the patchwork girl of oz-第18部分

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Kitten　despises　you；　look　out　for　breakers。〃







〃Would　anyone　at　the　royal　palace　break　a



Glass　Cat？〃







〃Might。　You　never　can　tell。　Advise　you　to　purr



soft　and　look　humbleif　you　can。　And　now　I'm



going　to　bed。〃







Bungle　considered　the　Shaggy　Man's　advice



so　carefully　that　her　pink　brains　were　busy　long



after　the　others　of　the　party　were　fast　asleep。



















Chapter　Twelve







The　Giant　Porcupine











Next　morning　they　started　out　bright　and　early　to



follow　the　road　of　yellow　bricks　toward　the



Emerald　City。　The　little　Munchkin　boy　was



beginning　to　feel　tired　from　the　long　walk；　and　he



had　a　great　many　things　to　think　of　and　consider



besides　the　events　of　the　journey。　At　the



wonderful　Emerald　City；　which　he　would　presently



reach；　were　so　many　strange　and　curious　people



that　he　was　half　afraid　of　meeting　them　and



wondered　if　they　would　prove　friendly　and　kind。



Above　all　else；　he　could　not　drive　from　his　mind



the　important　errand　on　which　he　had　come；　and　he



was　determined　to　devote　every　energy　to　finding



the　things　that　were　necessary　to　prepare



the　magic　recipe。　He　believed　that　until　dear



Unc　Nunkie　was　restored　to　life　he　could　feel



no　joy　in　anything；　and　often　he　wished　that



Unc　could　be　with　him；　to　see　all　the　astonishing



things　Ojo　was　seeing。　But　alas　Unc　Nunkie　was　now



a　marble　statue　in　the　house　of　the　Crooked



Magician　and　Ojo　must　not　falter　in　his　efforts　to



save　him。







The　country　through　which　they　were　passing　was



still　rocky　and　deserted；　with　here　and　there　a



bush　or　a　tree　to　break　the　dreary　landscape。　Ojo



noticed　one　tree；　especially；　because　it　had　such



long；　silky　leaves　and　was　so　beautiful　in　shape。



As　he　approached　it　he　studied　the　tree　earnestly；



wondering　if　any　fruit　grew　on　it　or　if　it　bore



pretty　flowers。







Suddenly　he　became　aware　that　he　had　been



looking　at　that　tree　a　long　timeat　least　for



five　minutesand　it　had　remained　in　the　same



position；　although　the　boy　had　continued　to



walk　steadily　on。　So　he　stopped　short。　and　when



he　stopped；　the　tree　and　all　the　landscape；　as



well　as　his　companions；　moved　on　before　him



and　left　him　far　behind。







Ojo　uttered　such　a　cry　of　astonishment　that



it　aroused　the　Shaggy　Man；　who　also　halted。



The　others　then　stopped；　too；　and　walked　back



to　the　boy。







〃What's　wrong？〃　asked　the　Shaggy　Man。







〃Why；　we're　not　moving　forward　a　bit；　no



matter　how　fast　we　walk；〃　declared　Ojo。　〃Now



that　we　have　stopped；　we　are　moving　backward！



Can't　you　see？　Just　notice　that　rock。〃







Scraps　looked　down　at　her　feet　and　said：



〃The　yellow　bricks　are　not　moving。〃







〃But　the　whole　road　is；〃　answered　Ojo。







〃True；　quite　true；〃　agreed　the　Shaggy　Man。



〃I　know　all　about　the　tricks　of　this　road；　but　I



have　been　thinking　of　something　else　and　didn't



realize　where　we　were。〃







〃It　will　carry　us　back　to　where　we　started



from；〃　predicted　Ojo；　beginning　to　be　nervous。







〃No；〃　replied　the　Shaggy　Man；　〃it　won't　do



that；　for　I　know　a　trick　to　beat　this　tricky　road。



I've　traveled　this　way　before；　you　know。　Turn



around；　all　of　you；　and　walk　backward。〃







〃What　good　will　that　do？〃　asked　the　cat。







〃You'll　find　out；　if　you　obey　me；〃　said　the



Shaggy　Man。







So　they　all　turned　their　backs　to　the　direction



in　which　they　wished　to　go　and　began　walking



backward。　In　an　instant　Ojo　noticed　they　were



gaining　ground　and　as　they　proceeded　in　this



curious　way　they　soon　passed　the　tree　which　had



first　attracted　his　attention　to　their　difficulty。







〃How　long　must　we　keep　this　up；　Shags？〃



asked　Scraps；　who　was　constantly　tripping　and



tumbling　down；　only　to　get　up　again　with　a



laugh　at　her　mishap。







〃Just　a　little　way　farther；〃　replied　the　Shaggy



Man。







A　few　minutes　later　he　called　to　them　to　turn



about　quickly　and　step　forward；　and　as　they



obeyed　the　order　they　found　themselves　treading



solid　ground。







〃That　task　is　well　over；〃　observed　the　Shaggy



Man。　〃It's　a　little　tiresome　to　walk　backward；　but



that　is　the　only　way　to　pass　this　part　of　the



road；　which　has　a　trick　of　sliding　back　and



carrying　with　it　anyone　who　is　walking　upon　it。〃







With　new　courage　and　energy　they　now



trudged　forward　and　after　a　time　came　to　a



place　where　the　road　cut　through　a　low　hill；



leaving　high　banks　on　either　side　of　it。　They



were　traveling　along　this　cut；　talking　together；



when　the　Shaggy　Man　seized　Scraps　with　one



arm　and　Ojo　with　another　and　shouted：　〃Stop！〃







〃What's　wrong　now？〃　asked　the　Patchwork　Girl。







〃See　there！〃　answered　the　Shaggy　Man；　pointing



with　his　finger。







Directly　in　the　center　of　the　road　lay　a



motionless　object　that　bristled　all　over　with



sharp　quills；　which　resembled　arrows。　The　body　was



as　big　as　a　ten…bushel　basket；　but　the　projecting



quills　made　it　appear　to　be　four　times　bigger。







〃Well；　what　of　it？〃　asked　Scraps。







〃That　is　Chiss；　who　causes　a　lot　of　trouble



along　this　road；〃　was　the　reply。







〃Chiss！　What　is　Chiss？







〃I　think　it　is　merely　an　overgrown　porcupine；



but　here　in　Oz　they　consider　Chiss　an　evil　spirit。



He's　different　from　a　reg'lar　porcupine；　because



he　can　throw　his　quills　in　any　direction；　which



an　American　porcupine　cannot　do。　That's　what



makes　old　Chiss　so　dangerous。　If　we　get　too



near；　he'll　fire　those　quills　at　us　and　hurt　us



badly。〃







〃Then　we　will　be　foolish　to　get　too　near；



said　Scraps。







〃I'm　not　afraid；〃　declared　the　Woozy。　〃The　Chiss



is　cowardly；　I'm　sure；　and　if　it　ever　heard　my



awful；　terrible；　frightful　growl；　it　would　be



scared　stiff。〃







〃Oh；　can　you　growl？〃　asked　the　Shaggy　Man。







〃That　is　the　only　ferocious　thing　about　me；〃



asserted　the　Woozy　with　evident　pride。　〃My　growl



makes　an　earthquake　blush　and　the　thunder　ashamed



of　itself。　If　I　growled　at　that　creature　you　call



Chiss；　it　would　immediately　think　the　world　had



cracked　in　two　and　bumped　against　the　sun　and



moon；　and　that　would　cause　the　monster　to　run　as



far　and　as　fast　as　its　legs　could　carry　it。〃







〃In　that　case；〃　said　the　Shaggy　Man；　〃you　are



now　able　to　do　us　all　a　great　favor。　Please



growl。〃







〃But　you　forget；〃　returned　the　Woozy；　〃my



tremendous　growl　would　also　frighten　you；　and



if　you　happen　to　have　heart　disease　you　might



expire。〃







〃True；　but　we　must　take　that　risk；〃　decided



the　Shaggy　Man；　bravely。　〃Being　warned　of



what　is　to　occur　we　must　try　to　bear　the　terrific



noise　of　your　growl；　but　Chiss　won't　expect　it；



and　it　will　scare　him　away。〃







The　Woozy　hesitated。







〃I'm　fond　of　you　all；　and　I　hate　to　shock　you；〃



it　said。







〃Never　mind；〃　said　Ojo。







〃You　may　be　made　deaf。〃







〃If　so；　we　will　forgive　you。







〃Very　well；　then；〃　said　the　Woozy　in　a



determined　voice；　and　advanced　a　few　steps　toward



the　giant　porcupine。　Pausing　to　look　back；　it



asked：　〃All　ready？〃







〃All　ready！〃　they　answered。







〃Then　cover　up　your　ears　and　brace　yourselves



firmly。　Now；　thenlook　out！〃







The　Woozy　turned　toward　Chiss；　opened　wide　its



mouth　and　said：







〃Quee…ee…ee…eek。〃







〃Go　ahead　and　growl；〃　said　Scraps。







〃Why；　II　did　growl！〃　retorted　the　Woozy；



who　seemed　much　astonished。







〃What；　that　little　squeak？〃　she　cried。







〃It　is　the　most　awful　growl　that　ever　was　heard；



on　land　or　sea；　in　caverns　or　in　the　sky；〃



protested　the　Woozy。　〃I　wonder　you　stood　the　shock



so　well。　Didn't　you　feel　the　ground　tremble？　I



suppose　Chiss　is　now　quite　dead　with　fright。〃







The　Shaggy　Man　laughed　merrily。







〃Poor　Wooz！〃　said　he；　〃your　growl　wouldn't



scare　a　fly。〃







The　Woozy　seemed　to　be　humiliated　and　surprised。



It　hung　its　head　a　moment；　as　if　in　shame　or



sorrow；　but　then　it　said　with　renewed　confidence：



〃Anyhow；　my　eyes　can　flash　fire；　and　good　fire；



too；　good　enough　to　set　fire　to　a　fence！〃







〃That　is　true；〃　declared　Scraps；　〃I　saw　it



done　myself。　But　your　ferocious　growl　isn't　as



loud　as　the　tick　of　a　beetleor　one　of　Ojo's



snores　when　he's　fast　asleep。〃