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第21章

the patchwork girl of oz-第21章

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and educated gentleman named the Scarecrow; whom I



met; told me I am the most beautiful creature in



all Oz; and I believe it。〃







〃Oh! Have you met our Scarecrow; then?〃 asked



Dorothy; a little puzzled to understand the brief



history related。







〃Yes; isn't he jolly?〃







〃The Scarecrow has many good qualities;〃 replied



Dorothy。 〃But I'm sorry to hear all this 'bout the



Crooked Magician。 Ozma'll be mad as hops when she



hears he's been doing magic again。 She told him



not to。〃







〃He only practices magic for the benefit of his



own family;〃 explained Bungle; who was keeping at



a respectful distance from the little black dog。







〃Dear me;〃 said Dorothy; 〃I hadn't noticed



you before。 Are you glass; or what?〃







〃I'm glass; and transparent; too; which is more



than can be said of some folks;〃 answered the



cat。 〃Also I have some lovely pink brains; you



can see 'em work。〃







〃Oh; is that so? Come over here and let me see。〃







The Class Cat hesitated; eyeing the dog。







〃Send that beast away and I will;〃 she said。







〃Beast! Why; that's my dog Toto; an' he's the



kindest dog in all the world。 Toto knows a good



many things; too; 'most as much as I do; I



guess。〃







〃Why doesn't he say anything?〃  asked Bungle。







〃He can't talk; not being a fairy dog;〃



explained Dorothy。 〃He's just a common United



States dog; but that's a good deal; and I



understand him; and he understands me; just as



well as if he could talk。〃







Toto; at this; got up and rubbed his head



softly against Dorothy's hand; which she held



out to him; and he looked up into her face as if



he had understood every word she had said。







〃This cat; Toto;〃 she said to him; 〃is made



of glass; so you mustn't bother it; or chase it;



any more than you do my Pink Kitten。 It's



prob'ly brittle and might break if it bumped



against anything。〃







〃Woof!〃 said Toto; and that meant he understood。







The Glass Cat was so proud of her pink brains



that she ventured to come close to Dorothy; in



order that the girl might 〃see 'em work。〃 This was



really interesting; but when Dorothy patted the



cat she found the glass cold and hard and



unresponsive; so she decided at once that Bungle



would never do for a pet。







〃What do you know about the Crooked Magician who



lives on the mountain?〃 asked Dorothy。







〃He made me;〃 replied the cat; 〃so I know all



about him。 The Patchwork Girl is newthree or



four days oldbut I've lived with Dr。 Pipt for



years; and; though I don't much care for him; I



will say that he has always refused to work magic



for any of the people who come to his house。 He



thinks there's no harm in doing magic things for



his own family; and he made me out of glass



because the meat cats drink too much milk。 He also



made Scraps come to life so she could do the



housework for his wife Margolotte。〃







〃Then why did you both leave him?〃 asked



Dorothy。







〃I think you'd better let me explain that;〃



interrupted the Shaggy Man; and then he told



Dorothy all of Ojo's story and how Unc Nunkie and



Margolotte had accidentally been turned to marble



by the Liquid of Petrifaction。 Then he related how



the boy had started out in search of the things



needed to make the magic charm; which would



restore the unfortunates to life; and how he had



found the Woozy and taken him along because he



could not pull the three hairs out of its tail。



Dorothy listened to all this with much interest;



and thought that so far Ojo had acted very well。



But when the Shaggy Man told her of the Munchkin



boy's arrest by the Soldier with the Green



Whiskers; because he was accused of wilfully



breaking a Law of Oz; the little girl was greatly



shocked。







〃What do you s'pose he's done?〃 she asked。







〃I fear he has picked a six…leaved clover;〃



answered the Shaggy Man; sadly。 〃I did not see him



do it; and I warned him that to do so was against



the Law; but perhaps that is what he did;



nevertheless。〃







〃I'm sorry 'bout that;〃 said Dorothy gravely;



〃for now there will be no one to help his poor



uncle and Margolotte 'cept this Patchwork Girl;



the Woozy and the Glass Cat。〃







〃Don't mention it;〃 said Scraps。 〃That's no



affair of mine。 Margolotte and Unc Nunkie are



perfect strangers to me; for the moment I came



to life they came to marble。〃







〃I see;〃 remarked Dorothy with a sigh of



regret; 〃the woman forgot to give you a heart。〃







〃I'm glad she did;〃 retorted the Patchwork Girl。



〃A heart must be a great annoyance to one。 It



makes a person feel sad or sorry or devoted or



sympatheticall of which sensations interfere with



one's happiness。〃







〃I have a heart;〃 murmured the Glass Cat。



〃It's made of a ruby; but I don't imagine I shall



let it bother me about helping Unc Nunkie and



Margolotte。〃







〃That's a pretty hard heart of yours;〃 said



Dorothy。 〃And the Woozy; of course〃







〃Why; as for me;〃 observed the Woozy; who was



reclining on the floor with his legs doubled under



him; so that he looked much like a square box; 〃I



have never seen those unfortunate people you are



speaking of; and yet I am sorry for them; having



at times been unfortunate myself。 When I was shut



up in that forest I longed for some one to help



me; and by and by Ojo came and did help me。 So I'm



willing to help his uncle。 I'm only a stupid



beast; Dorothy; but I can't help that; and if



you'll tell me what to do to help Ojo and his



uncle; I'll gladly do it。〃







Dorothy walked over and patted the Woozy on his



square head。







〃You're not pretty;〃 she said; 〃but I like you。



What are you able to do; anything 'special?〃







〃I can make my eyes flash firereal firewhen



I'm angry。 When anyone says: 'Krizzle…Kroo' to me



I get angry; and then my eyes flash fire。〃







〃I don't see as fireworks could help Ojo's



uncle;〃 remarked Dorothy。 〃Can you do anything



else?〃







〃II thought I bad a very terrifying growl;〃



said the Woozy; with hesitation; 〃but perhaps



I was mistaken。〃







〃Yes;〃 said the Shaggy Man; 〃you were certainly



wrong about that。〃 Then he turned to Dorothy and



added: 〃What will become of the Munchkin boy?〃







〃I don't know;〃 she said; shaking her head



thoughtfully。 〃Ozma will see him 'bout it; of



course; and then she'll punish him。 But how;



I don't know; 'cause no one ever has been



punished in Oz since I knew anything about



the place。 Too bad; Shaggy Man; isn't it?〃







While they were talking Scraps had been



roaming around the room and looking at all



the pretty things it contained。 She had carried



Ojo's basket in her hand; until now; when she



decided to see what was inside it。 She found



the bread and cheese; which she had no use for;



and the bundle of charms; which were curious



but quite a mystery to her。 Then; turning these



over; she came upon the six…leaved clover which



the boy had plucked。







Scraps was quick…witted; and although she had no



heart she recognized the fact that Ojo was her



first friend。 She knew at once that because the



boy had taken the clover he bad been imprisoned;



and she understood that Ojo had given her the



basket so they would not find the clover in his



possession and have proof of his crime。 So;



turning her head to see that no one noticed her;



she took the clover from the basket and dropped it



into a golden vase that stood on Dorothy's table。



Then she came forward and said to Dorothy:







〃I wouldn't care to help Ojo's uncle; but I



will help Ojo。 He did not break the Lawno



one can prove he didand that green…whiskered



soldier had no right to arrest him。〃







〃Ozma ordered the boy's arrest;〃 said Dorothy;



〃and of course she knew what she was doing。 But if



you can prove Ojo is innocent they will set him



free at once。







〃They'll have to prove him guilty; won't



they?'' asked Scraps。







〃I s'pose so。〃







〃Well; they can't do that;〃 declared the



Patchwork Girl。







As it was nearly time for Dorothy to dine with



Ozma; which she did every evening; she rang for a



servant and ordered the Woozy taken to a nice room



and given plenty of such food as he liked best。







〃That's honey…bees;〃 said the Woozy。







〃You can't eat honey…bees; but you'll be given



something just as nice;〃 Dorothy told him。 Then



she had the Glass Cat taken to another room for



the night and the Patchwork Girl she kept in one



of her own rooms; for she was much interested in



the strange creature and wanted to talk with her



again and try to understand her better。



















Chapter Seventeen







Ozma and Her Friends











The Shaggy Man had a room of his own in the royal



palace; so there he went to change his shaggy suit



of clothes for another just as shaggy but not so



dusty from travel。 He selected a costume of



peagreen and pink satin and velvet; with



embroidered shags on all the edges and iridescent



pearls for ornaments。 Then he bathed in an



alabaster pool and brushed his shaggy hair and



whiskers the wrong way to make them still more



shaggy。 This accomplished; and arrayed in his



splendid shaggy garments; he went to Ozma's



banquet hall and found the Scarecrow; the Wizard



and Dorothy already assembled there。 The Scarecrow



had made a quick trip and returned to the Emerald



City with his left ear freshly painted。







A moment later; while they all stood in waiting;



a servant threw open a door; the orchestra struck



up a tune and Ozma of Oz entered。







Much has been told and written concerning the



beauty of person and character of this sweet girl



Ruler of the Land of Ozthe richest; the happiest



and most delightful fairyland of which we have any



knowledge。 Yet with all her queenly qualities Ozma



was a real girl and enjoyed the things in life



that other real girls enjoy。 When she sat on her



splendid emerald throne in the great Throne Room



of her palace and made laws and se

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