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第6章

the patchwork girl of oz-第6章

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Dr。 Pipt experimented on me with the first



magic Powder of Life he ever made; and so



far I've never broken or cracked or chipped any



part of me。〃







〃You seem to have a chip on your shoulder;〃



laughed the Patchwork Girl; and the cat went



to the mirror to see。







〃Tell me;〃 pleaded Ojo; speaking to the



Crooked Magician; 〃what must we find to make



the compound that will save Unc Nunkie?〃







〃First;〃 was the reply; 〃I must have a six…



leaved clover。 That can only be found in the green



country around the Emerald City; and six…leaved



clovers are very scarce; even there。〃







〃I'll find it for you;〃 promised Ojo。







〃The next thing;〃 continued the Magician;



〃is the left wing of a yellow butterfly。 That



color can only be found in the yellow country



of the Winkies; West of the Emerald City。〃







〃I'll find it;〃 declared Ojo。 〃Is that all?〃







〃Oh; no; I'll get my Book of Recipes and see



what comes next。〃







Saying this; the Magician unlocked a drawer



of his cabinet and drew out a small book covered



with blue leather。 Looking through the pages



he found the recipe he wanted and said: 〃I



must have a gill of water from a dark well。〃







〃What kind of a well is that; sir?〃 asked the



boy。







〃One where the light of day never penetrates。



The water must be put in a gold bottle and brought



to me without any light ever reaching it。







〃I'll get the water from the dark well;〃 said



Ojo。







〃Then I must have three hairs from the tip



of a Woozy's tail; and a drop of oil from a live



man's body。〃







Ojo looked grave at this。







〃What is a Woozy; please?〃 he inquired。







〃Some sort of an animal。 I've never seen one;



so I can't describe it;〃 replied the Magician。







〃If I can find a Woozy; I'll get the hairs from



its tail;〃 said Ojo。 〃But is there ever any oil in a



man's body?〃







The Magician looked in the book again; to make



sure。







〃That's what the recipe calls for;〃 he replied;



〃and of course we must get everything that is



called for; or the charm won't work。 The book



doesn't say 'blood'; it says 'oil;' and there must



be oil somewhere in a live man's body or the



book wouldn't ask for it。〃







〃All right;〃 returned Ojo; trying not to feel



discouraged; 〃I'll try to find it。〃







The Magician looked at the little Munchkin



boy in a doubtful way and said:







〃All this will mean a long journey for you;



perhaps several long journeys; for you must search



through several of the different countries of Oz



in order to get the things I need。〃







〃I know it; sir; but I must do my best to save



Unc Nunkie。〃







〃And also my poor wife Margolotte。 If you save



one you will save the other; for both stand there



together and the same compound will restore them



both to life。 Do the best you can; Ojo; and while



you are gone I shall begin the six years job of



making a new batch of the Powder of Life。 Then; if



you should unluckily fail to secure any one of the



things needed; I will have lost no time。 But if



you succeed you must return here as quickly as you



can; and that will save me much tiresome stirring



of four kettles with both feet and both hands。〃







〃I will start on my journey at once; sir;〃 said



the boy。







〃And I will go with you;〃 declared the Patchwork



Girl。







〃No; no!〃 exclaimed the Magician。 〃You have no



right to leave this house。 You are only a servant



and have not been discharged。〃







Scraps; who had been dancing up and down



the room; stopped and looked at him。







〃What is a servant?〃 she asked。







〃One who serves。 Aa Sort of slave;〃 he



explained。







〃Very well;〃 said the Patchwork Girl; 〃I'm going



to serve you and your wife by helping Ojo find the



things you need。 You need a lot; you know; such as



are not easily found。〃







〃It is true;〃 sighed Dr。 Pipt。 〃I am well aware



that Ojo has undertaken a serious task。〃







Scraps laughed; and resuming her dance she said:











〃Here's a job for a boy of brains:



A drop of oil from a live man's veins;



A six…leaved clover; three nice hairs



From a Woozy's tail; the book declares



Are needed for the magic spell;



And water from a pitch…dark well。



The yellow wing of a butterfly



To find must Ojo also try;



And if he gets them without harm;



Doc Pipt will make the magic charm;



But if he doesn't get 'em; Unc



Will always stand a marble chunk。〃











The Magician looked at her thoughtfully。







〃Poor Margolotte must have given you some of the



quality of poesy; by mistake;〃 he said。 〃And; if



that is true; I didn't make a very good article



when I prepared it; or else you got an overdose or



an underdose。 However; I believe I shall let you



go with Ojo; for my poor wife will not need your



services until she is restored to life。 Also I



think you may be able to help the boy; for your



head seems to contain some thoughts I did not



expect to find in it。 But be very careful of



yourself; for you're a souvenir of my dear



Margolotte。 Try not to get ripped; or your



stuffing may fall out。 One of your eyes seems



loose; and you may have to sew it on tighter。 If



you talk too much you'll wear out your scarlet



plush tongue; which ought to have been hemmed on



the edges。 And remember you belong to me and must



return here as soon as your mission is



accomplished。〃







〃I'm going with Scraps and Ojo;〃 announced



the Glass Cat。







〃You can't;〃 said the Magician。







〃Why not?〃







〃You'd get broken in no time; and you



couldn't be a bit of use to the boy and the



Patchwork Girl。〃







〃I beg to differ with you;〃 returned the cat;



in a haughty tone。 〃Three heads are better



than two; and my pink brains are beautiful。



You can see em work。〃







〃Well; go along;〃 said the Magician; irritably。



〃You're only an annoyance; anyhow; and I'm glad to



get rid of you。〃







〃Thank you for nothing; then;〃 answered the cat;



stiffly。







Dr。 Pipt took a small basket from a cupboard



and packed several things in it。 Then he handed



it to Ojo。







〃Here is some food and a bundle of charms;〃 he



said。 〃It is all I can give you; but I am sure you



will find friends on your journey who will assist



you in your search。 Take care of the Patchwork



Girl and bring her safely back; for she ought to



prove useful to my wife。 As for the Glass Cat



properly named Bungleif she bothers you I now



give you my permission to break her in two; for



she is not respectful and does not obey me。 I made



a mistake in giving her the pink brains; you see。







Then Ojo went to Unc Nunkie and kissed the old



man's marble face very tenderly。







〃I'm going to try to save you; Unc;〃 he said;



just as if the marble image could hear him; and



then he shook the crooked hand of the Crooked



Magician; who was already busy hanging the four



kettles in the fireplace; and picking up his



basket left the house。







The Patchwork Girl followed him; and after



them came the Glass Cat。



















Chapter Six







The Journey











Ojo had never traveled before and so he only knew



that the path down the mountainside led into the



open Munchkin Country; where large numbers of



people dwelt。 Scraps was quite new and not



supposed to know anything of the Land of Oz; while



the Glass Cat admitted she had never wandered very



far away from the Magician's house。 There was only



one path before them; at the beginning; so they



could not miss their way; and for a time they



walked through the thick forest in silent thought;



each one impressed with the importance of the



adventure they had undertaken。







Suddenly the Patchwork Girl laughed。 It was



funny to see her laugh; because her cheeks



wrinkled up; her nose tipped; her silver button



eyes twinkled and her mouth curled at the



corners in a comical way。







〃Has something pleased you?〃 asked Ojo; who was



feeling solemn and joyless through thinking upon



his uncle's sad fate。







〃Yes;〃 she answered。 〃Your world pleases me; for



it's a queer world; and life in it is queerer



still。 Here am I; made from an old bedquilt and



intended to be a slave to Margolotte; rendered



free as air by an accident that none of you could



foresee。 I am enjoying life and seeing the world;



while the woman who made me is standing helpless



as a block of wood。 If that isn't funny enough to



laugh at; I don't know what is。〃







〃You're not seeing much of the world yet;



my poor; innocent Scraps;〃 remarked the Cat。



〃The world doesn't consist wholly of the trees



that are on all sides of us。〃







〃But they're part of it; and aren't they pretty



trees?〃 returned Scraps; bobbing her head until



her brown yarn curls fluttered in the breeze。



〃Growing between them I can see lovely ferns



and wild…flowers; and soft green mosses。 If the



rest of your world is half as beautiful I shall be



glad I'm alive。〃







〃I don't know what the rest of the world is



like; I'm sure;〃 said the cat; 〃but I mean to



find out。〃







〃I have never been out of the forest;〃 Ojo



added; 〃but to me the trees are gloomy and sad



and the wild…flowers seem lonesome。 It must be



nicer where there are no trees and there is room



for lots of people to live together。〃







〃I wonder if any of the people we shall meet



will be as splendid as I am;〃 said the Patchwork



Girl。 〃All I have seen; so far; have pale;



colorless skins and clothes as blue as the country



they live in; while I am of many gorgeous colors



face and body and clothes。 That is why I am bright



and contented; Ojo; while you are blue and sad。〃







〃I think I made a mistake in giving you so many



sorts of brains;〃 observed the boy。 〃Perhaps; as



the Magician said; you have an over…dose; and they



may not agree with you。〃







〃What had you to do with my brains?〃 asked



Scraps。







〃A lot;〃 replied Ojo

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