the patchwork girl of oz-第22章

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splendid　emerald　throne　in　the　great　Throne　Room



of　her　palace　and　made　laws　and　settled　disputes



and　tried　to　keep　all　her　subjects　happy　and



contented；　she　was　as　dignified　and　demure　as　any



queen　might　be；　but　when　she　had　thrown　aside　her



jeweled　robe　of　state　and　her　sceptre；　and　had



retired　to　her　private　apartments；　the　girl



joyous；　light…hearted　and　freereplaced　the



sedate　Ruler。







In　the　banquet　hall　to…night　were　gathered



only　old　and　trusted　friends；　so　here　Ozma　was



herselfa　mere　girl。　She　greeted　Dorothy　with



a　kiss；　the　Shaggy　Man　with　a　smile；　the　little



old　Wizard　with　a　friendly　handshake　and　then



she　pressed　the　Scarecrow's　stuffed　arm　and



cried　merrily：







〃What　a　lovely　left　ear！　Why；　it's　a　hundred



times　better　than　the　old　one。〃







〃I'm　glad　you　like　it；〃　replied　the　Scarecrow；



well　pleased。　〃Jinjur　did　a　neat　job；　didn't　she？



And　my　hearing　is　now　perfect。　Isn't　it　wonderful



what　a　little　paint　will　do；　if　it's　properly



applied？〃







〃It　really　is　wonderful；〃　she　agreed；　as　they



all　took　their　seats；　〃but　the　Sawhorse　must



have　his　legs　twinkle　to　have　carried　you　so　far



in　one　day。　I　didn't　expect　you　back　before



tomorrow；　at　the　earliest。〃







〃Well；〃　said　the　Scarecrow；　〃I　met　a　charming



girl　on　the　road　and　wanted　to　see　more　of　her；　so



I　hurried　back。〃







Ozma　laughed。







〃I　know；〃　she　returned；　〃it's　the　Patchwork



Girl。　She　is　certainly　bewildering；　if　not　strictly



beautiful。〃







〃Have　you　seen　her；　then？〃　the　straw　man　eagerly



asked。







〃Only　in　my　Magic　Picture；　which　shows　me　all



scenes　of　interest　in　the　Land　of　Oz。〃







〃I　fear　the　picture　didn't　do　her　justice；〃　said



the　Scarecrow。







〃It　seemed　to　me　that　nothing　could　be　more



gorgeous；〃　declared　Ozma。　〃Whoever　made　that



patchwork　quilt；　from　which　Scraps　was　formed；



must　have　selected　the　gayest　and　brightest　bits



of　cloth　that　ever　were　woven。







〃I　am　glad　you　like　her；〃　said　the　Scarecrow



in　a　satisfied　tone。　Although　the　straw　man　did



not　eat；　not　being　made　so　he　could；　he　often



dined　with　Ozma　and　her　companions；　merely



for　the　pleasure　of　talking　with　them。　He　sat　at



the　table　and　had　a　napkin　and　plate；　but　the



servants　knew　better　than　to　offer　him　food。



After　a　little　while　he　asked：　〃Where　is　the



Patchwork　Girl　now？〃







〃In　my　room；〃　replied　Dorothy。　〃I've　taken　a



fancy　to　her；　she's　so　queer　and…and…uncommon。〃







〃She's　half　crazy；　I　think；〃　added　the　Shaggy



Man。







〃But　she　is　so　beautiful！〃　　exclaimed　the



Scarecrow；　as　if　that　fact　disarmed　all　criticism。



They　　all　laughed　at　his　enthusiasm；　but　the



Scarecrow　　was　quite　serious。　Seeing　that　he　was



interested　in　Scraps　they　forbore　to　say　anything



against　her。　The　little　band　of　friends　Ozma　had



gathered　around　her　was　so　quaintly　assorted　that



much　care　must　be　exercised　to　avoid　hurting　their



feelings　or　making　any　one　of　them　unhappy。　It　was



this　considerate　kindness　that　held　them　close



friends　and　enabled　them　to　enjoy　one　another's



society。







Another　thing　they　avoided　was　conversing



on　unpleasant　subjects；　and　for　that　reason　Ojo



and　his　troubles　were　not　mentioned　during　the



dinner。　The　Shaggy　Man；　however；　related　his



adventures　with　the　monstrous　plants　which



had　seized　and　enfolded　the　travelers；　and　told



how　he　had　robbed　Chiss；　the　giant　porcupine；



of　the　quills　which　it　was　accustomed　to　throw



at　people。　Both　Dorothy　and　Ozma　were　pleased



with　this　exploit　and　thought　it　served　Chiss



right。







Then　they　talked　of　the　Woozy；　which　was　the



most　remarkable　animal　any　of　them　had　ever　before



seenexcept；　perhaps；　the　live　Sawhorse。　Ozma　had



never　known　that　her　dominions　contained　such　a



thing　as　a　Woozy；　there　being　but　one　in　existence



and　this　being　confined　in　his　forest　for　many



years。　Dorothy　said　she　believed　the　Woozy　was　a



good　beast；　honest　and　faithful；　hut　she　added



that　she　did　not　care　much　for　the　Glass　Cat。







〃Still；〃　said　the　Shaggy　Man；　〃the　Glass　Cat



is　very　pretty　and　if　she　were　not　so　conceited



over　her　pink　brains　no　one　would　object　to　her



as　a　companion。







The　Wizard　had　been　eating　silently　until



now；　when　he　looked　up　and　remarked：







〃That　Powder　of　Life　which　is　made　by　the



Crooked　Magician　is　really　a　wonderful　thing。



But　Dr。　Pipt　does　not　know　its　true　value　and



he　uses　it　in　the　most　foolish　ways。〃







〃I　must　see　about　that；〃　said　Ozma；　gravely。



Then　she　smiled　again　and　continued　in　a



lighter　tone：　〃It　was　Dr。　Pipt's　famous　Powder



of　Life　that　enabled　me　to　become　the　Ruler



of　Oz。〃







〃I've　never　heard　that　story；〃　said　the　Shaggy



Man；　looking　at　Ozma　questioningly。







〃Well；　when　I　was　a　baby　girl　I　was　stolen　by　an



old　Witch　named　Mombi　and　transformed　into　a　boy；〃



began　the　girl　Ruler。　〃I　did　not　know　who　I　was



and　when　I　grew　big　enough　to　work；　the　Witch　made



me　wait　upon　her　and　carry　wood　for　the　fire　and



hoe　in　the　garden。　One　day　she　came　back　from　a



journey　bringing　some　of　the　Powder　of　Life；　which



Dr。　Pipt　had　given　her。　I　had　made　a　pumpkin…



headed　man　and　set　it　up　in　her　path　to　frighten



her；　for　I　was　fond　of　fun　and　hated　the　Witch。



But　she　knew　what　the　figure　was　and　to　test　her



Powder　of　Life　she　sprinkled　some　of　it　on　the　man



I　had　made。　It　came　to　life　and　is　now　our　dear



friend　Jack　Pumpkinhead。　That　night　I　ran　away



with　Jack　to　escape　punishment；　and　I　took　old



Mombi's　Powder　of　Life　with　me。　During　our　journey



we　came　upon　a　wooden　Sawhorse　standing　by　the



road　and　I　used　the　magic　powder　to　bring　it　to



life。　The　Sawhorse　has　been　with　me　ever　since。



When　I　got　to　the　Emerald　City　the　good　Sorceress；



Glinda；　knew　who　I　was　and　restored　me　to　my



proper　person；　when　I　became　the　rightful　Ruler　of



this　land。　So　you　see　had　not　old　Mombi　brought



home　the　Powder　of　Life　I　might　never　have　run



away　from　her　and　become　Ozma　of　Oz；　nor　would　we



have　had　Jack　Pumpkinhead　and　the　Sawhorse　to



comfort　and　amuse　us。〃







That　story　interested　the　Shaggy　Man　very　much；



as　well　as　the　others；　who　had　often　heard　it



before。　The　dinner　being　now　concluded；　they　all



went　to　Ozma's　drawing…room；　where　they　passed　a



pleasant　evening　before　it　came　time　to　retire。



















Chapter　Eighteen







Ojo　is　Forgiven











The　next　morning　the　Soldier　with　the　Green



Whiskers　went　to　the　prison　and　took　Ojo　away　to



the　royal　palace；　where　he　was　summoned　to　appear



before　the　girl　Ruler　for　judgment。　Again　the



soldier　put　upon　the　boy　the　jeweled　handcuffs　and



white　prisoner's　robe　with　the　peaked　top　and



holes　for　the　eyes。　Ojo　was　so　ashamed；　both　of



his　disgrace　and　the　fault　he　had　committed；　that



he　was　glad　to　be　covered　up　in　this　way；　so　that



people　could　not　see　him　or　know　who　he　was。　He



followed　the　Soldier　with　the　Green　Whiskers　very



willingly；　anxious　that　his　fate　might　be　decided



as　soon　as　possible。







The　inhabitants　of　the　Emerald　City　were　polite



people　and　never　jeered　at　the　unfortunate；　but　it



was　so　long　since　they　bad　seen　a　prisoner　that



they　cast　many　curious　looks　toward　the　boy　and



many　of　them　hurried　away　to　the　royal　palace　to



be　present　during　the　trial。







When　Ojo　was　escorted　into　the　great　Throne



Room　of　the　palace　he　found　hundreds　of　people



assembled　there。　In　the　magnificent　emerald



throne；　which　sparkled　with　countless　jewels；　sat



Ozma　of　Oz　in　her　Robe　of　State；　which　was



embroidered　with　emeralds　and　pearls。　On　her



right；　but　a　little　lower；　was　Dorothy；　and　on　her



left　the　Scarecrow。　Still　lower；　but　nearly　in



front　of　Ozma；　sat　the　wonderful　Wizard　of　Oz　and



on　a　small　table　beside　him　was　the　golden　vase



from　Dorothy's　room；　into　which　Scraps　had　dropped



the　stolen　clover。







At　Ozma's　feet　crouched　two　enormous　beasts；



each　the　largest　and　most　powerful　of　its　kind。



Although　these　beasts　were　quite　free；　no　one



present　was　alarmed　by　them；　for　the　Cowardly　Lion



and　the　Hungry　Tiger　were　well　known　and　respected



in　the　Emerald　City　and　they　always　guarded　the



Ruler　when　she　held　high　court　in　the　Throne　Room。



There　was　still　another　beast　present；　but　this



one　Dorothy　held　in　her　arms；　for　it　was　her



constant　companion；　the　little　dog　Toto。　Toto　knew



the　Cowardly　Lion　and　the　Hungry　Tiger　and　often



played　and　romped　with　them；　for　they　were　good



friends。







Seated　on　ivory　chairs　before　Ozma；　with　a　clear



space　between　them　and　the　throne；　were　many　of



the　nobility　of　the　Emerald　City；　lords　and　ladies



in　beautiful　costumes；　and　officials　of　the



kingdom　in　the　royal　uniforms　of　Oz。　Behind　these



courtiers　were　others　of　less　importance；　filling



the　great　hall　to　the　very　doors。







At　the　same　moment　that　the　Soldier　with　the



Green　Whiskers　arrived　with　Ojo；　the　Shaggy　Man



entered　from　a　side　door；　escorting　the　Patchwork



Girl；　the　Woozy　and　the　Glass　Cat。　All　these　came



to　the　vacant　space　before　the　throne　and　stood



facing　the　Ruler。







〃Hullo；　Ojo；〃　said　Scraps；　〃how　are　you？〃







〃All　right；〃　he　replied；　but　the　scene　awed　the



boy　and　his　voice　trembled　a　little　with　fear。



Nothing　could　awe　the　Patchwork　Girl；　and　although



the　Woozy　was　somewhat　uneasy　in　these　splendid



surroundings　the　Glass　Cat　was　delighted　with　the



sumptuousness　of　the　court　and　the　impressiveness



of　the　occasionpretty　big　words　but　quite



expressive。







At　a　sign　from　Ozma　the　soldier　removed　Ojo's



white　robe　and　the　boy　stood　face　to　face　with　the



girl　who　was　to　decide　his　punishment。　He　saw　at　a



glance　how　lovely　and　sweet　she　was；　and　his　heart



gave　a　bound　of　joy；　for　he　hoped　she　would　be



merciful。







Ozma　sat　looking　at　the　prisoner　a　long　time。



Then　she　said　gently：







〃One　of　the　Laws　of　Oz　forbids　anyone　to



pick　a　six…leaved　clover。　You　are　accused　of



having　broken　this　Law；　even　after　you　had



been　warned　not　to　do　so。