the scarecrow of oz-第11节

按键盘上方向键 ← 或 → 可快速上下翻页，按键盘上的 Enter 键可回到本书目录页，按键盘上方向键 ↑ 可回到本页顶部！
————未阅读完？加入书签已便下次继续阅读！





nearest　them。







〃Come　on　up！〃　he　called。







So　Trot　and　Cap'n　Bill　began　to　ascend　the　steep



slope　and　it　did　not　take　them　long　to　reach　the　place



where　the　Ork　awaited　them。







Their　first　view　of　the　mountain　top　pleased　them　very



much。　It　was　a　level　space　of　wider　extent　than　they　had



guessed　and　upon　it　grew　grass　of　a　brilliant　green



color。　In　the　very　center　stood　a　house　built　of　stone



and　very　neatly　constructed。　No　one　was　in　sight；　but



smoke　was　coming　from　the　chimney；　so　with　one　accord　all



three　began　walking　toward　the　house。







〃I　wonder；〃　said　Trot；　〃in　what　country　we　are；　and　if



it's　very　far　from　my　home　in　California。〃　〃Can't　say　as



to　that；　partner；〃　answered　Cap'n　Bill；　〃but　I'm　mighty



certain　we've　come　a　long　way　since　we　struck　that



whirlpool。〃







〃Yes；〃　she　agreed；　with　a　sigh；　〃it　must　be　miles　and



miles！〃







〃Distance　means　nothing；〃　said　the　Ork。　〃I　have　flown



pretty　much　all　over　the　world；　trying　to　find　my　home；



and　it　is　astonishing　how　many　little　countries　there



are；　hidden　away　in　the　cracks　and　corners　of　this　big



globe　of　Earth。　If　one　travels；　he　may　find　some　new



country　at　every　turn；　and　a　good　many　of　them　have　never



yet　been　put　upon　the　maps。〃







〃P'raps　this　is　one　of　them；〃　suggested　Trot。







They　reached　the　house　after　a　brisk　walk　and　Cap'n



Bill　knocked　upon　the　door。　It　was　at　once　opened　by　a



rugged　looking　man　who　had　〃bumps　all　over　him；〃　as　Trot



afterward　declared。　There　were　bumps　on　his　head；　bumps



on　his　body　and　bumps　on　his　arms　and　legs　and　hands。



Even　his　fingers　had　bumps　on　the　ends　of　them。　For　dress



he　wore　an　old　gray　suit　of　fantastic　design；　which



fitted　him　very　badly　because　of　the　bumps　it　covered　but



could　not　conceal。







But　the　Bumpy　Man's　eyes　were　kind　and　twinkling



in　expression　and　as　soon　as　he　saw　his　visitors　he



bowed　low　and　said　in　a　rather　bumpy　voice：







〃Happy　day！　　Come　in　and　shut　the　door；　for　it　grows



cool　when　the　sun　goes　down。　Winter　is　now　upon　us。〃







〃Why；　it　isn't　cold　a　bit；　outside；〃　said　Trot；　〃so　it



can't　be　winter　yet。〃







〃You　will　change　your　mind　about　that　in　a　little



while；〃　declared　the　Bumpy　Man。　〃My　bumps　always　tell　me



the　state　of　the　weather；　and　they　feel　just　now　as　if　a



snowstorm　was　coming　this　way。　But　make　yourselves　at



home；　strangers。　Supper　is　nearly　ready　and　there　is　food



enough　for　all。〃







Inside　the　house　there　was　but　one　large　room；　simply



but　comfortably　furnished。　It　had　benches；　a　table　and　a



fireplace；　all　made　of　stone。　On　the　hearth　a　pot　was



bubbling　and　steaming；　and　Trot　thought　it　had　a　rather



nice　smell。　The　visitors　seated　themselves　upon　the



benches　　except　the　Ork。　which　squatted　by　the　fireplace



　and　the　Bumpy　Man　began　stirring　the　kettle　briskly。







〃May　I　ask　what　country　this　is；　sir？〃　inquired　Cap'n



Bill。







〃Goodness　me　　fruit…cake　and　apple…sauce！　don't　you



know　where　you　are？〃　asked　the　Bumpy　Man；　as　he　stopped



stirring　and　looked　at　the　speaker　in　surprise。







〃No；〃　admitted　Cap'n　Bill。　〃We've　just　arrived。〃







〃Lost　your　way？〃　questioned　the　Bumpy　Man。







〃Not　exactly；〃　said　Cap'n　Bill。　〃We　didn't　have　any　way



to　lose。〃







〃Ah！〃　said　the　Bumpy　Man；　nodding　his　bumpy　head。



〃This；〃　he　announced；　in　a　solemn；　impressive　voice；　〃is



the　famous　Land　of　Mo。〃







〃Oh！〃　exclaimed　the　sailor　and　the　girl；　both　in　one



breath。　But；　never　having　heard　of　the　Land　of　Mo；　they



were　no　wiser　than　before。







〃I　thought　that　would　startle　you；〃　remarked　the　Bumpy



Man；　well　pleased；　as　he　resumed　his　stirring。　The　Ork



watched　him　a　while　in　silence　and　then　asked：







〃Who　may　you　be？〃







〃Me？〃　answered　the　Bumpy　Man。　〃Haven't　you　heard　of　me？



Gingerbread　and　lemon…juice！　I'm　known；　far　and　wide；　as



the　Mountain　Ear。〃







They　all　received　this　information　in　silence　at　first；



for　they　were　trying　to　think　what　he　could　mean。　Finally



Trot　mustered　up　courage　to　ask：







〃What　is　a　Mountain　Ear；　please？〃







For　answer　the　man　turned　around　and　faced　them；　waving



the　spoon　with　which　he　had　been　stirring　the　kettle；　as



he　recited　the　following　verses　in　a　singsong　tone　of



voice：











〃Here's　a　mountain；　hard　of　hearing；







　That's　sad…hearted　and　needs　cheering；



So　my　duty　is　to　listen　to　all　sounds　that　Nature　makes；







　So　the　hill　won't　get　uneasy　







　Get　to　coughing；　or　get　sneezy　



For　this　monster　bump；　when　frightened；　is　quite　liable　to



quakes。











〃You　can　hear　a　bell　that's　ringing；







　I　can　feel　some　people's　singing；



But　a　mountain　isn't　sensible　of　what　goes　on；　and　so







　When　I　hear　a　blizzard　blowing







　Or　it's　raining　hard；　or　snowing；



I　tell　it　to　the　mountain　and　the　mountain　seems　to　know。











〃Thus　I　benefit　all　people







　While　I'm　living　on　this　steeple；



For　I　keep　the　mountain　steady　so　my　neighbors　all　may　thrive。







　With　my　list'ning　and　my　shouting







　I　prevent　this　mount　from　spouting；



And　that　makes　me　so　important　that　I'm　glad　that　I'm　alive。〃











When　he　had　finished　these　lines　of　verse　the　Bumpy　Man



turned　again　to　resume　his　stirring。　The　Ork　laughed



softly　and　Cap'n　Bill　whistled　to　himself　and　Trot　made



up　her　mind　that　the　Mountain　Ear　must　be　a　little　crazy。



But　the　Bumpy　Man　seemed　satisfied　that　he　had　explained



his　position　fully　and　presently　he　placed　four　stone



plates　upon　the　table　and　then　lifted　the　kettle　from　the



fire　and　poured　some　of　its　contents　on　each　of　the



plates。　Cap'n　Bill　and　Trot　at　once　approached　the　table；



for　they　were　hungry；　but　when　she　examined　her　plate　the



little　girl　exclaimed：







〃Why；　it's　molasses　candy！〃







〃To　be　sure；〃　returned　the　Bumpy　Man；　with　a　pleasant



smile。　〃Eat　it　quick；　while　it's　hot；　for　it　cools　very



quickly　this　winter　weather。〃







With　this　he　seized　a　stone　spoon　and　began　putting　the



hot　molasses　candy　into　his　mouth；　while　the　others



watched　him　in　astonishment。







〃Doesn't　it　burn　you？〃　asked　the　girl。







〃No　indeed；〃　said　he。　〃Why　don't　you　eat？　Aren't　you



hungry？〃







〃Yes；〃　she　replied；　〃I　am　hungry。　But　we　usually　eat



our　candy　when　it　is　cold　and　hard。　We　always　pull



molasses　candy　before　we　eat　it。〃







〃Ha；　ha；　ha！〃　laughed　the　Mountain　Ear。　〃What　a　funny



idea！　Where　in　the　world　did　you　come　from？〃







〃California；〃　she　said。







〃California！　Pooh！　there　isn't　any　such　place。　I've



heard　of　every　place　in　the　Land　of　Mo；　but　I　never



before　heard　of　California。〃







〃It　isn't　in　the　Land　of　Mo；〃　she　explained。







〃Then　it　isn't　worth　talking　about；〃　declared　the



Bumpy　Man；　helping　himself　again　from　the　steaming



kettle；　for　he　had　been　eating　all　the　time　he　talked。







〃For　my　part；〃　sighed　Cap'n　Bill；　〃I'd　like　a　decent



square　meal；　once　more；　just　by　way　of　variety。　In　the



last　place　there　was　nothing　but　fruit　to　eat；　and　here



it's　worse；　for　there's　nothing　but　candy。〃







〃Molasses　candy　isn't　so　bad；〃　said　Trot。　〃Mine's



nearly　cool　enough　to　pull；　already。　Wait　a　bit；　Cap'n；



and　you　can　eat　it。〃







A　little　later　she　was　able　to　gather　the　candy　from



the　stone　plate　and　begin　to　work　it　back　and　forth　with



her　hands。　The　Mountain　Ear　was　greatly　amazed　at　this



and　watched　her　closely。　It　was　really　good　candy　and



pulled　beautifully；　so　that　Trot　was　soon　ready　to　cut　it



into　chunks　for　eating。







Cap'n　Bill　condescended　to　eat　one　or　two　pieces　and



the　Ork　ate　several；　but　the　Bumpy　Man　refused　to　try　it。



Trot　finished　the　plate　of　candy　herself　and　then　asked



for　a　drink　of　water。







〃Water？〃　said　the　Mountain　Ear　wonderingly。　〃What　is



that？〃







〃Something　to　drink。　Don't　you　have　water　in　Mo？〃







〃None　that　ever　I　heard　of；〃　said　he。　〃But　I　can　give



you　some　fresh　lemonade。　I　caught　it　in　a　jar　the　last



time　it　rained；　which　was　only　day　before　yesterday。〃







〃Oh；　does　it　rain　lemonade　here？〃　she　inquired。







〃Always；　and　it　is　very　refreshing　and　healthful。〃







With　this　he　brought　from　a　cupboard　a　stone　jar　and　a



dipper；　and　the　girl　foun