the patchwork girl of oz-第28章

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〃This　war　with　our　neighbors　is　a　terrible



thing；〃　remarked　one　of　the　women。　〃Some　one　is



almost　sure　to　get　hurt。〃







〃Why　do　you　say　that；　madam？〃　inquired　the



Scarecrow。







〃Because　the　horns　of　our　enemies　are　sharp；



and　in　battle　they　will　try　to　stick　those　horns



into　our　warriors；〃　she　replied。







〃How　many　horns　do　the　Horners　have？〃　asked



Dorothy。







〃Each　has　one　horn　in　the　center　of　his　fore



head；〃　was　the　answer。







〃Oh；　then　they're　unicorns；〃　declared　the



Scarecrow。







〃No；　they're　Horners。　We　never　go　to　war　with



them　if　we　can　help　it；　on　account　of　their



dangerous　horns；　but　this　insult　was　so　great　and



so　unprovoked　that　our　brave　men　decided　to　fight；



in　order　to　be　revenged；〃　said　the　woman。







〃What　weapons　do　you　fight　with？〃　the　Scarecrow



asked。







〃We　have　no　weapons；〃　explained　the　Champion。



〃Whenever　we　fight　the　Horners；　our　plan　is　to



push　them　back；　for　our　arms　are　longer　than



theirs。〃







〃Then　you　are　better　armed；〃　said　Scraps。







〃Yes；　but　they　have　those　terrible　horns；　and



unless　we　are　careful　they　prick　us　with　the



points；〃　returned　the　Champion　with　a　shudder。



〃That　makes　a　war　with　them　dangerous；　and　a



dangerous　war　cannot　be　a　pleasant　one。〃







〃I　see　very　clearly；〃　remarked　the　Scarecrow；



〃that　you　are　going　to　have　trouble　in　conquering



those　Hornersunless　we　help　you。〃







〃Oh！〃　cried　the　Hoppers　in　a　chorus；　〃can



you　help　us？　Please　do！　We　will　be　greatly



obliged！　It　would　please　us　very　much！〃　and　by



these　exclamations　the　Scarecrow　knew　that　his



speech　had　met　with　favor。







〃How　far　is　it　to　the　Horner　Country？〃　he　asked。







〃Why；　it's　just　the　other　side　of　the　fence；〃



they　answered；　and　the　Champion　added：







〃Come　with　me；　please；　and　I'll　show　you　the



Horners。〃







So　they　followed　the　Champion　and　several



others　through　the　streets　and　just　beyond　the



village　came　to　a　very　high　picket　fence；　built



all　of　marble；　which　seemed　to　divide　the　great



cave　into　two　equal　parts。







But　the　part　inhabited　by　the　Horners　was　in　no



way　as　grand　in　appearance　as　that　of　the　Hoppers。



Instead　of　being　marble；　the　walls　and　roof　were



of　dull　gray　rock　and　the　square　houses　were



plainly　made　of　the　same　material。　But　in　extent



the　city　was　much　larger　than　that　of　the　Hoppers



and　the　streets　were　thronged　with　numerous　people



who　busied　themselves　in　various　ways。







Looking　through　the　open　pickets　of　the　fence



our　friends　watched　the　Horners；　who　did　not　know



they　were　being　watched　by　strangers；　and　found



them　very　unusual　in　appearance。　They　were　little



folks　in　size　and　had　bodies　round　as　balls　and



short　legs　and　arms。　Their　heads　were　round；　too；



and　they　had　long；　pointed　ears　and　a　horn　set　in



the　center　of　the　forehead。　The　horns　did　not　seem



very　terrible；　for　they　were　not　more　than　six



inches　long；　but　they　were　ivory　white　and　sharp



pointed；　and　no　wonder　the　Hoppers　feared　them。







The　skins　of　the　Horners　were　light　brown；　but



they　wore　snow…white　robes　and　were　bare　footed。



Dorothy　thought　the　most　striking　thing　about　them



was　their　hair；　which　grew　in　three　distinct



colors　on　each　and　every　headred；　yellow　and



green。　The　red　was　at　the　bottom　and　sometimes



hung　over　their　eyes；　then　came　a　broad　circle　of



yellow　and　the　green　was　at　the　top　and　formed　a



brush…shaped　topknot。







None　of　the　Horners　was　yet　aware　of　the



presence　of　strangers；　who　watched　the　little



brown　people　for　a　time　and　then　went　to　the



big　gate　in　the　center　of　the　dividing　fence。　It



was　locked　on　both　sides　and　over　the　latch　was



a　sign　reading：











〃WAR　IS　DECLARED〃











〃Can't　we　go　through？〃　asked　Dorothy。







〃Not　now；〃　answered　the　Champion。







〃I　think；〃　said　the　Scarecrow；　〃that　if　I　could



talk　with　those　Horners　they　would　apologize　to



you；　and　then　there　would　be　no　need　to　fight。〃







〃Can't　you　talk　from　this　side？〃　asked　the



Champion。







〃Not　so　well；〃　replied　the　Scarecrow。　〃Do　you



suppose　you　could　throw　me　over　that　fence？



It　is　high；　but　I　am　very　light。〃







〃We　can　try　it；〃　said　the　Hopper。　〃I　am　perhaps



the　strongest　man　in　my　country；　so　I'll　undertake



to　do　the　throwing。　But　I　won't　promise　you　will



land　on　your　feet。〃







〃No　matter　about　that；〃　returned　the　Scarecrow。



〃Just　toss　me　over　and　I'll　be　satisfied。〃







So　the　Champion　picked　up　the　Scarecrow



and　balanced　him　a　moment；　to　see　how　much



he　weighed；　and　then　with　all　his　strength



tossed　him　high　into　the　air。







Perhaps　if　the　Scarecrow　had　been　a　trifle



heavier　he　would　have　been　easier　to　throw　and



would　have　gone　a　greater　distance；　but；　as　it



was；　instead　of　going　over　the　fence　he　landed



just　on　top　of　it；　and　one　of　the　sharp　pickets



caught　him　in　the　middle　of　his　back　and　held　him



fast　prisoner。　Had　he　been　face　downward　the



Scarecrow　might　have　managed　to　free　himself；　but



lying　on　his　back　on　the　picket　his　hands　waved　in



the　air　of　the　Horner　Country　while　his　feet



kicked　the　air　of　the　Hopper　Country；　so　there　he



was。







〃Are　you　hurt？〃　called　the　Patchwork　Girl



anxiously。







〃Course　not；〃　said　Dorothy。　〃But　if　he　wig…gles



that　way　he　may　tear　his　clothes。　How　can　we　get



him　down；　Mr。　Champion？〃







The　Champion　shook　his　head。







〃I　don't　know；〃　he　confessed。　〃If　he　could



scare　Horners　as　well　as　he　does　crows；　it　might



be　a　good　idea　to　leave　him　there。〃







〃This　is　terrible；〃　said　Ojo；　almost　ready　to



cry。　〃I　s'pose　it's　because　I　am　Ojo　the　Unlucky



that　everyone　who　tries　to　help　me　gets　into



trouble。〃







〃You　are　lucky　to　have　anyone　to　help　you；〃



declared　Dorothy。　〃But　don't　worry。　We'll　rescue



the　Scarecrow　somehow。〃







〃I　know　how；〃　announced　Scraps。　〃Here；　Mr。



Champion；　just　throw　me　up　to　the　Scarecrow。　I'm



nearly　as　light　as　he　is；　and　when　I'm　on　top　the



fence　I'll　pull　our　friend　off　the　picket　and　toss



him　down　to　you。〃







〃All　right；〃　said　the　Champion；　and　he　picked　up



the　Patchwork　Girl　and　threw　her　in　the　same



manner　he　had　the　Scarecrow。　He　must　have　used



more　strength　this　time；　however；　for　Scraps



sailed　far　over　the　top　of　the　fence　and；　without



being　able　to　grab　the　Scarecrow　at　all；　tumbled



to　the　ground　in　the　Horner　Country；　where　her



stuffed　body　knocked　over　two　men　and　a　woman　and



made　a　crowd　that　had　collected　there　run　like



rabbits　to　get　away　from　her。







Seeing　the　next　moment　that　she　was　harmless；



the　people　slowly　returned　and　gathered　around　the



Patchwork　Girl；　regarding　her　with　astonishment。



One　of　them　wore　a　jeweled　star　in　his　hair；　just



above　his　horn；　and　this　seemed　a　person　of



importance。　He　spoke　for　the　rest　of　his　people；



who　treated　him　with　great　respect。







〃Who　are　you；　Unknown　Being？〃　he　asked。







〃Scraps；〃　she　said；　rising　to　her　feet　and



patting　her　cotton　wadding　smooth　where　it　had



bunched　up。







〃And　where　did　you　come　from？〃　he　continued。







〃Over　the　fence。　Don't　be　silly。　There's　no



other　place　I　could　have　come　from；〃　she　replied。







He　looked　at　her　thoughtfully。







〃You　are　not　a　Hopper；〃　said　he；　〃for　you



have　two　legs。　They're　not　very　well　shaped；



but　they　are　two　in　number。　And　that　strange



creature　on　top　the　fencewhy　doesn't　he　stop



kicking？must　be　your　brother；　or　father；　or　son；



for　he　also　has　two　legs。〃







〃You　must　have　been　to　visit　the　Wise　Donkey；〃



said　Scraps；　laughing　so　merrily　that　the　crowd



smiled　with　her；　in　sympathy。　〃But　that　reminds



me；　Captainor　King〃







〃I　am　Chief　of　the　Horners；　and　my　name　is　Jak。〃







〃Of　course；　Little　Jack　Horner；　I　might　have



known　it。　But　the　reason　I　volplaned　over　the



fence　was　so　I　could　have　a　talk　with　you　about



the　Hoppers。〃







〃What　about　the　Hoppers？〃　asked　the　Chief；



frowning。







〃You've　insulted　them；　and　you'd　better　beg



their　pardon；〃　said　Scraps。　〃If　you　don't；　they'll



probably　hop　over　here　and　conquer　you。







〃We're　not　afraidas　long　as　the　gate　is



locked；〃　declared　the　Chief。　〃And　we　didn't　insult



them　at　all。　One　of　us　made　a　joke　that　the　stupid



Hoppers　couldn't　see。〃







The　Chief　smiled　as　he　said　this　and　the　smile



made　his　face　look　quite　jolly。







〃What　was　the　joke？〃　asked　Scraps。







〃A　Horner　said　they　have　less　understanding　than



we；　because　they've　only　one　leg。　Ha；　ha！　You　see



the　point；　don't　you？　If　you　stand　on　your　legs；



and　your　legs　are　under　you；　thenha；　ha；　ha！



then　your　legs　are　your　under…standing。　Hee；　bee；



hee！　Ho；　ho！　My；　but　that's　a　fine　joke。　And　the



stupid　Hoppers　couldn't　see　it！　They　couldn't　see



that　with　only　one　leg　they　must　have　less



under…standing　than　we　who　have　two　legs。　Ha；　ha；



ha！　Hee；　bee！　Ho；　ho！〃　The　Chief　wiped　the　tears



of　laughter　from　his　eyes　with　the　bottom　hem　of



his　white　robe；　and　all　the　other　Horners　wiped



their　eyes　on　their　robes；　for　they　had　laughed



just　as　heartily　as　their　Chief　at　the　absurd



joke。







〃Then；〃　said　Scraps；　〃their　understanding　of　the



understanding　you　meant　led　to　the



misunderstanding。〃







〃Exactly；　and　so　there's　no　need　for　us　to



apologize；〃　returned　the　Chief。







〃No　need　for　an　apology；　perhaps；　but　much　need



for　an　explanation；〃　said　Scraps　decidedly。　〃You



don't　want　war；　do　you？〃







〃Not　if　we　can　help　it；〃　admitted　Jak　Horner。



〃The　question　is；　who's　going　to　explain　the　joke



to　the　Horners？　You　know　it　spoils　any　joke　to　be



obliged　to　explain　it；　and　this　is　the　best　joke　I



ever　heard。〃







〃Who　made　the　joke？〃　asked　Scraps。







〃Diksey　Horner。　He　is　working　in　the　mines；　just



now；　but　he'll　be　home　before　long。　Suppose　we



wait　and　talk　with　him　about　it？　Maybe　he'll　be



willing　to　explain　his　joke　to　the　Hoppers。〃







〃All　right；〃　said　Scraps。　〃I'll　wait；　if　Diksey