the patchwork girl of oz-第8部分

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that　the　path　down　the　mountainside　led　into　the



open　Munchkin　Country；　where　large　numbers　of



people　dwelt。　Scraps　was　quite　new　and　not



supposed　to　know　anything　of　the　Land　of　Oz；　while



the　Glass　Cat　admitted　she　had　never　wandered　very



far　away　from　the　Magician's　house。　There　was　only



one　path　before　them；　at　the　beginning；　so　they



could　not　miss　their　way；　and　for　a　time　they



walked　through　the　thick　forest　in　silent　thought；



each　one　impressed　with　the　importance　of　the



adventure　they　had　undertaken。







Suddenly　the　Patchwork　Girl　laughed。　It　was



funny　to　see　her　laugh；　because　her　cheeks



wrinkled　up；　her　nose　tipped；　her　silver　button



eyes　twinkled　and　her　mouth　curled　at　the



corners　in　a　comical　way。







〃Has　something　pleased　you？〃　asked　Ojo；　who　was



feeling　solemn　and　joyless　through　thinking　upon



his　uncle's　sad　fate。







〃Yes；〃　she　answered。　〃Your　world　pleases　me；　for



it's　a　queer　world；　and　life　in　it　is　queerer



still。　Here　am　I；　made　from　an　old　bedquilt　and



intended　to　be　a　slave　to　Margolotte；　rendered



free　as　air　by　an　accident　that　none　of　you　could



foresee。　I　am　enjoying　life　and　seeing　the　world；



while　the　woman　who　made　me　is　standing　helpless



as　a　block　of　wood。　If　that　isn't　funny　enough　to



laugh　at；　I　don't　know　what　is。〃







〃You're　not　seeing　much　of　the　world　yet；



my　poor；　innocent　Scraps；〃　remarked　the　Cat。



〃The　world　doesn't　consist　wholly　of　the　trees



that　are　on　all　sides　of　us。〃







〃But　they're　part　of　it；　and　aren't　they　pretty



trees？〃　returned　Scraps；　bobbing　her　head　until



her　brown　yarn　curls　fluttered　in　the　breeze。



〃Growing　between　them　I　can　see　lovely　ferns



and　wild…flowers；　and　soft　green　mosses。　If　the



rest　of　your　world　is　half　as　beautiful　I　shall　be



glad　I'm　alive。〃







〃I　don't　know　what　the　rest　of　the　world　is



like；　I'm　sure；〃　said　the　cat；　〃but　I　mean　to



find　out。〃







〃I　have　never　been　out　of　the　forest；〃　Ojo



added；　〃but　to　me　the　trees　are　gloomy　and　sad



and　the　wild…flowers　seem　lonesome。　It　must　be



nicer　where　there　are　no　trees　and　there　is　room



for　lots　of　people　to　live　together。〃







〃I　wonder　if　any　of　the　people　we　shall　meet



will　be　as　splendid　as　I　am；〃　said　the　Patchwork



Girl。　〃All　I　have　seen；　so　far；　have　pale；



colorless　skins　and　clothes　as　blue　as　the　country



they　live　in；　while　I　am　of　many　gorgeous　colors



face　and　body　and　clothes。　That　is　why　I　am　bright



and　contented；　Ojo；　while　you　are　blue　and　sad。〃







〃I　think　I　made　a　mistake　in　giving　you　so　many



sorts　of　brains；〃　observed　the　boy。　〃Perhaps；　as



the　Magician　said；　you　have　an　over…dose；　and　they



may　not　agree　with　you。〃







〃What　had　you　to　do　with　my　brains？〃　asked



Scraps。







〃A　lot；〃　replied　Ojo。　〃Old　Margolotte　meant



to　give　you　only　a　fewjust　enough　to　keep



you　goingbut　when　she　wasn't　looking　I　added



a　good　many　more；　of　the　best　kinds　I　could



find　in　the　Magician's　cupboard。〃







〃Thanks；〃　said　the　girl；　dancing　along　the



path　ahead　of　Ojo　and　then　dancing　back　to　his



side。　〃If　a　few　brains　are　good；　many　brains



must　be　better。〃







〃But　they　ought　to　be　evenly　balanced；〃　said　the



boy；　〃and　I　had　no　time　to　be　careful。　From　the



way　you're　acting；　I　guess　the　dose　was　badly



mixed。〃







〃Scraps　hasn't　enough　brains　to　hurt　her；　so



don't　worry；〃　remarked　the　cat；　which　was　trotting



along　in　a　very　dainty　and　graceful　manner。　〃The



only　brains　worth　considering　are　mine；　which　are



pink。　You　can　see　'em　work。〃







After　walking　a　long　time　they　came　to　a　little



brook　that　trickled　across　the　path；　and　here　Ojo



sat　down　to　rest　and　eat　something　from　his



basket。　He　found　that　the　Magician　had　given　him



part　of　a　loaf　of　bread　and　a　slice　of　cheese。　He



broke　off　some　of　the　bread　and　was　surprised　to



find　the　loaf　just　as　large　as　it　was　before。　It



was　the　same　way　with　the　cheese：　however　much　he



broke　off　from　the　slice；　it　remained　exactly　the



same　size。







〃Ah；〃　said　he；　nodding　wisely；　〃that's　magic。



Dr。　Pipt　has　enchanted　the　bread　and　the　cheese；



so　it　will　last　me　all　through　my　journey；　however



much　I　eat。〃







〃Why　do　you　put　those　things　into　your　mouth？〃



asked　Scraps；　gazing　at　him　in　astonishment。　〃Do



you　need　more　stuffing？　Then　why　don't　you　use



cotton；　such　as　I　am　stuffed　with？〃







〃I　don't　need　that　kind；〃　said　Ojo。







〃But　a　mouth　is　to　talk　with；　isn't　it？〃







〃It　is　also　to　eat　with；〃　replied　the　boy。　〃If　I



didn't　put　food　into　my　mouth；　and　eat　it；　I　would



get　hungry　and　starve。







〃Ah；　I　didn't　know　that；〃　she　said。　〃Give　me



some。〃







Ojo　handed　her　a　bit　of　the　bread　and　she　put　it



in　her　mouth。







〃What　next？〃　she　asked；　scarcely　able　to　speak。







〃Chew　it　and　swallow　it；〃　said　the　boy。







Scraps　tried　that。　Her　pearl　teeth　were　unable



to　chew　the　bread　and　beyond　her　mouth　there　was



no　opening。　Being　unable　to　swallow　she　threw　away



the　bread　and　laughed。







〃I　must　get　hungry　and　starve；　for　I　can't　eat；〃



she　said。







〃Neither　can　I；〃　announced　the　cat；　〃but　I'm



not　fool　enough　to　try。　Can't　you　understand



that　you　and　I　are　superior　people　and　not　made



like　these　poor　humans？〃







〃Why　should　I　understand　that；　or　anything



else？〃　asked　the　girl。　〃Don't　bother　my　head　by



asking　conundrums；　I　beg　of　you。　Just　let　me



discover　myself　in　my　own　way。〃







With　this　she　began　amusing　herself　by　leaping



across　the　brook　and　hack　again。







〃Be　careful；　or　you'll　fall　in　the　water；〃



warned　Ojo。







〃Never　mind。〃







〃You'd　better。　If　you　get　wet　you'll　be　soggy



and　can't　walk。　Your　colors　might　run；　too；〃



he　said。







〃Don't　my　colors　run　whenever　I　run？〃　she　asked。







〃Not　in　the　way　I　mean。　If　they　get　wet；　the



reds　and　greens　and　yellows　and　purples　of　your



patches　might　run　into　each　other　and　become



just　a　blurno　color　at　all；　you　know。〃







〃Then；〃　said　the　Patchwork　Girl；　〃I'll　be



careful；　for　if　I　spoiled　my　splendid　colors　I



would　cease　to　be　beautiful。〃







〃Pah！〃　sneered　the　Glass　Cat；　〃such　colors　are



not　beautiful；　they're　ugly；　and　in　bad　taste。



Please　notice　that　my　body　has　no　color　at　all。



I'm　transparent；　except　for　my　exquisite　red　heart



and　my　lovely　pink　brainsyou　can　see　'em　work。〃







〃Shoo…shoo…shoo！〃　cried　Scraps；　dancing



around　and　laughing。　〃And　your　horrid　green　eyes；



Miss　Bungle！　You　can't　see　your　eyes；　but　we　can；



and　I　notice　you're　very　proud　of　what　little



color　you　have。　Shoo；　Miss　Bungle；　shoo…shoo…shoo！



If　you　were　all　colors　and　many　colors；　as　I　am；



you'd　be　too　stuck　up　for　anything。〃　She　leaped



over　the　cat　and　back　again；　and　the　startled



Bungle　crept　close　to　a　tree　to　escape　her。　This



made　Scraps　laugh　more　heartily　than　ever；　and　she



said：











〃Whoop…tedoodle…doo！



The　cat　has　lost　her　shoe。



Her　tootsie's　bare；　but　she　don't　care；



So　what's　the　odds　to　you？〃















〃Dear　me；　Ojo；〃　said　the　cat；　〃don't　you　think



the　creature　is　a　little　bit　crazy？〃







〃It　may　be；〃　he　answered；　with　a　puzzled　look。







〃If　she　continues　her　insults　I'll　scratch　off



her　suspender…button　eyes；〃　declared　the　cat。







〃Don't　quarrel；　please；〃　pleaded　the　boy；　rising



to　resume　the　journey。　〃Let　us　be　good　comrades



and　as　happy　and　cheerful　as　possible；　for　we　are



likely　to　meet　with　plenty　of　trouble　on　our　way。〃







It　was　nearly　sundown　when　they　came　to　the　edge



of　the　forest　and　saw　spread　out　before　them　a



delightful　landscape。　There　were　broad　blue　fields



stretching　for　miles　over　the　valley；　which　was



dotted　everywhere　with　pretty；　blue　domed　houses；



none　of　which；　however；　was　very　near　to　the　place



where　they　stood。　Just　at　the　point　where　the　path



left　the　forest　stood　a　tiny　house　covered　with



leaves　from　the　trees；　and　before　this　stood　a



Munchkin　man　with　an　axe　in　his　hand。　He　seemed



very　much　surprised　when　Ojo　and　Scraps　and　the



Glass　Cat　came　out　of　the　woods；　but　as　the



Patchwork　Girl　approached　nearer　he　sat　down　upon



a　bench　and　laughed　so　hard　that　he　could　not



speak　for　a　long　time。







This　man　w