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第33章

the patchwork girl of oz-第33章

小说: the patchwork girl of oz 字数: 每页3500字

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feeling in his pocket brought out a tiny vial of



crystal; which he held secreted in his hand。







Presently the Tin Woodman changed his



position; and at once Ojo; to the astonishment



of all; dropped to the floor and held his crystal



vial under the Emperor's knee joint。 Just then



the drop of oil fell; and they boy caught it in



his bottle and immediately corked it tight。 Then;



with a red face and embarrassed manner; he rose



to confront the others。







〃What in the world were you doing?〃 asked



the Tin Woodman。







〃I caught a drop of oil that fell from your



knee…joint;〃 confessed Ojo。







〃A drop of oil!〃 exclaimed the Tin Woodman。



〃Dear me; how careless my valet must have



been in oiling me this morning。 I'm afraid I



shall have to scold the fellow; for I can't be



dropping oil wherever I go。〃







〃Never mind;〃 said Dorothy。 Ojo seems glad



to have the oil; for some reason。〃







〃Yes;〃 declared the Munchkin boy; 〃I am



glad。 For one of the things the Crooked Magician



sent me to get was a drop of oil from a live man's



body。 I had no idea; at first; that there was such



a thing; but it's now safe in the little crystal



vial。〃







〃You are very welcome to it; indeed;〃 said



the Tin Woodman。 〃Have you now secured all



the things you were in search of?〃







〃Not quite all;〃 answered Ojo。 〃There were five



things I had to get; and I have found four of



them。 I have the three hairs in the tip of a



Woozy's tail; a six…leaved clover; a gill of water



from a dark well and a drop of oil from a live



man's body。 The last thing is the easiest of all



to get; and I'm sure that my dear Unc Nunkieand



good Margolotte; as wellwill soon be restored to



life。〃







The Munchkin boy said this with much pride and



pleasure。







〃Good!〃 exclaimed the Tin Woodman; 〃I



congratulate you。 But what is the fifth and last



thing you need; in order to complete the magic



charm?〃







〃The left wing of a yellow butterfly;〃 said



Ojo。 〃In this yellow country; and with your



kind assistance; that ought to be very easy to



find。〃







The Tin Woodman stared at him in amazement。







〃Surely you are joking!〃 he said。







〃No;〃 replied Ojo; much surprised; 〃I am in



earnest。〃







〃But do you think for a moment that I would



permit you; or anyone else; to pull the left wing



from a yellow butterfly?〃 demanded the Tin Woodman



sternly。







〃Why not; sir?〃







〃Why not? You ask me why not? It would be



cruelone of the most cruel and heartless deeds



I ever heard of;〃 asserted the Tin Woodman。



〃The butterflies are among the prettiest of all



created things; and they are very sensitive to



pain。 To tear a wing from one would cause it



exquisite torture and it would soon die in great



agony。 I would not permit such a wicked deed



under any circumstances!〃







Ojo was astounded at hearing this。 Dorothy; too;



looked grave and disconcerted; but she knew in her



heart that the Tin Woodman was right。 The



Scarecrow nodded his head in approval of his



friend's speech; so it was evident that he agreed



with the Emperor's decision。 Scraps looked from



one to another in perplexity。







〃Who cares for a butterfly?〃 she asked。







〃Don't you?〃 inquired the Tin Woodman。







〃Not the snap of a finger; for I have no heart;〃



said the Patchwork Girl。 〃But I want to help



Ojo; who is my friend; to rescue the uncle whom



he loves; and I'd kill a dozen useless butterflies



to enable him to do that。〃







The Tin Woodman sighed regretfully。







〃You have kind instincts;〃 he said; 〃and with a



heart you would indeed be a fine creature。 I



cannot blame you for your heartless remark; as you



cannot understand the feelings of those who



possess hearts。 I; for instance; have a very neat



and responsive heart which the wonderful Wizard



of Oz once gave me; and so I shall nevernever



never permit a poor yellow butterfly to be



tortured by anyone。〃







〃The yellow country of the Winkies;〃 said Ojo



sadly; 〃is the only place in Oz where a yellow



butterfly can be found。〃







〃I'm glad of that;〃 said the Tin Woodman。



〃As I rule the Winkie Country; I can protect



my butterflies。〃







Unless I get the wingjust one left wing〃



said Ojo miserably; 〃I can't save Unc Nunkie。〃







〃Then he must remain a marble statue forever;〃



declared the Tin Emperor; firmly。







Ojo wiped his eyes; for he could not hold back



the tears。







〃I'll tell you what to do;〃 said Scraps。 〃We'll



take a whole yellow butterfly; alive and well; to



the Crooked Magician; and let him pull the left



wing off。〃







〃No; you won't;〃 said the Tin Woodman。



〃You can't have one of my dear little butterflies



to treat in that way。







〃Then what in the world shall we do?〃 asked



Dorothy。







They all became silent and thoughtful。 No



one spoke for a long time。 Then the Tin Woodman



suddenly roused himself and said:







〃We must all go back to the Emerald City



and ask Ozma's advice。 She's a wise little girl;



our Ruler; and she may find a way to help Ojo



save his Unc Nunkie。〃







So the following morning the party started



on the journey to the Emerald City; which they



reached in due time without any important



adventure。 It was a sad journey for Ojo; for



without the wing of the yellow butterfly he saw



no way to save Unc Nunkieunless he waited



six years for the Crooked Magician to make a



new lot of the Powder of Life。 The boy was



utterly discouraged; and as he walked along he



groaned aloud。







〃Is anything hurting you?〃 inquired the Tin



Woodman in a kindly tone; for the Emperor



was with the party。







〃I'm Ojo the Unlucky;〃 replied the boy。 〃I



might have known I would fail in anything



I tried to do。〃







〃Why are you Ojo the Unlucky?〃 asked the tin



man。







〃Because I was born on a Friday。〃







〃Friday is not unlucky;〃 declared the Emperor。



〃It's just one of seven days。 Do you suppose all



the world becomes unlucky one…seventh of the



time?〃







〃It was the thirteenth day of the month;〃 said



Ojo。







〃Thirteen! Ah; that is indeed a lucky number;〃



replied the Tin Woodman。 〃All my good luck seems



to happen on the thirteenth。 I suppose most



people never notice the good luck that comes to



them with the number 13; and yet if the least bit



of bad luck falls on that day; they blame it to



the number; and not to the proper cause。〃







〃Thirteen's my lucky number; too;〃 remarked the



Scarecrow







〃And mine;〃 said Scraps。 〃I've just thirteen



patches on my head。〃







〃But;〃 continued Ojo; 〃I'm left…handed。〃







〃Many of our greatest men are that way;〃



asserted the Emperor。 〃To be left…handed is



usually to be two…handed; the right…handed people



are usually one…handed。〃







〃And I've a wart under my right arm;〃 said Ojo。







〃How lucky!〃 cried the Tin Woodman。 〃If



it were on the end of your nose it might be



unlucky; but under your arm it is luckily out



of the way。〃







〃For all those reasons;〃 said the Munchkin



boy; 〃I have been called Ojo the Unlucky。〃







〃Then we must turn over a new leaf and call you



henceforth Ojo the Lucky;〃 declared the tin man。



〃Every reason you have given is absurd。 But I have



noticed that those who continually dread ill luck



and fear it will overtake them; have no time to



take advantage of any good fortune that comes



their way。 Make up your mind to be Ojo the



Lucky。〃







〃How can I?〃 asked the boy; 〃when all my



attempts to save my dear uncle have failed?〃







〃Never give up; Ojo;〃 advised Dorothy。 〃No



one ever knows what's going to happen next。〃







Ojo did not reply; but he was so dejected that



even their arrival at the Emerald City failed to



interest him。







The people joyfully cheered the appearance of



the Tin Woodman; the Scarecrow and Dorothy; who



were all three general favorites; and on entering



the royal palace word came to them from Ozma that



she would at once grant them an audience。







Dorothy told the girl Ruler how successful



they had been in their quest until they came to



the item of the yellow butterfly; which the Tin



Woodman positively refused to sacrifice to the



magic potion。







〃He is quite right;〃 said Ozma; who did not seem



a bit surprised。 〃Had Ojo told me that one of the



things he sought was the wing of a yellow



butterfly I would have informed him; before he



started out; that he could never secure it。 Then



you would have been saved the troubles and



annoyances of your long journey。〃







〃I didn't mind the journey at all;〃 said



Dorothy; 〃it was fun。〃







〃As it has turned out;〃 remarked Ojo; 〃I can



never get the things the Crooked Magician sent



me for; and so; unless I wait the six years for



him to make the Powder of Life; Unc Nunkie



cannot be saved。〃







Ozma smiled。







〃Dr。 Pipt will make no more Powder of Life;



I promise you;〃 said she。 〃I have sent for him



and had him brought to this palace; where he



now is; and his four kettles have been destroyed



and his book of recipes burned up。 I have also



had brought here the marble statues of your



uncle and of Margolotte; which are standing in



the next room。







They were all greatly astonished at this



announcement。







〃Oh; let me see Unc Nunkie! Let me see him



at once; please!〃 cried Ojo eagerly。







〃Wait a moment;〃 replied Ozma; 〃for I have



something more to say。 Nothing that happens



in the Land of Oz escapes the notice of our wise



Sorceress; Glinda the Good。 She knew all about



the magic…making of Dr。 Pipt; and how he had



brought the Glass Cat and the Patchwork Girl



to life; and the accident to Unc Nunkie and



Margolotte; and of Ojo's quest and his journey



with Dorothy。 Glinda also knew that Ojo would



fail to find all the things he sought; so she sent



for our Wizard and instructed him what to do。



Something is going to hap

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