the patchwork girl of oz-第20部分

快捷操作: 按键盘上方向键 ← 或 → 可快速上下翻页 按键盘上的 Enter 键可回到本书目录页 按键盘上方向键 ↑ 可回到本页顶部! 如果本书没有阅读完，想下次继续接着阅读，可使用上方 "收藏到我的浏览器" 功能 和 "加入书签" 功能！




expecting　every　minute　to　bump　against　the　iron



bars。　The　Shaggy　Man　also　had　his　eyes　closed；　but



marched　straight　ahead；　nevertheless；　and　after



he　had　taken　one　hundred　steps；　by　actual　count；



he　stopped　and　said：







〃Now　you　may　open　your　eyes。〃







They　did　so；　and　to　their　astonishment　found



the　wall　and　the　gateway　far　behind　them；



while　in　front　the　former　Blue　Country　of　the



Munchkins　had　given　way　to　green　fields；　with



pretty　farm…houses　scattered　among　them。







〃That　wall；〃　explained　the　Shaggy　Man；　〃is



what　is　called　an　optical　illusion。　It　is　quite　real



while　you　have　your　eyes　open；　but　if　you　are



not　looking　at　it　the　barrier　doesn't　exist　at　all。



It's　the　same　way　with　many　other　evils　in　life；



they　seem　to　exist；　and　yet　it's　all　seeming　and



not　true。　You　will　notice　that　the　wallor　what



we　thought　was　a　wallseparates　the　Munchkin



Country　from　the　green　country　that　surrounds



the　Emerald　City；　which　lies　exactly　in　the



center　of　Oz。　There　are　two　roads　of　yellow



bricks　through　the　Munchkin　Country；　but　the



one　we　followed　is　the　best　of　the　two。　Dorothy



once　traveled　the　other　way；　and　met　with　more



dangers　than　we　did。　But　all　our　troubles　are



over　for　the　present；　as　another　day's　journey



will　bring　us　to　the　great　Emerald　City。〃







They　were　delighted　to　know　this；　and　proceeded



with　new　courage。　In　a　couple　of　hours　they



stopped　at　a　farmhouse；　where　the　people　were　very



hospitable　and　invited　them　to　dinner。　The　farm



folk　regarded　Scraps　with　much　curiosity　but　no



great　astonishment；　for　they　were　accustomed　to



seeing　extraordinary　people　in　the　Land　of　Oz。







The　woman　of　this　house　got　her　needle　and



thread　and　sewed　up　the　holes　made　by　the



porcupine　quills　in　the　Patchwork　Girl's　body；



after　which　Scraps　was　assured　she　looked　as



beautiful　as　ever。







〃You　ought　to　have　a　hat　to　wear；〃　remarked



the　woman；　〃for　that　would　keep　the　sun　from



fading　the　colors　of　your　face。　I　have　some



patches　and　scraps　put　away；　and　if　you　will



wait　two　or　three　days　I'll　make　you　a　lovely



hat　that　will　match　the　rest　of　you。〃







〃Never　mind　the　hat；〃　said　Scraps；　shaking



her　yarn　braids；　〃it's　a　kind　offer；　but　we　can't



stop。　I　can't　see　that　my　colors　have　faded　a



particle；　as　yet；　can　you？〃







〃Not　much；〃　replied　the　woman。　〃You　are　still



very　gorgeous；　in　spite　of　your　long　journey。〃







The　children　of　the　house　wanted　to　keep　the



Class　Cat　to　play　with；　so　Bungle　was　offered



a　good　home　if　she　would　remain；　but　the　cat



was　too　much　interested　in　Ojo's　adventures　and



refused　to　stop。







〃Children　are　rough　playmates；〃　she　remarked　to



the　Shaggy　Man；　〃and　although　this　home　is　more



pleasant　than　that　of　the　Crooked　Magician　I　fear



I　would　soon　be　smashed　to　pieces　by　the　boys　and



girls。〃







After　they　had　rested　themselves　they　renewed



their　journey；　finding　the　road　now　smooth　and



pleasant　to　walk　upon　and　the　country　growing　more



beautiful　the　nearer　they　drew　to　the　Emerald



City。







By　and　by　Ojo　began　to　walk　on　the　green



grass；　looking　carefully　around　him。







〃What　are　you　trying　to　find？〃　asked　Scraps。







〃A　six…leaved　clover；〃　said　he。







〃Don't　do　that！〃　exclaimed　the　Shaggy　Man；



earnestly。　〃It's　against　the　Law　to　pick　a　six…



leaved　clover。　You　must　wait　until　you　get　Ozma's



consent。〃







〃She　wouldn't　know　it；〃　declared　the　boy。







〃Ozma　knows　many　things；〃　said　the　Shaggy　Man。



〃In　her　room　is　a　Magic　Picture　that　shows　any



scene　in　the　Land　of　Oz　where　strangers　or



travelers　happen　to　be。　She　may　be　watching　the



picture　of　us　even　now；　and　noticing　everything



that　we　do。〃







〃Does　she　always　watch　the　Magic　Picture？〃



asked　Ojo。







〃Not　always；　for　she　has　many　other　things



to　do；　but；　as　I　said；　she　may　be　watching　us



this　very　minute。〃







〃I　don't　care；〃　said　Ojo；　in　an　obstinate　tone



of　voice；　〃Ozma's　only　a　girl。〃







The　Shaggy　Man　looked　at　him　in　surprise。







〃You　ought　to　care　for　Ozma；〃　said　he；　〃if　you



expect　to　save　your　uncle。　For；　if　you　displease



our　powerful　Ruler；　your　journey　will　surely　prove



a　failure；　whereas；　if　you　make　a　friend　of　Ozma；



she　will　gladly　assist　you。　As　for　her　being　a



girl；　that　is　another　reason　why　you　should　obey



her　laws；　if　you　are　courteous　and　polite。



Everyone　in　Oz　loves　Ozma　and　hates　her　enemies；



for　she　is　as　just　as　she　is　powerful。〃







Ojo　sulked　a　while；　but　finally　returned　to　the



road　and　kept　away　from　the　green　clover。　The



boy　was　moody　and　bad　tempered　for　an　hour



or　two　afterward；　because　he　could　really　see



no　harm　in　picking　a　six…leaved　clover；　if　he



found　one；　and　in　spite　of　what　the　Shaggy



Man　had　said　he　considered　Ozma's　law　to　be



unjust。







They　presently　came　to　a　beautiful　grove　of　tall



and　stately　trees；　through　which　the　road　wound　in



sharp　curvesfirst　one　way　and　then　another。　As



they　were　walking　through　this　grove　they　heard



some　one　in　the　distance　singing；　and　the　sounds



grew　nearer　and　nearer　until　they　could



distinguish　the　words；　although　the　bend　in　the



road　still　hid　the　singer。　The　song　was　something



like　this：











〃Here's　to　the　hale　old　bale　of　straw



That's　cut　from　the　waving　grain；



The　sweetest　sight　man　ever　saw



In　forest；　dell　or　plain。



It　fills　me　with　a　crunkling　joy



A　straw…stack　to　behold；



For　then　I　pad　this　lucky　boy



With　strands　of　yellow　gold。〃











〃Ah！〃　exclaimed　the　Shaggy　Man；　〃here　comes　my



friend　the　Scarecrow。







〃What；　a　live　Scarecrow？〃　asked　Ojo。







〃Yes；　the　one　I　told　you　of。　He's　a　splendid



fellow；　and　very　intelligent。　You'll　like　him；



I'm　sure。







Just　then　the　famous　Scarecrow　of　Oz　came



around　the　bend　in　the　road；　riding　astride　a



wooden　Sawhorse　which　was　so　small　that　its



rider's　legs　nearly　touched　the　ground。







The　Scarecrow　wore　the　blue　dress　of　the



Munchkins；　in　which　country　he　was　made；



and　on　his　head　was　set　a　peaked　hat　with　a　flat



brim　trimmed　with　tinkling　bells。　A　rope　was



tied　around　his　waist　to　hold　him　in　shape。　for



he　was　stuffed　with　straw　in　every　part　of　him



except　the　top　of　his　head；　where　at　one　time



the　Wizard　of　Oz　had　placed　sawdust；　mixed



with　needles　and　pins；　to　sharpen　his　wits。　The



head　itself　was　merely　a　bag　of　cloth；　fastened



to　the　body　at　the　neck；　and　on　the　front　of　this



bag　was　painted　the　faceears；　eyes；　nose　and



mouth。







The　Scarecrow's　face　was　very　interesting；　for



it　bore　a　comical　and　yet　winning　expression；



although　one　eye　was　a　bit　larger　than　the　other



and　ears　were　not　mates。　The　Munchkin　farmer　who



had　made　the　Scarecrow　had　neglected　to　sew　him



together　with　close　stitches　and　therefore　some　of



the　straw　with　which　he　was　stuffed　was　inclined



to　stick　out　between　the　seams。　His　hands



consisted　of　padded　white　gloves；　with　the　fingers



long　and　rather　limp；　and　on　his　feet　he　wore



Munchkin　boots　of　blue　leather　with　broad　turns　at



the　tops　of　them。







The　Sawhorse　was　almost　as　curious　as　its　rider。



It　had　been　rudely　made；　in　the　beginning；　to　saw



logs　upon；　so　that　its　body　was　a　short　length　of



a　log；　and　its　legs　were　stout　branches　fitted



into　four　holes　made　in　the　body。　The　tail　was



formed　by　a　small　branch　that　had　been　left　on　the



log；　while　the　head　was　a　gnarled　bump　on　one　end



of　the　body。　Two　knots　of　wood　formed　the　eyes；



and　the　mouth　was　a　gash　chopped　in　the　log。　When



the　Sawhorse　first　came　to　life　it　had　no　ears　at



all；　and　so　could　not　hear；　but　the　boy　who　then



owned　him　had　whittled　two　ears　out　of　bark　and



stuck　them　in　the　head；　after　which　the　Sawhorse



heard　very　distinctly。







This　queer　wooden　horse　was　a　great　favorite



with　Princess　Ozma；　who　had　caused　the　bottoms　of



its　legs　to　be　shod　with　plates　of　gold；　so　the



wood　would　not　wear　away。　Its　saddle　was　made　of



cloth…of…gold　richly　encrusted　with　precious　gems。



It　had　never　worn　a　bridle。







As　the　Scarecrow　came　in　sight　of　the　party　of



travelers；　he　reined　in　his　wooden　steed　and



dismounted；　greeting　the　Shaggy　Man　with　a　smiling



nod。　Then