the patchwork girl of oz- 第15部分

〃That；〃　announced　the　Shaggy　Man；　〃is　a　square



meal；　in　condensed　form。　Invention　of　the　great



Professor　Woggle…Bug；　of　the　Royal　College　of



Athletics。　It　contains　soup；　fish；　roast　meat；



salad；　apple…dumplings；　ice　cream　and　chocolate…



drops；　all　boiled　down　to　this　small　size；　so　it



can　be　conveniently　carried　and　swallowed　when　you



are　hungry　and　need　a　square　meal。〃







〃I'm　square；〃　said　the　Woozy。　〃Give　me　one；



please。〃







So　the　Shaggy　Man　gave　the　Woozy　a　tablet　from



his　bottle　and　the　beast　ate　it　in　a　twinkling。







〃You　have　now　had　a　six　course　dinner；〃



declared　the　Shaggy　Man。







〃Pshaw！〃　said　the　Woozy；　ungratefully；　〃I



want　to　taste　something。　There's　no　fun　in　that



sort　of　eating。〃







〃One　should　only　eat　to　sustain　life；〃　replied



the　Shaggy　Man；　〃and　that　tablet　is　equal　to　a



peck　of　other　food。〃







〃I　don't　care　for　it。　I　want　something　I　can



chew　and　taste；〃　grumbled　the　Woozy。







〃You　are　quite　wrong；　my　poor　beast；〃　said



the　Shaggy　Man　in　a　tone　of　pity。　〃Think　how



tired　your　jaws　would　get　chewing　a　square



meal　like　this；　if　it　were　not　condensed　to　the



size　of　a　small　tabletwhich　you　can　swallow



in　a　jiffy。〃







〃Chewing　isn't　tiresome；　it's　fun；　　maintained



the　Woozy。　〃I　always　chew　the　honey…bees　when　I



catch　them。　Give　me　some　bread　and　cheese；　Ojo。〃







〃No；　no！　You've　already　eaten　a　big　dinner！〃



protested　the　Shaggy　Man。







〃May　be；〃　answered　the　Woozy；　〃but　I　guess



I'll　fool　myself　by　munching　some　bread　and



cheese。　I　may　not　be　hungry；　having　eaten　all



those　things　you　gave　me；　but　I　consider　this



eating　business　a　matter　of　taste；　and　I　like　to



realize　what's　going　into　me。〃







Ojo　gave　the　beast　what　he　wanted；　but　the



Shaggy　Man　shook　his　shaggy　head　reproachfully　and



said　there　was　no　animal　so　obstinate　or　hard　to



convince　as　a　Woozy。







At　this　moment　a　patter　of　footsteps　was　heard；



and　looking　up　they　saw　the　live　phonograph



standing　before　them。　It　seemed　to　have　passed



through　many　adventures　since　Ojo　and　his　comrades



last　saw　the　machine；　for　the　varnish　of　its



wooden　case　was　all　marred　and　dented　and



scratched　in　a　way　that　gave　it　an　aged　and



disreputable　appearance。







〃Dear　me！〃　exclaimed　　Ojo；　staring　hard。



〃What　has　happened　to　you？〃







〃Nothing　much；〃　replied　the　phonograph　in



a　sad　and　depressed　voice。　〃I've　had　enough



things　thrown　at　me；　since　I　left　you；　to　stock



a　department　store　and　furnish　half　a　dozen



bargain…counters。〃







〃Are　you　so　broken　up　that　you　can't　play？〃



asked　Scraps。







〃No；　I　still　am　able　to　grind　out　delicious



music。　Just　now　I've　a　record　on　tap　that　is



really　superb；〃　said　the　phonograph；　growing　more



cheerful。







〃That　is　too　bad；〃　remarked　Ojo。　〃We've　no



objection　to　you　as　a　machine；　you　know；　but



as　a　music…maker　we　hate　you。〃







〃Then　why　was　I　ever　invented？〃　demanded



the　machine；　in　a　tone　of　indignant　protest。







They　looked　at　one　another　inquiringly；　but



no　one　could　answer　such　a　puzzling　question。



Finally　the　Shaggy　Man　said：







〃I'd　like　to　hear　the　phonograph　play。〃







Ojo　sighed。　〃We've　been　very　happy　since　we



met　you；　sir；〃　he　said。







〃I　know。　But　a　little　misery；　at　times；　makes



one　appreciate　happiness　more。　Tell　me；　Phony；



what　is　this　record　like；　which　you　say　you　have



on　tap？〃







〃It's　a　popular　song；　sir。　In　all　civilized　lands



the　common　people　have　gone　wild　over　it。〃







〃Makes　civilized　folks　wild　folks；　eh？　Then



it's　dangerous。〃







〃Wild　with　joy；　I　mean；〃　explained　the



phonograph。　〃Listen。　This　song　will　prove　a



rare　treat　to　you；　I　know。　It　made　the　author



richfor　an　author。　It　is　called　'My　Lulu。'〃







Then　the　phonograph　began　to　play。　A　strain



of　odd；　jerky　sounds　was　followed　by　these



words；　sung　by　a　man　through　his　nose　with



great　vigor　of　expression：











〃Ah　wants　mah　Lulu；　mah　coal…black　Lulu；



Ah　wants　mah　loo…loo；　loo…loo；　loo…loo；　Lu！



Ah　loves　mah　Lulu；　mah　coal…black　Lulu；



There　ain't　nobody　else　loves　loo…loo；　Lu！〃











〃Here…shut　that　off！〃　cried　the　Shaggy　Man；



springing　to　his　feet。　〃What　do　you　mean　by



such　impertinence？〃







〃It's　the　latest　popular　song；〃　declared　the



phonograph；　speaking　in　a　sulky　tone　of　voice。







〃A　popular　song？〃







〃Yes。　One　that　the　feeble…minded　can　remember



the　words　of　and　those　ignorant　of　music　can



whistle　or　sing。　That　makes　a　popular　song



popular；　and　the　time　is　coming　when　it　will　take



the　place　of　all　other　songs。〃







〃That　time　won't　come　to　us；　just　yet；〃　said



the　Shaggy　Man；　sternly：　〃I'm　something　of　a



singer　myself；　and　I　don't　intend　to　be　throttled



by　any　Lulus　like　your　coal…black　one。　I　shall



take　you　all　apart；　Mr。　Phony；　and　scatter　your



pieces　far　and　wide　over　the　country；　as　a　matter



of　kindness　to　the　people　you　might　meet　if



allowed　to　run　around　loose。　Having　performed



this　painful　duty　I　shall〃







But　before　he　could　say　more　the　phonograph



turned　and　dashed　up　the　road　as　fast　as　its　four



table…legs　could　carry　it；　and　soon　it　had　entirely



disappeared　from　their　view。







The　Shaggy　Man　sat　down　again　and　seemed



well　pleased。　〃Some　one　else　will　save　me　the



trouble　of　scattering　that　phonograph；〃　said　he；



〃for　it　is　not　possible　that　such　a　music…maker



can　last　long　in　the　Land　of　Oz。　When　you　are



rested；　friends；　let　us　go　on　our　way。〃







During　the　afternoon　the　travelers　found



themselves　in　a　lonely　and　uninhabited　part　of　the



country。　Even　the　fields　were　no　longer　cultivated



and　the　country　began　to　resemble　a　wilderness。



The　road　of　yellow　bricks　seemed　to　have　been



neglected　and　became　uneven　and　more　difficult　to



walk　upon。　Scrubby　under…brush　grew　on　either　side



of　the　way。　while　huge　rocks　were　scattered　around



in　abundance。







But　this　did　not　deter　Ojo　and　his　friends　from



trudging　on；　and　they　beguiled　the　journey　with



jokes　and　cheerful　conversation。　Toward　evening



they　reached　a　crystal　spring　which　gushed　from　a



tall　rock　by　the　roadside　and　near　this　spring



stood　a　deserted　cabin。　Said　the　Shaggy　Man；



halting　here：







〃We　may　as　well　pass　the　night　here；　where



there　is　shelter　for　our　heads　and　good　water　to



drink。　Road　beyond　here　is　pretty　bad；　worst



we　shall　have　to　travel；　so　let's　wait　until



morning　before　we　tackle　it。〃







They　agreed　to　this　and　Ojo　found　some　brushwood



in　the　cabin　and　made　a　fire　on　the　hearth。　The



fire　delighted　Scraps；　who　danced　before　it　until



Ojo　warned　her　she　might　set　fire　to　herself　and



burn　up。　After　that　the　Patchwork　Girl　kept　at　a



respectful　distance　from　the　darting　flames；　but



the　Woozy　lay　down　before　the　fire　like　a　big　dog



and　seemed　to　enjoy　its　warmth。







For　supper　the　Shaggy　Man　ate　one　of　his



tablets；　but　Ojo　stuck　to　his　bread　and　cheese　as



the　most　satisfying　food。　He　also　gave　a　portion



to　the　Woozy。







When　darkness　came　on　and　they　sat　in　a　circle



on　the　cabin　floor；　facing　the　firelightthere



being　no　furniture　of　any　sort　in　the　placeOjo



said　to　the　Shaggy　Man：







〃Won't　you　tell　us　a　story？〃







〃I'm　not　good　at　stories；〃　was　the　reply；　〃but



I　sing　like　a　bird。〃







〃Raven；　or　crow？〃　asked　the　Glass　Cat。







〃Like　a　song　bird。　I'll　prove　it。　I'll　sing　a　song



I　composed　myself。　Don't　tell　anyone　I'm　a　poet；



they　might　want　me　to　write　a　book。　Don't　tell



'em　I　can　sing；　or　they'd　want　me　to　make



records　for　that　awful　phonograph。　Haven't



time　to　be　a　public　benefactor；　so　I'll　just　sing



you　this　little　song　for　your　own　amusement。〃







They　were　glad　enough　to　be　entertained；



and　listened　with　interest　while　the　Shaggy　Man



chanted　the　following　verses　to　a　tune　that　was



not　unpleasant：











〃I'll　sing　a　song　of　Ozland；　where　wondrous　creatures　dwell



And　fruits　and　flowers　and　shady　bowers　abound　in　every　dell；



Where　magic　is　a　science　and　where　no　one　shows　surprise



If　some　amazing　thing　takes　place　before　his　very　eyes。







Our　Ruler's　a　bewitching　girl　whom　fairies　love　to　please；



She's　always　kept　her　magic　sceptre　to　enforce　decrees



To　make　her　people　happy；　for　her　heart　is　kind　and　true



And　to　aid　the　needy　and　distressed　is　what　she　longs　to　do。







And　then　there's　Princess　Dorothy；　as　sweet　as　any　rose；



A　lass　from　Kansas；　where　they　don't　grow　fairies；　I　Suppose；



And　there's　the　brainy　Scarecrow；　with　a　body　stuffed　with　straw；



Who　utters　words　of　wisdom　rare　that　fill　us　all　with　awe。







I'll　not　forget　Nick　Chopper；　the　Woodman　made　of　Tin；



Whose　tender　heart　thinks　killing　time　is　quite　a　dreadful　sin；



Nor　old　Professor　Woggle…Bug；　who's　highly　magnified



And　looks　so　big　to　everyone　that　he　is　filled　with　pride。







Jack　Pumpkinhead's　a　dear　old　chum　who　might　be　called　a　chump；



But　won　renown　by　riding　round　upon　a　magic　Gump；



The　Sawhorse　is　a　splendid　steed　and　though　he's　made　of　wood



He　does　as　many　thrilling　stunts　as　any　meat　horse　could。







And　now　I'll　i