the scarecrow of oz-第27节

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the　Scarecrow。







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



she　screamed。







Cap'n　Bill；　who　had　been　deeply　interested　in　this



conversation；　gave　a　great　leap　from　Trot's　shoulder　and



landed　on　that　of　the　Scarecrow。　Blinkie　saw　him　alight



and　at　once　began　to　make　magic　passes　and　to　mumble



magic　incantations。　She　was　in　a　desperate　hurry；　knowing



that　she　had　no　time　to　waste；　and　the　grasshopper　was　so



suddenly　transformed　into　the　old　sailor…man；　Cap'n　Bill；



that　he　had　no　opportunity　to　jump　off　the　Scarecrow's



shoulder；　so　his　great　weight　bore　the　stuffed　Scarecrow



to　the　ground。　No　harm　was　done；　however；　and　the　straw



man　got　up　and　brushed　the　dust　from　his　clothes　while



Trot　delightedly　embraced　Cap'n　Bill。







〃The　other　box！　Quick！　Give　me　the　other　box；〃　begged



Blinkie；　who　had　now　shrunk　to　half　her　former　size。







〃Not　yet；〃　said　the　Scarecrow。　〃You　must　first　melt



Princess　Gloria's　frozen　heart。〃







〃I　can't；　it's　an　awful　job　to　do　that！　I　can't；〃



asserted　the　witch；　in　an　agony　of　fear　　for　still　she



was　growing　smaller。







〃You　must！〃　declared　the　Scarecrow；　firmly。







The　witch　cast　a　shrewd　look　at　him　and　saw　that　he



meant　it；　so　she　began　dancing　around　Gloria　in　a　frantic



manner。　The　Princess　looked　coldly　on；　as　if　not　at　all



interested　in　the　proceedings；　while　Blinkie　tore　a



handful　of　hair　from　her　own　head　and　ripped　a　strip　of



cloth　from　the　bottom　of　her　gown。　Then　the　witch　sank



upon　her　knees；　took　a　purple　powder　from　her　black　bag



and　sprinkled　it　over　the　hair　and　cloth。







〃I　hate　to　do　it　　I　　hate　to　do　it！〃　she　wailed；　〃for



there　is　no　more　of　this　magic　compound　in　all　the　world。



But　I　must　sacrifice　it　to　save　my　own　life。　A　match！



Give　me　a　match；　quick！〃　and　panting　from　lack　of　breath



she　gazed　imploringly　from　one　to　another。







Cap'n　Bill　was　the　only　one　who　had　a　match；　but　he



lost　no　time　in　handing　it　to　Blinkie；　who　quickly　set



fire　to　the　hair　and　the　cloth　and　the　purple　powder。　At



once　a　purple　cloud　enveloped　Gloria；　and　this　gradually



turned　to　a　rosy　pink　color　brilliant　and　quite



transparent。　Through　the　rosy　cloud　they　could　all　see



the　beautiful　Princess；　standing　proud　and　erect。　Then



her　heart　became　visible；　at　first　frosted　with　ice　but



slowly　growing　brighter　and　warmer　until　all　the　frost



had　disappeared　and　it　was　beating　as　softly　and



regularly　as　any　other　heart。　And　now　the　cloud　dispersed



and　disclosed　Gloria；　her　face　suffused　with　joy；　smiling



tenderly　upon　the　friends　who　were　grouped　about　her。







Poor　Pon　stepped　forward　　timidly；　fearing　a　repulse；



but　with　pleading　eyes　and　arms　fondly　outstretched



toward　his　former　sweetheart　　and　the　Princess　saw　him



and　her　sweet　face　lighted　with　a　radiant　smile。　Without



an　instant's　hesitation　she　threw　herself　into　Pon's　arms



and　this　reunion　of　two　loving　hearts　was　so　affecting



that　the　people　turned　away　and　lowered　their　eyes　so　as



not　to　mar　the　sacred　joy　of　the　faithful　lovers。







But　Blinkie's　small　voice　was　shouting　to　the　Scarecrow



for　help。







〃The　antidote！〃　she　screamed。　〃Give　me　the　other　box　



quick！〃







The　Scarecrow　looked　at　the　witch　with　his　quaint；



painted　eyes　and　saw　that　she　was　now　no　taller　than　his



knee。　So　he　took　from　his　pocket　the　second　box　and



scattered　its　contents　on　Blinkie。　She　ceased　to　grow　any



smaller；　but　she　could　never　regain　her　former　size；　and



this　the　wicked　old　woman　well　knew。







She　did　not　know；　however；　that　the　second　powder　had



destroyed　all　her　power　to　work　magic；　and　seeking　to　be



revenged　upon　the　Scarecrow　and　his　friends　she　at　once



began　to　mumble　a　charm　so　terrible　in　its　effect　that　it



would　have　destroyed　half　the　population　of　Jinxland　



had　it　worked。　But　it　did　not　work　at　all；　to　the



amazement　of　old　Blinkie。　And　by　this　time　the　Scarecrow



noticed　what　the　little　witch　was　trying　to　do；　and　said



to　her：







〃Go　home；　Blinkie；　and　behave　yourself。　You　are　no



longer　a　witch；　but　an　ordinary　old　woman；　and　since　you



are　powerless　to　do　more　evil　I　advise　you　to　try　to　do



some　good　in　the　world。　Believe　me；　it　is　more　fun　to



accomplish　a　good　act　than　an　evil　one；　as　you　will



discover　when　once　you　have　tried　it。〃







But　Blinkie　was　at　that　moment　filled　with　grief　and



chagrin　at　losing　her　magic　powers。　She　started　away



toward　her　home；　sobbing　and　bewailing　her　fate；　and　not



one　who　saw　her　go　was　at　all　sorry　for　her。



















Chapter　Twenty







Queen　Gloria











Next　morning　the　Scarecrow　called　upon　all　the



courtiers　and　the　people　to　assemble　in　the　throne　room



of　the　castle；　where　there　was　room　enough　for　all　that



were　able　to　attend。　They　found　the　straw　man　seated　upon



the　velvet　cushions　of　the　throne；　with　the　King's



glittering　crown　still　upon　his　stuffed　head。　On　one　side



of　the　throne；　in　a　lower　chair；　sat　Gloria；　looking



radiantly　beautiful　and　fresh　as　a　new…blown　rose。　On　the



other　side　sat　Pon；　the　gardener's　boy；　still　dressed　in



his　old　smock　frock　and　looking　sad　and　solemn；　for　Pon



could　not　make　himself　believe　that　so　splendid　a



Princess　would　condescend　to　love　him　when　she　had　come



to　her　own　and　was　seated　upon　a　throne。　Trot　and　Cap'n



Bill　sat　at　the　feet　of　the　Scarecrow　and　were　much



interested　in　the　proceedings。　Button…Bright　had　lost



himself　before　breakfast；　but　came　into　the　throne　room



before　the　ceremonies　were　over。　Back　of　the　throne　stood



a　row　of　the　great　Orks；　with　their　leader　in　the　center；



and　the　entrance　to　the　palace　was　guarded　by　more　Orks；



who　were　regarded　with　wonder　and　awe。







When　all　were　assembled；　the　Scarecrow　stood　up　and



made　a　speech。　He　told　how　Gloria's　father；　the　good　King



Kynd；　who　had　once　ruled　them　and　been　loved　by　everyone；



had　been　destroyed　by　King　Phearce；　the　father　of　Pon；



and　how　King　Phearce　had　been　destroyed　by　King　Krewl。



This　last　King　had　been　a　bad　ruler；　as　they　knew　very



well；　and　the　Scarecrow　declared　that　the　only　one　in　all



Jinxland　who　had　the　right　to　sit　upon　the　throne　was



Princess　Gloria；　the　daughter　of　King　Kynd。







〃But；〃　he　added；　〃it　is　not　for　me；　a　stranger；　to　say



who　shall　rule　you。　You　must　decide　for　yourselves；　or



you　will　not　be　content。　So　choose　now　who　shall　be　your



future　ruler。〃







And　they　all　shouted：　　〃The　Scarecrow！　　The　Scarecrow



shall　rule　us！〃







Which　proved　that　the　stuffed　man　had　made　himself　very



popular　by　his　conquest　of　King　Krewl；　and　the　people



thought　they　would　like　him　for　their　King。　But　the



Scarecrow　shook　his　head　so　vigorously　that　it　became



loose；　and　Trot　had　to　pin　it　firmly　to　his　body　again。







〃No；〃　said　he；　〃I　belong　in　the　Land　of　Oz；　where　I　am



the　humble　servant　of　the　lovely　girl　who　rules　us　all　



the　royal　Ozma。　You　must　choose　one　of　your　own



inhabitants　to　rule　over　Jinxland。　Who　shall　it　be？〃







They　hesitated　for　a　moment；　and　some　few　cried：　〃Pon！〃



but　many　more　shouted：　〃Gloria！〃







So　the　Scarecrow　took　Gloria's　hand　and　led　her　to　the



throne；　where　he　first　seated　her　and　then　took　the



glittering　crown　off　his　own　head　and　placed　it　upon　that



of　the　young　lady；　where　it　nestled　prettily　amongst　her



soft　curls。　The　people　cheered　and　shouted　then；　kneeling



before　their　new　Queen；　but　Gloria　leaned　down　and　took



Pon's　hand　in　both　her　own　and　raised　him　to　the　seat



beside　her。







〃You　shall　have　both　a　King　and　a　Queen　to　care　for　you



and　to　protect　you；　my　dear　subjects；〃　she　said　in　a



sweet　voice；　while　her　face　glowed　with　happiness；　〃for



Pon　was　a　King's　son　before　he　became　a　gardener's　boy；



and　because　I　love　him　he　is　to　be　my　Royal　Consort。〃







That　pleased　them　all；　especially　Pon；　who　realized



that　this　was　the　most　important　moment　of　his　life。　Trot



and　Button…Bright　and　Cap'n　Will　all　congratulated　him　on



winning　the　beautiful　Gloria；　but　the　Ork　sneezed　twice



and　said　that　in　his　opinion　the　young　lady　might　have



done　better。







Then　the　Scarecrow　ordered　the　guards　to　bring　in　the



wicked　Krewl；　King　no　longer；　and　when　he　appeared；



loaded　with　chains　and　dressed　in　fustian；　the　people



hissed　him　and　drew　back　as　he　passed　so　their　garme