the patchwork girl of oz-第24部分

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entered。







They　soon　separated　from　the　Munchkin　boy；　who



was　led　by　the　Soldier　with　the　Green　Whiskers



down　a　side　street　toward　the　prison。　Ojo　felt



very　miserable　and　greatly　ashamed　of　himself；　but



he　was　beginning　to　grow　angry　because　he　was



treated　in　such　a　disgraceful　manner。　Instead　of



entering　the　splendid　Emerald　City　as　a



respectable　traveler　who　was　entitled　to　a



welcome　and　to　hospitality；　he　was　being　brought



in　as　a　criminal；　handcuffed　and　in　a　robe　that



told　all　he　met　of　his　deep　disgrace。







Ojo　was　by　nature　gentle　and　affectionate　and　if



he　had　disobeyed　the　Law　of　Oz　it　was　to　restore



his　dear　Unc　Nunkie　to　life。　His　fault　was　more



thoughtless　than　wicked；　but　that　did　not　alter



the　fact　that　he　had　committed　a　fault。　At　first



he　had　felt　sorrow　and　remorse；　but　the　more　he



thought　about　the　unjust　treatment　he　had



receivedunjust　merely　because　he　considered　it



sothe　more　he　resented　his　arrest；　blaming　Ozma



for　making　foolish　laws　and　then　punishing　folks



who　broke　them。　Only　a　six…leaved　clover！　A　tiny



green　plant　growing　neglected　and　trampled　under



foot。　What　harm　could　there　be　in　picking　it？　Ojo



began　to　think　Ozma　must　be　a　very　bad　and



oppressive　Ruler　for　such　a　lovely　fairyland　as



Oz。　The　Shaggy　Man　said　the　people　loved　her；　but



how　could　they？







The　little　Munchkin　boy　was　so　busy　thinking



these　thingswhich　many　guilty　prisoners　have



thought　before　himthat　he　scarcely　noticed　all



the　splendor　of　the　city　streets　through　which



they　passed。　Whenever　they　met　any　of　the　happy；



smiling　people；　the　boy　turned　his　head　away　in



shame；　although　none　knew　who　was　beneath　the



robe。







By　and　by　they　reached　a　house　built　just　beside



the　great　city　wall；　but　in　a　quiet；　retired



place。　It　was　a　pretty　house；　neatly　painted　and



with　many　windows。　Before　it　was　a　garden　filled



with　blooming　flowers。　The　Soldier　with　the　Green



Whiskers　led　Ojo　up　the　gravel　path　to　the　front



door；　on　which　he　knocked。







A　woman　opened　the　door　and；　seeing　Ojo



in　his　white　robe；　exclaimed：







〃Goodness　me！　A　prisoner　at　last。　But　what　a



small　one；　Soldier。〃







〃The　size　doesn't　matter；　Tollydiggle；　my



dear。　The　fact　remains　that　he　is　a　prisoner；〃



said　the　soldier。　〃And；　this　being　the　prison；



and　you　the　jailer；　it　is　my　duty　to　place　the



prisoner　in　your　charge。〃







〃True。　Come　in；　then；　and　I'll　give　you　a



receipt　for　him。〃







They　entered　the　house　and　passed　through　a　hall



to　a　large　circular　room；　where　the　woman　pulled



the　robe　off　from　Ojo　and　looked　at　him　with



kindly　interest。　The　boy；　on　his　part；　was　gazing



around　him　in　amazement；　for　never　had　he　dreamed



of　such　a　magnificent　apartment　as　this　in　which



he　stood。　The　roof　of　the　dome　was　of　colored



glass；　worked　into　beautiful　designs。　The　walls



were　paneled　with　plates　of







gold　decorated　with　gems　of　great　size　and　many



colors；　and　upon　the　tiled　floor　were　soft　rags



delightful　to　walk　upon。　The　furniture　was　framed



in　gold　and　upholstered　in　satin　brocade　and　it



consisted　of　easy　chairs；　divans　and　stools　in



great　variety。　Also　there　were　several　tables　with



mirror　tops　and　cabinets　filled　with　rare　and



curious　things。　In　one　place　a　case　filled　with



books　stood　against　the　wall；　and　elsewhere　Ojo



saw　a　cupboard　containing　all　sorts　of　games。







〃May　I　stay　here　a　little　while　before　I　go　to



prison？〃　asked　the　boy；　pleadingly。







〃Why；　this　is　your　prison；〃　replied　Tollydiggle；



〃and　in　me　behold　your　jailor。　Take　off　those



handcuffs；　Soldier；　for　it　is　impossible　for



anyone　to　escape　from　this　house。〃







〃I　know　that　very　well；〃　replied　the　soldier　and



at　once　unlocked　the　handcuffs　and　released　the



prisoner。







The　woman　touched　a　button　on　the　wall　and



lighted　a　big　chandelier　that　hung　suspended　from



the　ceiling；　for　it　was　growing　dark　outside。　Then



she　seated　herself　at　a　desk　and　asked：







〃What　name？〃







〃Ojo　the　Unlucky；〃　answered　the　Soldier



with　the　Green　Whiskers。







〃Unlucky？　Ah；　that　accounts　for　it；〃　said　she。



〃What　crime？〃







〃Breaking　a　Law　of　Oz。〃







〃All　right。　There's　your　receipt；　Soldier；　and



now　I'm　responsible　for　the　prisoner。　I'm　glad



of　it；　for　this　is　the　first　time　I've　ever　had



anything　to　do；　in　my　official　capacity；〃　remarked



the　jailer；　in　a　pleased　tone。







〃It's　the　same　with　me；　Tollydiggle；〃　laughed



the　soldier。　〃But　my　task　is　finished　and　I　must



go　and　report　to　Ozma　that　I've　done　my　duty



like　a　faithful　Police　Force；　a　loyal　Army　and



an　honest　Body…Guardas　I　hope　I　am。〃







Saying　this；　be　nodded　farewell　to　Tollydiggle



and　Ojo　and　went　away。







〃Now；　then；〃　said　the　woman　briskly；　〃I　must　get



you　some　supper；　for　you　are　doubtless　hungry。



What　would　you　prefer：　planked　whitefish；　omelet



with　jelly　or　mutton…chops　with　gravy？〃







Ojo　thought　about　it。　Then　he　said：　〃I'll　take



the　chops；　if　you　please。〃







〃Very　well；　amuse　yourself　while　I'm　gone；



I　won't　be　long；〃　and　then　she　went　out　by　a



door　and　left　the　prisoner　alone。







Ojo　was　much　astonished；　for　not　only　was　this



unlike　any　prison　he　had　ever　heard　of；　but　he　was



being　treated　more　as　a　guest　than　a　criminal。



There　were　many　windows　and　they　bad　no　locks。



There　were　three　doors　to　the　room　and　none　were



bolted。　He　cautiously　opened　one　of　the　doors　and



found　it　led　into　a　hallway。　But　he　had　no



intention　of　trying　to　escape。　If　his　jailor　was



willing　to　trust　him　in　this　way　he　would　not



betray　her　trust；　and　moreover　a　hot　supper　was



being　prepared　for　him　and　his　prison　was　very



pleasant　and　comfortable。　So　he　took　a　book　from



the　case　and　sat　down　in　a　big　chair　to　look　at



the　pictures。







This　amused　him　until　the　woman　came　in　with　a



large　tray　and　spread　a　cloth　on　one　of　the



tables。　Then　she　arranged　his　supper；　which　proved



the　most　varied　and　delicious　meal　Ojo　had　ever



eaten　in　his　life。







Tollydiggle　sat　near　him　while　he　ate；　sewing



on　some　fancy　work　she　held　in　her　lap。　When



he　had　finished　she　cleared　the　table　and　then



read　to　him　a　story　from　one　of　the　books。







〃Is　this　really　a　prison？〃　he　asked；　when　she



had　finished　reading。







〃Indeed　it　is；〃　she　replied。　〃It　is　the　only



prison　in　the　Land　of　Oz。〃







〃And　am　I　a　prisoner？〃







〃Bless　the　child！　Of　course。〃







〃Then　why　is　the　prison　so　fine；　and　why



are　you　so　kind　to　me？〃　he　earnestly　asked。







Tollydiggle　seemed　surprised　by　the　question；



but　she　presently　answered：







〃We　consider　a　prisoner　unfortunate。　He　is



unfortunate　in　two　waysbecause　he　has　done



something　wrong　and　because　he　is　deprived　of　his



liberty。　Therefore　we　should　treat　him　kindly；



because　of　his　misfortune；　for　otherwise　he　would



become　hard　and　bitter　and　would　not　be　sorry　he



had　done　wrong。　Ozma　thinks　that　one　who　has



committed　a　fault　did　so　because　he　was　not　strong



and　brave；　therefore　she　puts　him　in　prison　to



make　him　strong　and　brave。　When　that　is



accomplished　he　is　no　longer　a　prisoner；　but　a



good　and　loyal　citizen　and　everyone　is　glad　that



he　is　now　strong　enough　to　resist　doing　wrong。　You



see；　it　is　kindness　that　makes　one　strong　and



brave；　and　so　we　are　kind　to　our　prisoners。〃







Ojo　thought　this　over　very　carefully。　〃I　had



an　idea；〃　said　he；　〃that　prisoners　were　always



treated　harshly；　to　punish　them。〃







〃That　would　be　dreadful！〃　cried　Tollydiggle。



〃Isn't　one　punished　enough　in　knowing　he　has



done　wrong？　Don't　you　wish；　Ojo；　with　all　your



heart；　that　you　had　not　been　disobedient　and



broken　a　Law　of　Oz？〃







〃II　hate　to　be　different　from　other　people；〃



he　admitted。







〃Yes；　one　likes　to　be　respected　as　highly　as　his



neighbors　are；〃　said　the　woman。　〃When　you　are



tried　and　found　guilty；　you　will　be　obliged　to



make　amends；　in　some　way。　I　don't　know　just



what　Ozma　will　do　to　you；　because　this　is　the



first　time　one　of　us　has　broken　a　Law；　but　you



may　be　sure　she　will　be　just　and　merciful。　Here



in　the　Emerald　City　people　are　too　happy　and



contented　ever　to　do　wrong；　but　perhaps　you