《the patchwork girl of oz》

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the patchwork girl of oz- 第18部分


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shoulders。 After the Patchwork Girl came the



Woozy; who held a part of her skirt in his



mouth。 Then; last of all; was the Glass Cat;



holding fast to the Woozy's tail with her glass



jaws。







〃Now;〃 said the Shaggy Man; 〃you must all



shut your eyes tight; and keep them shut until



I tell you to open them。〃







〃I can't;〃 objected Scraps。 〃My eyes are but…



tons; and they won't shut。〃









So the Shaggy Man tied his red handkerchief over



the Patchwork Girl's eyes and examined all the



others to make sure they had their eyes fast shut



and could see nothing。







〃What's the game;  anyhowblind…man's…buff?〃



asked Scraps。







〃Keep quiet!〃 commanded the Shaggy Man;



sternly。 〃All ready? Then follow me。〃







He took Ojo's hand and led him forward over the



road of yellow bricks; toward the gate。 Holding



fast to one another they all followed in a row;



expecting every minute to bump against the iron



bars。 The Shaggy Man also had his eyes closed; but



marched straight ahead; nevertheless; and after



he had taken one hundred steps; by actual count;



he stopped and said:







〃Now you may open your eyes。〃







They did so; and to their astonishment found



the wall and the gateway far behind them;



while in front the former Blue Country of the



Munchkins had given way to green fields; with



pretty farm…houses scattered among them。







〃That wall;〃 explained the Shaggy Man; 〃is



what is called an optical illusion。 It is quite real



while you have your eyes open; but if you are



not looking at it the barrier doesn't exist at all。



It's the same way with many other evils in life;



they seem to exist; and yet it's all seeming and



not true。 You will notice that the wallor what



we thought was a wallseparates the Munchkin



Country from the green country that surrounds



the Emerald City; which lies exactly in the



center of Oz。 There are two roads of yellow



bricks through the Munchkin Country; but the



one we followed is the best of the two。 Dorothy



once traveled the other way; and met with more



dangers than we did。 But all our troubles are



over for the present; as another day's journey



will bring us to the great Emerald City。〃







They were delighted to know this; and proceeded



with new courage。 In a couple of hours they



stopped at a farmhouse; where the people were very



hospitable and invited them to dinner。 The farm



folk regarded Scraps with much curiosity but no



great astonishment; for they were accustomed to



seeing extraordinary people in the Land of Oz。







The woman of this house got her needle and



thread and sewed up the holes made by the



porcupine quills in the Patchwork Girl's body;



after which Scraps was assured she looked as



beautiful as ever。







〃You ought to have a hat to wear;〃 remarked



the woman; 〃for that would keep the sun from



fading the colors of your face。 I have some



patches and scraps put away; and if you will



wait two or three days I'll make you a lovely



hat that will match the rest of you。〃







〃Never mind the hat;〃 said Scraps; shaking



her yarn braids; 〃it's a kind offer; but we can't



stop。 I can't see that my colors have faded a



particle; as yet; can you?〃







〃Not much;〃 replied the woman。 〃You are still



very gorgeous; in spite of your long journey。〃







The children of the house wanted to keep the



Class Cat to play with; so Bungle was offered



a good home if she would remain; but the cat



was too much interested in Ojo's adventures and



refused to stop。







〃Children are rough playmates;〃 she remarked to



the Shaggy Man; 〃and although this home is more



pleasant than that of the Crooked Magician I fear



I would soon be smashed to pieces by the boys and



girls。〃







After they had rested themselves they renewed



their journey; finding the road now smooth and



pleasant to walk upon and the country growing more



beautiful the nearer they drew to the Emerald



City。







By and by Ojo began to walk on the green



grass; looking carefully around him。







〃What are you trying to find?〃 asked Scraps。







〃A six…leaved clover;〃 said he。







〃Don't do that!〃 exclaimed the Shaggy Man;



earnestly。 〃It's against the Law to pick a six…



leaved clover。 You must wait until you get Ozma's



consent。〃







〃She wouldn't know it;〃 declared the boy。







〃Ozma knows many things;〃 said the Shaggy Man。



〃In her room is a Magic Picture that shows any



scene in the Land of Oz where strangers or



travelers happen to be。 She may be watching the



picture of us even now; and noticing everything



that we do。〃







〃Does she always watch the Magic Picture?〃



asked Ojo。







〃Not always; for she has many other things



to do; but; as I said; she may be watching us



this very minute。〃







〃I don't care;〃 said Ojo; in an obstinate tone



of voice; 〃Ozma's only a girl。〃







The Shaggy Man looked at him in surprise。







〃You ought to care for Ozma;〃 said he; 〃if you



expect to save your uncle。 For; if you displease



our powerful Ruler; your journey will surely prove



a failure; whereas; if you make a friend of Ozma;



she will gladly assist you。 As for her being a



girl; that is another reason why you should obey



her laws; if you are courteous and polite。



Everyone in Oz loves Ozma and hates her enemies;



for she is as just as she is powerful。〃







Ojo sulked a while; but finally returned to the



road and kept away from the green clover。 The



boy was moody and bad tempered for an hour



or two afterward; because he could really see



no harm in picking a six…leaved clover; if he



found one; and in spite of what the Shaggy



Man had said he considered Ozma's law to be



unjust。







They presently came to a beautiful grove of tall



and stately trees; through which the road wound in



sharp curvesfirst one way and then another。 As



they were walking through this grove they heard



some one in the distance singing; and the sounds



grew nearer and nearer until they could



distinguish the words; although the bend in the



road still hid the singer。 The song was something



like this:











〃Here's to the hale old bale of straw



That's cut from the waving grain;



The sweetest sight man ever saw



In forest; dell or plain。



It fills me with a crunkling joy



A straw…stack to behold;



For then I pad this lucky boy



With strands of yellow gold。〃











〃Ah!〃 exclaimed the Shaggy Man; 〃here comes my



friend the Scarecrow。







〃What; a live Scarecrow?〃 asked Ojo。







〃Yes; the one I told you of。 He's a splendid



fellow; and very intelligent。 You'll like him;



I'm sure。







Just then the famous Scarecrow of Oz came



around the bend in the road; riding astride a



wooden Sawhorse which was so small that its



rider's legs nearly touched the ground。







The Scarecrow wore the blue dress of the



Munchkins; in which country he was made;



and on his head was set a peaked hat with a flat



brim trimmed with tinkling bells。 A rope was



tied around his waist to hold him in shape。 for



he was stuffed with straw in every part of him



except the top of his head; where at one time



the Wizard of Oz had placed sawdust; mixed



with needles and pins; to sharpen his wits。 The



head itself was merely a bag of cloth; fastened



to the body at the neck; and on the front of this



bag was painted the faceears; eyes; nose and



mouth。







The Scarecrow's face was very interesting; for



it bore a comical and yet winning expression;



although one eye was a bit larger than the other



and ears were not mates。 The Munchkin farmer who



had made the Scarecrow had neglected to sew him



together with close stitches and therefore some of



the straw with which he was stuffed was inclined



to stick out between the seams。 His hands



consisted of padded white gloves; with the fingers



long and rather limp; and on his feet he wore



Munchkin boots of blue leather with broad turns at



the tops of them。







The Sawhorse was almost as curious as its rider。



It had been rudely made; in the beginning; to saw



logs upon; so that its body was a short length of



a log; and its legs were stout branches fitted



into four holes made in the body。 The tail was



formed by a small branch that had been left on the



log; while the head was a gnarled bump on one end



of the body。 Two knots of wood formed the eyes;



and the mouth was a gash chopped in the log。 When



the Sawhorse first came to life it had no ears at



all; and so could not hear; but the boy who then



owned him had whittled two ears out of bark and



stuck them in the head; after which the Sawhorse



heard very distinctly。







This queer wooden horse was a great favorite



with Princess Ozma; who had caused the bottoms of



its legs to be shod with plates of gold; so the



wood would not wear away。 Its saddle was made of



cloth…of…gold richly encrusted with precious gems。



It had never worn a bridle。







As the Scarecrow came in sight of the party of



travelers; he reined in his wooden steed and



dismounted; greeting the Shaggy Man with a smiling



nod。 Then
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