the scarecrow of oz-第26节

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for　the　fire　were　heaped　all　around　him。　When　this　had



been　done；　the　King's　brass　band　struck　up　a　lively　tune



and　old　Googly…Goo　came　forward　with　a　lighted　match　and



set　fire　to　the　pile。







At　once　the　flames　shot　up　and　crept　closer　and　closer



toward　the　Scarecrow。　The　King　and　all　his　people　were　so



intent　upon　this　terrible　spectacle　that　none　of　them



noticed　how　the　sky　grew　suddenly　dark。　Perhaps　they



thought　that　the　loud　buzzing　sound　　like　the　noise　of



a　dozen　moving　railway　trains　　came　from　the　blazing



fagots；　that　the　rush　of　wind　was　merely　a　breeze。　But



suddenly　down　swept　a　flock　of　Orks；　half　a　hundred　of



them　at　the　least；　and　the　powerful　currents　of　air



caused　by　their　revolving　tails　sent　the　bonfire



scattering　in　every　direction；　so　that　not　one　burning



brand　ever　touched　the　Scarecrow。







But　that　was　not　the　only　effect　of　this　sudden



tornado。　King　Krewl　was　blown　out　of　his　throne　and　went



tumbling　heels　over　head　until　he　landed　with　a　bump



against　the　stone　wall　of　his　own　castle；　and　before　he



could　rise　a　big　Ork　sat　upon　him　and　held　him　pressed



flat　to　the　ground。　Old　Googly…Goo　shot　up　into　the　air



like　a　rocket　and　landed　on　a　tree；　where　he　hung　by　the



middle　on　a　high　limb；　kicking　the　air　with　his　feet　and



clawing　the　air　with　his　hands；　and　howling　for　mercy



like　the　coward　he　was。







The　people　pressed　back　until　they　were　jammed　close



together；　while　all　the　soldiers　were　knocked　over　and



sent　sprawling　to　the　earth。　The　excitement　was　great　for



a　few　minutes；　and　every　frightened　inhabitant　of



Jinxland　looked　with　awe　and　amazement　at　the　great　Orks



whose　descent　had　served　to　rescue　the　Scarecrow　and



conquer　King　Krewl　at　one　and　the　same　time。







The　Ork；　who　was　the　leader　of　the　band；　soon　had　the



Scarecrow　free　of　his　bonds。　Then　he　said：　〃Well；　we　were



just　in　time　to　save　you；　which　is　better　than　being　a



minute　too　late。　You　are　now　the　master　here；　and　we　are



determined　to　see　your　orders　obeyed。〃







With　this　the　Ork　picked　up　Krewl's　golden　crown；　which



had　fallen　off　his　head；　and　placed　it　upon　the　head　of



the　Scarecrow；　who　in　his　awkward　way　then　shuffled　over



to　the　throne　and　sat　down　in　it。







Seeing　this；　a　rousing　cheer　broke　from　the　crowd　of



people；　who　tossed　their　hats　and　waved　their



handkerchiefs　and　hailed　the　Scarecrow　as　their　King。　The



soldiers　joined　the　people　in　the　cheering；　for　now　they



fully　realized　that　their　hated　master　was　conquered　and



it　would　be　wise　to　show　their　good　will　to　the



conqueror。　Some　of　them　bound　Krewl　with　ropes　and



dragged　him　forward；　dumping　his　body　on　the　ground



before　the　Scarecrow's　throne。　Googly…Goo　struggled　until



he　finally　slid　off　the　limb　of　the　tree　and　came



tumbling　to　the　ground。　He　then　tried　to　sneak　away　and



escape；　but　the　soldiers　seized　and　bound　him　beside



Krewl。







〃The　tables　are　turned；〃　said　the　Scarecrow；　swelling



out　his　chest　until　the　straw　within　it　crackled



pleasantly；　for　he　was　highly　pleased；　〃but　it　was　you



and　your　people　who　did　it；　friend　Ork；　and　from　this



time　you　may　count　me　your　humble　servant。〃



















Chapter　Nineteen







The　Conquest　of　the　Witch







Now　as　soon　as　the　conquest　of　King　Krewl　had　taken



place；　one　of　the　Orks　had　been　dispatched　to　Pon's　house



with　the　joyful　news。　At　once　Gloria　and　Pon　and　Trot　and



Button…Bright　hastened　toward　the　castle。　They　were



somewhat　surprised　by　the　sight　that　met　their　eyes；　for



there　was　the　Scarecrow；　crowned　King；　and　all　the　people



kneeling　humbly　before　him。　So　they　likewise　bowed　low　to



the　new　ruler　and　then　stood　beside　the　throne。　Cap'n



Bill；　as　the　gray　grasshopper；　was　still　perched　upon



Trot's　shoulder；　but　now　he　hopped　to　the　shoulder　of　the



Scarecrow　and　whispered　into　the　painted　ear：







〃I　thought　Gloria　was　to　be　Queen　of　Jinxland。〃







The　Scarecrow　shook　his　head。







〃Not　yet；〃　he　answered。　〃No　Queen　with　a　frozen　heart



is　fit　to　rule　any　country。〃　Then　he　turned　to　his　new



friend；　the　Ork；　who　was　strutting　about；　very　proud　of



what　he　had　done；　and　said：　〃Do　you　suppose　you；　or　your



followers；　could　find　old　Blinkie　the　Witch？〃







〃Where　is　she？〃　asked　the　Ork。







〃Somewhere　in　Jinxland；　I'm　sure。〃







〃Then；〃　said　the　Ork；　〃we　shall　certainly　be　able　to



find　her。〃







〃It　will　give　me　great　pleasure；〃　declared　the



Scarecrow。　〃When　you　have　found　her；　bring　her　here　to



me。　and　I　will　then　decide　what　to　do　with　her。〃







The　Ork　called　his　followers　together　and　spoke　a　few



words　to　them　in　a　low　tone。　A　moment　after　they　rose



into　the　air　　so　suddenly　that　the　Scarecrow；　who　was



very　light　in　weight；　was　blown　quite　out　of　his　throne



and　into　the　arms　of　Pon；　who　replaced　him　carefully　upon



his　seat。　There　was　an　eddy　of　dust　and　ashes；　too；　and



the　grasshopper　only　saved　himself　from　being　whirled



into　the　crowd　of　people　by　jumping　into　a　tree；　from



where　a　series　of　hops　soon　brought　him　back　to　Trot's



shoulder　again。　The　Orks　were　quite　out　of　sight　by　this



time；　so　the　Scarecrow　made　a　speech　to　the　people　and



presented　Gloria　to　them；　whom　they　knew　well　already



and　were　fond　of。　But　not　all　of　them　knew　of　her　frozen



heart；　and　when　the　Scarecrow　related　the　story　of　the



Wicked　Witch's　misdeeds；　which　had　been　encouraged　and



paid　for　by　Krewl　and　Googly…Goo；　the　people　were　very



indignant。







Meantime　the　fifty　Orks　had　scattered　all　over　Jinx



land；　which　is　not　a　very　big　country；　and　their　sharp



eyes　were　peering　into　every　valley　and　grove　and　gully。



Finally　one　of　them　spied　a　pair　of　heels　sticking　out



from　underneath　some　bushes；　and　with　a　shrill　whistle　to



warn　his　comrades　that　the　witch　was　found　the　Ork　flew



down　and　dragged　old　Blinkie　from　her　hiding…place。　Then



two　or　three　of　the　Orks　seized　the　clothing　of　the



wicked　woman　in　their　strong　claws　and；　lifting　her　high



in　the　air；　where　she　struggled　and　screamed　to　no　avail；



they　flew　with　her　straight　to　the　royal　castle　and　set



her　down　before　the　throne　of　the　Scarecrow。







〃Good！〃　exclaimed　the　straw　man；　nodding　his　stuffed



head　with　satisfaction。　〃Now　we　can　proceed　to　business。



Mistress　Witch；　I　am　obliged　to　request；　gently　but



firmly；　that　you　undo　all　the　wrongs　you　have　done　by



means　of　your　witchcraft。〃







〃Pah！〃　cried　old　Blinkie　in　a　scornful　voice。　〃I　defy



you　all！　By　my　magic　powers　I　can　turn　you　all　into　pigs；



rooting　in　the　mud；　and　I'll　do　it　if　you　are　not



careful。〃







〃I　think　you　are　mistaken　about　that；〃　said　the



Scarecrow；　and　rising　from　his　throne　he　walked　with



wobbling　steps　to　the　side　of　the　Wicked　Witch。　〃Before　I



left　the　Land　of　Oz；　Glinda　the　Royal　Sorceress　gave　me　a



box；　which　I　was　not　to　open　except　in　an　emergency。　But



I　feel　pretty　sure　that　this　occasion　is　an　emergency；



don't　you；　Trot？〃　he　asked；　turning　toward　the　little



girl。







〃Why；　we've　got　to　do　something；〃　replied　Trot



seriously。　〃Things　seem　in　an　awful　muddle　here；　jus'



now；　and　they'll　be　worse　if　we　don't　stop　this　witch



from　doing　more　harm　to　people。〃







〃That　is　my　idea；　exactly；〃　said　the　Scarecrow；　and



taking　a　small　box　from　his　pocket　he　opened　the　cover



and　tossed　the　contents　toward　Blinkie。







The　old　woman　shrank　back；　pale　and　trembling；　as　a



fine　white　dust　settled　all　about　her。　Under　its



influence　she　seemed　to　the　eyes　of　all　observers　to



shrivel　and　grow　smaller。







〃Oh；　dear　…　oh；　dear！〃　she　wailed；　wringing　her　hands



in　fear。　〃Haven't　you　the　antidote；　Scarecrow？　Didn't　the



great　Sorceress　give　you　another　box？〃







〃She　did；〃　answered　the　Scarecrow。







〃Then　give　it　me　　quick！〃　pleaded　the　witch。　〃Give　it



me　　and　I'll　do　anything　you　ask　me　to！〃







〃You　will　do　what　I　ask　first；〃　declared　the　Scarecrow；



firmly。







The　witch　was　shriveling　and　growing　smaller　every



moment。







〃Be　quick；　then！〃　she　cried。　〃Tell　me　what　I　must　do



and　let　me　do　it；　or　it　will　be　too　late。〃







〃You　made　Trot's　friend；　Cap'n　Bill；　a　grasshopper。　I



command　you　to　give　him　back　his　proper　form　again；〃　said



the　Scarecrow。







〃Where　is　he？　Where's　the　grasshopper？　Quick　　quick！〃