the scarecrow of oz-第32节

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said　Dorothy。　〃Betsy　and　I　are　already　eager　to　welcome



Trot。　It　will　keep　us　busy　for　a　year；　at　least；　showing



her　all　the　wonderful　things　in　Oz。〃







Glinda　smiled。







〃I　have　lived　here　many　years；〃　said　she；　〃and　I　have



not　seen　all　the　wonders　of　Oz　yet。〃







Meantime　the　travelers　were　drawing　near　to　the　palace；



and　when　they　first　caught　sight　of　its　towers　Trot



realized　that　it　was　far　more　grand　and　imposing　than　was



the　King's　castle　in　Jinxland。　The　nearer　they　came；　the



more　beautiful　the　palace　appeared；　and　when　finally　the



Scarecrow　led　them　up　the　great　marble　steps；　even



Button…Bright　was　filled　with　awe。







〃I　don't　see　any　soldiers　to　guard　the　place；〃　said　the



little　girl。







〃There　is　no　need　to　guard　Glinda's　palace；〃　replied



the　Scarecrow。　〃We　have　no　wicked　people　in　Oz；　that　we



know　of；　and　even　if　there　were　any；　Glinda's　magic　would



be　powerful　enough　to　protect　her。〃







Button…Bright　was　now　standing　on　the　top　steps　of　the



entrance；　and　he　suddenly　exclaimed：







〃Why；　there's　the　Sawhorse　and　the　Red　Wagon！　Hip；



hooray！〃　and　next　moment　he　was　rushing　down　to　throw　his



arms　around　the　neck　of　the　wooden　horse；　which　good…



naturedly　permitted　this　familiarity　when　it　recognized



in　the　boy　an　old　friend。







Button…Bright's　shout　had　been　heard　inside　the　palace；



so　now　Dorothy　and　Betsy　came　running　out　to　embrace



their　beloved　friend；　the　Scarecrow；　and　to　welcome　Trot



and　Cap'n　Bill　to　the　Land　of　Oz。







〃We've　been　watching　you　for　a　long　time；　in　Ozma's



Magic　Picture；〃　said　Dorothy；　〃and　Ozma　has　sent　us　to



invite　you　to　her　own　palace　in　the　Em'rald　City。　I　don't



know　if　you　realize　how　lucky　you　are　to　get　that



invitation；　but　you'll　understand　it　better　after　you've



seen　the　royal　palace　and　the　Em'rald　City。〃







Glinda　now　appeared　in　person　to　lead　all　the　party



into　her　Azure　Reception　Room。　Trot　was　a　little　afraid



of　the　stately　Sorceress；　but　gained　courage　by　holding



fast　to　the　hands　of　Betsy　and　Dorothy。　Cap'n　Bill　had　no



one　to　help　him　feel　at　ease；　so　the　old　sailor　sat



stiffly　on　the　edge　of　his　chair　and　said：







〃Yes；　ma'am；〃　or　〃No；　ma'am；〃　when　he　was　spoken　to；



and　was　greatly　embarrassed　by　so　much　splendor。







The　Scarecrow　had　lived　so　much　in　palaces　that　he　felt



quite　at　home；　and　he　chatted　to　Glinda　and　the　Oz　girls



in　a　merry；　light…hearted　way。　He　told　all　about　his



adventures　in　Jinxland；　and　at　the　Great　Waterfall；　and



on　the　journey　hither　　most　of　which　his　hearers　knew



already　　and　then　he　asked　Dorothy　and　Betsy　what　had



happened　in　the　Emerald　City　since　he　had　left　there。







They　all　passed　the　evening　and　the　night　at　Glinda's



palace；　and　the　Sorceress　was　so　gracious　to　Cap'n　Bill



that　the　old　man　by　degrees　regained　his　self…possession



and　began　to　enjoy　himself。　Trot　had　already　come　to　the



conclusion　that　in　Dorothy　and　Betsy　she　had　found　two



delightful　comrades；　and　Button…Bright　was　just　as　much



at　home　here　as　he　had　been　in　the　fields　of　Jinxland　or



when　he　was　buried　in　the　popcorn　snow　of　the　Land　of　Mo。







The　next　morning　they　arose　bright　and　early　and　after



breakfast　bade　good…bye　to　the　kind　Sorceress；　whom　Trot



and　Cap'n　Bill　thanked　earnestly　for　sending　the



Scarecrow　to　Jinxland　to　rescue　them。　Then　they　all



climbed　into　the　Red　Wagon。







There　was　room　for　all　on　the　broad　seats；　and　when　all



had　taken　their　places　　Dorothy；　Trot　and　Betsy　on　the



rear　seat　and　Cap'n　Bill；　Button…Bright　and　the　Scarecrow



in　front　　they　called　〃Gid…dap！〃　to　the　Sawhorse　and



the　wooden　steed　moved　briskly　away；　pulling　the　Red



Wagon　with　ease。







It　was　now　that　the　strangers　began　to　perceive　the



real　beauties　of　the　Land　of　Oz；　for　they　were　passing



through　a　more　thickly　settled　part　of　the　country　and



the　population　grew　more　dense　as　they　drew　nearer　to　the



Emerald　City。　Everyone　they　met　had　a　cheery　word　or　a



smile　for　the　Scarecrow；　Dorothy　and　Betsy　Bobbin；　and



some　of　them　remembered　Button…Bright　and　welcomed　him



back　to　their　country。







It　was　a　happy　party；　indeed；　that　journeyed　in　the　Red



Wagon　to　the　Emerald　City；　and　Trot　already　began　to　hope



that　Ozma　would　permit　her　and　Cap'n　Bill　to　live　always



in　the　Land　of　Oz。







When　they　reached　the　great　city　they　were　more　amazed



than　ever；　both　by　the　concourse　of　people　in　their



quaint　and　picturesque　costumes；　and　by　the　splendor　of



the　city　itself。　But　the　magnificence　of　the　Royal　Palace



quite　took　their　breath　away；　until　Ozma　received　them　in



her　own　pretty　apartment　and　by　her　charming　manners　and



assuring　smiles　made　them　feel　they　were　no　longer



strangers。







Trot　was　given　a　lovely　little　room　next　to　that　of



Dorothy；　while　Cap'n　Bill　had　the　cosiest　sort　of　a　room



next　to　Trot's　and　overlooking　the　gardens。　And　that



evening　Ozma　gave　a　grand　banquet　and　reception　in　honor



of　the　new　arrivals。　While　Trot　had　read　of　many　of　the



people　she　then　met；　Cap'n　Bill　was　less　familiar　with



them　and　many　of　the　unusual　characters　introduced　to　him



that　evening　caused　the　old　sailor　to　open　his　eyes　wide



in　astonishment。







He　had　thought　the　live　Scarecrow　about　as　curious　as



anyone　could　be；　but　now　he　met　the　Tin　Woodman；　who　was



all　made　of　tin；　even　to　his　heart；　and　carried　a



gleaming　axe　over　his　shoulder　wherever　he　went。　Then



there　was　Jack　Pumpkinhead；　whose　head　was　a　real　pumpkin



with　the　face　carved　upon　it；　and　Professor　Wogglebug；



who　had　the　shape　of　an　enormous　bug　but　was　dressed　in



neat　fitting　garments。　The　Professor　was　an　interesting



talker　and　had　very　polite　manners；　but　his　face　was　so



comical　that　it　made　Cap'n　Bill　smile　to　look　at　it。　A



great　friend　of　Dorothy　and　Ozma　seemed　to　be　a　machine



man　called　Tik…Tok；　who　ran　down　several　times　during　the



evening　and　had　to　be　wound　up　again　by　someone　before　he



could　move　or　speak。







At　the　reception　appeared　the　Shaggy　Man　and　his



brother；　both　very　popular　in　Oz；　as　well　as　Dorothy's



Uncle　Henry　and　Aunt　Em；　two　happy　old　people　who　lived



in　a　pretty　cottage　near　the　palace。







But　what　perhaps　seemed　most　surprising　to　both　Trot



and　Cap'n　Bill　was　the　number　of　peculiar　animals



admitted　into　Ozma's　parlors；　where　they　not　only



conducted　themselves　quite　properly　but　were　able　to　talk



as　well　as　anyone。







There　was　the　Cowardly　Lion；　an　immense　beast　with　a



beautiful　mane；　and　the　Hungry　Tiger；　who　smiled



continually；　and　Eureka　the　Pink　Kitten；　who　lay　curled



upon　a　cushion　and　had　rather　supercilious　manners；　and



the　wooden　Sawhorse；　and　nine　tiny　piglets　that　belonged



to　the　Wizard；　and　a　mule　named　Hank；　who　belonged　to



Betsy　Bobbin。　A　fuzzy　little　terrier　dog；　named　Toto；　lay



at　Dorothy's　feet　but　seldom　took　part　in　the



conversation；　although　he　listened　to　every　word　that　was



said。　But　the　most　wonderful　of　all　to　Trot　was　a　square



beast　with　a　winning　smile；　that　squatted　in　a　corner　of



the　room　and　wagged　his　square　head　at　everyone　in　quite



a　jolly　way。　Betsy　told　Trot　that　this　unique　beast　was



called　the　Woozy；　and　there　was　no　other　like　him　in　all



the　world。







Cap'n　Bill　and　Trot　had　both　looked　around　expectantly



for　the　Wizard　of　Oz；　but　the　evening　was　far　advanced



before　the　famous　little　man　entered　the　room。　But　he



went　up　to　the　strangers　at　once　and　said：







〃I　know　you；　but　you　don't　know　me；　so　let's　get



acquainted。〃







And　they　did　get　acquainted；　in　a　very　short　time；　and



before　the　evening　was　over　Trot　felt　that　she　knew　every



person　and　animal　present　at　the　reception；　and　that　they



were　all　her　good　friends。







Suddenly　they　looked　around　for　Button…Bright；　but　he



was　nowhere　to　be　found。







〃Dear　me！〃　cried　Trot。　〃He's　lost　again。〃







〃Never　mind；　my　dear；〃　said　Ozma；　with　her　charming



smile；　〃no　one　can　go　far　astray　in　the　Land　of　Oz；　and



if　Button…Bright　isn't　lost　occasionally；　he　isn't



happy。〃





















End