the patchwork girl of oz-第5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！


will　never　break　nor　wear　out。







〃Fine！〃　said　Unc　Nunkie；　wagging　his　head



and　stroking　his　long　gray　beard。







〃Dear　me；　what　a　chatterbox　you're　getting



to　be；　Unc；〃　remarked　the　Magician；　who　was



pleased　with　the　compliment。　But　just　then



there　came　a　scratching　at　the　back　door　and　a



shrill　voice　cried：







〃Let　me　in！　Hurry　up；　can't　you？　Let　me　in！〃







Margolotte　got　up　and　went　to　the　door。







〃Ask　like　a　good　cat；　then；〃　she　said。







〃Meeee…ow…w…w！　There；　does　that　suit　your



royal　highness？〃　asked　the　voice；　in　scornful



accents。







〃Yes；　that's　proper　cat　talk；〃　declared　the



woman；　and　opened　the　door。　At　once　a　cat　entered；



came　to　the　center　of　the　room　and　stopped　short



at　the　sight　of　strangers。　Ojo　and　Unc　Nunkie　both



stared　at　it　with　wide　open　eyes；　for　surely　no



such　curious　creature　had　ever　existed　before



even　in　the　Land　of　Oz。



















Chapter　Four







The　Glass　Cat











The　cat　was　made　of　glass；　so　clear　and



transparent　that　you　could　see　through　it　as



easily　as　through　a　window。　In　the　top　of　its



head；　however；　Was　a　mass　of　delicate　pink　balls



which　looked　like　jewels；　and　it　had　a　heart　made



of　a　blood…red　ruby。　The　eyes　were　two　large



emeralds；　but　aside　from　these　colors　all　the　rest



of　the　animal　was　clear　glass；　and　it　had　a　spun…



glass　tail　that　was　really　beautiful。







〃Well；　Doc　Pipt；　do　you　mean　to　introduce　us；　or



not？〃　demanded　the　cat；　in　a　tone　of　annoyance。



〃Seems　to　me　you　are　forgetting　your　manners。〃







〃Excuse　me；〃　returned　the　Magician。　〃This



is　Unc　Nunkie；　the　descendant　of　the　former



kings　of　the　Munchkins；　before　this　country　be



came　a　part　of　the　Land　of　Oz。〃







〃He　needs　a　haircut；〃　observed　the　cat；



washing　its　face。







〃True；〃　replied　Unc；　with　a　low　chuckle　of



amusement。







〃But　he　has　lived　alone　in　the　heart　of　the



forest　for　many　years；〃　the　Magician　explained；



〃and；　although　that　is　a　barbarous　country；



there　are　no　barbers　there。〃







〃Who　is　the　dwarf？〃　asked　the　cat。







〃That　is　not　a　dwarf；　but　a　boy；〃　answered



the　Magician。　〃You　have　never　seen　a　boy　before。



He　is　now　small　because　he　is　young。　With　more



years　he　will　grow　big　and　become　as　tall　as　Unc



Nunkie。〃







〃Oh。　Is　that　magic？〃　the　glass　animal　inquired。







〃Yes；　but　it　is　Nature's　magic；　which　is　more



wonderful　than　any　art　known　to　man。　For



instance；　my　magic　made　you；　and　made　you



live；　and　it　was　a　poor　job　because　you　are



useless　and　a　bother　to　me；　but　I　can't　make　you



grow。　You　will　always　be　the　same　sizeand



the　same　saucy；　inconsiderate　Glass　Cat；　with



pink　brains　and　a　hard　ruby　heart。〃







〃No　one　can　regret　more　than　I　the　fact　that　you



made　me；〃　asserted　the　cat；　crouching　upon　the



floor　and　slowly　swaying　its　spun…glass　tail　from



side　to　side。　〃Your　world　is　a　very　uninteresting



place。　I've　wandered　through　your　gardens　and　in



the　forest　until　I'm　tired　of　it　all；　and　when　I



come　into　the　house　the　conversation　of　your　fat



wife　and　of　yourself　bores　me　dreadfully。〃







〃That　is　because　I　gave　you　different　brains



from　those　we　ourselves　possessand　much　too



good　for　a　cat；〃　returned　Dr。　Pipt。







〃Can't　you　take　'em　out；　then；　and　replace



em　with　pebbles；　so　that　I　won't　feel　above　my



station　in　life？〃　asked　the　cat；　pleadingly。







〃Perhaps　so。　I'll　try　it；　after　I've　brought　the



Patchwork　Girl　to　life；〃　he　said。







The　cat　walked　up　to　the　bench　on　which



the　Patchwork　Girl　reclined　and　looked　at　her



attentively。







〃Are　you　going　to　make　that　dreadful　thing



live？〃　she　asked。







The　Magician　nodded。







〃It　is　intended　to　be　my　wife's　servant　maid；〃



he　said。　〃When　she　is　alive　she　will　do　all　our



work　and　mind　the　house。　But　you　are　not　to



order　her　around；　Bungle；　as　you　do　us。　You



must　treat　the　Patchwork　Girl　respectfully。〃







〃I　won't。　I　couldn't　respect　such　a　bundle



of　scraps　under　any　circumstances。〃







〃If　you　don't；　there　will　be　more　scraps　than



you　will　like；〃　cried　Margolotte；　angrily。







〃Why　didn't　you　make　her　pretty　to　look　at？〃



asked　the　cat。　〃You　made　me　prettyvery　pretty；



indeedand　I　love　to　watch　my　pink　brains　roll



around　when　they're　working；　and　to　see　my



precious　red　heart　beat。〃　She　went　to　a　long



mirror；　as　she　said　this；　and　stood　before　it；



looking　at　herself　with　an　air　of　much　pride。



〃But　that　poor　patched　thing　will　hate　herself；



when　she's　once　alive；〃　continued　the　cat。　〃If



I　were　you　I'd　use　her　for　a　mop；　and　make



another　servant　that　is　prettier。〃







〃You　have　a　perverted　taste；〃　snapped



Margolotte；　much　annoyed　at　this　frank　criticism。



〃I　think　the　Patchwork　Girl　is　beautiful；



considering　what　she's　made　of。　Even　the　rainbow



hasn't　as　many　colors；　and　you　must　admit　that　the



rainbow　is　a　pretty　thing。〃







The　Glass　Cat　yawned　and　stretched　herself



upon　the　floor。







〃Have　your　own　way；〃　she　said。　〃I'm　sorry



for　the　Patchwork　Girl；　that's　all。〃







Ojo　and　Unc　Nunkie　slept　that　night　in　the



Magician's　house；　and　the　boy　was　glad　to　stay



because　he　was　anxious　to　see　the　Patchwork



Girl　brought　to　life。　The　Glass　Cat　was　also　a



wonderful　creature　to　little　Ojo；　who　had　never



seen　or　known　anything　of　magic　before；　although



he　had　lived　in　the　Fairyland　of　Oz　ever　since　he



was　born。　Back　there　in　the　woods　nothing　unusual



ever　happened。　Unc　Nunkie；　who　might　have　been



King　of　the　Munchkins；　had　not　his　people　united



with　all　the　other　countries　of　Oz　in



acknowledging　Ozma　as　their　Sole　ruler；　had



retired　into　this　forgotten　forest　nook　with　his



baby　nephew　and　they　had　lived　all　alone　there。



Only　that　the　neglected　garden　had　failed　to　grow



food　for　them；　they　would　always　have　lived　in　the



solitary　Blue　Forest；　but　now　they　had　started　out



to　mingle　with　other　people；　and　the　first　place



they　came　to　proved　so　interesting　that　Ojo　could



scarcely　sleep　a　wink　all　night。







Margolotte　was　an　excellent　cook　and　gave



them　a　fine　breakfast。　While　they　were　all　engaged



in　eating；　the　good　woman　said：







〃This　is　the　last　meal　I　shall　have　to　cook



for　some　time；　for　right　after　breakfast　Dr。　Pipt



has　promised　to　bring　my　new　servant　to　life。



I　shall　let　her　wash　the　breakfast　dishes　and



sweep　and　dust　the　house。　What　a　relief　it



will　be！〃







〃It　will；　indeed；　relieve　you　of　much　drudgery；〃



said　the　Magician。　〃By　the　way；　Margolotte；　I



thought　I　saw　you　getting　some　brains　from　the



cupboard；　while　I　was　busy　with　my　kettles。　What



qualities　have　you　given　your　new　servant？〃







〃Only　those　that　an　humble　servant　requires；〃



she　answered。　〃I　do　not　wish　her　to　feel　above



her　station；　as　the　Glass　Cat　does。　That　would



make　her　discontented　and　unhappy；　for　of



course　she　must　always　be　a　servant。〃







Ojo　was　somewhat　disturbed　as　he　listened　to



this；　and　the　boy　began　to　fear　he　had　done　wrong



in　adding　all　those　different　qualities　of　brains



to　the　lot　Margolotte　had　prepared　for　the



servant。　But　it　was　too　late　now　for　regret；　since



all　the　brains　were　securely　sewn　up　inside　the



Patchwork　Girl's　head。　He　might　have　confessed



what　he　had　done　and　thus　allowed　Margolotte　and



her　husband　to　change　the　brains；　but　he　was



afraid　of　incurring　their　anger。　He　believed　that



Unc　had　seen　him　add　to　the　brains；　and　Unc　had



not　said　a　word　against　it；　but　then；　Unc　never



did　say　anything　unless　it　was　absolutely



necessary。







As　soon　as　breakfast　was　over　they　all　went



into　the　Magician's　big　workshop；　where　the



Glass　Cat　was　lying　before　the　mirror　and　the



Patchwork　Girl　lay　limp　and　lifeless　upon　the



bench。







〃Now；　then；〃　said　Dr。　Pipt；　in　a　brisk　tone；



〃we　shall　perform　one　of　the　greatest　feats　of



magic　possible　to　man；　even　in　this　marvelous



Land　of　Oz。　In　no　other　country　could　it　be



done　at　all。　I　think　we　ought　to　have　a　little



music　while　the　Patchwork　Girl　comes　to　life。



It　is　pleasant　to　reflect　that　the　first　sounds　her



golden　ears　will　hear　will　be　delicious　music。







As　he　spoke　he　went　to　a　phonograph；　which



screwed