the patchwork girl of oz-第3章

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young。







〃What　is　a　patchwork　quilt？〃　asked　Ojo。







〃A　bed…quilt　made　of　patches　of　different　kinds



and　colors　of　cloth；　all　neatly　sewed　together。



The　patches　are　of　all　shapes　and　sizes；　so　a



patchwork　quilt　is　a　very　pretty　and　gorgeous



thing　to　look　at。　Sometimes　it　is　called　a



'crazyquilt；'　because　the　patches　and　colors　are



so　mixed　up。　We　never　have　used　my　grand…mother's



manycolored　patchwork　quilt；　hand…some　as　it　is；



for　we　Munchkins　do　not　care　for　any　color　other



than　blue；　so　it　has　been　packed　away　in　the　chest



for　about　a　hundred　years。　When　I　found　it；　I　said



to　myself　that　it　would　do　nicely　for　my　servant



girl；　for　when　she　was　brought　to　life　she　would



not　be　proud　nor　haughty；　as　the　Glass　Cat　is；　for



such　a　dreadful　mixture　of　colors　would　discourage



her　from　trying　to；　be　as　dignified　as　the　blue



Munchkins　are。







〃Is　blue　the　only　respectable　color；　then？〃



inquired　Ojo。







〃Yes；　for　a　Munchkin。　All　our　country　is　blue；



you　know。　But　in　other　parts　of　Oz　the　people



favor　different　colors。　At　the　Emerald　City；



where　our　Princess　Ozma　lives；　green　is　the



popular　color。　But　all　Munchkins　prefer　blue



to　anything　else　and　when　my　housework　girl



is　brought　to　life　she　will　find　herself　to　be　of



so　many　unpopular　colors　that　she'll　never　dare



be　rebellious　or　impudent；　as　servants　are



sometimes　liable　to　be　when　they　are　made　the　same



way　their　mistresses　are。〃







Unc　Nunkie　nodded　approval。







〃Good　idea；〃　he　said；　and　that　was　a　long



speech　for　Unc　Nunkie　because　it　was　two



words。







〃So　I　cut　up　the　quilt；〃　continued　Margolotte；



〃and　made　from　it　a　very　well…shaped　girl；



which　I　stuffed　with　cotton…wadding。　I　will



show　you　what　a　good　job　I　did；〃　and　she　went



to　a　tall　cupboard　and　threw　open　the　doors。







Then　back　she　came；　lugging　in　her　arms　the



Patchwork　Girl；　which　she　set　upon　the　bench



and　propped　up　so　that　the　figure　would　not



tumble　over。



















Chapter　Three







The　Patchwork　Girl











Ojo　examined　this　curious　contrivance　with　wonder。



The　Patchwork　Girl　was　taller　than　he；　when　she



stood　upright；　and　her　body　was　plump　and　rounded



because　it　had　been　so　neatly　stuffed　with　cotton。



Margolotte　had　first　made　the　girl's　form　from　the



patchwork　quilt　and　then　she　had　dressed　it　with　a



patchwork　skirt　and　an　apron　with　pockets　in　it



using　the　same　gay　material　throughout。　Upon　the



feet　she　had　sewn　a　pair　of　red　leather　shoes　with



pointed　toes。　All　the　fingers　and　thumbs　of　the



girl's　hands　had　been　carefully　formed　and　stuffed



and　stitched　at　the　edges；　with　gold　plates　at　the



ends　to　serve　as　finger…nails。







〃She　will　have　to　work；　when　she　comes　to



life；〃　said　Marglotte。







The　head　of　the　Patchwork　Girl　was　the　most



curious　part　of　her。　While　she　waited　for　her



husband　to　finish　making　his　Powder　of　Life　the



woman　had　found　ample　time　to　complete　the　head　as



her　fancy　dictated；　and　she　realized　that　a　good



servant's　head　must　be　properly　constructed。　The



hair　was　of　brown　yarn　and　hung　down　on　her　neck



in　several　neat　braids。　Her　eyes　were　two　silver



suspender…buttons　cut　from　a　pair　of　the



Magician's　old　trousers；　and　they　were　sewed　on



with　black　threads；　which　formed　the　pupils　of　the



eyes。　Margolotte　had　puzzled　over　the　ears　for



some　time；　for　these　were　important　if　the　servant



was　to　hear　distinctly；　but　finally　she　had　made



them　out　of　thin　plates　of　gold　and　attached　them



in　place　by　means　of　stitches　through　tiny　holes



bored　in　the　metal。　Gold　is　the　most　common　metal



in　the　Land　of　Oz　and　is　used　for　many　purposes



because　it　is　soft　and　pliable。







The　woman　had　cut　a　slit　for　the　Patchwork



Girl's　mouth　and　sewn　two　rows　of　white　pearls



in　it　for　teeth；　using　a　strip　of　scarlet　plush　for



a　tongue。　This　mouth　Ojo　considered　very　artistic



and　lifelike；　and　Margolotte　was　pleased　when　the



boy　praised　it。　There　were　almost　too　many　patches



on　the　face　of　the　girl　for　her　to　be　considered



strictly　beautiful；　for　one　cheek　was　yellow　and



the　other　red；　her　chin　blue；　her　forehead　purple



and　the　center；　where　her　nose　had　been　formed　and



padded；　a　bright　yellow。







〃You　ought　to　have　had　her　face　all　pink；〃



suggested　the　boy。







〃I　suppose　so；　but　I　had　no　pink　cloth；〃　replied



the　woman。　〃Still；　I　cannot　see　as　it　matters



much；　for　I　wish　my　Patchwork　Girl　to　be　useful



rather　than　ornamental。　If　I　get　tired　looking　at



her　patched　face　I　can　whitewash　it。〃







〃Has　she　any　brains？〃　asked　Ojo。







〃No；　I　forgot　all　about　the　brains！〃　exclaimed



the　woman。　〃I　am　glad　you　reminded　me　of



them；　for　it　is　not　too　late　to　supply　them；　by



any　means。　Until　she　is　brought　to　life　I　can



do　anything　I　please　with　this　girl。　But　I　must



be　careful　not　to　give　her　too　much　brains；　and



those　she　has　must　be　such　as　are　fitted　to　the



station　she　is　to　occupy　in　life。　In　other　words；



her　brains　mustn't　be　very　good。〃







〃Wrong；〃　said　Unc　Nunkie。







〃No；　I　am　sure　I　am　right　about　that；〃　returned



the　woman。







〃He　means；〃　explained　Ojo；　〃that　unless　your



servant　has　good　brains　she　won't　know　how　to　obey



you　properly；　nor　do　the　things　you　ask　her　to



do。〃







〃Well；　that　may　be　true；〃　agreed　Margolotte；



〃but；　on　the　contrary；　a　servant　with　too　much



brains　is　sure　to　become　independent　and　high…



and…mighty　and　feel　above　her　work。　This　is　a



very　delicate　task；　as　I　said；　and　I　must　take



care　to　give　the　girl　just　the　right　quantity　of



the　right　sort　of　brains。　I　want　her　to　know　just



enough；　but　not　too　much。〃







With　this　she　went　to　another　cupboard　which　was



filled　With　shelves。　All　the　shelves　were　lined



With　blue　glass　bottles；　neatly　labeled　by　the



Magician　to　show　what　they　contained。　One　whole



shelf　was　marked：　〃Brain　Furniture；〃　and　the



bottles　on　this　shelf　were　labeled　as　follows：



〃Obedience；〃　〃Cleverness；〃　〃Judgment；〃　〃Courage；〃



〃Ingenuity；〃　〃Amiability；〃　〃Learning；〃　〃Truth；〃



〃Poesy；〃　〃Self　Reliance。〃







〃Let　me　see；〃　said　Margolotte；　〃of　those



qualities　she　must　have　'Obedience'　first　of　all；〃



and　she　took　down　the　bottle　bearing　that　label



and　poured　from　it　upon　a　dish　several　grains　of



the　contents。　〃'Amiability'　is　also　good　and



'Truth。'〃　She　poured　into　the　dish　a　quantity　from



each　of　these　bottles。　〃I　think　that　will　do；〃　she



continued；　〃for　the　other　qualities　are　not　needed



in　a　servant。〃







Unc　Nunkie；　who　with　Ojo　stood　beside　her；



touched　the　bottle　marked　〃Cleverness。〃







〃Little；〃　said　he。







〃A　little　'Cleverness'？　Well；　perhaps　you　are



right；　sir；〃　said　she；　and　was　about　to　take　down



the　bottle　when　the　Crooked　Magician　suddenly



called　to　her　excitedly　from　the　fireplace。







〃Quick；　Margolotte！　Come　and　help　me。〃







She　ran　to　her　husband's　side　at　once　and



helped　him　lift　the　four　kettles　from　the　fire。



Their　contents　had　all　boiled　away；　leaving　in



the　bottom　of　each　kettle　a　few　grains　of　fine



white　powder。　Very　carefully　the　Magician　removed



this　powder；　placing　it　all　together　in　a　golden



dish；　where　he　mixed　it　with　a　golden　spoon。　When



the　mixture　was　complete　there　was　scarcely　a



handful；　all　told。







〃That；〃　said　Dr。　Pipt；　in　a　pleased　and



triumphant　tone；　〃is　the　wonderful　Powder　of　Life；



which　I　alone　in　the　world　know　how　to　make。　It



has　taken　me　nearly　six　years　to　prepare　these



precious　grains　of　dust；　but　the　little　heap　on



that　dish　is　worth　the　price　of　a　kingdom　and　many



a　king　would　give　all　he　has　to　possess　it。　When



it　has　become　cooled　I　will　place　it　in　a　small



bottle；　but　meantime　I　must　watch　it　carefully；



lest　a　gust　of　wind　blow　it　away　or　scatter　it。'







Unc　Nunkie；　Margolotte　and　the　Magician



all　stood　looking　at　the　marvelous　Powder；　but



Ojo　was　more　interested　just　then　in　the　Patchwork



Girl's　brains。　Thinking　it　both　unfair　and　unkind



to　deprive　her　of　any　good　qualities　that　were



handy；　the　boy　took　down　every　bottle　on　the　shelf



and　poured　some　of　the　contents　in　Margolotte's



dish。　No　one　saw　him　do　this；　for　all　were　looking



at　the　Powder　of　Life；　but　soon　the　woman



remembered　what　she　had　been　doing；　and　came　back



to　the　cupboard。







〃Let's　see；〃　she　remarked；　〃I　was　about　to　give



my　girl　a　little　'Cleverness；'　which　is　the



Doctor's　substitute　for　'Intelligence'a　quality



he　has　not　yet　learned　how　to　manufacture。〃　Taking



down　the　bottle　of　〃Cleverness〃　she　added　some　of



the　powder　to　the　heap　on　the　dish。　Ojo　became　a



bit　uneasy　at　this；　for　he　had　already　put　quite



a　lot　of　the　〃Cleverness〃　powder　in　the　dish；　but



he　dared　not　interfere　and　so　he　comforted　himself



with　the　thought　that　one　cannot　have　too　much



cleverness。







Margolotte　now　carried　the　dish　of　brains　to



the　bench。　Ripping　the　seam　of　the　patch　on



the　girl's　forehead；　she　placed　the　powder　within



the　head　and　then　sewed　up　the　seam　as　neatly



and　securely　as　before。







〃My　girl　is　all　ready　for　your　Powder　of　Life；



my　dear；〃　she　said　to　her　husband。　But　the



Magician　replied：







〃This　powder　must　not　be　used　before　tomorrow



morning；　but　I　think　it　is　now　cool　enough　to　be



bottled。〃







He　selected　a　small　gold　bottle　with　a　pepper…



box　top；　so　that　the　powder　might　be　sprinkled　on



any　object　through　the　small　holes。　Very　carefully



he　placed　the　Powder　of　Life　in　the　gold　bottle



and　then　locked　it　up　in　a　drawer　of　his　cabinet。







〃At　last；〃　said　he；　rubbing　his　hands　together



gleefully；　〃I　have　ample　leisure　for　a　good　talk



with　my　old　friend　Unc　Nunkie。　So　let　us　sit



down　cosily　and　enjoy　ourselves。　After　stirring



those　four　kettles　for　six　years　I　am　glad　to



have　a　little　rest。〃







〃You　will　have　to　do　most　of　the　talking；〃



said　Ojo；　〃for　Unc　is　called　the　Silent　One　and



uses　few　words。〃







〃I　know；　but　that　renders　your　uncle　a



most　agreeable　companion　and　gossip；〃　declared



Dr。　Pipt。　〃M