the scarecrow of oz-第10节

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high　in　the　air　and　speeding　swiftly　over　the　ocean。



















Chapter　Six







The　Flight　of　the　Midgets















Cap'n　Bill　and　Trot　rode　very　comfortably　in　the



sunbonnet。　　The　motion　was　quite　steady；　for　they



weighed　so　little　that　the　Ork　flew　without　effort。　Yet



they　were　both　somewhat　nervous　about　their　future



fate　and　could　not　help　wishing　they　were　safe　on



land　and　their　natural　size　again。







〃You're　terr'ble　small；　Trot；〃　remarked　Cap'n　Bill；



looking　at　his　companion。







〃Same　to　you；　Cap'n；〃　she　said　with　a　laugh；　〃but



as　long　as　we　have　the　purple　berries　we　needn't



worry　about　our　size。〃







〃In　a　circus；〃　mused　the　old　man；　〃we'd　be　curiosities。



But　in　a　sunbonnet　　high　up　in　the　air　　sailin'　over　a



big；　unknown　ocean　　they　ain't　no　word　in　any



booktionary　to　describe　us。〃







〃Why；　we're　midgets；　that's　all；〃　said　the　little　girl。



The　Ork　flew　silently　for　a　long　time。　The　slight　swaying



of　the　sunbonnet　made　Cap'n　Bill　drowsy；　and　he　began　to



doze。　Trot；　however；　was　wide　awake；　and　after　enduring



the　monotonous　journey　as　long　as　she　was　able　she　called



out：







〃Don't　you　see　land　anywhere；　Mr。　Ork？〃







〃Not　yet；〃　he　answered。　〃This　is　a　big　ocean　and　I've



no　idea　in　which　direction　the　nearest　land　to　that



island　lies；　but　if　I　keep　flying　in　a　straight　line　I'm



sure　to　reach　some　place　some　time。〃







That　seemed　reasonable；　so　the　little　people　in　the



sunbonnet　remained　as　patient　as　possible；　that　is；　Cap'n



Bill　dozed　and　Trot　tried　to　remember　her　geography



lessons　so　she　could　figure　out　what　land　they　were



likely　to　arrive　at。







For　hours　and　hours　the　Ork　flew　steadily；　keeping　to



the　straight　line　and　searching　with　his　eyes　the　horizon



of　the　ocean　for　land。　Cap'n　Bill　was　fast　asleep　and



snoring　and　Trot　had　laid　her　head　on　his　shoulder　to



rest　it　when　suddenly　the　Ork　exclaimed：







〃There！　I've　caught　a　glimpse　of　land；　at　last。〃







At　this　announcement　they　roused　themselves。　Cap'n　Bill



stood　up　and　tried　to　peek　over　the　edge　of　the



sunbonnet。







〃What　does　it　look　like？〃　he　inquired。







〃Looks　like　another　island；〃　said　the　Ork；　〃but　I　can



judge　it　better　in　a　minute　or　two。〃







〃I　don't　care　much　for　islands；　since　we　visited　that



other　one；〃　declared　Trot。







Soon　the　Ork　made　another　announcement。







〃It　is　surely　an　island；　and　a　little　one；　too；〃　said



he。　〃But　I　won't　stop；　because　I　see　a　much　bigger　land



straight　ahead　of　it。〃







〃That's　right；〃　approved　Cap'n　Bill。　〃The　bigger　the



land；　the　better　it　will　suit　us。〃







〃It's　almost　a　continent；〃　continued　the　Ork　after　a



brief　silence；　during　which　he　did　not　decrease　the　speed



of　his　flight。　〃I　wonder　if　it　can　be　Orkland；　the　place



I　have　been　seeking　so　long？〃







〃I　hope　not；〃　whispered　Trot　to　Cap'n　Bill　　so　softly



that　the　Ork　could　not　hear　her　　〃for　I　shouldn't　like



to　be　in　a　country　where　only　Orks　live。　This　one　Ork



isn't　a　bad　companion；　but　a　lot　of　him　wouldn't　be　much



fun。〃







After　a　few　more　minutes　of　flying　the　Ork　called　out



in　a　sad　voice：







〃No！　this　is　not　my　country。　It's　a　place　I　have　never



seen　before；　although　I　have　wandered　far　and　wide。　It



seems　to　be　all　mountains　and　deserts　and　green　valleys



and　queer　cities　and　lakes　and　rivers　mixed　up　in　a



very　puzzling　way。〃







〃Most　countries　are　like　that；〃　commented　Cap'n　Bill。



〃Are　you　going　to　land？〃







〃Pretty　soon；〃　was　the　reply。　〃There　is　a　mountain



peak　just　ahead　of　me。　What　do　you　say　to　our　landing　on



that？〃







〃All　right；〃　agreed　the　sailor…man；　for　both　he　and



Trot　were　getting　tired　of　riding　in　the　sunbonnet　and



longed　to　set　foot　on　solid　ground　again。







So　in　a　few　minutes　the　Ork　slowed　down　his　speed　and



then　came　to　a　stop　so　easily　that　they　were　scarcely



jarred　at　all。　Then　the　creature　squatted　down　until　the



sunbonnet　rested　on　the　ground；　and　began　trying　to



unfasten　with　its　claws　the　knotted　strings。







This　proved　a　very　clumsy　task；　because　the　strings



were　tied　at　the　back　of　the　Ork's　neck；　just　where　his



claws　would　not　easily　reach。　After　much　fumbling　he



said：







〃I'm　afraid　I　can't　let　you　out；　and　there　is　no　one



near　to　help　me。〃







This　was　at　first　discouraging；　but　after　a　little



thought　Cap'n　Bill　said：







〃If　you　don't　mind；　Trot；　I　can　cut　a　slit　in　your



sunbonnet　with　my　knife。〃







〃Do；〃　she　replied。　〃The　slit　won't　matter；　'cause　I　can



sew　it　up　again　afterward；　when　I　am　big。〃







So　Cap'n　Bill　got　out　his　knife；　which　was　just　as



small；　in　proportion；　as　he　was；　and　after　considerable



trouble　managed　to　cut　a　long　slit　in　the　sunbonnet。



First　he　squeezed　through　the　opening　himself　and



then　helped　Trot　to　get　out。







When　they　stood　on　firm　ground　again　their　first　act



was　to　begin　eating　the　dark　purple　berries　which　they



had　brought　with　them。　Two　of　these　Trot　had　guarded



carefully　during　the　long　journey；　by　holding　them　in　her



lap；　for　their　safety　meant　much　to　the　tiny　people。







〃I'm　not　very　hungry；〃　said　the　little　girl　as　she



handed　a　berry　to　Cap'n　Bill；　〃but　hunger　doesn't　count；



in　this　case。　It's　like　taking　medicine　to　make　you　well；



so　we　must　manage　to　eat　'em；　somehow　or　other。〃







But　the　berries　proved　quite　pleasant　to　taste　and　as



Cap'n　Bill　and　Trot　nibbled　at　their　edges　their　forms



began　to　grow　in　size　　slowly　but　steadily。　The　bigger



they　grew　the　easier　it　was　for　them　to　eat　the　berries；



which　of　course　became　smaller　to　them；　and　by　the　time



the　fruit　was　eaten　our　friends　had　regained　their



natural　size。







The　little　girl　was　greatly　relieved　when　she　found



herself　as　large　as　she　had　ever　been；　and　Cap'n　Bill



shared　her　satisfaction；　for；　although　they　had　seen　the



effect　of　the　berries　on　the　Ork；　they　had　not　been　sure



the　magic　fruit　would　have　the　same　effect　on　human



beings；　or　that　the　magic　would　work　in　any　other　country



than　that　in　which　the　berries　grew。







〃What　shall　we　do　with　the　other　four　berries？〃



asked　Trot；　as　she　picked　up　her　sunbonnet；　marveling



that　she　had　ever　been　small。　enough　to　ride　in　it。



〃They're　no　good　to　us　now；　are　they；　Cap'n？〃







〃I'm　not　sure　as　to　that；〃　he　replied。　〃If　they　were



eaten　by　one　who　had　never　eaten　the　lavender　berries；



they　might　have　no　effect　at　all；　but　then；　contrarywise；



they　might。　One　of　'em　has　got　badly　jammed；　so　I'll



throw　it　away；　but　the　other　three　I　b'lieve　I'll　carry



with　me。　They're　magic　things；　you　know；　and　may　come



handy　to　us　some　time。〃







He　now　searched　in　his　big　pockets　and　drew　out　a　small



wooden　box　with　a　sliding　cover。　　The　sailor　had　kept　an



assortment　of　nails；　of　various　sizes；　in　this　box；　but



those　he　now　dumped　loosely　into　his　pocket　and　in　the



box　placed　the　three　sound　purple　berries。







When　this　important　matter　was　attended　to　they　found



time　to　look　about　them　and　see　what　sort　of　place　the



Ork　had　landed　them　in。



















Chapter　Seven







The　Bumpy　Man











The　mountain　on　which　they　had　alighted　was　not　a



barren　waste；　but　had　on　its　sides　patches　of　green



grass；　some　bushes；　a　few　slender　trees　and　here　and



there　masses　of　tumbled　rocks。　The　sides　of　the　slope



seemed　rather　steep；　but　with　care　one　could　climb　up　or



down　them　with　ease　and　safety。　The　view　from　where　they



now　stood　showed　pleasant　valleys　and　fertile　hills　lying



below　the　heights。　Trot　thought　she　saw　some　houses　of



queer　shapes　scattered　about　the　lower　landscape；　and



there　were　moving　dots　that　might　be　people　or　animals；



yet　were　too　far　away　for　her　to　see　them　clearly。







Not　far　from　the　place　where　they　stood　was　the　top　of



the　mountain；　which　seemed　to　be　flat；　so　the　Ork



proposed　to　his　companions　that　he　would　fly　up　and　see



what　was　there。







〃That's　a　good　idea；〃　said　Trot；　〃'cause　it's　getting



toward　evening　and　we'll　have　to　find　a　place　to　sleep。〃







The　Ork　had　not　been　gone　more　than　a　few　minutes　when



they　saw　him　appear　on　the　edge　of　the　top　which　was



nearest　them。







〃Come　on　up！〃　he　called。