the patchwork girl of oz-第6部分

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As　he　spoke　he　went　to　a　phonograph；　which



screwed　fast　to　a　small　table；　and　wound　up



the　spring　of　the　instrument　and　adjusted　the



big　gold　horn。







〃The　music　my　servant　will　usually　hear；〃



remarked　Margolotte；　〃will　be　my　orders　to　do



her　work。　But　I　see　no　harm　in　allowing　her　to



listen　to　this　unseen　band　while　she　wakens　to



her　first　realization　of　life。　My　orders　will　beat



the　band；　afterward。〃







The　phonograph　was　now　playing　a　stirring



march　tune　and　the　Magician　unlocked　his



cabinet　and　took　out　the　gold　bottle　containing



the　Powder　of　Life。







They　all　bent　over　the　bench　on　which　the



Patchwork　Girl　reclined。　Unc　Nunkie　and　Margolotte



stood　behind；　near　the　windows；　Ojo　at　one　side



and　the　Magician　in　front；　where　he　would　have



freedom　to　sprinkle　the　powder。　The　Glass　Cat　came



near；　too；　curious　to　watch　the　important　scene。







〃All　ready？〃　asked　Dr。　Pipt。







〃All　is　ready；〃　answered　his　wife。







So　the　Magician　leaned　over　and　shook　from



the　bottle　some　grains　of　the　wonderful　Powder；



and　they　fell　directly　on　the　Patchwork　Girl's



head　and　arms。



















Chapter　Five







A　Terrible　Accident















〃It　will　take　a　few　minutes　for　this　powder　to



do　its　work；〃　remarked　the　Magician；　sprinkling



the　body　up　and　down　with　much　care。







But　suddenly　the　Patchwork　Girl　threw　up　one



arm；　which　knocked　the　bottle　of　powder　from　the



crooked　man's　hand　and　sent　it　flying　across　the



room。　Unc　Nunkie　and　Margolotte　were　so　startled



that　they　both　leaped　backward　and　bumped



together；　and　Unc's　head　joggled　the　shelf　above



them　and　upset　the　bottle　containing　the　Liquid　of



Petrifaction。







The　Magician　uttered　such　a　wild　cry　that　Ojo



jumped　away　and　the　Patchwork　Girl　sprang　after



him　and　clasped　her　stuffed　arms　around　him　in



terror。　The　Glass　Cat　snarled　and　hid　under　the



table；　and　so　it　was　that　when　the　powerful　Liquid



of　Petrifaction　was　spilled　it　fell　only　upon　the



wife　of　the　Magician　and　the　uncle　of　Ojo。　With



these　two　the　charm　worked　promptly。　They　stood



motionless　and　stiff　as　marble　statues；　in　exactly



the　positions　they　were　in　when　the　Liquid　struck



them。







Ojo　pushed　the　Patchwork　Girl　away　and



ran　to　Unc　Nunkie；　filled　with　a　terrible　fear



for　the　only　friend　and　protector　he　had　ever



known。　When　he　grasped　Unc's　hand　it　was



cold　and　hard。　Even　the　long　gray　beard　was



solid　　marble。　　The　　Crooked　　Magician　　was



dancing　around　the　room　in　a　frenzy　of　despair；



calling　upon　his　wife　to　forgive　him；　to　speak



to　him；　to　come　to　life　again！







The　Patchwork　Girl；　quickly　recovering　from　her



fright；　now　came　nearer　and　looked　from　one　to



another　of　the　people　with　deep　interest。　Then　she



looked　at　herself　and　laughed。　Noticing　the



mirror；　she　stood　before　it　and　examined　her



extraordinary　features　with　amazementher　button



eyes；　pearl　bead　teeth　and　puffy　nose。　Then；



addressing　her　reflection　in　the　glass；　she　exclaimed：











〃Whee；　but　there's　a　gaudy　dame！



Makes　a　paint…box　blush　with　shame。



Razzle…dazzle；　fizzle…fazzle！



Howdy…do；　Miss　What's…your…name？〃















She　bowed；　and　the　reflection　bowed。　Then



she　laughed　again；　long　and　merrily；　and　the



Glass　Cat　crept　out　from　under　the　table　and　said：







〃I　don't　blame　you　for　laughing　at　yourself。



Aren't　you　horrid？〃







〃Horrid？〃　she　replied。　〃Why；　I'm　thoroughly



delightful。　I'm　an　Original；　if　you　please；　and



therefore　incomparable。　Of　all　the　comic；　absurd；



rare　and　amusing　creatures　the　world　contains；　I



must　be　the　supreme　freak。　Who　but　poor　Margolotte



could　have　managed　to　invent　such　an　unreasonable



being　as　I？　But　I'm　gladI'm　awfully　glad！that



I'm　just　what　I　am；　and　nothing　else。〃







〃Be　quiet；　will　you？〃　cried　the　frantic



Magician；　〃be　quiet　and　let　me　think！　If　I　don't



think　I　shall　go　mad。〃







〃Think　ahead；〃　said　the　Patchwork　Girl；　seating



herself　in　a　chair。　〃Think　all　you　want　to。　I



don't　mind。〃







〃Gee！　but　I'm　fired　playing　that　tune；〃　called



the　phonograph；　speaking　through　its　horn　in



a　brazen；　scratchy　voice。　〃If　you　don't　mind；



Pipt；　old　boy；　I'll　cut　it　out　and　take　a　rest。〃







The　Magician　looked　gloomily　at　the　music…



machine。







〃What　dreadful　luck！〃　he　wailed；　despondently。



〃The　Powder　of　Life　must　have　fallen　on　the



phonograph。〃







He　went　up　to　it　and　found　that　the　gold　bottle



that　contained　the　precious　powder　had　dropped



upon　the　stand　and　scattered　its　life…giving



grains　over　the　machine。　The　phonograph　was　very



much　alive；　and　began　dancing　a　jig　with　the　legs



of　the　table　to　which　it　was　attached；　and　this



dance　so　annoyed　Dr。　Pipt　that　he　kicked　the　thing



into　a　corner　and　pushed　a　bench　against　it；　to



hold　it　quiet。







〃You　were　bad　enough　before；〃　said　the　Magician；



resentfully；　〃but　a　live　phonograph　is　enough　to



drive　every　sane　person　in　the　Land　of　Oz　stark



crazy。〃







〃No　insults；　please；〃　answered　the　phonograph　in



a　surly；　tone。　〃You　did　it；　my　boy；　don't　blame



me。　〃







〃You've　bungled　everything；　Dr。　Pipt；〃　added



the　Glass　Cat；　contemptuously。







〃Except　me；〃　said　the　Patchwork　Girl；　jumping　up



to　whirl　merrily　around　the　room。







〃I　think；〃　said　Ojo；　almost　ready　to　cry



through　grief　over　Unc　Nunkie's　sad　fate；　〃it



must　all　be　my　fault；　in　some　way。　I'm　called



Ojo　the　Unlucky；　you　know。〃







〃That's　nonsense；　kiddie；〃　retorted　the



Patchwork　Girl　cheerfully。　〃No　one　can　be　unlucky



who　has　the　intelligence　to　direct　his　own



actions。　The　unlucky　ones　are　those　who　beg　for　a



chance　to　think；　like　poor　Dr。　Pipt　here。　What's



the　row　about；　anyway；　Mr。　Magic…maker？〃







〃The　Liquid　of　Petrifaction　has　accidentally



fallen　upon　my　dear　wife　and　Unc　Nunkie　and



turned　them　into　marble；〃　he　sadly　replied。







〃Well；　why　don't　you　sprinkle　some　of　that



powder　on　them　and　bring　them　to　life　again？〃



asked　the　Patchwork　Girl。







The　Magician　gave　a　jump。







〃Why；　I　hadn't　thought　of　that！〃　he　joyfully



cried；　and　grabbed　up　the　golden　bottle；　with



which　he　ran　to　Margolotte。







Said　the　Patchwork　Girl：











〃Higgledy；　piggledy；　dee…



What　fools　magicians　be！



His　head's　so　thick



He　can't　think　quick；



So　he　takes　advice　from　me。〃















Standing　upon　the　bench；　for　he　was　so



crooked　he　could　not　reach　the　top　of　his　wife's



head　in　any　other　way；　Dr。　Pipt　began　shaking



the　bottle。　But　not　a　grain　of　powder　came　out。



He　pulled　off　the　cover；　glanced　within；　and



then　threw　the　bottle　from　him　with　a　wail　of



despair。







〃Gone…gone！　Every　bit　gone；〃　he　cried。



〃Wasted　on　that　miserable　phonograph　when



it　might　have　saved　my　dear　wife！〃







Then　the　Magician　bowed　his　head　on　his



crooked　arms　and　began　to　cry。







Ojo　was　sorry　for　him。　He　went　up　to　the



sorrowful　man　and　said　softly：







〃You　can　make　more　Powder　of　Life；　Dr。　Pipt。〃







〃Yes；　but　it　will　take　me　six　yearssix　long；



weary　years　of　stirring　four　kettles　with　both



feet　and　both　hands；〃　was　the　agonized　reply。　〃Six



years！　while　poor　Margolotte　stands　watching　me　as



a　marble　image。　〃







〃Can't　anything　else　be　done？〃　asked　the



Patchwork　Girl。







The　Magician　shook　his　head。　Then　he　seemed　to



remember　something　and　looked　up。







〃There　is　one　other　compound　that　would　destroy



the　magic　spell　of　the　Liquid　of　Petrifaction　and



restore　my　wife　and　Unc　Nunkie　to　life；〃　said　he。



〃It　may　be　hard　to　find　the　things　I　need　to　make



this　magic　compound；　but　if　they　were　found　I



could　do　in　an　instant　what　will　otherwise　take



six　long；　weary　years　of　stirring　kettles　with



both　hands　and　both　feet。〃







〃All　right；　let's　find　the　things；　then；〃



suggested　the　Patchwork　Girl。　〃That　seems　a　lot



more　sensible　than　those　stirring　times　with　the



kettles。〃







〃That's　the　idea；　Scraps；〃　said　the　Glass　Cat；



approvingly。　〃I'm　glad　to　find　you　have　decent



brains。　Mine　are　exceptionally　good。　You　can



see　em　work；　they're　pink。〃







〃Scraps？〃　repeated　the