the patchwork girl of oz- 第22部分

of　such　a　magnificent　apartment　as　this　in　which



he　stood。　The　roof　of　the　dome　was　of　colored



glass；　worked　into　beautiful　designs。　The　walls



were　paneled　with　plates　of







gold　decorated　with　gems　of　great　size　and　many



colors；　and　upon　the　tiled　floor　were　soft　rags



delightful　to　walk　upon。　The　furniture　was　framed



in　gold　and　upholstered　in　satin　brocade　and　it



consisted　of　easy　chairs；　divans　and　stools　in



great　variety。　Also　there　were　several　tables　with



mirror　tops　and　cabinets　filled　with　rare　and



curious　things。　In　one　place　a　case　filled　with



books　stood　against　the　wall；　and　elsewhere　Ojo



saw　a　cupboard　containing　all　sorts　of　games。







〃May　I　stay　here　a　little　while　before　I　go　to



prison？〃　asked　the　boy；　pleadingly。







〃Why；　this　is　your　prison；〃　replied　Tollydiggle；



〃and　in　me　behold　your　jailor。　Take　off　those



handcuffs；　Soldier；　for　it　is　impossible　for



anyone　to　escape　from　this　house。〃







〃I　know　that　very　well；〃　replied　the　soldier　and



at　once　unlocked　the　handcuffs　and　released　the



prisoner。







The　woman　touched　a　button　on　the　wall　and



lighted　a　big　chandelier　that　hung　suspended　from



the　ceiling；　for　it　was　growing　dark　outside。　Then



she　seated　herself　at　a　desk　and　asked：







〃What　name？〃







〃Ojo　the　Unlucky；〃　answered　the　Soldier



with　the　Green　Whiskers。







〃Unlucky？　Ah；　that　accounts　for　it；〃　said　she。



〃What　crime？〃







〃Breaking　a　Law　of　Oz。〃







〃All　right。　There's　your　receipt；　Soldier；　and



now　I'm　responsible　for　the　prisoner。　I'm　glad



of　it；　for　this　is　the　first　time　I've　ever　had



anything　to　do；　in　my　official　capacity；〃　remarked



the　jailer；　in　a　pleased　tone。







〃It's　the　same　with　me；　Tollydiggle；〃　laughed



the　soldier。　〃But　my　task　is　finished　and　I　must



go　and　report　to　Ozma　that　I've　done　my　duty



like　a　faithful　Police　Force；　a　loyal　Army　and



an　honest　Body…Guardas　I　hope　I　am。〃







Saying　this；　be　nodded　farewell　to　Tollydiggle



and　Ojo　and　went　away。







〃Now；　then；〃　said　the　woman　briskly；　〃I　must　get



you　some　supper；　for　you　are　doubtless　hungry。



What　would　you　prefer：　planked　whitefish；　omelet



with　jelly　or　mutton…chops　with　gravy？〃







Ojo　thought　about　it。　Then　he　said：　〃I'll　take



the　chops；　if　you　please。〃







〃Very　well；　amuse　yourself　while　I'm　gone；



I　won't　be　long；〃　and　then　she　went　out　by　a



door　and　left　the　prisoner　alone。







Ojo　was　much　astonished；　for　not　only　was　this



unlike　any　prison　he　had　ever　heard　of；　but　he　was



being　treated　more　as　a　guest　than　a　criminal。



There　were　many　windows　and　they　bad　no　locks。



There　were　three　doors　to　the　room　and　none　were



bolted。　He　cautiously　opened　one　of　the　doors　and



found　it　led　into　a　hallway。　But　he　had　no



intention　of　trying　to　escape。　If　his　jailor　was



willing　to　trust　him　in　this　way　he　would　not



betray　her　trust；　and　moreover　a　hot　supper　was



being　prepared　for　him　and　his　prison　was　very



pleasant　and　comfortable。　So　he　took　a　book　from



the　case　and　sat　down　in　a　big　chair　to　look　at



the　pictures。







This　amused　him　until　the　woman　came　in　with　a



large　tray　and　spread　a　cloth　on　one　of　the



tables。　Then　she　arranged　his　supper；　which　proved



the　most　varied　and　delicious　meal　Ojo　had　ever



eaten　in　his　life。







Tollydiggle　sat　near　him　while　he　ate；　sewing



on　some　fancy　work　she　held　in　her　lap。　When



he　had　finished　she　cleared　the　table　and　then



read　to　him　a　story　from　one　of　the　books。







〃Is　this　really　a　prison？〃　he　asked；　when　she



had　finished　reading。







〃Indeed　it　is；〃　she　replied。　〃It　is　the　only



prison　in　the　Land　of　Oz。〃







〃And　am　I　a　prisoner？〃







〃Bless　the　child！　Of　course。〃







〃Then　why　is　the　prison　so　fine；　and　why



are　you　so　kind　to　me？〃　he　earnestly　asked。







Tollydiggle　seemed　surprised　by　the　question；



but　she　presently　answered：







〃We　consider　a　prisoner　unfortunate。　He　is



unfortunate　in　two　waysbecause　he　has　done



something　wrong　and　because　he　is　deprived　of　his



liberty。　Therefore　we　should　treat　him　kindly；



because　of　his　misfortune；　for　otherwise　he　would



become　hard　and　bitter　and　would　not　be　sorry　he



had　done　wrong。　Ozma　thinks　that　one　who　has



committed　a　fault　did　so　because　he　was　not　strong



and　brave；　therefore　she　puts　him　in　prison　to



make　him　strong　and　brave。　When　that　is



accomplished　he　is　no　longer　a　prisoner；　but　a



good　and　loyal　citizen　and　everyone　is　glad　that



he　is　now　strong　enough　to　resist　doing　wrong。　You



see；　it　is　kindness　that　makes　one　strong　and



brave；　and　so　we　are　kind　to　our　prisoners。〃







Ojo　thought　this　over　very　carefully。　〃I　had



an　idea；〃　said　he；　〃that　prisoners　were　always



treated　harshly；　to　punish　them。〃







〃That　would　be　dreadful！〃　cried　Tollydiggle。



〃Isn't　one　punished　enough　in　knowing　he　has



done　wrong？　Don't　you　wish；　Ojo；　with　all　your



heart；　that　you　had　not　been　disobedient　and



broken　a　Law　of　Oz？〃







〃II　hate　to　be　different　from　other　people；〃



he　admitted。







〃Yes；　one　likes　to　be　respected　as　highly　as　his



neighbors　are；〃　said　the　woman。　〃When　you　are



tried　and　found　guilty；　you　will　be　obliged　to



make　amends；　in　some　way。　I　don't　know　just



what　Ozma　will　do　to　you；　because　this　is　the



first　time　one　of　us　has　broken　a　Law；　but　you



may　be　sure　she　will　be　just　and　merciful。　Here



in　the　Emerald　City　people　are　too　happy　and



contented　ever　to　do　wrong；　but　perhaps　you



came　from　some　faraway　corner　of　our　land；　and



having　no　love　for　Ozma　carelessly　broke　one



of　her　Laws。〃







〃Yes；〃　said　Ojo；　〃I've　lived　all　my　life　in　the



heart　of　a　lonely　forest；　where　I　saw　no　one　but



dear　Unc　Nunkie。〃







〃I　thought　so；〃　said　Tollydiggle。　〃But　now



we　have　talked　enough；　so　let　us　play　a　game



until　bedtime。〃



















Chapter　Sixteen







Princess　Dorothy











Dorothy　Gale　was　sitting　in　one　of　her　rooms　in



the　royal　palace；　while　curled　up　at　her　feet　was



a　little　black　dog　with　a　shaggy　coat　and　very



bright　eyes。　She　wore　a　plain　white　frock；　without



any　jewels　or　other　ornaments　except　an　emerald…



green　hair…ribbon；　for　Dorothy　was　a　simple



little　girl　and　had　not　been　in　the　least　spoiled



by　the　magnificence　surrounding　her。　Once　the



child　had　lived　on　the　Kansas　prairies；　but　she



seemed　marked　for　adventure　for　she　had　made



seven　trips　to　the　Land　of　Oz　before　she　came　to



live　there　for　good。　Her　very　best　friend　was　the



beautiful　Ozma　of　Oz；　who　loved　Dorothy　so　well



that　she　kept　her　in　her　own　palace；　so　as　to　be



near　her。　The　girl's　Uncle　Henry　and　Aunt　Emthe



only　relatives　she　had　in　the　worldhad　also　been



brought　here　by　Ozma　and　given　a　pleasant　home。



Dorothy　knew　almost　everybody　in　Oz；　and　it　was



she　who　had　discovered　the　Scarecrow；　the　Tin



Woodman　and　the　Cowardly　Lion；　as　well　as　Tik…tok



the　Clockwork　Man。　Her　life　was　very　pleasant　now；



and　although　she　had　been　made　a　Princess　of　Oz　by



her　friend　Ozma　she　did　not　care　much　to　be　a



Princess　and　remained　as　sweet　as　when　she　had



been　plain　Dorothy　Gale　of　Kansas。







Dorothy　was　reading　in　a　book　this　evening



when　Jellia　Jamb；　the　favorite　servant…maid　of



the　palace；　came　to　say　that　the　Shaggy　Man



wanted　to　see　her。







〃All　right；〃　said　Dorothy；　〃tell　him　to　come



right　up。〃







〃But　he　has　some　queer　creatures　with　himsome



of　the　queerest　I've　ever　laid　eyes　on；〃　reported



Jellia。







〃Never　mind；　let　'em　all　come　up；〃　replied



Dorothy。







But　when　the　door　opened　to　admit　not　only　the



Shaggy　Man；　but　Scraps；　the　Woozy　and　the　Glass



Cat；　Dorothy　jumped　up　and　looked　at　her　strange



visitors　in　amazement。　The　Patchwork　Girl　was　the



most　curious　of　all　and　Dorothy　was　uncertain　at



first　whether　Scraps　was　really　alive　or　only　a



dream　or　a　nightmare。　Toto；　her　dog；　slowly



uncurled　himself　and　going　to　the　Patchwork　Girl



sniffed　at　her　inquiringly；　but　soon　he　lay　down



again；　as　if　to　say　he　had　no　interest　in　such　an



irregular　creation。







〃You're　a　new　one　to　me；〃　Dorothy　said



reflectively；　addressing　the　Patchwork　Girl。　〃I



can't　imagine　where　you've　come　from。〃







〃Who；　me？〃　asked　Scraps；　looking　around　the



pretty　room　instead　of　at　the　girl。　〃Oh；　I　came



from　a　bed…quilt；　I　guess。　That's　what　they　say；



anyhow。　Some　call　it　a　crazy…quilt　and　some　a



patchwork　quilt。　But　my　name　is　Scrapsand　now



you　know　all　about　me。〃







〃Not　quite　all；〃　returned　Dorothy　with　a　smile。



〃I　wish　you'd　tell　me　how　you　came　to　be　alive。〃







〃That's　an　easy　job；〃　said　Scraps；　sitting　upon



a　big　upholstered　chair　and　making　the　springs



bounce　her　up　and　down。　〃Margolotte　wanted　a



slave；　so　she　made　me　out　of　an　old　bed…quilt　she



didn't　use。　Cotton　stuffing；　suspender…button



eyes；　red　velvet　tongue；　pearl　beads　for　teeth。



The　Crooked　Magician　made　a　Powder　of　Life；



sprinkled　me　with　it　andhere　I　am。　Perhaps



you've　noticed　my　different　colors。　A　very　refined



and　educated　gentleman　named　the　Scarecrow；　whom　I



met；　told　me　I　am　the　most　beautiful　crea