the scarecrow of oz-第24节
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Jinxland。〃
〃Fine！〃 cried the little girl； clapping her hands
together gleefully。 〃But how？〃
〃Leave the how to me；〃 said the Scarecrow proudly。
As a conqueror I'm a wonder。 We will； first of all；
write a message to send to King Krewl； asking him to
surrender。 If he refuses； then we will make him
surrender。〃
〃Why ask him。 when we know he'll refuse？〃 inquired Pon。
〃Why； we must be polite； whatever we do；〃 explained the
Scarecrow。 〃It would be very rude to conquer a King
without proper notice。〃
They found it difficult to write a message without
paper； pen and ink； none of which was at hand； so it was
decided to send Pon as a messenger； with instructions to
ask the King； politely but firmly； to surrender。
Pon was not anxious to be the messenger。 Indeed； he
hinted that it might prove a dangerous mission。 But the
Scarecrow was now the acknowledged head of the Army of
Conquest； and he would listen to no refusal。 So off Pon
started for the King's castle； and the others accompanied
him as far as his hut； where they had decided to await
the gardener's boy's return。
I think it was because Pon had known the Scarecrow such
a short time that he lacked confidence in the straw man's
wisdom。 It was easy to say： 〃We will conquer King Krewl；〃
but when Pon drew near to the great castle he began to
doubt the ability of a straw…stuffed man； a girl； a
grasshopper and a frozen…hearted Princess to do it。 As
for himself； he had never thought of defying the King
before。
That was why the gardener's boy was not very bold when
he entered the castle and passed through to the enclosed
court where the King was just then seated； with his
favorite courtiers around him。 None prevented Pon's
entrance； because he was known to be the gardener's boy；
but when the King saw him he began to frown fiercely。 He
considered Pon to be to blame for all his trouble with
Princess Gloria； who since her heart had been frozen had
escaped to some unknown place； instead of returning to
the castle to wed Goqgly…Goo； as she had been expected to
do。 So the King bared his teeth angrily as he demanded：
〃What have you done with Princess Gloria？〃
〃Nothing； your Majesty！ I have done nothing at all；〃
answered Pon in a faltering voice。 〃She does not love me
any more and even refuses to speak to me。〃
〃Then why are you here； you rascal？〃 roared the King。
Pon looked first one way and then another； but saw no
means of escape； so he plucked up courage。
〃I am here to summon your Majesty to surrender。〃
〃What！〃 shouted the King。 〃Surrender？ Surrender to
whom？〃
Pon's heart sank to his boots。
〃To the Scarecrow；〃 he replied。
Some of the courtiers began to titter； but King Krewl
was greatly annoyed。 He sprang up and began to beat poor
Pon with the golden staff he carried。 Pon howled lustily
and would have run away had not two of the soldiers held
him until his Majesty was exhausted with punishing the
boy。 Then they let him go and he left the castle and
returned along the road； sobbing at every step because
his body was so sore and aching。
〃Well；〃 said the Scarecrow； 〃did the King surrender？〃
〃No； but he gave me a good drubbing！〃 sobbed poor Pon。
Trot was very sorry for Pon； but Gloria did not seem
affected in any way by her lover's anguish。 The
grasshopper leaped to the Scarecrow's shoulder and asked
him what he was going to do next。
〃Conquer；〃 was the reply。 〃But I will go alone； this
time； for beatings cannot hurt me at all； nor can lance
thrusts or sword cuts or arrow pricks。〃
〃Why is that？〃 inquired Trot。
〃Because I have no nerves； such as you meat people
possess。 Even grasshoppers have nerves； but straw
doesn't； so whatever they do except just one thing
they cannot injure me。 Therefore I expect to conquer King
Krewl with ease。〃
〃What is that one thing you excepted？〃 asked Trot。
〃They will never think of it； so never mind。 And now；
if you will kindly excuse me for a time； I'll go over to
the castle and do my conquering。〃
〃You have no weapons；〃 Pon reminded him。
〃True；〃 said the Scarecrow。 〃But if I carried weapons I
might injure someone perhaps seriously and that
would make me unhappy。 I will just borrow that riding…
whip； which I see in the corner of your hut； if you don't
mind。 It isn't exactly proper to walk with a riding…whip；
but I trust you will excuse the inconsistency。〃
Pon handed him the whip and the Scarecrow bowed to all
the party and left the hut； proceeding leisurely along
the way to the King's castle。
Chapter Seventeen
The Ork Rescues Button…Bright
I must now tell you what had become of Button…Bright
since he wandered away in the morning and got lost。 This
small boy； as perhaps you have discovered； was almost as
destitute of nerves as the Scarecrow。 Nothing ever
astonished him much； nothing ever worried him or made him
unhappy。 Good fortune or bad fortune he accepted with a
quiet smile； never complaining； whatever happened。 This
was one reason why Button…Bright was a favorite with all
who knew him and perhaps it was the reason why he so
often got into difficulties； or found himself lost。
To…day； as he wandered here and there； over hill and
down dale； he missed Trot and Cap'n Bill； of whom he was
fond； but nevertheless he was not unhappy。 The birds sang
merrily and the wildflowers were beautiful and the breeze
had a fragrance of new…mown hay
〃The only bad thing about this country is its King；〃 he
reflected； 〃but the country isn't to blame for that。〃
A prairie…dog stuck its round head out of a mound of
earth and looked at the boy with bright eyes。
〃Walk around my house； please；〃 it said； 〃and then you
won't harm it or disturb the babies。〃
〃All right；〃 answered Button…Bright； and took care not
to step on the mound。 He went on； whistling merrily；
until a petulant voice cried：
〃Oh； stop it！ Please stop that noise。 It gets on my
nerves。〃
Button…Bright saw an old gray owl sitting in the crotch
of a tree； and he replied with a laugh： 〃All right； old
Fussy；〃 and stopped whistling until he had passed out of
the owl's hearing。 At noon he came to a farmhouse where
an aged couple lived。 They gave him a good dinner and
treated him kindly； but the man was deaf and the woman
was dumb； so they could answer no questions to guide him
on the way to Pon's house。 When he left them he was just
as much lost as he had been before。
Every grove of trees he saw from a distance he visited；
for he remembered that the King's castle was near a grove
of trees and Pon's hut was near the King's castle； but
always he met with disappointment。 Finally； passing
through one of these groves； he came out into the open
and found himself face to face with the Ork。
〃Hello！〃 said Button…Bright。 〃Where did you come from？〃
〃From Orkland；〃 was the reply。 〃I've found my own
country； at last； and it is not far from here； either。 I
would have come back to you sooner； to see how you are
getting along； had not my family and friends welcomed my
return so royally that a great celebration was held in my
honor。 So I couldn't very well leave Orkland again until
the excitement was over。〃
〃Can you find your way back home again？〃 asked the boy。
〃Yes； easily； for now I know exactly where it is。 But
where are Trot and Cap'n Bill？〃
Button…Bright related to the Ork their adventures since
it had left them in Jinxland； telling of Trot's fear that
the King had done something wicked to Cap'n Bill； and of
Pon's love for Gloria； and how Trot and Button…Bright had
been turned out of the King's castle。 That was all the
news that the boy had； but it made the Ork anxious for
the safety of his friends。
〃We must go to them at once； for they may need us；〃 he
said。
〃I don't know where to go；〃 confessed Button…Bright。
〃I'm lost。〃
〃Well； I can take you back to the hut of the gardener's
boy；〃 promised the Ork； 〃for when I fly high in the air I
can look down and easily spy t
