the scarecrow of oz-第21节

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



trees　to　Blinkie's　house；〃　said　he。







So　they　hurried　away　through　the　trees　and　reached　the



house　of　the　witch　ahead　of　the　King　and　his　soldiers。



Hiding　themselves　in　the　shrubbery；　they　watched　the



approach　of　poor　Gloria　and　her　escort；　all　of　whom



passed　so　near　to　them　that　Pon　could　have　put　out　a　hand



and　touched　his　sweetheart；　had　he　dared　to。







Blinkie's　house　had　eight　sides；　with　a　door　and　a



window　in　each　side。　Smoke　was　coming　out　of　the　chimney



and　as　the　guards　brought　Gloria　to　one　of　the　doors　it



was　opened　by　the　old　witch　in　person。　She　chuckled　with



evil　glee　and　rubbed　her　skinny　hands　together　to　show



the　delight　with　which　she　greeted　her　victim；　for



Blinkie　was　pleased　to　be　able　to　perform　her　wicked



rites　on　one　so　fair　and　sweet　as　the　Princess。







Gloria　struggled　to　resist　when　they　bade　her　enter　the



house；　so　the　soldiers　forced　her　through　the　doorway　and



even　the　King　gave　her　a　shove　as　he　followed　close



behind。　Pon　was　so　incensed　at　the　cruelty　shown　Gloria



that　he　forgot　all　caution　and　rushed　forward　to　enter



the　house　also；　but　one　of　the　soldiers　prevented　him；



pushing　the　gardener's　boy　away　with　violence　and



slamming　the　door　in　his　face。







〃Never　mind；〃　said　Trot　soothingly；　as　Pon　rose　from



where　he　had　fallen。　〃You　couldn't　do　much　to　help　the



poor　Princess　if　you　were　inside。　How　unfortunate　it　is



that　you　are　in　love　with　her！〃







〃True；〃　he　answered　sadly；　〃it　is　indeed　my　misfortune。



If　I　did　not　love　her；　it　would　be　none　of　my　business



what　the　King　did　to　his　niece　Gloria；　but　the　unlucky



circumstance　of　my　loving　her　makes　it　my　duty　to　defend



her。〃







〃I　don't　see　how　you　can；　duty　or　no　duty；〃　observed



Trot。







〃No；　I　am　powerless；　for　they　are　stronger　than　I。　But



we　might　peek　in　through　the　window　and　see　what　they　are



doing。〃







Trot　was　somewhat　curious；　too；　so　they　crept　up　to　one



of　the　windows　and　looked　in；　and　it　so　happened　that



those　inside　the　witch's　house　were　so　busy　they　did　not



notice　that　Pon　and　Trot　were　watching　them。







Gloria　had　been　tied　to　a　stout　post　in　the　center　of



the　room　and　the　King　was　giving　the　Wicked　Witch　a



quantity　of　money　and　jewels；　which　Googly…Goo　had



provided　in　payment。　When　this　had　been　done　the　King



said　to　her：







〃Are　you　perfectly　sure　you　can　freeze　this　maiden's



heart；　so　that　she　will　no　longer　love　that　low



gardener's　boy？〃







〃Sure　as　witchcraft；　your　Majesty；〃　the　creature



replied。







〃Then　get　to　work；〃　said　the　King。　〃There　may　be　some



unpleasant　features　about　the　ceremony　that　would　annoy



me；　so　I'll　bid　you　good　day　and　leave　you　to　carry　out



your　contract。　One　word；　however：　If　you　fail；　I　shall



burn　you　at　the　stake！〃　Then　he　beckoned　to　his　soldiers



to　follow　him；　and　throwing　wide　the　door　of　the　house



walked　out。







This　action　was　so　sudden　that　King　Krewl　almost　caught



Trot　and　Pon　eavesdropping；　but　they　managed　to　run



around　the　house　before　he　saw　them。　Away　he　marched；　up



the　road；　followed　by　his　men；　heartlessly　leaving　Gloria



to　the　mercies　of　old　Blinkie。







When　they　again　crept　up　to　the　window；　Trot　and　Pon



saw　Blinkie　gloating　over　her　victim。　Although　nearly



fainting　from　fear；　the　proud　Princess　gazed　with　haughty



defiance　into　the　face　of　the　wicked　creature；　but　she



was　bound　so　tightly　to　the　post　that　she　could　do　no



more　to　express　her　loathing。







Pretty　soon　Blinkie　went　to　a　kettle　that　was　swinging



by　a　chain　over　the　fire　and　tossed　into　it　several



magical　compounds。　The　kettle　gave　three　flashes；　and　at



every　flash　another　witch　appeared　in　the　room。







These　hags　were　very　ugly　but　when　one…eyed　Blinkie



whispered　her　orders　to　them　they　grinned　with　joy　as



they　began　dancing　around　Gloria。　First　one　and　then



another　cast　something　into　the　kettle；　when　to　the



astonishment　of　the　watchers　at　the　window　all　three　of



the　old　women　were　instantly　transformed　into　maidens　of



exquisite　beauty；　dressed　in　the　daintiest　costumes



imaginable。　Only　their　eyes　could　not　be　disguised；　and



an　evil　glare　still　shone　in　their　depths。　But　if　the



eyes　were　cast　down　or　hidden；　one　could　not　help　but



admire　these　beautiful　creatures；　even　with　the　knowledge



that　they　were　mere　illusions　of　witchcraft。







Trot　certainly　admired　them；　for　she　had　never　seen



anything　so　dainty　and　bewitching；　but　her　attention　was



quickly　drawn　to　their　deeds　instead　of　their　persons；



and　then　horror　replaced　admiration。　Into　the　kettle　old



Blinkie　poured　another　mess　from　a　big　brass　bottle　she



took　from　a　chest；　and　this　made　the　kettle　begin　to



bubble　and　smoke　violently。　One　by　one　the　beautiful



witches　approached　to　stir　the　contents　of　the　kettle　and



to　mutter　a　magic　charm。　Their　movements　were　graceful



and　rhythmic　and　the　Wicked　Witch　who　had　called　them　to



her　aid　watched　them　with　an　evil　grin　upon　her　wrinkled



face。







Finally　the　incantation　was　complete。　The　kettle　ceased



bubbling　and　together　the　witches　lifted　it　from　the



fire。　Then　Blinkie　brought　a　wooden　ladle　and　filled　it



from　the　contents　of　the　kettle。　Going　with　the　spoon　to



Princess　Gloria　she　cried：







〃Love　no　more！　Magic　art



Now　will　freeze　your　mortal　heart！〃







With　this　she　dashed　the　contents　of　the　ladle　full



upon　Gloria's　breast。







Trot　saw　the　body　of　the　Princess　become　transparent；



so　that　her　beating　heart　showed　plainly。　But　now　the



heart　turned　from　a　vivid　red　to　gray；　and　then　to　white。



A　layer　of　frost　formed　about　it　and　tiny　icicles　clung



to　its　surface。　Then　slowly　the　body　of　the　girl　became



visible　again　and　the　heart　was　hidden　from　view。　Gloria



seemed　to　have　fainted；　but　now　she　recovered　and；



opening　her　beautiful　eyes；　stared　coldly　and　without



emotion　at　the　group　of　witches　confronting　her。







Blinkie　and　the　others　knew　by　that　one　cold　look　that



their　charm　had　been　successful。　They　burst　into　a　chorus



of　wild　laughter　and　the　three　beautiful　ones　began



dancing　again；　while　Blinkie　unbound　the　Princess　and　set



her　free。







Trot　rubbed　her　eyes　to　prove　that　she　was　wide　awake



and　seeing　clearly；　for　her　astonishment　was　great　when



the　three　lovely　maidens　turned　into　ugly；　crooked　hags



again；　leaning　on　broomsticks　and　canes。　They　jeered　at



Gloria；　but　the　Princess　regarded　them　with　cold　disdain。



Being　now　free；　she　walked　to　a　door；　opened　it　and



passed　out。　And　the　witches　let　her　go。







Trot　and　Pon　had　been　so　intent　upon　this　scene　that　in



their　eagerness　they　had　pressed　quite　hard　against　the



window。　Just　as　Gloria　went　out　of　the　house　the　window…



sash　broke　loose　from　its　fastenings　and　fell　with　a



crash　into　the　room。　The　witches　uttered　a　chorus　of



screams　and　then；　seeing　that　their　magical　incantation



had　been　observed；　they　rushed　for　the　open　window　with



uplifted　broomsticks　and　canes。　But　Pon　was　off　like　the



wind；　and　Trot　followed　at　his　heels。　Fear　lent　them



strength　to　run；　to　leap　across　ditches；　to　speed　up　the



hills　and　to　vault　the　low　fences　as　a　deer　would。







The　band　of　witches　had　dashed　through　the　window　in



pursuit；　but　Blinkie　was　so　old；　and　the　others　so



crooked　and　awkward；　that　they　soon　realized　they　would



be　unable　to　overtake　the　fugitives。　So　the　three　who　had



been　summoned　by　the　Wicked　Witch　put　their　canes　or



broomsticks　between　their　legs　and　flew　away　through　the



air；　quickly　disappearing　against　the　blue　sky。　Blinkie；



however；　was　so　enraged　at　Pon　and　Trot　that　she　hobbled



on　in　the　direction　they　had　taken；　fully　determined　to



catch　them；　in　time；　and　to　punish　them　terribly　for



spying　upon　her　witchcraft。







When　Pon　and　Trot　had　run　so　far　that　they　were



confident　they　had　made　good　their　escape；　they　sat　down



near　the　edge　of　a　forest　to　get　their　breath　again；　for



both　were　panting　hard　from　their　exertions。　Trot　was　the



first　to　recover　speech；　and　she　said　to　her　companion：







〃My！　wasn't　it　terr'ble？〃







〃The　most　terrible　thing　I　ever　saw；〃　Pon　agreed。







〃And　they　froze　Gloria's　heart；　so　now　she　can't　love



you　any　more。〃







〃Well；　they　froze　her　heart；