the patchwork girl of oz-第40部分

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hung　tin　chandeliers。







The　Tin　Woodman　wanted　to　know；　first　of



all；　where　Dorothy　had　found　the　Patchwork



Girl；　so　between　them　the　visitors　told　the　story



of　how　Scraps　was　made；　as　well　as　the　accident



to　Margolotte　and　Unc　Nunkie　and　how　Ojo



had　set　out　upon　a　journey　to　procure　the　things



needed　for　the　Crooked　Magician's　magic



charm。　Then　Dorothy　told　of　their　adventures



in　the　Quadling　Country　and　how　at　last　they



succeeded　in　getting　the　water　from　a　dark　well。







While　the　little　girl　was　relating　these



adventures　the　Tin　Woodman　sat　in　an　easy　chair



listening　with　intense　interest；　while　the　others



sat　grouped　around　him。　Ojo；　however；　had　kept　his



eyes　fixed　upon　the　body　of　the　tin　Emperor；　and



now　he　noticed　that　under　the　joint　of　his　left



knee　a　tiny　drop　of　oil　was　forming。　He　watched



this　drop　of　oil　with　a　fast…beating　heart；　and



feeling　in　his　pocket　brought　out　a　tiny　vial　of



crystal；　which　he　held　secreted　in　his　hand。







Presently　the　Tin　Woodman　changed　his



position；　and　at　once　Ojo；　to　the　astonishment



of　all；　dropped　to　the　floor　and　held　his　crystal



vial　under　the　Emperor's　knee　joint。　Just　then



the　drop　of　oil　fell；　and　they　boy　caught　it　in



his　bottle　and　immediately　corked　it　tight。　Then；



with　a　red　face　and　embarrassed　manner；　he　rose



to　confront　the　others。







〃What　in　the　world　were　you　doing？〃　asked



the　Tin　Woodman。







〃I　caught　a　drop　of　oil　that　fell　from　your



knee…joint；〃　confessed　Ojo。







〃A　drop　of　oil！〃　exclaimed　the　Tin　Woodman。



〃Dear　me；　how　careless　my　valet　must　have



been　in　oiling　me　this　morning。　I'm　afraid　I



shall　have　to　scold　the　fellow；　for　I　can't　be



dropping　oil　wherever　I　go。〃







〃Never　mind；〃　said　Dorothy。　Ojo　seems　glad



to　have　the　oil；　for　some　reason。〃







〃Yes；〃　declared　the　Munchkin　boy；　〃I　am



glad。　For　one　of　the　things　the　Crooked　Magician



sent　me　to　get　was　a　drop　of　oil　from　a　live　man's



body。　I　had　no　idea；　at　first；　that　there　was　such



a　thing；　but　it's　now　safe　in　the　little　crystal



vial。〃







〃You　are　very　welcome　to　it；　indeed；〃　said



the　Tin　Woodman。　〃Have　you　now　secured　all



the　things　you　were　in　search　of？〃







〃Not　quite　all；〃　answered　Ojo。　〃There　were　five



things　I　had　to　get；　and　I　have　found　four　of



them。　I　have　the　three　hairs　in　the　tip　of　a



Woozy's　tail；　a　six…leaved　clover；　a　gill　of　water



from　a　dark　well　and　a　drop　of　oil　from　a　live



man's　body。　The　last　thing　is　the　easiest　of　all



to　get；　and　I'm　sure　that　my　dear　Unc　Nunkieand



good　Margolotte；　as　wellwill　soon　be　restored　to



life。〃







The　Munchkin　boy　said　this　with　much　pride　and



pleasure。







〃Good！〃　exclaimed　the　Tin　Woodman；　〃I



congratulate　you。　But　what　is　the　fifth　and　last



thing　you　need；　in　order　to　complete　the　magic



charm？〃







〃The　left　wing　of　a　yellow　butterfly；〃　said



Ojo。　〃In　this　yellow　country；　and　with　your



kind　assistance；　that　ought　to　be　very　easy　to



find。〃







The　Tin　Woodman　stared　at　him　in　amazement。







〃Surely　you　are　joking！〃　he　said。







〃No；〃　replied　Ojo；　much　surprised；　〃I　am　in



earnest。〃







〃But　do　you　think　for　a　moment　that　I　would



permit　you；　or　anyone　else；　to　pull　the　left　wing



from　a　yellow　butterfly？〃　demanded　the　Tin　Woodman



sternly。







〃Why　not；　sir？〃







〃Why　not？　You　ask　me　why　not？　It　would　be



cruelone　of　the　most　cruel　and　heartless　deeds



I　ever　heard　of；〃　asserted　the　Tin　Woodman。



〃The　butterflies　are　among　the　prettiest　of　all



created　things；　and　they　are　very　sensitive　to



pain。　To　tear　a　wing　from　one　would　cause　it



exquisite　torture　and　it　would　soon　die　in　great



agony。　I　would　not　permit　such　a　wicked　deed



under　any　circumstances！〃







Ojo　was　astounded　at　hearing　this。　Dorothy；　too；



looked　grave　and　disconcerted；　but　she　knew　in　her



heart　that　the　Tin　Woodman　was　right。　The



Scarecrow　nodded　his　head　in　approval　of　his



friend's　speech；　so　it　was　evident　that　he　agreed



with　the　Emperor's　decision。　Scraps　looked　from



one　to　another　in　perplexity。







〃Who　cares　for　a　butterfly？〃　she　asked。







〃Don't　you？〃　inquired　the　Tin　Woodman。







〃Not　the　snap　of　a　finger；　for　I　have　no　heart；〃



said　the　Patchwork　Girl。　〃But　I　want　to　help



Ojo；　who　is　my　friend；　to　rescue　the　uncle　whom



he　loves；　and　I'd　kill　a　dozen　useless　butterflies



to　enable　him　to　do　that。〃







The　Tin　Woodman　sighed　regretfully。







〃You　have　kind　instincts；〃　he　said；　〃and　with　a



heart　you　would　indeed　be　a　fine　creature。　I



cannot　blame　you　for　your　heartless　remark；　as　you



cannot　understand　the　feelings　of　those　who



possess　hearts。　I；　for　instance；　have　a　very　neat



and　responsive　heart　which　the　wonderful　Wizard



of　Oz　once　gave　me；　and　so　I　shall　nevernever



never　permit　a　poor　yellow　butterfly　to　be



tortured　by　anyone。〃







〃The　yellow　country　of　the　Winkies；〃　said　Ojo



sadly；　〃is　the　only　place　in　Oz　where　a　yellow



butterfly　can　be　found。〃







〃I'm　glad　of　that；〃　said　the　Tin　Woodman。



〃As　I　rule　the　Winkie　Country；　I　can　protect



my　butterflies。〃







Unless　I　get　the　wingjust　one　left　wing〃



said　Ojo　miserably；　〃I　can't　save　Unc　Nunkie。〃







〃Then　he　must　remain　a　marble　statue　forever；〃



declared　the　Tin　Emperor；　firmly。







Ojo　wiped　his　eyes；　for　he　could　not　hold　back



the　tears。







〃I'll　tell　you　what　to　do；〃　said　Scraps。　〃We'll



take　a　whole　yellow　butterfly；　alive　and　well；　to



the　Crooked　Magician；　and　let　him　pull　the　left



wing　off。〃







〃No；　you　won't；〃　said　the　Tin　Woodman。



〃You　can't　have　one　of　my　dear　little　butterflies



to　treat　in　that　way。







〃Then　what　in　the　world　shall　we　do？〃　asked



Dorothy。







They　all　became　silent　and　thoughtful。　No



one　spoke　for　a　long　time。　Then　the　Tin　Woodman



suddenly　roused　himself　and　said：







〃We　must　all　go　back　to　the　Emerald　City



and　ask　Ozma's　advice。　She's　a　wise　little　girl；



our　Ruler；　and　she　may　find　a　way　to　help　Ojo



save　his　Unc　Nunkie。〃







So　the　following　morning　the　party　started



on　the　journey　to　the　Emerald　City；　which　they



reached　in　due　time　without　any　important



adventure。　It　was　a　sad　journey　for　Ojo；　for



without　the　wing　of　the　yellow　butterfly　he　saw



no　way　to　save　Unc　Nunkieunless　he　waited



six　years　for　the　Crooked　Magician　to　make　a



new　lot　of　the　Powder　of　Life。　The　boy　was



utterly　discouraged；　and　as　he　walked　along　he



groaned　aloud。







〃Is　anything　hurting　you？〃　inquired　the　Tin



Woodman　in　a　kindly　tone；　for　the　Emperor



was　with　the　party。







〃I'm　Ojo　the　Unlucky；〃　replied　the　boy。　〃I



might　have　known　I　would　fail　in　anything



I　tried　to　do。〃







〃Why　are　you　Ojo　the　Unlucky？〃　asked　the　tin



man。







〃Because　I　was　born　on　a　Friday。〃







〃Friday　is　not　unlucky；〃　declared　the　Emperor。



〃It's　just　one　of　seven　days。　Do　you　suppose　all



the　world　becomes　unlucky　one…seventh　of　the



time？〃







〃It　was　the　thirteenth　day　of　the　month；〃　said



Ojo。







〃Thirteen！　Ah；　that　is　indeed　a　lucky　number；〃



replied　the　Tin　Woodman。　〃All　my　good　luck　seems



to　happen　on　the　thirteenth。　I　suppose　most



people　never　notice　the　good　luck　that　comes　to



them　with　the　number　13；　and　yet　if　the　least　bit



of　bad　luck　falls　on　that　day；　they　blame　it　to



the　number；　and　not　to　the　proper　cause。〃







〃Thirteen's　my　lucky　number；　too；〃　remarked　the



Scarecrow







〃And　mine；〃　said　Scraps。　〃I've　just　thirteen



patches　on　my　head。〃







〃But；〃　continued　Ojo；　〃I'm　left…handed。〃







〃Many　of　our　greatest　men　are　that　way；〃



asserted　the　Emperor。　〃To　be　left…handed　is



usually　to　be　two…handed；　the　right…handed　people



are　usually　one…handed。〃







〃And　I've　a　wart　under　my　right　arm；〃　said　Ojo。







〃How　lucky！〃　cried　the　Tin　Woodman。　〃If



it　were　on　the　end　of　your　nose　it　might　be



unlucky；　but　under　your　arm　it　is　luckily　out



of　the　way。〃







〃For　all　those　reasons；〃　said　the　Munchkin



boy；　〃I　have　been　called　Ojo　the　Unlucky。〃







〃Then　we　must　turn　over　a　new　leaf　and　call　you



henceforth　Ojo　the　Lucky；〃　declared　the　tin　man。



〃Every　reason　you　have　given　is　absurd。　B