the patchwork girl of oz-第7章

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



Scraps。







〃A　lot；〃　replied　Ojo。　〃Old　Margolotte　meant



to　give　you　only　a　fewjust　enough　to　keep



you　goingbut　when　she　wasn't　looking　I　added



a　good　many　more；　of　the　best　kinds　I　could



find　in　the　Magician's　cupboard。〃







〃Thanks；〃　said　the　girl；　dancing　along　the



path　ahead　of　Ojo　and　then　dancing　back　to　his



side。　〃If　a　few　brains　are　good；　many　brains



must　be　better。〃







〃But　they　ought　to　be　evenly　balanced；〃　said　the



boy；　〃and　I　had　no　time　to　be　careful。　From　the



way　you're　acting；　I　guess　the　dose　was　badly



mixed。〃







〃Scraps　hasn't　enough　brains　to　hurt　her；　so



don't　worry；〃　remarked　the　cat；　which　was　trotting



along　in　a　very　dainty　and　graceful　manner。　〃The



only　brains　worth　considering　are　mine；　which　are



pink。　You　can　see　'em　work。〃







After　walking　a　long　time　they　came　to　a　little



brook　that　trickled　across　the　path；　and　here　Ojo



sat　down　to　rest　and　eat　something　from　his



basket。　He　found　that　the　Magician　had　given　him



part　of　a　loaf　of　bread　and　a　slice　of　cheese。　He



broke　off　some　of　the　bread　and　was　surprised　to



find　the　loaf　just　as　large　as　it　was　before。　It



was　the　same　way　with　the　cheese：　however　much　he



broke　off　from　the　slice；　it　remained　exactly　the



same　size。







〃Ah；〃　said　he；　nodding　wisely；　〃that's　magic。



Dr。　Pipt　has　enchanted　the　bread　and　the　cheese；



so　it　will　last　me　all　through　my　journey；　however



much　I　eat。〃







〃Why　do　you　put　those　things　into　your　mouth？〃



asked　Scraps；　gazing　at　him　in　astonishment。　〃Do



you　need　more　stuffing？　Then　why　don't　you　use



cotton；　such　as　I　am　stuffed　with？〃







〃I　don't　need　that　kind；〃　said　Ojo。







〃But　a　mouth　is　to　talk　with；　isn't　it？〃







〃It　is　also　to　eat　with；〃　replied　the　boy。　〃If　I



didn't　put　food　into　my　mouth；　and　eat　it；　I　would



get　hungry　and　starve。







〃Ah；　I　didn't　know　that；〃　she　said。　〃Give　me



some。〃







Ojo　handed　her　a　bit　of　the　bread　and　she　put　it



in　her　mouth。







〃What　next？〃　she　asked；　scarcely　able　to　speak。







〃Chew　it　and　swallow　it；〃　said　the　boy。







Scraps　tried　that。　Her　pearl　teeth　were　unable



to　chew　the　bread　and　beyond　her　mouth　there　was



no　opening。　Being　unable　to　swallow　she　threw　away



the　bread　and　laughed。







〃I　must　get　hungry　and　starve；　for　I　can't　eat；〃



she　said。







〃Neither　can　I；〃　announced　the　cat；　〃but　I'm



not　fool　enough　to　try。　Can't　you　understand



that　you　and　I　are　superior　people　and　not　made



like　these　poor　humans？〃







〃Why　should　I　understand　that；　or　anything



else？〃　asked　the　girl。　〃Don't　bother　my　head　by



asking　conundrums；　I　beg　of　you。　Just　let　me



discover　myself　in　my　own　way。〃







With　this　she　began　amusing　herself　by　leaping



across　the　brook　and　hack　again。







〃Be　careful；　or　you'll　fall　in　the　water；〃



warned　Ojo。







〃Never　mind。〃







〃You'd　better。　If　you　get　wet　you'll　be　soggy



and　can't　walk。　Your　colors　might　run；　too；〃



he　said。







〃Don't　my　colors　run　whenever　I　run？〃　she　asked。







〃Not　in　the　way　I　mean。　If　they　get　wet；　the



reds　and　greens　and　yellows　and　purples　of　your



patches　might　run　into　each　other　and　become



just　a　blurno　color　at　all；　you　know。〃







〃Then；〃　said　the　Patchwork　Girl；　〃I'll　be



careful；　for　if　I　spoiled　my　splendid　colors　I



would　cease　to　be　beautiful。〃







〃Pah！〃　sneered　the　Glass　Cat；　〃such　colors　are



not　beautiful；　they're　ugly；　and　in　bad　taste。



Please　notice　that　my　body　has　no　color　at　all。



I'm　transparent；　except　for　my　exquisite　red　heart



and　my　lovely　pink　brainsyou　can　see　'em　work。〃







〃Shoo…shoo…shoo！〃　cried　Scraps；　dancing



around　and　laughing。　〃And　your　horrid　green　eyes；



Miss　Bungle！　You　can't　see　your　eyes；　but　we　can；



and　I　notice　you're　very　proud　of　what　little



color　you　have。　Shoo；　Miss　Bungle；　shoo…shoo…shoo！



If　you　were　all　colors　and　many　colors；　as　I　am；



you'd　be　too　stuck　up　for　anything。〃　She　leaped



over　the　cat　and　back　again；　and　the　startled



Bungle　crept　close　to　a　tree　to　escape　her。　This



made　Scraps　laugh　more　heartily　than　ever；　and　she



said：











〃Whoop…tedoodle…doo！



The　cat　has　lost　her　shoe。



Her　tootsie's　bare；　but　she　don't　care；



So　what's　the　odds　to　you？〃















〃Dear　me；　Ojo；〃　said　the　cat；　〃don't　you　think



the　creature　is　a　little　bit　crazy？〃







〃It　may　be；〃　he　answered；　with　a　puzzled　look。







〃If　she　continues　her　insults　I'll　scratch　off



her　suspender…button　eyes；〃　declared　the　cat。







〃Don't　quarrel；　please；〃　pleaded　the　boy；　rising



to　resume　the　journey。　〃Let　us　be　good　comrades



and　as　happy　and　cheerful　as　possible；　for　we　are



likely　to　meet　with　plenty　of　trouble　on　our　way。〃







It　was　nearly　sundown　when　they　came　to　the　edge



of　the　forest　and　saw　spread　out　before　them　a



delightful　landscape。　There　were　broad　blue　fields



stretching　for　miles　over　the　valley；　which　was



dotted　everywhere　with　pretty；　blue　domed　houses；



none　of　which；　however；　was　very　near　to　the　place



where　they　stood。　Just　at　the　point　where　the　path



left　the　forest　stood　a　tiny　house　covered　with



leaves　from　the　trees；　and　before　this　stood　a



Munchkin　man　with　an　axe　in　his　hand。　He　seemed



very　much　surprised　when　Ojo　and　Scraps　and　the



Glass　Cat　came　out　of　the　woods；　but　as　the



Patchwork　Girl　approached　nearer　he　sat　down　upon



a　bench　and　laughed　so　hard　that　he　could　not



speak　for　a　long　time。







This　man　was　a　woodchopper　and　lived　all　alone



in　the　little　house。　He　had　bushy　blue　whiskers



and　merry　blue　eyes　and　his　blue　clothes　were　quite



old　and　worn。







〃Mercy　me！〃　exclaimed　the　woodchopper；　when　at



last　he　could　stop　laughing。　〃Who　would　think　such



a　funny　harlequin　lived　in　the　Land　of　Oz？　Where



did　you　come　from；　Crazy…quilt？〃







〃Do　you　mean　me？〃　asked　the　Patchwork　Girl。







〃Of　course；〃　he　replied。







〃You　misjudge　my　ancestry。　I'm　not　a　crazy…



quilt；　I'm　patchwork；〃　she　said。







〃There's　no　difference；〃　he　replied；　beginning



to　laugh　again。　〃When　my　old　grandmother　sews　such



things　together　she　calls　it　a　crazy…quilt；　but　I



never　thought　such　a　jumble　could　come　to　life。〃







〃It　was　the　Magic　Powder　that　did　it；〃　explained



Ojo。







〃Oh；　then　you　have　come　from　the　Crooked



Magician　on　the　mountain。　I　might　have　known　it；



forWell；　I　declare！　here's　a　glass　cat。　But　the



Magician　will　get　in　trouble　for　this；　it's



against　the　law　for　anyone　to　work　magic　except



Glinda　the　Good　and　the　royal　Wizard　of　Oz。　If　you



peopleor　thingsor　glass　spectaclesor　crazy…



quiltsor　whatever　you　are；　go　near　the　Emerald



City；　you'll　be　arrested。〃







〃We're　　going　　there；　　anyhow；〃　　declared



Scraps；　sitting　upon　the　bench　and　swinging　her



stuffed　legs。











〃If　any　of　us　takes　a　rest；



We'll　be　arrested　sure；



And　get　no　restitution



'Cause　the　rest　we　must　endure。〃











〃I　see；〃　said　the　woodchopper；　nodding；　〃you're



as　crazy　as　the　crazy…quilt　you're　made　of。〃







〃She　really　is　crazy；〃　remarked　the　Glass　Cat。



〃But　that　isn't　to　he　wondered　at　when　you



remember　how　many　different　things　she's　made　of。



For　my　part；　I'm　made　of　pure　glassexcept　my



jewel　heart　and　my　pretty　pink　brains。　Did　you



notice　my　brains；　stranger？　You　can　see　em　work。〃







〃So　I　can；〃　replied　the　woodchopper；　〃but　I



can't　see　that　they　accomplish　much。　A　glass　cat



is　a　useless　sort　of　thing；　but　a　Patchwork　Girl



is　really　useful。　She　makes　me　laugh；　and　laughter



is　the　best　thing　in　life。　There　was　once　a



woodchopper；　a　friend　of　mine；　who　was　made　all　of



tin；　and　I　used　to　laugh　every　time　I　saw　him。〃







〃A　tin　woodchopper？〃　said　Ojo。　〃That　is



strange。〃







〃My　friend　wasn't　always　tin；〃　said　the　man；



〃but　he　was　careless　with　his　axe；　and　used　to



chop　himself　very　badly。　Whenever　he　lost　an　arm



or　a　leg　he　had　it　replaced　with　tin；　so　after　a



while　he　was　all　tin。〃







〃And　could　he　chop　wood　then？〃　asked　the　boy。







〃He　could　if　he　didn't　rust　his　tin　joints。　But



one　day　he　met　Dorothy　in　the　forest　and　went　with



her　to　the　Emerald　City；　where　he　made　his



fortune。　He　is　now　one　of　the　favorites　of



Princess　Ozma；　and　she　has　made　him　the　Emperor　of



the　Winkiesthe　Country　where　all　is　yellow。〃







〃Who　is　Dorothy？〃　inquired　the　Patchwork　Girl。







〃A　little　maid　who　used　to　live　in　Kansas；　but



is　now　a　Princess　of　Oz。　She's　Ozma's　best



friend；　they　say；　and　lives　with　her　in　the　royal



palace。〃







〃Is　Dorothy　made　of　tin？〃　inquired　Ojo。







〃Is　she　patchwork；　like　me？〃　inquired　Scraps。







〃No；〃　said　the　man；　〃Dorothy　is　flesh；　just　as　I



am。　I　know　of　only　one　tin　person；　and　that　is



Nick　Chopper；　the　Tin　Woodman；　and　there　will



never　be　but　one　Patchwork　Girl；　for　any　magician



that　sees　you　will　refuse　to　make　another　one　like



you。〃







〃I　suppose　we　shall　see　the　Tin　Woodman；　for　we



are　going　to　the　Country　of　the　Winkies；〃　said　the



boy。







〃What　for？〃　asked　the　woodchopper。







〃To　get　the　left　wing　of　a　yellow　butterfly。〃







〃It　is　a　long　journey；〃　declared　the　man；　〃and



you　will　go　through　lonely　parts　of　Oz　and　cross



rivers　and　traverse　dark　forests　before　you　get



there。〃







〃Suits　me　all　right；〃　said　Scraps。　〃I'll　get　a



chance　to　see　the　country。〃







〃You're　crazy；　girl。　Better　crawl　into　a　rag…bag



and　hide　there；　or　give　yourself　to　some　little



girl　to　play　with。　Those　who　travel　are　likely　to



meet　trouble；　that's　why　I　stay　at　home。〃







The　woodchopper　then　invited　them　all　to



stay　the　night　at　his　little　hut；　but　they　were



anxious　to　get　on　and　so　left　him　and　continued



along　the　path；　which　was　broader；　now；　and



more　distinct。







They　expected　to　reach　some　other　house　before



it　grew　dark；　but　the　twilight　was　brief　and　Ojo



soon　began　to　fear　they　had　made　a　mistake　in



leaving　the　woodchopper。