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the patchwork girl of oz-第2章

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

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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

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