the patchwork girl of oz- 第8部分

and　my　lovely　pink　brainsyou　can　see　'em　work。〃







〃Shoo…shoo…shoo！〃　cried　Scraps；　dancing



around　and　laughing。　〃And　your　horrid　green　eyes；



Miss　Bungle！　You　can't　see　your　eyes；　but　we　can；



and　I　notice　you're　very　proud　of　what　little



color　you　have。　Shoo；　Miss　Bungle；　shoo…shoo…shoo！



If　you　were　all　colors　and　many　colors；　as　I　am；



you'd　be　too　stuck　up　for　anything。〃　She　leaped



over　the　cat　and　back　again；　and　the　startled



Bungle　crept　close　to　a　tree　to　escape　her。　This



made　Scraps　laugh　more　heartily　than　ever；　and　she



said：











〃Whoop…tedoodle…doo！



The　cat　has　lost　her　shoe。



Her　tootsie's　bare；　but　she　don't　care；



So　what's　the　odds　to　you？〃















〃Dear　me；　Ojo；〃　said　the　cat；　〃don't　you　think



the　creature　is　a　little　bit　crazy？〃







〃It　may　be；〃　he　answered；　with　a　puzzled　look。







〃If　she　continues　her　insults　I'll　scratch　off



her　suspender…button　eyes；〃　declared　the　cat。







〃Don't　quarrel；　please；〃　pleaded　the　boy；　rising



to　resume　the　journey。　〃Let　us　be　good　comrades



and　as　happy　and　cheerful　as　possible；　for　we　are



likely　to　meet　with　plenty　of　trouble　on　our　way。〃







It　was　nearly　sundown　when　they　came　to　the　edge



of　the　forest　and　saw　spread　out　before　them　a



delightful　landscape。　There　were　broad　blue　fields



stretching　for　miles　over　the　valley；　which　was



dotted　everywhere　with　pretty；　blue　domed　houses；



none　of　which；　however；　was　very　near　to　the　place



where　they　stood。　Just　at　the　point　where　the　path



left　the　forest　stood　a　tiny　house　covered　with



leaves　from　the　trees；　and　before　this　stood　a



Munchkin　man　with　an　axe　in　his　hand。　He　seemed



very　much　surprised　when　Ojo　and　Scraps　and　the



Glass　Cat　came　out　of　the　woods；　but　as　the



Patchwork　Girl　approached　nearer　he　sat　down　upon



a　bench　and　laughed　so　hard　that　he　could　not



speak　for　a　long　time。







This　man　was　a　woodchopper　and　lived　all　alone



in　the　little　house。　He　had　bushy　blue　whiskers



and　merry　blue　eyes　and　his　blue　clothes　were　quite



old　and　worn。







〃Mercy　me！〃　exclaimed　the　woodchopper；　when　at



last　he　could　stop　laughing。　〃Who　would　think　such



a　funny　harlequin　lived　in　the　Land　of　Oz？　Where



did　you　come　from；　Crazy…quilt？〃







〃Do　you　mean　me？〃　asked　the　Patchwork　Girl。







〃Of　course；〃　he　replied。







〃You　misjudge　my　ancestry。　I'm　not　a　crazy…



quilt；　I'm　patchwork；〃　she　said。







〃There's　no　difference；〃　he　replied；　beginning



to　laugh　again。　〃When　my　old　grandmother　sews　such



things　together　she　calls　it　a　crazy…quilt；　but　I



never　thought　such　a　jumble　could　come　to　life。〃







〃It　was　the　Magic　Powder　that　did　it；〃　explained



Ojo。







〃Oh；　then　you　have　come　from　the　Crooked



Magician　on　the　mountain。　I　might　have　known　it；



forWell；　I　declare！　here's　a　glass　cat。　But　the



Magician　will　get　in　trouble　for　this；　it's



against　the　law　for　anyone　to　work　magic　except



Glinda　the　Good　and　the　royal　Wizard　of　Oz。　If　you



peopleor　thingsor　glass　spectaclesor　crazy…



quiltsor　whatever　you　are；　go　near　the　Emerald



City；　you'll　be　arrested。〃







〃We're　　going　　there；　　anyhow；〃　　declared



Scraps；　sitting　upon　the　bench　and　swinging　her



stuffed　legs。











〃If　any　of　us　takes　a　rest；



We'll　be　arrested　sure；



And　get　no　restitution



'Cause　the　rest　we　must　endure。〃











〃I　see；〃　said　the　woodchopper；　nodding；　〃you're



as　crazy　as　the　crazy…quilt　you're　made　of。〃







〃She　really　is　crazy；〃　remarked　the　Glass　Cat。



〃But　that　isn't　to　he　wondered　at　when　you



remember　how　many　different　things　she's　made　of。



For　my　part；　I'm　made　of　pure　glassexcept　my



jewel　heart　and　my　pretty　pink　brains。　Did　you



notice　my　brains；　stranger？　You　can　see　em　work。〃







〃So　I　can；〃　replied　the　woodchopper；　〃but　I



can't　see　that　they　accomplish　much。　A　glass　cat



is　a　useless　sort　of　thing；　but　a　Patchwork　Girl



is　really　useful。　She　makes　me　laugh；　and　laughter



is　the　best　thing　in　life。　There　was　once　a



woodchopper；　a　friend　of　mine；　who　was　made　all　of



tin；　and　I　used　to　laugh　every　time　I　saw　him。〃







〃A　tin　woodchopper？〃　said　Ojo。　〃That　is



strange。〃







〃My　friend　wasn't　always　tin；〃　said　the　man；



〃but　he　was　careless　with　his　axe；　and　used　to



chop　himself　very　badly。　Whenever　he　lost　an　arm



or　a　leg　he　had　it　replaced　with　tin；　so　after　a



while　he　was　all　tin。〃







〃And　could　he　chop　wood　then？〃　asked　the　boy。







〃He　could　if　he　didn't　rust　his　tin　joints。　But



one　day　he　met　Dorothy　in　the　forest　and　went　with



her　to　the　Emerald　City；　where　he　made　his



fortune。　He　is　now　one　of　the　favorites　of



Princess　Ozma；　and　she　has　made　him　the　Emperor　of



the　Winkiesthe　Country　where　all　is　yellow。〃







〃Who　is　Dorothy？〃　inquired　the　Patchwork　Girl。







〃A　little　maid　who　used　to　live　in　Kansas；　but



is　now　a　Princess　of　Oz。　She's　Ozma's　best



friend；　they　say；　and　lives　with　her　in　the　royal



palace。〃







〃Is　Dorothy　made　of　tin？〃　inquired　Ojo。







〃Is　she　patchwork；　like　me？〃　inquired　Scraps。







〃No；〃　said　the　man；　〃Dorothy　is　flesh；　just　as　I



am。　I　know　of　only　one　tin　person；　and　that　is



Nick　Chopper；　the　Tin　Woodman；　and　there　will



never　be　but　one　Patchwork　Girl；　for　any　magician



that　sees　you　will　refuse　to　make　another　one　like



you。〃







〃I　suppose　we　shall　see　the　Tin　Woodman；　for　we



are　going　to　the　Country　of　the　Winkies；〃　said　the



boy。







〃What　for？〃　asked　the　woodchopper。







〃To　get　the　left　wing　of　a　yellow　butterfly。〃







〃It　is　a　long　journey；〃　declared　the　man；　〃and



you　will　go　through　lonely　parts　of　Oz　and　cross



rivers　and　traverse　dark　forests　before　you　get



there。〃







〃Suits　me　all　right；〃　said　Scraps。　〃I'll　get　a



chance　to　see　the　country。〃







〃You're　crazy；　girl。　Better　crawl　into　a　rag…bag



and　hide　there；　or　give　yourself　to　some　little



girl　to　play　with。　Those　who　travel　are　likely　to



meet　trouble；　that's　why　I　stay　at　home。〃







The　woodchopper　then　invited　them　all　to



stay　the　night　at　his　little　hut；　but　they　were



anxious　to　get　on　and　so　left　him　and　continued



along　the　path；　which　was　broader；　now；　and



more　distinct。







They　expected　to　reach　some　other　house　before



it　grew　dark；　but　the　twilight　was　brief　and　Ojo



soon　began　to　fear　they　had　made　a　mistake　in



leaving　the　woodchopper。







〃I　can　scarcely　see　the　path；〃　he　said　at　last。



〃Can　you　see　it；　Scraps？〃







〃No；〃　replied　the　Patchwork　Girl；　who　was



holding　fast　to　the　boy's　arm　so　he　could



guide　her。







〃I　can　see；〃　declared　the　Glass　Cat。　〃My　eyes



are　better　than　yours；　and　my　pink　brains〃







〃Never　mind　your　pink　brains；　please；〃　said



Ojo　hastily；　〃just　run　ahead　and　show　us　the



way。　Wait　a　minute　and　I'll　tie　a　string　to　you；



for　then　you　can　lead　us。〃







He　got　a　string　from　his　pocket　and　tied　it



around　the　cat's　neck；　and　after　that　the　creature



guided　them　along　the　path。　They　had　proceeded　in



this　way　for　about　an　hour　when　a　twinkling　blue



light　appeared　ahead　of　them。







〃Good！　there's　a　house　at　last；〃　cried　Ojo。



〃When　we　reach　it　the　good　people　will　surely



welcome　us　and　give　us　a　night's　lodging。〃　But



however　far　they　walked　the　light　seemed　to　get



no　nearer；　so　by　and　by　the　cat　stopped　short；



saying：







〃I　think　the　light　is　traveling；　too；　and　we



shall　never　be　able　to　catch　up　with　it。　But　here



is　a　house　by　the　roadside；　so　why　go　farther？〃







〃Where　is　the　house；　Bungle？〃







〃Just　here　beside　us；　Scraps。〃







Ojo　was　now　able　to　see　a　small　house　near



the　pathway。　It　was　dark　and　silent；　but　the　boy



was　tired　and　wanted　to　rest；　so　he　went　up　to



the　door　and　knocked。







〃Who　is　there？〃　cried　a　voice　from　within。







〃I　am　Ojo　the　Unlucky；　and　with　me　are



Miss　Scraps　Patchwork　and　the　Glass　Cat；〃　he



replied。







〃What　do　you　want？〃　asked　the　Voice。







〃A　place　to　sleep；〃　said　Ojo。







〃Come　in；　then；　but　don't　make　any　noise；



and　you　must　go　directly　to　bed；〃　returned　the



Voice。







Ojo　unlatched　the　door　and　entered。　It　was



very　dark　inside　and　he　could　see　nothing　at　all。



But　the　cat　exclaimed：　〃Why；　there's　no　one



here！〃







〃There　must　be；〃　said　the　boy。　〃Some　one



spoke　to　me。〃







〃I　can　see　everything　in　the　room；〃　replied　the



cat；　〃and　no　one　is　present　but　ourselves。　But



here　are　three　beds；　all　made　up；　so　we　may　as



well　go　to　sleep。〃







〃What　is　sleep？〃　inquired　the　Patchwork　Girl。







〃It's　what　you　do　when　you　go　to　bed；〃　said　Ojo。







〃But　why　do　you　go　to　bed？〃　persisted　the



Patchwork　Girl。







〃Here；　here！　You　are　making　altogether　too



much　noise；〃　cried　the　Voice　they　had　heard



before。　〃Keep　quiet；　strangers；　and　go　to　bed。〃







The　cat；　which　could　see　in　the　dark；　looked



sharply　around　for　the　owner　of　the　Voice；　hut



could　discover　no　one；　although　the　Voice　had



seemed　close　beside　them。　She　arched　her　back



a　little　and　seemed　afraid。　Then　she　whispered



to　Ojo：　〃Come！〃　and　led　him　to　a　bed。