the scarecrow of oz-第28节

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loaded　with　chains　and　dressed　in　fustian；　the　people



hissed　him　and　drew　back　as　he　passed　so　their　garments



would　not　touch　him。







Krewl　was　not　haughty　or　overbearing　any　more；　on　the



contrary　he　seemed　very　meek　and　in　great　fear　of　the



fate　his　conquerors　had　in　store　for　him。　But　Gloria　and



Pon　were　too　happy　to　be　revengeful　and　so　they　offered



to　appoint　Krewl　to　the　position　of　gardener's　boy　at　the



castle；　Pon　having　resigned　to　become　King。　But　they　said



he　must　promise　to　reform　his　wicked　ways　and　to　do　his



duty　faithfully；　and　he　must　change　his　name　from　Krewl



to　Grewl。　All　this　the　man　eagerly　promised　to　do；　and　so



when　Pon　retired　to　a　room　in　the　castle　to　put　on



princely　raiment；　the　old　brown　smock　he　had　formerly



worn　was　given　to　Grewl；　who　then　went　out　into　the



garden　to　water　the　roses。







The　remainder　of　that　famous　day；　which　was　long



remembered　in　Jinxland；　was　given　over　to　feasting　and



merrymaking。　In　the　evening　there　was　a　grand　dance　in



the　courtyard；　where　the　brass　band　played　a　new　piece　of



music　called　the　〃Ork　Trot〃　which　was　dedicated　to　〃Our



Glorious　Gloria；　the　Queen。〃







While　the　Queen　and　Pon　were　leading　this　dance；　and



all　the　Jinxland　people　were　having　a　good　time；　the



strangers　were　gathered　in　a　group　in　the　park　outside



the　castle。　Cap'n　Bill；　Trot；　Button…Bright　and　the



Scarecrow　were　there；　and　so　was　their　old　friend　the



Ork；　but　of　all　the　great　flock　of　Orks　which　had



assisted　in　the　conquest　but　three　remained　in　Jinxland；



besides　their　leader；　the　others　having　returned　to　their



own　country　as　soon　as　Gloria　was　crowned　Queen。　To　the



young　Ork　who　had　accompanied　them　in　their　adventures



Cap'n　Bill　said：







〃You've　surely　been　a　friend　in　need；　and　we're　mighty



grateful　to　you　for　helping　us。　I　might　have　been　a



grasshopper　yet　if　it　hadn't　been　for　you；　an'　I　might



remark　that　bein'　a　grasshopper　isn't　much　fun。〃







〃If　it　hadn't　been　for　you；　friend　Ork；〃　said　the



Scarecrow；　〃I　fear　I　could　not　have　conquered　King



Krewl。〃







〃No；〃　agreed　Trot；　〃you'd　have　been　just　a　heap　of



ashes　by　this　time。〃







And　I　might　have　been　lost　yet；〃　added　Button…Bright。



〃Much　obliged；　Mr。　Ork。〃







〃Oh；　that's　all　right；〃　replied　the　Ork。　〃Friends　must



stand　together；　you　know；　or　they　wouldn't　be　friends。



But　now　I　must　leave　you　and　be　off　to　my　own　country；



where　there's　going　to　be　a　surprise　party　on　my　uncle；



and　I've　promised　to　attend　it。〃







〃Dear　me；〃　said　the　Scarecrow；　regretfully。　〃That　is



very　unfortunate。〃







〃Why　so？〃　asked　the　Ork。







〃I　hoped　you　would　consent　to　carry　us　over　those



mountains；　into　the　Land　of　Oz。　My　mission　here　is　now



finished　and　I　want　to　get　back　to　the　Emerald　City。〃







〃How　did　you　cross　the　mountains　before？〃　inquired　the



Ork。







〃I　scaled　the　cliffs　by　means　of　a　rope；　and　crossed



the　Great　Gulf　on　a　strand　of　spider　web。　Of　course　I　can



return　in　the　same　manner；　but　it　would　be　a　hard　journey



　and　perhaps　an　impossible　one　　for　Trot　and　Button…



Bright　and　Cap'n　Bill。　So　I　thought　that　if　you　had　the



time　you　and　your　people　would　carry　us　over　the



mountains　and　land　us　all　safely　on　the　other　side；　in



the　Land　of　Oz。〃







The　Ork　thoughtfully　considered　the　matter　for　a　while。



Then　he　said：







〃I　mustn't　break　my　promise　to　be　present　at　the



surprise　party；　but；　tell　me；　could　you　go　to　Oz　to…



night？〃







〃What；　now？〃　exclaimed　Trot。







〃It　is　a　fine　moonlight　night；〃　said　the　Ork；　〃and　I've



found　in　my　experience　that　there's　no　time　so　good　as



right　away。　The　fact　is；〃　he　explained；　〃it's　a　long



journey　to　Orkland　and　I　and　my　cousins　here　are　all



rather　tired　by　our　day's　work。　But　if　you　will　start



now；　and　be　content　to　allow　us　to　carry　you　over　the



mountains　and　dump　you　on　the　other　side；　just　say　the



word　and　　off　we　go！〃







Cap'n　Bill　and　Trot　looked　at　one　another



questioningly。　The　little　girl　was　eager　to　visit　the



famous　fairyland　of　Oz　and　the　old　sailor　had　endured



such　hardships　in　Jinxland　that　he　would　be　glad　to　be



out　of　it。







〃It's　rather　impolite　of　us　not　to　say　good…bye　to　the



new　King　and　Queen；〃　remarked　the　Scarecrow；　〃but　I'm



sure　they're　too　happy　to　miss　us；　and　I　assure　you　it



will　be　much　easier　to　fly　on　the　backs　of　the　Orks　over



those　steep　mountains　than　to　climb　them　as　I　did。〃







〃All　right；　let's　go！〃　Trot　decided。　〃But　where's



Button…Bright？〃







Just　at　this　important　moment　Button…Bright　was　lost



again；　and　they　all　scattered　in　search　of　him。　He　had



been　standing　beside　them　just　a　few　minutes　before；　but



his　friends　had　an　exciting　hunt　for　him　before　they



finally　discovered　the　boy　seated　among　the　members　of



the　band；　beating　the　end　of　the　bass　drum　with　the　bone



of　a　turkey…leg　that　he　had　taken　from　the　table　in　the



banquet　room。







〃Hello；　Trot；〃　he　said；　looking　up　at　the　little　girl



when　she　found　him。　〃This　is　the　first　chance　I　ever　had



to　pound　a　drum　with　a　reg'lar　drum　stick。　And　I　ate　all



the　meat　off　the　bone　myself。〃







〃Come　quick。　We're　going　to　the　Land　of　Oz。〃







〃Oh；　what's　the　hurry？〃　said　Button…Bright；　but　she



seized　his　arm　and　dragged　him　away　to　the　park；　where



the　others　were　waiting。







Trot　climbed　upon　the　back　of　her　old　friend；　the　Ork



leader；　and　the　others　took　their　seats　on　the　backs　of



his　three　cousins。　As　soon　as　all　were　placed　and



clinging　to　the　skinny　necks　of　the　creatures；　the



revolving　tails　began　to　whirl　and　up　rose　the　four



monster　Orks　and　sailed　away　toward　the　mountains。　They



were　so　high　in　the　air　that　when　they　passed　the　crest



of　the　highest　peak　it　seemed　far　below　them。　No　sooner



were　they　well　across　the　barrier　than　the　Orks　swooped



downward　and　landed　their　passengers　upon　the　ground。







〃Here　we　are；　safe　in　the　Land　of　Oz！〃　cried　the



Scarecrow　joyfully。







〃Oh；　are　we？〃　asked　Trot；　looking　around　her　curiously。







She　could　see　the　shadows　of　stately　trees　and　the



outlines　of　rolling　hills；　beneath　her　feet　was　soft



turf；　but　otherwise　the　subdued　light　of　the　moon



disclosed　nothing　clearly。







〃Seems　jus'　like　any　other　country；〃　was　Cap'n　Bill's



comment。







〃But　it　isn't；〃　the　Scarecrow　assured　him。　〃You　are　now



within　the　borders　of　the　most　glorious　fairyland　in　all



the　world。　This　part　of　it　is　just　a　corner　of　the



Quadling　Country；　and　the　least　interesting　portion　of



it。　It's　not　very　thickly　settled；　around　here；　I'll



admit；　but　〃







He　was　interrupted　by　a　sudden　whir　and　a　rush　of　air



as　the　four　Orks　mounted　into　the　sky。







〃Good　night！〃　called　the　shrill　voices　of　the　strange



creatures；　and　although　Trot　shouted　〃Good　night！〃　as



loudly　as　she　could；　the　little　girl　was　almost　ready　to



cry　because　the　Orks　had　not　waited　to　be　properly



thanked　for　all　their　kindness　to　her　and　to　Cap'n　Bill。







But　the　Orks　were　gone；　and　thanks　for　good　deeds　do



not　amount　to　much　except　to　prove　one's　politeness。







〃Well；　friends；〃　said　the　Scarecrow；　〃we　mustn't　stay



here　in　the　meadows　all　night；　so　let　us　find　a　pleasant



place　to　sleep。　Not　that　it　matters　to　me；　in　the　least；



for　I　never　sleep；　but　I　know　that　meat　people　like　to



shut　their　eyes　and　lie　still　during　the　dark　hours。〃







〃I'm　pretty　tired；〃　admitted　Trot；　yawning　as　she



followed　the　straw　man　along　a　tiny　path；　〃so；　if　you



don't　find　a　house　handy；　Cap'n　Bill　and　I　will　sleep



under　the　trees；　or　even　on　this　soft　grass。〃







But　a　house　was　not　very　far　off；　although　when　the



Scarecrow　stumbled　upon　it　there　was　no　light　in　it



whatever。　Cap'n　Bill　knocked　on　the　door　several　times；



and　there　being　no　response　the　Scarecrow　boldly　lifted



the　latch　and　walked　in；　followed　by　the　others。　And　no



sooner　had　they　entered　than　a　soft　light　filled　the



room。　Trot　couldn't　tell　where　it　came　from；　for　no　lamp



of　any　sort　was　visible；　but　she　did　not　waste　much　time



on　this　problem；　because　directly　in　the　center　of　the



room　stood　a　table　set　for　three；　with　lots　of　good　food



on　it　and　several　of　the　dishes　smoking　hot。







The　little　girl　and　Button…Bright　both　uttered



exclamations　of　pleasur