the patchwork girl of oz- 第17部分

〃But　you　forget；〃　returned　the　Woozy；　〃my



tremendous　growl　would　also　frighten　you；　and



if　you　happen　to　have　heart　disease　you　might



expire。〃







〃True；　but　we　must　take　that　risk；〃　decided



the　Shaggy　Man；　bravely。　〃Being　warned　of



what　is　to　occur　we　must　try　to　bear　the　terrific



noise　of　your　growl；　but　Chiss　won't　expect　it；



and　it　will　scare　him　away。〃







The　Woozy　hesitated。







〃I'm　fond　of　you　all；　and　I　hate　to　shock　you；〃



it　said。







〃Never　mind；〃　said　Ojo。







〃You　may　be　made　deaf。〃







〃If　so；　we　will　forgive　you。







〃Very　well；　then；〃　said　the　Woozy　in　a



determined　voice；　and　advanced　a　few　steps　toward



the　giant　porcupine。　Pausing　to　look　back；　it



asked：　〃All　ready？〃







〃All　ready！〃　they　answered。







〃Then　cover　up　your　ears　and　brace　yourselves



firmly。　Now；　thenlook　out！〃







The　Woozy　turned　toward　Chiss；　opened　wide　its



mouth　and　said：







〃Quee…ee…ee…eek。〃







〃Go　ahead　and　growl；〃　said　Scraps。







〃Why；　II　did　growl！〃　retorted　the　Woozy；



who　seemed　much　astonished。







〃What；　that　little　squeak？〃　she　cried。







〃It　is　the　most　awful　growl　that　ever　was　heard；



on　land　or　sea；　in　caverns　or　in　the　sky；〃



protested　the　Woozy。　〃I　wonder　you　stood　the　shock



so　well。　Didn't　you　feel　the　ground　tremble？　I



suppose　Chiss　is　now　quite　dead　with　fright。〃







The　Shaggy　Man　laughed　merrily。







〃Poor　Wooz！〃　said　he；　〃your　growl　wouldn't



scare　a　fly。〃







The　Woozy　seemed　to　be　humiliated　and　surprised。



It　hung　its　head　a　moment；　as　if　in　shame　or



sorrow；　but　then　it　said　with　renewed　confidence：



〃Anyhow；　my　eyes　can　flash　fire；　and　good　fire；



too；　good　enough　to　set　fire　to　a　fence！〃







〃That　is　true；〃　declared　Scraps；　〃I　saw　it



done　myself。　But　your　ferocious　growl　isn't　as



loud　as　the　tick　of　a　beetleor　one　of　Ojo's



snores　when　he's　fast　asleep。〃







〃Perhaps；〃　said　the　Woozy；　humbly；　〃I　have



been　mistaken　about　my　growl。　It　has　always



sounded　very　fearful　to　me；　but　that　may；　have



been　because　it　was　so　close　to　my　ears。〃







〃Never　mind；〃　Ojo　said　soothingly；　〃it　is　a



great　talent　to　be　able　to　flash　fire　from　your



eyes。　No　one　else　can　do　that。〃







As　they　stood　hesitating　what　to　do　Chiss



stirred　and　suddenly　a　shower　of　quills　came



flying　toward　them；　almost　filling　the　air；　they



were　so　many。　Scraps　realized　in　an　instant　that



they　had　gone　too　near　to　Chiss　for　safety；　so



she　sprang　in　front　of　Ojo　and　shielded　him



from　the　darts；　which　stuck　their　points　into　her



own　body　until　she　resembled　one　of　those



targets　they　shoot　arrows　at　in　archery　games。



The　Shaggy　Man　dropped　flat　on　his　face　to



avoid　the　shower；　but　one　quill　struck　him　in



the　leg　and　went　far　in。　As　for　the　Glass　Cat；



the　quills　rattled　off　her　body　without　making



even　a　scratch；　and　the　skin　of　the　Woozy　was



so　thick　and　tough　that　he　was　not　hurt　at　all。







When　the　attack　was　over　they　all　ran　to　the



Shaggy　Man；　who　was　moaning　and　groaning；　and



Scraps　promptly　pulled　the　quill　out　of　his　leg。



Then　up　he　jumped　and　ran　over　to　Chiss；　putting



his　foot　on　the　monster's　neck　and　holding　it　a



prisoner。　The　body　of　the　great　porcupine　was　now



as　smooth　as　leather；　except　for　the　holes　where



the　quills　had　been；　for　it　had　shot　every　single



quill　in　that　one　wicked　shower。







〃Let　me　go！〃　it　shouted　angrily。　〃How　dare



you　put　your　foot　on　Chiss？〃







〃I'm　going　to　do　worse　than　that；　old　boy；〃



replied　the　Shaggy　Man。　〃You　have　annoyed



travelers　on　this　road　long　enough；　and　now



I　shall　put　an　end　to　you。〃







〃You　can't！〃　returned　Chiss。　〃Nothing　can



kill　me；　as　you　know　perfectly　well。〃







〃Perhaps　that　is　true；〃　said　the　Shaggy　Man



in　a　tone　of　disappointment。　〃Seems　to　me　I've



been　told　before　that　you　can't　be　killed。　But　if



I　let　you　go；　what　will　you　do？〃







〃Pick　up　my　quills　again；〃　said　Chiss　in　a



sulky　voice。







〃And　then　shoot　them　at　more　travelers？　No；



that　won't　do。　You　must　promise　me　to　stop



throwing　quills　at　people。〃







〃I　won't　promise　anything　of　the　sort；〃　declared



Chiss。







〃Why　not？〃







〃Because　it　is　my　nature　to　throw　quills；　and



every　animal　must　do　what　Nature　intends　it



to　do。　It　isn't　fair　for　you　to　blame　me。　If　it　were



wrong　for　me　to　throw　quills；　then　I　wouldn't



be　made　with　quills　to　throw。　The　proper　thing



for　you　to　do　is　to　keep　out　of　my　way。







〃Why；　there's　some　sense　in　that　argument；



admitted　the　Shaggy　Man；　thoughtfully；　〃but



people　who　are　strangers；　and　don't　know　you



are　here；　won't　be　able　to　keep　out　of　your　way。〃







〃Tell　you　what；〃　said　Scraps；　who　was　trying



to　pull　the　quills　out　of　her　own　body；　〃let's



gather　up　all　the　quills　and　take　them　away　with



us；　then　old　Chiss　won't　have　any　left　to　throw



at　people。〃







〃Ah；　that's　a　clever　idea。　You　and　Ojo　must



gather　up　the　quills　while　I　hold　Chiss　a



prisoner；　for；　if　I　let　him　go　he　will　get　some　of



his　quills　and　be　able　to　throw　them　again。〃







So　Scraps　and　Ojo　picked　up　all　the　quills



and　tied　them　in　a　bundle　so　they　might　easily



be　carried。　After　this　the　Shaggy　Man　released



Chiss　and　let　him　go；　knowing　that　he　was



harmless　to　injure　anyone。







〃It's　the　meanest　trick　I　ever　heard　of；〃



muttered　the　porcupine　gloomily。　〃How　would　you



like　it；　Shaggy　Man；　if　I　took　all　your　shags　away



from　you？〃







〃If　I　threw　my　shags　and　hurt　people；　you　would



be　welcome　to　capture　them；〃　was　the　reply。







Then　they　walked　on　and　left　Chiss　standing　in



the　road　sullen　and　disconsolate。　The　Shaggy　Man



limped　as　he　walked；　for　his　wound　still　hurt　him；



and　Scraps　was　much　annoyed　be　cause　the　quills



had　left　a　number　of　small　holes　in　her　patches。







When　they　came　to　a　flat　stone　by　the　roadside



the　Shaggy　Man　sat　down　to　rest；　and　then　Ojo



opened　his　basket　and　took　out　the　bundle　of



charms　the　Crooked　Magician　had　given　him。







〃I　am　Ojo　the　Unlucky；〃　he　said；　〃or　we　would



never　have　met　that　dreadful　porcupine。　But　I　will



see　if　I　can　find　anything　among　these　charms



which　will　cure　your　leg。〃







Soon　he　discovered　that　one　of　the　charms



was　labelled：　〃For　flesh　wounds；〃　and　this　the



boy　separated　from　the　others。　It　was　only　a　bit



of　dried　root；　taken　from　some　unknown　shrub；



but　the　boy　rubbed　it　upon　the　wound　made　by



the　quill　and　in　a　few　moments　the　place　was



healed　entirely　and　the　Shaggy　Man's　leg　was



as　good　as　ever。







〃Rub　it　on　the　holes　in　my　patches；〃　suggested



Scraps；　and　Ojo　tried　it；　but　without　any　effect。







〃The　charm　you　need　is　a　needle　and　thread；〃



said　the　Shaggy　Man。　〃But　do　not　worry；　my



dear；　those　holes　do　not　look　badly；　at　all。〃







〃They'll　let　in　the　air；　and　I　don't　want　people



to　think　I'm　airy；　or　that　I've　been　stuck



up；〃　said　the　Patchwork　Girl。







〃You　were　certainly　stuck　up　until　we　pulled



Out　those　quills；〃　observed　Ojo；　with　a　laugh。







So　now　they　went　on　again　and　coming　presently



to　a　pond　of　muddy　water　they　tied　a　heavy　stone



to　the　bundle　of　quills　and　sunk　it　to　the　bottom



of　the　pond；　to　avoid　carrying　it　farther。



















Chapter　Thirteen







Scraps　and　the　Scarecrow











From　here　on　the　country　improved　and　the　desert



places　began　to　give　way　to　fertile　spots；　still



no　houses　were　yet　to　be　seen　near　the　road。　There



were　some　hills；　with　valleys　between　them；　and　on



reaching　the　top　of　one　of　these　hills　the



travelers　found　before　them　a　high　wall；　running



to　the　right　and　the　left　as　far　as　their　eyes



could　reach。　Immediately　in　front　of　them；　where



the　wall　crossed　the　roadway；　stood　a　gate　having



stout　iron　bars　that　extended　from　top　to　bottom。



They　found；　on　coming　nearer；　that　this　gate　was



locked　with　a　great　padlock；　rusty　through　lack　of



use。







〃Well；〃　said　Scraps；　〃I　guess　we'll　stop　here。〃







〃It's　a　good　guess；〃　replied　Ojo。　〃Our　way　is



barred　by　this　great　wall　and　gate。　It　looks　as　if



no　one　had　passed　through　in　many　years。







〃Looks　are　deceiving；〃　declared　the　Shaggy　Man；



laughing　at　their　disappointed　faces；　〃and　this



barrier　is　the　most　deceiving　thing　in　all　Oz。〃







〃It　prevents　our　going　any　farther；　anyhow；〃



said　Scraps。　〃There　is　no　one　to　mind　the　gate



and　let　people　through；　and　we've　no　key　to



the　padlock。〃







〃True；〃　replied　Ojo；　going　a　little　nearer　to



peep　through　the　bars　of　the　gate。　〃What　shall　we



do；　Shaggy　Man？　If　we　had　wings　we　might　fly　over



the　wall；　but　we　cannot　climb　it　and　unless　we　get



to　the　Emerald　City　I　won't　be　able　to　find　the



things　to　restore　Unc　Nunkie　to　life。〃







〃All　very　true；〃　answered　the　Shaggy　Man；



quietly；　〃but　I　know　this　gate；　having　passed



through　it　many　times。〃







〃How？〃　they　all　eagerly　inquired。







〃I'll　show　you　how；〃　said　he。　He　stood　Ojo



in　the　middle　of　the　road　and　placed　Scraps



just　behind　him；　with　her　padded　hands　on　his



shoulders。　After　the　Patchwork　Girl　came　the