the patchwork girl of oz-第24章

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〃Don't　do　that；〃　begged　Ojo；　earnestly。　〃I'm



called　Ojo　the　Unlucky；　you　know。〃



















Chapter　Nineteen







Trouble　with　the　Tottenhots











A　day's　journey　from　the　Emerald　City　brought　the



little　band　of　adventurers　to　the　home　of　Jack



Pumpkinhead；　which　was　a　house　formed　from　the



shell　of　an　immense　pumpkin。　Jack　had　made　it



himself　and　was　very　proud　of　it。　There　was　a



door；　and　several　windows；　and　through　the　top　was



stuck　a　stovepipe　that　led　from　a　small　stove



inside。　The　door　was　reached　by　a　flight　of　three



steps　and　there　was　a　good　floor　on　which　was



arranged　some　furniture　that　was　quite



comfortable。







It　is　certain　that　Jack　Pumpkinhead　might



have　had　a　much　finer　house　to　live　in　bad　he



wanted　it；　for　Ozma　loved　the　stupid　fellow；



who　had　been　her　earliest　companion；　but　Jack



preferred　his　pumpkin　house；　as　it　matched



himself　very　well；　and　in　this　he　was　not　so



stupid；　after　all。







The　body　of　this　remarkable　person　was　made　of



wood；　branches　of　trees　of　various　sizes　having



been　used　for　the　purpose。　This　wooden　framework



was　covered　by　a　red　shirtwith　white　spots　in



itblue　trousers；　a　yellow　vest；　a　jacket　of



green…and…gold　and　stout　leather　shoes。　The　neck



was　a　sharpened　stick　on　which　the　pumpkin　head



was　set；　and　the　eyes；　ears；　nose　and　mouth　were



carved　on　the　skin　of　the　pumpkin；　very　like　a



child's　jack…o'…lantern。







The　house　of　this　interesting　creation　stood



in　the　center　of　a　vast　pumpkin…field；　where　the



vines　grew　in　profusion　and　bore　pumpkins　of



extraordinary　size　as　well　as　those　which　were



smaller。　Some　of　the　pumpkins　now　ripening



on　the　vines　were　almost　as　large　as　Jack's　house；



and　he　told　Dorothy　he　intended　to　add　another



pumpkin　to　his　mansion。







The　travelers　were　cordially　welcomed　to　this



quaint　domicile　and　invited　to　pass　the　night



there；　which　they　had　planned　to　do。　The



Patchwork　Girl　was　greatly　interested　in　Jack



and　examined　him　admiringly。







〃You　are　quite　handsome；〃　she　said；　〃but　not



as　really　beautiful　as　the　Scarecrow。〃







Jack　turned；　at　this；　to　examine　the　Scarecrow



critically；　and　his　old　friend　slyly　winked　one



painted　eye　at　him。







〃There　is　no　accounting　for　tastes；〃　remarked



the　Pumpkinhead；　with　a　sigh。　〃An　old　crow



once　told　me　I　was　very　fascinating；　but　of



course　the　bird　might　have　been　mistaken。　Yet



I　have　noticed　that　the　crows　usually　avoid　the



Scarecrow；　who　is　a　very　honest　fellow；　in　his



way；　but　stuffed。　I　am　not　stuffed；　you　will



observe；　my　body　is　good　solid　hickory。〃







〃I　adore　stuffing；〃　said　the　Patchwork　Girl。







〃Well；　as　for　that；　my　head　is　stuffed　with



pumpkin…seeds；〃　declared　Jack。　〃I　use　them　for



brains；　and　when　they　are　fresh　I　am　intellectual。



Just　now；　I　regret　to　say；　my　seeds　are　rattling　a



bit；　so　I　must　soon　get　another　head。〃







〃Oh；　do　you　change　your　head？〃　asked　Ojo。







〃To　be　sure。　Pumpkins　are　not　permanent；　more's



the　pity；　and　in　time　they　spoil。　That　is　why　I



grow　such　a　great　field　of　pumpkinsthat　I　may



select　a　new　head　whenever　necessary。〃







〃Who　carves　the　faces　on　them？〃　inquired　the



boy。







〃I　do　that　myself。　I　lift　off　my　old　head；　place



it　on　a　table　before　me；　and　use　the　face　for　a



pattern　to　go　by。　Sometimes　the　faces　I　carve　are



better　than　othersmore　expressive　and　cheerful；



you　knowbut　I　think　they　average　very　well。〃







Before　she　had　started　on　the　journey　Dorothy



had　packed　a　knapsack　with　the　things　she　might



need；　and　this　knapsack　the　Scarecrow　carried



strapped　to　his　back。　The　little　girl　wore　a　plain



gingham　dress　and　a　checked　sunbonnet；　as　she　knew



they　were　best　fitted　for　travel。　Ojo　also　had



brought　along　his　basket；　to　which　Ozma　had　added



a　bottle　of　〃Square　Meal　Tablets〃　and　some　fruit。



But　Jack　Pumpkinhead　grew　a　lot　of　things　in　his



garden　besides　pumpkins；　so　he　cooked　for　them　a



fine　vegetable　soup　and　gave　Dorothy；　Ojo　and



Toto；　the　only　ones　who　found　it　necessary　to　eat；



a　pumpkin　pie　and　some　green　cheese。　For　beds　they



must　use　the　sweet　dried　grasses　which　Jack　had



strewn　along　one　side　of　the　room；　but　that



satisfied　Dorothy　and　Ojo　very　well。　Toto；　of



course；　slept　beside　his　little　mistress。







The　Scarecrow；　Scraps　and　the　Pumpkinhead



were　tireless　and　had　no　need　to　sleep；　so　they



sat　up　and　talked　together　all　night；　but　they



stayed　outside　the　house；　under　the　bright　stars；



and　talked　in　low　tones　so　as　not　to　disturb　the



sleepers。　During　the　conversation　the　Scarecrow



explained　their　quest　for　a　dark　well；　and　asked



Jack's　advice　where　to　find　it。







The　Pumpkinhead　considered　the　matter　gravely。







〃That　is　going　to　be　a　difficult　task；〃　said　he；



〃and　if　I　were　you　I'd　take　any　ordinary　well



and　enclose　it；　so　as　to　make　it　dark。〃







〃I　fear　that　wouldn't　do；〃　replied　the



Scarecrow。　〃The　well　must　be　naturally　dark；　and



the　water　must　never　have　seen　the　light　of　day；



for　otherwise　the　magic　charm　might　not　work　at



all。〃







〃How　much　of　the　water　do　you　need？〃　asked　Jack。







〃A　gill。〃







〃How　much　is　a　gill？〃







〃Whya　gill　is　a　gill；　of　course；〃　answered



the　Scarecrow；　who　did　not　wish　to　display　his



ignorance。







〃I　know！〃　cried　Scraps。　〃Jack　and　Jill　went　up



the　hill　to　fetch〃







〃No；　no；　that's　wrong；〃　interrupted　the



Scarecrow。　〃There　are　two　kinds　of　gills；　I　think；



one　is　a　girl；　and　the　other　is〃







〃A　gillyflower；〃　said　Jack。







〃No；　a　measure。〃







〃How　big　a　measure？〃







〃Well；　I'll　ask　Dorothy。〃







So　next　morning　they　asked　Dorothy；　and　she



said：







〃I　don't　just　know　how　much　a　gill　is；　but　I've



brought　along　a　gold　flask　that　holds　a　pint。



That's　more　than　a　gill；　I'm　sure；　and　the　Crooked



Magician　may　measure　it　to　suit　himself。　But　the



thing　that's　bothering　us　most；　Jack；　is　to　find



the　well。〃







Jack　gazed　around　the　landscape；　for　he　was



standing　in　the　doorway　of　his　house。







〃This　is　a　flat　country；　so　you　won　t　find　any



dark　wells　here；〃　said　he。　〃You　must　go　into　the



mountains；　where　rocks　and　caverns　are。







〃And　where　is　that？〃　asked　Ojo。







〃In　the　Quadling　Country；　which　lies　south



of　here；〃　replied　the　Scarecrow。　〃I've　known　all



along　that　we　must　go　to　the　mountains。〃







〃So　have　I；〃　said　Dorothy。







〃Butgoodness　me！the　Quadling　Country　is　full



of　dangers；〃　declared　Jack。　〃I've　never　been　there



myself；　but〃







〃I　have；〃　said　the　Scarecrow。　〃I've　faced　the



dreadful　Hammerheads；　which　have　no　arms　and　butt



you　like　a　goat；　and　I've　faced　the　Fighting



Trees；　which　bend　down　their　branches　to　pound　and



whip　you；　and　had　many　other　adventures　there。〃







〃It's　a　wild　country；〃　remarked　Dorothy；



soberly；　〃and　if　we　go　there　we're　sure　to　have



troubles　of　our　own。　But　I　guess　we'll　have　to　go；



if　we　want　that　gill　of　water　from　the　dark　well。〃







So　they　said　good…bye　to　the　Pumpkinhead　and



resumed　their　travels；　heading　now　directly　toward



the　South　Country；　where　mountains　and　rocks　and



caverns　and　forests　of　great　trees　abounded。　This



part　of　the　Land　of　Oz；　while　it　belonged　to　Ozma



and　owed　her　allegiance；　was　so　wild　and　secluded



that　many　queer　peoples　hid　in　its　jungles　and



lived　in　their　own　way；　without　even　a　knowledge



that　they　had　a　Ruler　in　the　Emerald　City。　If　they



were　left　alone；　these　creatures　never　troubled



the　inhabitants　of　the　rest　of　Oz；　but　those　who



invaded　their　domains　encountered　many　dangers



from　them。







It　was　a　two　days　journey　from　Jack　Pumkinhead's



house　to　the　edge　of　the　Quadling　Country；　for



neither　Dorothy　nor　Ojo　could　walk　very　fast　and



they　often　stopped　by　the　wayside　to　rest。　The



first　night　they　slept　on　the　broad　fields；　among



the　buttercups　and　daisies；　and　the　Scarecrow



covered　the　children　with　a　gauze　blanket　taken



from　his　knapsack；　so　they　would　not　be　chilled　by



the　night　air。　Toward　evening　of　the　second　day



they　reached　a　sandy　plain　where　walking　was



difficult；　but　some　distance　before　them　they　saw



a　group　of　palm　trees；　with　many　curious　black



dots　under　them；　so　they　trudged　bravely　on　to



reach　that　place　by　dark　and　spend　the　night　under



the　shelter　of　the　trees。







The　black　dots　grew　larger　as　they　advanced　and



although　the　light　was　dim　Dorothy　thought　they



looked　like　big　kettles　turned　upside　down。　Just



beyond　this　place　a　jumble　of　huge；　jagged　rocks



lay　scattered；　rising　to　the　mountains　behind



them。







Our　travelers　preferred　to　attempt　to　climb



these　rocks　by　daylight；　and　they　realized　that



for　a　time　this　would　be　their　last　night　on　the



plains。







Twilight　had　fallen　by　the　time　they　came　to　the



trees；　beneath　which　were　the　black；　circular



objects　they　had　marked　from　a　distance。　Dozens　of



them　were　scattered　around　and　Dorothy　bent　near



to　one；　which　was　about　as　tall　as　she　was；　to



examine　it　more　closely。　As　she　did　so　the　top



flew　open　and　out　popped　a　dusky　creature；　rising



its　length　into　the　air　and　then　plumping　down



upon　the　ground　just　beside　the　little　girl。



Another　and　another　popped　out　of　the　circular；



pot…like　dwelling；　while　from　all　the　other　black



objects　came　popping　more　creaturesvery　like



jumping…jacks　when　their　boxes　are　unhookeduntil



fully　a　hundred　stood　gathered　around　our　little



group　of　travelers。







By　this　time　Dorothy　had　discovered　they



were　people；　tiny　and　curiously　formed；　but　still



people。　Their　skins　were　dusky　and　their　hair



stood　straight　up；　like　wires；　and　was　brilliant



scarlet　in　color。　Their　bodies　were　bare　except



for　skins　fastened　around　their　waists　and　they



wore　bracelets　on　their　ankles　and　wrists；　and



necklaces；　and　great　pendant　earrings。







Toto　crouched　beside　his　mistress　and　wailed



as　if　he　did　not　like　these　strange　creatures　a　bit。



Scraps　began　to　mutter　something　about　〃