　he　had　never　seen　but　who　was　their　nearest



neighbor。







All　the　morning　they　trudged　up　the　mountain　path



and　at　noon　Unc　and　Ojo　sat　on　a　fallen　tree…trunk



and　ate　the　last　of　the　bread　which　the　old



Munchkin　had　placed　in　his　pocket。　Then　they



started　on　again　and　two　hours　later　came　in　sight



of　the　house　of　Dr。　Pipt。







It　was　a　big　house；　round；　as　were　all　the



Munchkin　houses；　and　painted　blue；　which　is　the



distinctive　color　of　the　Munchkin　Country　of　Oz。



There　was　a　pretty　garden　around　the　house；　where



blue　trees　and　blue　flowers　grew　in　abundance　and



in　one　place　were　beds　of　blue　cabbages；　blue



carrots　and　blue　lettuce；　all　of　which　were



delicious　to　eat。　In　Dr。　Pipt's　garden　grew　bun…



trees；　cake…trees；　cream…puff　bushes；　blue



buttercups　which　yielded　excellent　blue　butter　and



a　row　of　chocolate…caramel　plants。　Paths　of　blue



gravel　divided　the　vegetable　and　flower　beds　and　a



wider　path　led　up　to　the　front　door。　The　place　was



in　a　clearing　on　the　mountain；　but　a　little　way



off　was　the　grim　forest；　which　completely



surrounded　it。







Unc　knocked　at　the　door　of　the　house　and



a　chubby；　pleasant…faced　woman；　dressed　all　in



blue；　opened　it　and　greeted　the　visitors　with　a



smile。







〃Ah；〃　said　Ojo；　〃you　must　be　Dame　Margolotte；



the　good　wife　of　Dr。　Pipt。〃







〃I　am；　my　dear；　and　all　strangers　are　welcome



to　my　home。〃







〃May　we　see　the　famous　Magician；　Madam？〃







〃He　is　very　busy　just　now；〃　she　said；　shaking



her　head　doubtfully。　〃But　come　in　and　let　me



give　you　something　to　eat；　for　you　must　have



traveled　far　in　order　to　get　our　lonely　place。〃







〃We　have；〃　replied　Ojo；　as　he　and　Unc　entered



the　house。　〃We　have　come　from　a　far　lonelier　place



than　this。〃







〃A　lonelier　place！　And　in　the　Munchkin　Country？〃



she　exclaimed。　〃Then　it　must　be　somewhere　in　the



Blue　Forest。〃







〃It　is；　good　Dame　Margolotte。〃







〃Dear　me！〃　she　said；　looking　at　the　man；　〃you



must　be　Unc　Nunkie；　known　as　the　Silent　One。〃　Then



she　looked　at　the　boy。　〃And　you　must　be　Ojo　the



Unlucky；〃　she　added。







〃Yes；〃　said　Unc。







〃I　never　knew　I　was　called　the　Unlucky；〃



said　Ojo；　soberly；　〃but　it　is　really　a　good　name



for　me。〃







〃Well；〃　remarked　the　woman；　as　she　bustled



around　the　room　and　set　the　table　and　brought　food



from　the　cupboard；　〃you　were　unlucky　to　live　all



alone　in　that　dismal　forest；　which　is　much　worse



than　the　forest　around　here；　but　perhaps　your　luck



will　change；　now　you　are　away　from　it。　If；　during



your　travels；　you　can　manage　to　lose　that　'Un'　at



the　beginning　of　your　name　　Unlucky；'　you　will



then　become　Ojo　the　Lucky；　which　will　be　a　great



improvement。〃







〃How　can　I　lose　that　'Un；'　Dame　Margolotte？〃







〃I　do　not　know　how；　but　you　must　keep　the



matter　in　mind　and　perhaps　the　chance　will



come　to　you；〃　she　replied。







Ojo　had　never　eaten　such　a　fine　meal　in　all



his　life。　There　was　a　savory　stew；　smoking　hot；



a　dish　of　blue　peas；　a　bowl　of　sweet　milk　of　a



delicate　blue　tint　and　a　blue　pudding　with　blue



plums　in　it。　When　the　visitors　had　eaten　heartily



of　this　fare　the　woman　said　to　them：







〃Do　you　wish　to　see　Dr。　Pipt　on　business　or



for　pleasure？〃







Unc　shook　his　head。







〃We　are　traveling；〃　replied　Ojo；　〃and　we



stopped　at　your　house　just　to　rest　and　refresh



ourselves。　I　do　not　think　Unc　Nunkie　cares



very　much　to　see　the　famous　Crooked　Magician；



but　for　my　part　I　am　curious　to　look　at　such



a　great　man。







The　woman　seemed　thoughtful。







〃I　remember　that　Unc　Nunkie　and　my　husband　used



to　be　friends；　many　years　ago；〃　she　said；　〃so



perhaps　they　will　be　glad　to　meet　again。　The



Magician　is　very　busy；　as　I　said；　but　if　you　will



promise　not　to　disturb　him　you　may　come　into　his



workshop　and　watch　him　prepare　a　wonderful　charm。〃







〃Thank　you；〃　replied　the　boy；　much　pleased。



〃I　would　like　to　do　that。〃







She　led　the　way　to　a　great　domed　hall　at　the



back　of　the　house；　which　was　the　Magician's



workshop。　There　was　a　row　of　windows　extending



nearly　around　the　sides　of　the　circular　room；



which　rendered　the　place　very　light；　and　there　was



a　back　door　in　addition　to　the　one　leading　to　the



front　part　of　the　house。　Before　the　row　of　windows



a　broad　seat　was　built　and　there　were　some　chairs



and　benches　in　the　room　besides。　At　one　end　stood



a　great　fireplace；　in　which　a　blue　log　was　blazing



with　a　blue　flame；　and　over　the　fire　hung　four



kettles　in　a　row；　all　bubbling　and　steaming　at　a



great　rate。　The　Magician　was　stirring　all　four　of



these　kettles　at　the　same　time；　two　with　his



hands　and　two　with　his　feet；　to　the　latter；　wooden



ladles　being　strapped；　for　this　man　was　so　very



crooked　that　his　legs　were　as　handy　as　his　arms。







Unc　Nunkie　came　forward　to　greet　his　old



friend；　but　not　being　able　to　shake　either　his



hands　or　his　feet；　which　were　all　occupied　in



stirring；　he　patted　the　Magician's　bald　head　and



asked：　〃What？〃







〃Ah；　it's　the　Silent　One；〃　remarked　Dr。　Pipt；



without　looking　up；　〃and　he　wants　to　know



what　I'm　making。　Well；　when　it　is　quite　finished



this　compound　will　be　the　wonderful　Powder



of　Life；　which　no　one　knows　how　to　make　but



myself。　Whenever　it　is　sprinkled　on　anything；



that　thing　will　at　once　come　to　life；　no　matter



what　it　is。　It　takes　me　several　years　to　make　this



magic　Powder；　but　at　this　moment　I　am　pleased



to　say　it　is　nearly　done。　You　see；　I　am　making　it



for　my　good　wife　Margolotte；　who　wants　to　use



some　of　it　for　a　purpose　of　her　own。　Sit　down



and　make　yourself　comfortable；　Unc　Nunkie；



and　after　I've　finished　my　task　I　will　talk　to



you。







〃You　must　know；〃　said　Margolottte；　when　they



were　all　seated　together　on　the　broad　window…seat；



〃that　my　husband　foolishly　gave　away　all　the



Powder　of　Life　he　first　made　to　old　Mombi　the



Witch；　who　used　to　live　in　the　Country　of　the



Gillikins；　to　the　north　of　here。　Mombi　gave　to　Dr。



Pipt　a　Powder　of　Perpetual　Youth　in　exchange　for



his　Powder　of　Life；　but　she　cheated　him　wickedly；



for　the　Powder　of　Youth　was　no　good　and　could　work



no　magic　at　all。〃







〃Perhaps　the　Powder　of　Life　couldn't　either；〃



said　Ojo。







〃Yes；　it　is　perfection；〃　she　declared。　〃The　first



lot　we　tested　on　our　Glass　Cat；　which　not　only



began　to　live　but　has　lived　ever　since。　She's



somewhere　around　the　house　now。〃







〃A　Glass　Cat！〃　exclaimed　Ojo；　astonished。







〃Yes；　she　makes　a　very　pleasant　companion；　but



admires　herself　a　little　more　than　is　considered



modest；　and　she　positively　refuses　to　catch　mice；〃



explained　Margolotte。　〃My　husband　made　the　cat



some　pink　brains；　but　they　proved　to　be　too　high…



bred　and　particular　for　a　cat；　so　she　thinks　it　is



undignified　in　her　to　catch　mice。　Also　she　has　a



pretty　blood…red　heart；　but　it　is　made　of　stonea



ruby；　I　thinkand　so　is　rather　hard　and　unfeeling。



I　think　the　next　Class　Cat　the　Magician　makes　will



have　neither　brains　nor　heart；　for　then　it　will



not　object　to　catching　mice　and　may　prove　of　some



use　to　us。〃







〃What　did　old　Mombi　the　Witch　do　with　the



Powder　of　Life　your　husband　gave　her？〃　asked



the　boy。







〃She　brought　Jack　Pumpkinhead　to　life；　for



one　thing；〃　was　the　reply。　〃I　suppose　you've



heard　of　jack　Pumpkinhead。　He　is　now　living



near　the　Emerald　City　and　is　a　great　favorite



with　the　Princess　Ozma；　who　rules　all　the　Land



of　Oz。〃







〃No；　I've　never　heard　of　him；〃　remarked



Ojo。　〃I'm　afraid　I　don't　know　much　about　the



Land　of　Oz。　You　see；　I've　lived　all　my　life　with



Unc　Nunkie；　the　Silent　One；　and　there　was　no



one　to　tell　me　anything。〃







〃That　is　one　reason　you　are　Ojo　the　Unlucky；〃



said　the　woman；　in　a　sympathetic　tone。　〃The　more



one　knows；　the　luckier　he　is；　for　knowledge　is　the



greatest　gift　in　life。〃







〃But　tell　me；　please；　what　you　intend　to　do



With　this　new　lot　of　the　Powder　of　Life；　which



Dr。　Pipt　is　making。　He　said　his　wife　wanted　it



for　some　especial　purpose。







〃So　I　do；〃　she　answered。　〃I　want　it　to　bring



my　Patchwork　Girl　to　life。〃







〃Oh！　A　Patchwork　Girl？　What　is　that？〃　Ojo



asked；　for　this　seemed　even　more　strange　and



unusual　than　a　Glass　Cat。







〃I　think　I　must　show　you　my　Patchwork



Girl；〃　said　Margolotte；　laughing　at　the　boy's



astonishment；　〃for　she　is　rather　difficult　to



explain。　But　first　I　will　tell　you　that　for　many



years　I　have　longed　for　a　servant　to　help　me　with



the　housework　and　to　cook　the　meals　and　wash　the



dishes。　No　servant　will　come　here　because　the



place　is　so　lonely　and　out…of…the…way；　so　my



clever　husband；　the　Crooked　Magician；　proposed



that　I　make　a　girl　out　of　some　sort　of　material



and　he　would　make　her　live　by　sprinkling　over　her



the　Powder　of　Life。　This　seemed　an　excellent



suggestion　and　at　once　Dr。　Pipt　set　to　work　to



make　a　new　batch　of　his　magic　powder。　He　has　been



at　it　a　long；　long　while；　and　so　I　have　had　plenty



of　time　to　make　the　girl。　Yet　that　task　was　not　so



easy　as　you　may　suppose。　At　first　I　couldn't　think



what　to　make　her　of；　but　finally　in　searching



through　a　chest　I　came　across　an　old　patchwork



quilt；　which　my　grandmother　once　made　when　she　was



young。







〃What　is　a　patchwork　quilt？〃　asked　Ojo。







〃A　bed…quilt　made　of　patches　of　different　kinds