the patchwork girl of oz- 第28部分

in　herself。　After　her　came　Scraps　and　the



Scarecrow；　who　did　not　wish　to　sleep　but　preferred



to　keep　out　of　the　way　of　the　mischievous



Tottenhots。







There　seemed　no　furniture　in　the　round　den；　but



soft　cushions　were　strewn　about　the　floor　and



these　they　found　made　very　comfortable　beds。　They



did　not　close　the　hole　in　the　roof　but　left　it



open　to　admit　air。　It　also　admitted　the　shouts　and



ceaseless　laughter　of　the　impish　Tottenhots　as



they　played　outside；　but　Dorothy　and　Ojo；　being



weary　from　their　journey；　were　soon　fast　asleep。







Toto　kept　an　eye　open；　however；　and　uttered　low；



threatening　growls　whenever　the　racket　made　by　the



creatures　outside　became　too　boisterous；　and　the



Scarecrow　and　the　Patchwork　Girl　sat　leaning



against　the　wall　and　talked　in　whispers　all　night



long。　No　one　disturbed　the　travelers　until



daylight；　when　in　popped　the　Tottenhot　who　owned



the　place　and　invited　them　to　vacate　his　premises。



















Chapter　Twenty







The　Captive　Yoop











As　they　were　preparing　to　leave；　Dorothy　asked：



〃Can　you　tell　us　where　there　is　a　dark　well？〃







〃Never　heard　of　such　a　thing；〃　said　the



Tottenhot。　〃We　live　our　lives　in　the　dark；　mostly；



and　sleep　in　the　day…time；　but　we've　never　seen　a



dark　well；　or　anything　like　one。〃







〃Does　anyone　live　on　those　mountains　beyond



here？〃　asked　the　Scarecrow。







〃Lots　of　people。　But　you'd　better　not　visit



them。　We　never　go　there；〃　was　the　reply。







〃What　are　the　people　like？〃　Dorothy　inquired。







〃Can't　say。　We've　been　told　to　keep　away



from　the　mountain　paths；　and　so　we　obey。　This



sandy　desert　is　good　enough　for　us；　and　we're



not　disturbed　here；〃　declared　the　Tottenhot。







So　they　left　the　man　snuggling　down　to　sleep　in



his　dusky　dwelling；　and　went　out　into　the



sunshine；　taking　the　path　that　led　toward　the



rocky　places。　They　soon　found　it　hard　climbing；



for　the　rocks　were　uneven　and　full　of　sharp　points



and　edges；　and　now　there　was　no　path　at　all。



Clambering　here　and　there　among　the　boulders　they



kept　steadily　on；　gradually　rising　higher　and



higher　until　finally　they　came　to　a　great　rift　in



a　part　of　the　mountain；　where　the　rock　seemed　to



have　split　in　two　and　left　high　walls　on　either



side。







〃S'pose　we　go　this　way；〃　suggested　Dorothy；



it's　much　easier　walking　than　to　climb　over



the　hills。〃







〃How　about　that　sign？〃　asked　Ojo。







〃What　sign？〃　she　inquired。







The　Munchkin　boy　pointed　to　some　words



painted　on　the　wall　of　rock　beside　them；　which



Dorothy　had　not　noticed。　The　words　read：











〃LOOK　OUT　FOR　YOOP。〃











The　girl　eyed　this　sign　a　moment　and　turned　to



the　Scarecrow；　asking：







〃Who　is　Yoop；　or　what　is　Yoop？〃







The　straw　man　shook　his　head。　Then　looked　at



Toto　and　the　dog　said　〃Woof！〃







〃Only　way　to　find　out　is　to　go　on；　Scraps。〃







This　being　quite　true；　they　went　on。　As　they



proceeded；　the　walls　of　rock　on　either　side　grew



higher　and　higher。　Presently　they　came　upon



another　sign　which　read：











〃BEWARE　THE　CAPTIVE　YOOP。〃











〃Why；　as　for　that；〃　remarked　Dorothy；　〃if　Yoop



is　a　captive　there's　no　need　to　beware　of　him。



Whatever　Yoop　happens　to　be；　I'd　much　rather　have



him　a　captive　than　running　around　loose。〃







〃So　had　I；〃　agreed　the　Scarecrow；　with　a　nod　of



his　painted　head。







〃Still；〃　said　Scraps；　reflectively：











〃Yoop…te…hoop…te…loop…te…goop！



Who　put　noodles　in　the　soup？



We　may　beware　but　we　don't　care；



And　dare　go　where　we　scare　the　Yoop。〃















〃Dear　me！　Aren't　you　feeling　a　little　queer；



just　now？〃　Dorothy　asked　the　Patchwork　Girl。







〃Not　queer；　but　crazy；〃　said　Ojo。　〃When　she



says　those　things　I'm　sure　her　brains　get　mixed



somehow　and　work　the　wrong　way。







〃I　don't　see　why　we　are　told　to　beware　the　Yoop



unless　he　is　dangerous；〃　observed　the　Scarecrow　in



a　puzzled　tone。







〃Never　mind；　we'll　find　out　all　about　him　when



we　get　to　where　he　is；〃　replied　the　little　girl。







The　narrow　canyon　turned　and　twisted　this　way



and　that；　and　the　rift　was　so　small　that　they　were



able　to　touch　both　walls　at　the　same　time　by



stretching　out　their　arms。　Toto　had　run　on　ahead；



frisking　playfully；　when　suddenly　he　uttered　a



sharp　bark　of　fear　and　came　running　back　to　them



with　his　tail　between　his　legs；　as　dogs　do　when



they　are　frightened。







〃Ah；〃　said　the　Scarecrow；　who　was　leading



the　way；　〃we　must　be　near　Yoop。〃







Just　then；　as　he　rounded　a　sharp　turn；　the



Straw　man　stopped　so　suddenly　that　all　the



others　bumped　against　him。







〃What　is　it？〃　asked　Dorothy；　standing　on



tip…toes　to　look　over　his　shoulder。　But　then　she



saw　what　it　was　and　cried　〃Oh！〃　in　a　tone　of



astonishment。







In　one　of　the　rock　wallsthat　at　their　left



was　hollowed　a　great　cavern；　in　front　of　which　was



a　row　of　thick　iron　bars；　the　tops　and　bottoms



being　firmly　fixed　in　the　solid　rock。　Over　this



cavern　was　a　big　sign；　which　Dorothy　read　with



much　curiosity；　speaking　the　words　aloud　that　all



might　know　what　they　said：











〃MISTER　YOOPHIS　CAVE







The　Largest　Untamed　Giant　in　Captivity。



Height；　21　Feet。（And　yet　he　has　but　2　feet。）



Weight；　1640　Pounds。（But　he　waits　all　the　time。）



Age；　400　Years　'and　Up'　（as　they　say　in　the







　Department　Store　advertisements）。



Temper；　Fierce　and　Ferocious。（Except　when　asleep。）



Appetite；　Ravenous。（Prefers　Meat　People　and　Orange　Marmalade。）











P。　S。Don't　feed　the　Giant　yourself。〃















〃Very　well；〃　said　Ojo；　with　a　sigh；　〃let's　go　back。〃







〃It's　a　long　way　back；〃　declared　Dorothy。







〃So　it　is；〃　remarked　the　Scarecrow；　〃and　it



means　a　tedious　climb　over　those　sharp　rocks　if



we　can　t　use　this　passage。　I　think　it　will　be　best



to　run　by　the　Giant's　cave　as　fast　as　we　can　go。



Mister　Yoop　seems　to　be　asleep　just　now。〃







But　the　Giant　wasn't　asleep。　He　suddenly



appeared　at　the　front　of　his　cavern；　seized　the



iron　bars　in　his　great　hairy　hands　and　shook



them　until　they　rattled　in　their　sockets。　Yoop



was　so　tall　that　our　friends　had　to　tip　their　heads



way　back　to　look　into　his　face；　and　they　noticed



he　was　dressed　all　in　pink　velvet；　with　silver



buttons　and　braid。　The　Giant's　boots　were　of



pink　leather　and　had　tassels　on　them　and　his



hat　was　decorated　with　an　enormous　pink　ostrich



feather；　carefully　curled。







〃Yoho！〃　he　said　in　a　deep　bass　voice；　〃I　smell



dinner。〃







〃I　think　you　are　mistaken；〃　replied　the



Scarecrow。　〃There　is　no　orange　marmalade　around



here。〃







〃Ah；　but　I　eat　other　things；〃　asserted　Mister



Yoop。　〃That　is；　I　eat　them　when　I　can　get　them。



But　this　is　a　lonely　place；　and　no　good　meat　has



passed　by　my　cave　for　many　years；　so　I'm　hungry。〃







〃Haven't　you　eaten　anything　in　many　years？〃



asked　Dorothy。







〃Nothing　except　six　ants　and　a　monkey。　I　thought



the　monkey　would　taste　like　meat　people；　but　the



flavor　was　different。　I　hope　you　will　taste



better；　for　you　seem　plump　and　tender。〃







〃Oh；　I'm　not　going　to　be　eaten；〃　said　Dorothy。







〃Why　not？〃







〃I　shall　keep　out　of　your　way；〃　she　answered。







〃How　heartless！〃　wailed　the　Giant；　shaking　the



bars　again。　〃Consider　how　many　years　it　is　since



I've　eaten　a　single　plump　little　girl！　They　tell



me　meat　is　going　up；　but　if　I　can　manage　to　catch



you　I'm　sure　it　will　soon　be　going　down。　And　I'll



catch　you　if　I　can。〃







With　this　the　Giant　pushed　his　big　arms；



which　looked　like　tree…trunks　（except　that　tree…



trunks　don't　wear　pink　velvet）　between　the　iron



bars；　and　the　arms　were　so　long　that　they



touched　the　opposite　wall　of　the　rock　passage。



Then　he　extended　them　as　far　as　he　could　reach



toward　our　travelers　and　found　he　could　almost



touch　the　Scarecrowbut　not　quite。







〃Come　a　little　nearer；　please；〃　begged　the



Giant。







〃I'm　a　Scarecrow。〃







〃A　Scarecrow？　Ugh！　I　don't　care　a　straw　for



a　scarecrow。　Who　is　that　bright…colored　delicacy



behind　you？〃







〃Me？〃　asked　Scraps。　〃I'm　a　Patchwork　Girl；



and　I'm　stuffed　with　cotton。〃







〃Dear　me；〃　sighed　the　Giant　in　a　disapointed



tone；　〃that　reduces　my　dinner　from　four　to　two



and　the　dog。　I'll　save　the　dog　for　dessert。〃







Toto　growled；　keeping　a　good　distance　away。







〃Back　up；〃　said　the　Scarecrow　to　those　behind



him。　〃Let　us　go　back　a　little　way　and　talk　this



over。







So　they　turned　and　went　around　the　bend　in



the　passage；　where　they　were　out　of　sight　of　the



cave　and　Mister　Yoop　could　not　hear　them。







〃My　idea；〃　began　the　Scarecrow；　when　they



had　halted；　〃is　to　make　a　dash　past　the　cave；



going　on　a　run。







〃He'd　grab　us；〃　said　Dorothy。







〃Well；　he　can't　grab　but　one　at　a　time；　and



I'll　go　first。　As　soon　as　he　grabs　me　the　rest　of



you　can　slip　past　him；　out　of　his　reach；　and　he



will　soon　let　me　go　because　I　am　not　fit　to　eat。〃







They　decided　to　try　this　plan　and　Dorothy



took　Toto　in　her　arms；　so　as　to　protect　him