the scarecrow of oz-第20节

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in　all　the　Land　of　Oz。　His　body　was　merely　a　suit　of



Munchkin　clothes　stuffed　with　straw；　but　his　head　was　a



round　sack　filled　with　bran；　with　which　the　Wizard　of　Oz



had　mixed　some　magic　brains　of　a　very　superior　sort。　The



eyes；　nose　and　mouth　of　the　Scarecrow　were　painted　upon



the　front　of　the　sack；　as　were　his　ears；　and　since　this



quaint　being　had　been　endowed　with　life；　the　expression



of　his　face　was　very　interesting；　if　somewhat　comical。







The　Scarecrow　was　good　all　through；　even　to　his　brains；



and　while　he　was　naturally　awkward　in　his　movements　and



lacked　the　neat　symmetry　of　other　people；　his　disposition



was　so　kind　and　considerate　and　he　was　so　obliging　and



honest；　that　all　who　knew　him　loved　him；　and　there　were



few　people　in　Oz　who　had　not　met　our　Scarecrow　and　made



his　acquaintance。　He　lived　part　of　the　time　in　Ozma's



palace　at　the　Emerald　City；　part　of　the　time　in　his　own



corncob　castle　in　the　Winkie　Country；　and　part　of　the



time　he　traveled　over　all　Oz；　visiting　with　the　people



and　playing　with　the　children；　whom　he　dearly　loved。







It　was　on　one　of　his　wandering　journeys　that　the



Scarecrow　had　arrived　at　Glinda's　palace；　and　the



Sorceress　at　once　made　him　welcome。　As　he　sat　beside　her；



talking　of　his　adventures；　he　asked：







〃What's　new　in　the　way　of　news？〃







Glinda　opened　her　Great　Book　of　Records　and　read　some



of　the　last　pages。







〃Here　is　an　item　quite　curious　and　interesting；〃　she



announced；　an　accent　of　surprise　in　her　voice。　〃Three



people　from　the　big　Outside　World　have　arrived　in



Jinxland。〃







〃Where　is　Jinxland？〃　inquired　the　Scarecrow。







〃Very　near　here；　a　little　to　the　east　of　us；〃　she　said。



〃In　fact；　Jinxland　is　a　little　slice　taken　off　the



Quadling　Country；　but　separated　from　it　by　a　range　of



high　mountains；　at　the　foot　of　which　lies　a　wide；　deep



gulf　that　is　supposed　to　be　impassable。〃







〃Then　Jinxland　is　really　a　part　of　the　Land　of　Oz；〃



said　he。







〃Yes；〃　returned　Glinda；　〃but　Oz　people　know　nothing　of



it；　except　what　is　recorded　here　in　my　book。〃







〃What　does　the　Book　say　about　it？〃　asked　the　Scarecrow。







〃It　is　ruled　by　a　wicked　man　called　King　Krewl；



although　he　has　no　right　to　the　title。　Most　of　the　people



are　good；　but　they　are　very　timid　and　live　in　constant



fear　of　their　fierce　ruler。　There　are　also　several　Wicked



Witches　who　keep　the　inhabitants　of　Jinxland　in　a　state



of　terror。〃







〃Do　those　witches　have　any　magical　powers？〃　inquired



the　Scarecrow。







〃Yes；　they　seem　to　understand　witchcraft　in　its　most



evil　form；　for　one　of　them　has　just　transformed　a



respectable　and　honest　old　sailor　　one　of　the　strangers



who　arrived　there　　into　a　grasshopper。　This　same　witch；



Blinkie　by　name；　is　also　planning　to　freeze　the　heart　of



a　beautiful　Jinxland　girl　named　Princess　Gloria。〃







〃Why；　that's　a　dreadful　thing　to　do！〃　exclaimed　the



Scarecrow。







Glinda's　face　was　very　grave。　She　read　in　her　book　how



Trot　and　Button…Bright　were　turned　out　of　the　King's



castle；　and　how　they　found　refuge　in　the　hut　of　Pon；　the



gardener's　boy







〃I'm　afraid　those　helpless　earth　people　will　endure



much　suffering　in　Jinxland；　even　if　the　wicked　King　and



the　witches　permit　them　to　live；〃　said　the　good



Sorceress；　thoughtfully。　〃I　wish　I　might　help　them。〃







〃Can　I　do　anything？〃　asked　the　Scarecrow；　anxiously。



〃If　so；　tell　me　what　to　do；　and　I'll　do　it。〃







For　a　few　moments　Glinda　did　not　reply；　but　sat　musing



over　the　records。　Then　she　said：　〃I　am　going　to　send　you



to　Jinxland；　to　protect　Trot　and　Button…Bright　and　Cap'n



Bill。〃







〃All　right；〃　answered　the　Scarecrow　in　a　cheerful



voice。　〃I　know　Button…Bright　already；　for　he　has　been　in



the　Land　of　Oz　before。　You　remember　he　went　away　from　the



Land　of　Oz　in　one　of　our　Wizard's　big　bubbles。〃







〃Yes；〃　said　Glinda；　〃I　remember　that。〃　Then　she



carefully　instructed　the　Scarecrow　what　to　do　and　gave



him　certain　magical　things　which　he　placed　in　the　pockets



of　his　ragged　Munchkin　coat。







〃As　you　have　no　need　to　sleep；〃　said　she；　〃you　may　as



well　start　at　once。〃







〃The　night　is　the　same　as　day　to　me；〃　he　replied；



〃except　that　I　cannot　see　my　way　so　well　in　the　dark。〃







〃I　will　furnish　a　light　to　guide　you；〃　promised　the



Sorceress。







So　the　Scarecrow　bade　her　good…bye　and　at　once　started



on　his　journey。　By　morning　he　had　reached　the　mountains



that　separated　the　Quadling　Country　from　Jinxland。　The



sides　of　these　mountains　were　too　steep　to　climb；　but　the



Scarecrow　took　a　small　rope　from　his　pocket　and　tossed



one　end　upward；　into　the　air。　The　rope　unwound　itself　for



hundreds　of　feet；　until　it　caught　upon　a　peak　of　rock　at



the　very　top　of　a　mountain；　for　it　was　a　magic　rope



furnished　him　by　Glinda。　The　Scarecrow　climbed　the　rope



and；　after　pulling　it　up；　let　it　down　on　the　other　side



of　the　mountain　range。　When　he　descended　the　rope　on　this



side　he　found　himself　in　Jinxland；　but　at　his　feet　yawned



the　Great　Gulf；　which　must　be　crossed　before　he　could



proceed　any　farther。







The　Scarecrow　knelt　down　and　examined　the　ground



carefully；　and　in　a　moment　he　discovered　a　fuzzy　brown



spider　that　had　rolled　itself　into　a　ball。　So　he　took　two



tiny　pills　from　his　pocket　and　laid　them　beside　the



spider；　which　unrolled　itself　and　quickly　ate　up　the



pills。　Then　the　Scarecrow　said　in　a　voice　of　command：







〃Spin！〃　and　the　spider　obeyed　instantly。







In　a　few　moments　the　little　creature　had　spun　two



slender　but　strong　strands　that　reached　way　across　the



gulf；　one　being　five　or　six　feet　above　the　other。　When



these　were　completed　the　Scarecrow　started　across　the



tiny　bridge；　walking　upon　one　strand　as　a　person　walks



upon　a　rope；　and　holding　to　the　upper　strand　with　his



hands　to　prevent　him　from　losing　his　balance　and　toppling



over　into　the　gulf。　The　tiny　threads　held　him　safely；



thanks　to　the　strength　given　them　by　the　magic　pills。







Presently　he　was　safe　across　and　standing　on　the　plains



of　Jinxland。　Far　away　he　could　see　the　towers　of　the



King's　castle　and　toward　this　he　at　once　began　to　walk。



















Chapter　Fourteen







The　Frozen　Heart











In　the　hut　of　Pon；　the　gardener's　boy；　Button…Bright



was　the　first　to　waken　in　the　morning。　Leaving　his



companions　still　asleep；　he　went　out　into　the　fresh



morning　air　and　saw　some　blackberries　growing　on　bushes



in　a　field　not　far　away。　Going　to　the　bushes　he　found　the



berries　ripe　and　sweet；　so　he　began　eating　them。　More



bushes　were　scattered　over　the　fields；　so　the　boy



wandered　on；　from　bush　to　bush；　without　paying　any　heed



to　where　he　was　wandering。　Then　a　butterfly　fluttered　by。



He　gave　chase　to　it　and　followed　it　a　long　way。　When



finally　he　paused　to　look　around　him；　Button…Bright　could



see　no　sign　of　Pon's　house；　nor　had　he　the　slightest　idea



in　which　direction　it　lay。







〃Well；　I'm　lost　again；〃　he　remarked　to　himself。　〃But



never　mind；　I've　been　lost　lots　of　times。　Someone　is　sure



to　find　me。〃







Trot　was　a　little　worried　about　Button…Bright　when　she



awoke　and　found　him　gone。　Knowing　how　careless　he　was；



she　believed　that　he　had　strayed　away；　but　felt　that　he



would　come　back　in　time；　because　he　had　a　habit　of　not



staying　lost。　Pon　got　the　little　girl　some　food　for　her



breakfast　and　then　together　they　went　out　of　the　hut　and



stood　in　the　sunshine。







Pon's　house　was　some　distance　off　the　road；　but　they



could　see　it　from　where　they　stood　and　both　gave　a　start



of　surprise　when　they　discovered　two　soldiers　walking



along　the　roadway　and　escorting　Princess　Gloria　between



them。　The　poor　girl　had　her　hands　bound　together；　to



prevent　her　from　struggling；　and　the　soldiers　rudely



dragged　her　forward　when　her　steps　seemed　to　lag。







Behind　this　group　came　King　Krewl；　wearing　his　jeweled



crown　and　swinging　in　his　hand　a　slender　golden　staff



with　a　ball　of　clustered　gems　at　one　end。







〃Where　are　they　going？〃　asked　Trot。　〃To　the　house　of



the　Wicked　Witch；　I　fear；〃　Pon　replied。　〃Come；　let　us



follow　them；　for　I　am　sure　they　intend　to　harm　my　dear



Gloria。〃







〃Won't　they　see　us？〃　she　asked　timidly。







〃We　won't　let　them。　I　know　a　short　cut　through　the



trees　to　Blinkie