the scarecrow of oz-第23节

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and　punished　them。　The　Scarecrow　understood　at　once　that



the　old　woman　meant　harm　to　his　new　friends；　so　as　she



drew　near　he　stepped　before　her。　His　appearance　was　so



sudden　and　unexpected　that　Blinkie　ran　into　him　and



toppled　him　over；　but　she　tripped　on　his　straw　body　and



went　rolling　in　the　path　beside　him。







The　Scarecrow　sat　up　and　said：　〃I　beg　your　pardon！〃　but



she　whacked　him　with　her　stick　and　knocked　him　flat



again。　Then；　furious　with　rage；　the　old　witch　sprang　upon



her　victim　and　began　pulling　the　straw　out　of　his　body。



The　poor　Scarecrow　was　helpless　to　resist　and　in　a　few



moments　all　that　was　left　of　him　was　an　empty　suit　of



clothes　and　a　heap　of　straw　beside　it。　Fortunately；



Blinkie　did　not　harm　his　head；　for　it　rolled　into　a



little　hollow　and　escaped　her　notice。　Fearing　that　Pon



and　Trot　would　escape　her；　she　quickly　resumed　the　chase



and　disappeared　over　the　brow　of　a　hill；　following　the



direction　in　which　she　had　seen　them　go。







Only　a　short　time　elapsed　before　a　gray　grasshopper



with　a　wooden　leg　came　hopping　along　and　lit　directly　on



the　upturned　face　of　the　Scarecrow's　head。







〃Pardon　me；　but　you　are　resting　yourself　upon　my　nose；〃



remarked　the　Scarecrow







〃Oh！　are　you　alive？〃　asked　the　grasshopper。







〃That　is　a　question　I　have　never　been　able　to　decide；〃



said　the　Scarecrow's　head。　〃When　my　body　is　properly



stuffed　I　have　animation　and　can　move　around　as　well　as



any　live　person。　The　brains　in　the　head　you　are　now



occupying　as　a　throne；　are　of　very　superior　quality　and



do　a　lot　of　very　clever　thinking。　But　whether　that　is



being　alive；　or　not；　I　cannot　prove　to　you；　for　one　who



lives　is　liable　to　death；　while　I　am　only　liable　to



destruction。〃







〃Seems　to　me；〃　said　the　grasshopper；　rubbing　his　nose



with　his　front　legs；　〃that　in　your　case　it　doesn't　matter



　unless　you're　destroyed　already。〃







〃I　am　not；　all　I　need　is　re…stuffing；〃　declared　the



Scarecrow；　〃and　if　Pon　and　Trot　escape　the　witch；　and



come　back　here；　I　am　sure　they　will　do　me　that　favor。〃







〃Tell　me！　Are　Trot　and　Pon　around　here？〃　inquired　the



grasshopper；　its　small　voice　trembling　with　excitement。







The　Scarecrow　did　not　answer　at　once；　for　both　his　eyes



were　staring　straight　upward　at　a　beautiful　face　that　was



slightly　bent　over　his　head。　It　was；　indeed；　Princess



Gloria；　who　had　wandered　to　this　spot；　very　much



surprised　when　she　heard　the　Scarecrow's　head　talk　and



the　tiny　gray　grasshopper　answer　it。







〃This；〃　said　the　Scarecrow；　still　staring　at　her；　〃must



be　the　Princess　who　loves　Pon；　the　gardener's　boy。〃







〃Oh；　indeed！〃　exclaimed　the　grasshopper　　who　of



course　was　Cap'n　Bill　　as　he　examined　the　young　lady



curiously。







〃No；〃　said　Gloria　frigidly；　〃I　do　not　love　Pon；　or



anyone　else；　for　the　Wicked　Witch　has　frozen　my　heart。〃







〃What　a　shame！〃　cried　the　Scarecrow。　〃One　so　lovely



should　be　able　to　love。　But　would　you　mind；　my　dear；



stuffing　that　straw　into　my　body　again？〃







The　dainty　Princess　glanced　at　the　straw　and　at　the



well…worn　blue　Munchkin　clothes　and　shrank　back　in



disdain。　But　she　was　spared　from　refusing　the　Scarecrow's



request　by　the　appearance　of　Trot　and　Pon；　who　had　hidden



in　some　bushes　just　over　the　brow　of　the　hill　and　waited



until　old　Blinkie　had　passed　them　by。　Their　hiding　place



was　on　the　same　side　as　the　witch's　blind　eye；　and　she



rushed　on　in　the　chase　of　the　girl　and　the　youth　without



being　aware　that　they　had　tricked　her。







Trot　was　shocked　at　the　Scarecrow's　sad　condition　and



at　once　began　putting　the　straw　back　into　his　body。　Pon；



at　sight　of　Gloria；　again　appealed　to　her　to　take　pity　on



him；　but　the　frozen…hearted　Princess　turned　coldly　away



and　with　a　sigh　the　gardener's　boy　began　to　assist　Trot。







Neither　of　them　at　first　noticed　the　small　grasshopper；



which　at　their　appearance　had　skipped　off　the　Scarecrow's



nose　and　was　now　clinging　to　a　wisp　of　grass　beside　the



path；　where　he　was　not　likely　to　be　stepped　upon。　Not



until　the　Scarecrow　had　been　neatly　restuffed　and　set



upon　his　feet　again　　when　he　bowed　to　his　restorers　and



expressed　his　thanks　　did　the　grasshopper　move　from　his



perch。　Then　he　leaped　lightly　into　the　path　and　called



out：







〃Trot　　Trot！　Look　at　me。　I'm　Cap'n　Bill！　See　what　the



Wicked　Witch　has　done　to　me。〃







The　voice　was　small；　to　be　sure；　but　it　reached　Trot's



ears　and　startled　her　greatly。　She　looked　intently　at　the



grasshopper；　her　eyes　wide　with　fear　at　first；　then　she



knelt　down　and；　noticing　the　wooden　leg；　she　began　to



weep　sorrowfully。







〃Oh；　Cap'n　Bill　　dear　Cap'n　Bill！　What　a　cruel　thing



to　do！〃　she　sobbed。







〃Don't　cry；　Trot；〃　begged　the　grasshopper。　〃It　didn't



hurt　any；　and　it　doesn't　hurt　now。　But　it's　mighty



inconvenient　an'　humiliatin'；　to　say　the　least。〃







〃I　wish；〃　said　the　girl　indignantly；　while　trying　hard



to　restrain　her　tears；　〃that　I　was　big　'nough　an'　strong



'nough　to　give　that　horrid　witch　a　good　beating。　She



ought　to　be　turned　into　a　toad　for　doing　this　to　you；



Cap'n　Bill！〃







〃Never　mind；〃　urged　the　Scarecrow；　in　a　comforting



voice；　〃such　a　transformation　doesn't　last　always；　and　as



a　general　thing　there's　some　way　to　break　the



enchantment。　I'm　sure　Glinda　could　do　it；　in　a　jiffy。〃







〃Who　is　Glinda？〃　inquired　Cap'n　Bill。







Then　the　Scarecrow　told　them　all　about　Glinda；　not



forgetting　to　mention　her　beauty　and　goodness　and　her



wonderful　powers　of　magic。　He　also　explained　how　the



Royal　Sorceress　had　sent　him　to　Jinxland　especially　to



help　the　strangers；　whom　she　knew　to　be　in　danger　because



of　the　wiles　of　the　cruel　King　and　the　Wicked　Witch。



















Chapter　Sixteen







Pon　Summons　the　King　to　Surrender











Gloria　had　drawn　near　to　the　group　to　listen　to　their



talk；　and　it　seemed　to　interest　her　in　spite　of　her



frigid　manner。　They　knew；　of　course；　that　the　poor



Princess　could　not　help　being　cold　and　reserved；　so　they



tried　not　to　blame　her。







〃I　ought　to　have　come　here　a　little　sooner；〃　said　the



Scarecrow；　regretfully；　〃but　Glinda　sent　me　as　soon　as



she　discovered　you　were　here　and　were　likely　to　get　into



trouble。　And　now　that　we　are　all　together　　except



Button…Bright；　over　whom　it　is　useless　to　worry　　I



propose　we　hold　a　council　of　war；　to　decide　what　is　best



to　be　done。〃







That　seemed　a　wise　thing　to　do；　so　they　all　sat　down



upon　the　grass；　including　Gloria；　and　the　grasshopper



perched　upon　Trot's　shoulder　and　allowed　her　to　stroke



him　gently　with　her　hand。







〃In　the　first　place；〃　began　the　Scarecrow；　〃this　King



Krewl　is　a　usurper　and　has　no　right　to　rule　this　Kingdom



of　Jinxland。〃







〃That　is　true；〃　said　Pon；　eagerly。　〃My　father　was　King



before　him；　and　I　〃







〃You　are　a　gardener's　boy；〃　interrupted　the　Scarecrow。



〃Your　father　had　no　right　to　rule；　either；　for　the



rightful　King　of　this　land　was　the　father　of　Princess



Gloria；　and　only　she　is　entitled　to　sit　upon　the　throne



of　Jinxland。〃







〃Good！〃　exclaimed　Trot。　〃But　what'll　we　do　with　King



Krewl？　I　s'pose　he　won't　give　up　the　throne　unless　he　has



to。〃







〃No；　of　course　not；〃　said　the　Scarecrow。　〃Therefore　it



will　be　our　duty　to　make　him　give　up　the　throne。〃







〃How？〃　asked　Trot。







〃Give　me　time　to　think；〃　was　the　reply。　〃That's　what　my



brains　are　for。　I　don't　know　whether　you　people　ever



think；　or　not；　but　my　brains　are　the　best　that　the　Wizard



of　Oz　ever　turned　out；　and　if　I　give　them　plenty　of　time



to　work；　the　result　usually　surprises　me。〃







〃Take　your　time；　then；〃　suggested　Trot。　〃There's　no



hurry。〃







〃Thank　you；〃　said　the　straw　man；　and　sat　perfectly



still　for　half　an　hour。　During　this　interval　the



grasshopper　whispered　in　Trot's　ear；　to　which　he　was　very



close；　and　Trot　whispered　back　to　the　grasshopper　sitting



upon　her　shoulder。　Pon　cast　loving　glances　at　Gloria；　who



paid　not　the　slightest　heed　to　them。







Finally　the　Scarecrow　laughed　aloud。







〃Brains　working？〃　inquired　Trot。







〃Yes。　They　seem　in　fine　order　to…day。　We　will　conquer



King　Krewl　and　put　Gloria　upon　his　throne　as　Queen　of



Jinxland。〃







〃Fine！〃　cried　the　little　girl；　clapping　her　hands



together