the patchwork girl of oz-第30章

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and　passed　him　down　to　Dorothy；　who　in　turn



lowered　him　to　the　Patchwork　Girl。







As　soon　as　he　was　on　his　feet　and　standing



on　solid　ground　the　Scarecrow　said：







〃Much　obliged。　I　feel　much　better。　I'm　not



stuck　on　that　picket　any　more。〃







The　Horners　began　to　laugh；　thinking　this



was　a　joke；　but　the　Scarecrow　shook　himself　and







patted　his　straw　a　little　and　said　to　Dorothy：



〃Is　there　much　of　a　hole　in　my　back？〃







The　little　girl　examined　him　carefully。







〃There's　quite　a　hole；〃　she　said。　〃But　I've　got



a　needle　and　thread　in　the　knapsack　and　I'll　sew



you　up　again。〃







〃Do　so；〃　he　begged　earnestly；　and　again　the



Hoppers　laughed；　to　the　Scarecrow's　great



annoyance。







While　Dorothy　was　sewing　up　the　hole　in



the　straw　man's　back　Scraps　examined　the　other



parts　of　him。







〃One　of　his　legs　is　ripped；　too！〃　she　exclaimed。







〃Oho！〃　cried　little　Diksey；　〃that's　bad。　Give



him　the　needle　and　thread　and　let　him　mend



his　ways。〃







〃Ha；　ha；　ha！〃　laughed　the　Chief；　and　the



other　Homers　at　once　roared　with　laughter。







〃What's　funny？〃　inquired　the　Scarecrow　sternly。







〃Don't　you　see？〃　asked　Diksey；　who　had



laughed　even　harder　than　the　others。　〃That's　a



joke。　It's　by　odds　the　best　joke　I　ever　made。



You　walk　with　your　legs；　and　so　that's　the　way



you　walk；　and　your　legs　are　the　ways。　See？　So；



when　you　mend　your　legs；　you　mend　your　ways。



Ho；　ho；　ho！　hee；　hee！　I'd　no　idea　I　could　make



such　a　fine　joke！〃







〃Just　wonderful！〃　echoed　the　Chief。　〃How　do　you



manage　to　do　it；　Diksey？〃







〃I　don't　know；〃　said　Diksey　modestly。　〃Perhaps



it's　the　radium；　but　I　rather　think　it's　my



splendid　intellect。〃







If　you　don't　quit　it；〃　the　Scarecrow　told　him；



〃there'll　be　a　worse　war　than　the　one　you've



escaped　from。〃







Ojo　had　been　deep　in　thought；　and　now　he



asked　the　Chief：　〃Is　there　a　dark　well　in　any



part　of　your　country？〃







〃A　dark　well？　None　that　ever　I　heard　of；〃　was



the　answer。







〃Oh；　yes；〃　said　Diksey；　who　overheard　the



boy's　question。　〃There's　a　very　dark　well　down



in　my　radium　mine。〃







〃Is　there　any　water　in　it？〃　Ojo　eagerly　asked。







〃Can't　say；　I've　never　looked　to　see。　But　we



can　find　out。〃







So；　as　soon　as　the　Scarecrow　was　mended；



they　decided　to　go　with　Diksey　to　the　mine。



When　Dorothy　had　patted　the　straw　man　into



shape　again　he　declared　he　felt　as　good　as　new



and　equal　to　further　adventures。







〃Still；〃　said　he；　〃I　prefer　not　to　do　picket



duty　again。　High　life　doesn't　seem　to　agree　with



my　constitution。〃　And　then　they　hurried　away



to　escape　the　laughter　of　the　Homers；　who



thought　this　was　another　joke。



















Chapter　Twenty…Four







Ojo　Finds　the　Darkwell











They　now　followed　Diksey　to　the　farther　end　of



the　great　cave；　beyond　the　Horner　city；　where



there　were　several　round；　dark　holes　leading　into



the　ground　in　a　slanting　direction。　Diksey　went　to



one　of　these　holes　and　said：







〃Here　is　the　mine　in　which　lies　the　dark　well



you　are　seeking。　Follow　me　and　step　care　fully　and



I'll　lead　you　to　the　place。〃







He　went　in　first　and　after　him　came　Ojo；　and



then　Dorothy；　with　the　Scarecrow　behind　her。



The　Patchwork　Girl　entered　last　of　all；　for　Toto



kept　close　beside　his　little　mistress。







A　few　steps　beyond　the　mouth　of　the　opening　it



was　pitch　dark。　〃You　won't　lose　your　way；　though；〃



said　the　Homer；　〃for　there's　only　one　way　to　go。



The　mine's　mine　and　I　know　every　step　of　the　way。



How's　that　for　a　joke；　eh？　The　mine's　mine。〃　Then



he　chuckled　gleefully　as　they　followed　him



silently　down　the　steep　slant。　The　hole　was　just



big　enough　to　permit　them　to　walk　upright；



although　the　Scarecrow；　being　much　the　taller　of



the　party；　often　had　to　bend　his　head　to　keep　from



hitting　the　top。







The　floor　of　the　tunnel　was　difficult　to　walk



upon　because　it　had　been　worn　smooth　as　glass；　and



pretty　soon　Scraps；　who　was　some　distance　behind



the　others；　slipped　and　fell　head　foremost。　At



once　she　began　to　slide　downward；　so　swiftly　that



when　she　came　to　the　Scarecrow　she　knocked　him　off



his　feet　and　sent　him　tumbling　against　Dorothy；



who　tripped　up　Ojo。　The　boy　fell　against　the



Horner；　so　that　all　went　tumbling　down　the　slide



in　a　regular　mix…up；　unable　to　see　where　they　were



going　because　of　the　darkness。







Fortunately；　when　they　reached　the　bottom　the



Scarecrow　and　Scraps　were　in　front；　and　the　others



bumped　against　them；　so　that　no　one　was　hurt。　They



found　themselves　in　a　vast　cave　which　was　dimly



lighted　by　the　tiny　grains　of　radium　that　lay



scattered　among　the　loose　rocks。







〃Now；〃　said　Diksey；　when　they　had　all　re



gained　their　feet；　〃I　will　show　you　where　the



dark　well　is。　This　is　a　big　place；　but　if　we　hold



fast　to　each　other　we　won't　get　lost。〃







They　took　hold　of　hands　and　the　Homer　led



them　into　a　dark　corner；　where　he　halted。







〃Be　careful；〃　said　he　warningly。　〃The　well　is



at　your　feet。〃







〃All　right；〃　replied　Ojo；　and　kneeling　down



he　felt　in　the　well　with　his　hand　and　found



that　it　contained　a　quantity　of　water。　〃Where's



the　gold　flask；　Dorothy？〃　he　asked；　and　the



little　girl　handed　him　the　flask；　which　she　had



brought　with　her。







Ojo　knelt　again　and　by　feeling　carefully　in



the　dark　managed　to　fill　the　flask　with　the



unseen　water　that　was　in　the　well。　Then　he



screwed　the　top　of　the　flask　firmly　in　place　and



put　the　precious　water　in　his　pocket。







〃All　right！〃　he　said　again；　in　a　glad　voice；



〃now　we　can　go　back。〃







They　returned　to　the　mouth　of　the　tunnel　and



began　to　creep　cautiously　up　the　incline。　This



time　they　made　Scraps　stay　behind；　for　fear　she



would　slip　again；　but　they　all　managed　to　get　up



in　safety　and　the　Munchkin　boy　was　very　happy　when



he　stood　in　the　Horner　city　and　realized　that　the



water　from　the　dark　well；　which　he　and　his　friends



had　traveled　so　far　to　secure；　was　safe　in　his



jacket　pocket。



















Chapter　Twenty…Five







They　Bribe　the　Lazy　Quadling











〃Now；〃　said　Dorothy；　as　they　stood　on　the　mountain



path；　having　left　behind　them　the　cave　in　which



dwelt　the　Hoppers　and　the　Horners；　〃I　think　we



must　find　a　road　into　the　Country　of　the　Winkies；



for　there　is　where　Ojo　wants　to　go　next。〃







〃Is　there　such　a　road？〃　asked　the　Scarecrow。







〃I　don't　know；〃　she　replied。　〃I　s'pose　we　can　go



back　the　way　we　came；　to　Jack　Pumpkinhead's　house；



and　then　turn　into　the　Winkie　Country；　but　that



seems　like　running　'round　a　haystack；　doesn't　it？〃







〃Yes；〃　said　the　Scarecrow。　〃What　is　the　next



thing　Ojo　must　get？〃







〃A　yellow　butterfly；〃　answered　the　boy。







〃That　means　the　Winkie　Country；　all　right；



for　it's　the　yellow　country　of　Oz；〃　remarked



Dorothy。　〃I　think；　Scarecrow；　we　ought　to　take



him　to　the　Tin　Woodman；　for　he's　the　Emp'ror



of　the　Winkies　and　will　help　us　to　find　what



Ojo　wants。〃







〃Of　course；〃　replied　the　Scarecrow；　brightening



at　the　suggestion。　〃The　Tin　Woodman　will　do



anything　we　ask　him；　for　he's　one　of　my　dearest



friends。　I　believe　we　can　take　a　crosscut　into　his



country　and　so　get　to　his　castle　a　day　sooner



than　if　we　travel　back　the　way　we　came。〃







〃I　think　so；　too；〃　said　the　girl；　〃and　that　means



we　must　keep　to　the　left。〃







They　were　obliged　to　go　down　the　mountain　before



they　found　any　path　that　led　in　the　direction　they



wanted　to　go；　but　among　the　tumbled　rocks　at　the



foot　of　the　mountain　was　a　faint　trail　which　they



decided　to　follow。　Two　or　three　hours　walk　along



this　trail　brought　them　to　a　clear；　level　country；



where　there　were　a　few　farms　and　some　scattered



houses。　But　they　knew　they　were　still　in　the



Country　of　the　Quadlings；　because　everything　had　a



bright　red　color。　Not　that　the　trees　and　grasses



were　red；　but　the　fences　and　houses　were　painted



that　color　and　all　the　wild…flowers　that　bloomed



by　the　wayside　had　red　blossoms。　This　part　of　the



Quadling　Country　seemed　peaceful　and　prosperous；



if　rather　lonely；　and　the　road　was　more　distinct



and　easier　to　follow。







But　just　as　they　were　congratulating　themselves



upon　the　progress　they　had　made　they　came　upon　a



broad　river　which　swept　along　between　high　banks；



and　here　the　road　ended　and　there　was　no　bridge　of



any　sort　to　allow　them　to　cross。







〃This　is　queer；〃　mused　Dorothy；　looking　at



the　water　reflectively。　〃Why　should　there　be



any　road；　if　the　river　stops　everyone　walking



along　it？〃







〃Wow！〃　said　Toto；　gazing　earnestly　into　her



face。







〃That's　the　best　answer　you'll　get；〃　declared



the　Scarecrow；　with　his　comical　smile；　〃for　no



one　knows　any　more　than　Toto　about　this　road。〃







Said　Scraps：











〃Ev'ry　time　I　see　a　river；



I　have　chills　that　make　me　shiver；



For　I　never　can　forget



All　the　water's　very　wet。



If　my　patches　get　a　soak



It　will　be　a　sorry　joke；



So　to　swim　I'll　never　try



Till　I　find　the　water　dry。〃











〃Try　to　control　yourself；　Scraps；〃　said　Ojo；



you　re　getting　crazy　again。　No　one　intends　to　swim



that　river。〃







〃No；〃　decided　Dorothy；　〃we　couldn't　swim　it



if　we　tried。　It's　too　big　a　river；　and　the　water



moves　awful　fast。〃







〃There　ought　to　be　a　ferryman　with　a　boat；〃



said　the　Scarecrow；　〃but　I　don't　see　any。〃







〃Couldn't　we　make　a　raft？〃　suggested　Ojo。







〃There's　nothing　to　make　one　of；〃　answered



Dorothy。







〃Wow！〃　said　Toto　again；　and　Dorothy　saw　he



was　looking　along　the　bank　of　the　river。







〃Why；　he　sees　a　house　over　there！〃　cried　the



little　girl。　〃I　wonder　we　didn't　notice　it



ourselves。　Let's　go　and　ask　the　people　how　to



get　'cross　the　river。〃







A　quarter　of　a　mile　along　the　bank　stood　a



small；　round　house；　painted　bright　red；　and　as



it　was　on　their　side　of　the　river　they　hurried



toward　it。　A　chubby　little　man；　dressed　all　in