the scarecrow of oz-第8节

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the　rain　was　now　coming　down　in　big　drops。　The　roof　of



the　shed　protected　them　and　while　they　stood　watching　the



rainstorm　something　buzzed　in　and　circled　around　Pessim's



head。　At　once　the　Observer　began　beating　it　away　with



his　hands；　crying　out：







〃A　bumblebee！　A　bumblebee！　The　queerest　bumblebee　I



ever　saw！〃







Cap'n　Bill　and　Trot　both　looked　at　it　and　the　little



girl　said　in　surprise：







〃Dear　me！　It's　a　wee　little　Ork！〃







〃That's　what　it　is；　sure　enough；〃　exclaimed　Cap'n　Bill。







Really；　it　wasn't　much　bigger　than　a　big　bumblebee；　and



when　it　came　toward　Trot　she　allowed　it　to　alight　on　her



shoulder。







〃It's　me；　all　right；〃　said　a　very　small　voice　in　her



ear；　〃but　I'm　in　an　awful　pickle；　just　the　same！〃







〃What；　are　you　our　Ork；　then？〃　demanded　the　girl；　much



amazed。







〃No；　I'm　my　own　Ork。　But　I'm　the　only　Ork　you　know；〃



replied　the　tiny　creature。







〃What's　happened　to　you？〃　asked　the　sailor；　putting　his



head　close　to　Trot's　shoulder　in　order　to　hear　the　reply



better。　Pessim　also　put　his　head　close；　and　the　Ork　said：







〃You　will　remember　that　when　I　left　you　I　started　to



fly　over　the　trees；　and　just　as　I　got　to　this　side　of　the



forest　I　saw　a　bush　that　was　loaded　down　with　the　most



luscious　fruit　you　can　imagine。　　The　fruit　was　about　the



size　of　a　gooseberry　and　of　a　lovely　lavender　color。　So　I



swooped　down　and　picked　off　one　in　my　bill　and　ate　it。



At　once　I　began　to　grow　small。　I　could　feel　myself



shrinking；　shrinking　away；　and　it　frightened　me　terribly；



so　that　I　lighted　on　the　ground　to　think　over　what　was



happening。　In　a　few　seconds　I　had　shrunk　to　the　size　you



now　see　me；　but　there　I　remained；　getting　no　smaller；



indeed；　but　no　larger。　It　is　certainly　a　dreadful



affliction！　After　I　had　recovered　somewhat　from　the　shock



I　began　to　search　for　you。　It　is　not　so　easy　to　find



one's　way　when　a　creature　is　so　small；　but　fortunately　I



spied　you　here　in　this　shed　and　came　to　you　at　once。〃







Cap'n　Bill　and　Trot　were　much　astonished　at　this　story



and　felt　grieved　for　the　poor　Ork；　but　the　little　man



Pessim　seemed　to　think　it　a　good　joke。　He　began　laughing



when　he　heard　the　story　and　laughed　until　he　choked；



after　which　he　lay　down　on　the　ground　and　rolled　and



laughed　again；　while　the　tears　of　merriment　coursed　down



his　wrinkled　cheeks。







〃Oh；　dear！　Oh；　dear！〃　he　finally　gasped；　sitting　up　and



wiping　his　eyes。　〃This　is　too　rich！　It's　almost　too



joyful　to　be　true。〃







〃I　don't　see　anything　funny　about　it；〃　remarked　Trot



indignantly。







〃You　would　if　you'd　had　my　experience；〃　said　Pessim；



getting　upon　his　feet　and　gradually　resuming　his　solemn



and　dissatisfied　expression　of　countenance。







The　same　thing　happened　to　me。〃







〃Oh；　did　it？　　And　how　did　you　happen　to　come　to　this



island？〃　asked　the　girl。







〃I　didn't　come；　the　neighbors　brought　me；〃　replied　the



little　man；　with　a　frown　at　the　recollection。　〃They　said



I　was　quarrelsome　and　fault…finding　and　blamed　me　because



I　told　them　all　the　things　that　went　wrong；　or　never　were



right；　and　because　I　told　them　how　things　ought　to　be。　So



they　brought　me　here　and　left　me　all　alone；　saying　that



if　I　quarreled　with　myself；　no　one　else　would　be　made



unhappy。　Absurd；　wasn't　it？〃







〃Seems　to　me；〃　said　Cap'n　Bill；　〃those　neighbors　did



the　proper　thing。〃







〃Well；〃　resumed　Pessim；　〃when　I　found　myself　King　of



this　island　I　was　obliged　to　live　upon　fruits；　and　I



found　many　fruits　growing　here　that　I　had　never　seen



before。　I　tasted　several　and　found　them　good　and



wholesome。　But　one　day　I　ate　a　lavender　berry　　as　the



Ork　did　　and　immediately　I　grew　so　small　that　I　was



scarcely　two　inches　high。　It　was　a　very　unpleasant



condition　and　like　the　Ork　I　became　frightened。　I　could



not　walk　very　well　nor　very　far；　for　every　lump　of　earth



in　my　way　seemed　a　mountain；　every　blade　of　grass　a　tree



and　every　grain　of　sand　a　rocky　boulder。　For　several　days



I　stumbled　around　in　an　agony　of　fear。　Once　a　tree　toad



nearly　gobbled　me　up；　and　if　I　ran　out　from　the　shelter



of　the　bushes　the　gulls　and　cormorants　swooped　down　upon



me。　Finally　I　decided　to　eat　another　berry　and　become



nothing　at　all；　since　life；　to　one　as　small　as　I　was；　had



become　a　dreary　nightmare。







〃At　last　I　found　a　small　tree　that　I　thought　bore　the



same　fruit　as　that　I　had　eaten。　The　berry　was　dark　purple



instead　of　light　lavender；　but　otherwise　it　was　quite



similar。　Being　unable　to　climb　the　tree；　I　was　obliged　to



wait　underneath　it　until　a　sharp　breeze　arose　and　shook



the　limbs　so　that　a　berry　fell。　Instantly　I　seized　it　and



taking　a　last　view　of　the　world　　as　I　then　thought　　I



ate　the　berry　in　a　twinkling。　Then；　to　my　surprise；　I



began　to　grow　big　again；　until　I　became　of　my　former



stature；　and　so　I　have　since　remained。　Needless　to　say；　I



have　never　eaten　again　of　the　lavender　fruit；　nor　do　any



of　the　beasts　or　birds　that　live　upon　this　island　eat



it。〃







They　had　all　three　listened　eagerly　to　this　amazing



tale；　and　when　it　was　finished　the　Ork　exclaimed：







〃Do　you　think；　then；　that　the　deep　purple　berry　is　the



antidote　for　the　lavender　one？〃







〃I'm　sure　of　it；〃　answered　Pessim。







〃Then　lead　me　to　the　tree　at　once！〃　begged　the　Ork；



〃for　this　tiny　form　I　now　have　terrifies　me　greatly。〃







Pessim　examined　the　Ork　closely







〃You　are　ugly　enough　as　you　are；〃　said　he。　〃Were　you



any　larger　you　might　be　dangerous。〃







〃Oh；　no；〃　Trot　assured　him；　〃the　Ork　has　been　our　good



friend。　Please　take　us　to　the　tree。〃







Then　Pessim　consented；　although　rather　reluctantly。　He



led　them　to　the　right；　which　was　the　east　side　of　the



island；　and　in　a　few　minutes　brought　them　near　to　the



edge　of　the　grove　which　faced　the　shore　of　the　ocean。



Here　stood　a　small　tree　bearing　berries　of　a　deep　purple



color。　The　fruit　looked　very　enticing　and　Cap'n　Bill



reached　up　and　selected　one　that　seemed　especially　plump



and　ripe。







The　Ork　had　remained　perched　upon　Trot's　shoulder　but



now　it　flew　down　to　the　ground。　It　was　so　difficult　for



Cap'n　Bill　to　kneel　down；　with　his　wooden　leg；　that　the



little　girl　took　the　berry　from　him　and　held　it　close　to



the　Ork's　head。







〃It's　too　big　to　go　into　my　mouth；〃　said　the　little



creature；　looking　at　the　fruit　sidewise。







〃You'll　have　to　make　sev'ral　mouthfuls　of　it；　I　guess；〃



said　Trot；　and　that　is　what　the　Ork　did。　He　pecked　at　the



soft；　ripe　fruit　with　his　bill　and　ate　it　up　very



quickly；　because　it　was　good。







Even　before　he　had　finished　the　berry　they　could　see



the　Ork　begin　to　grow。　In　a　few　minutes　he　had　regained



his　natural　size　and　was　strutting　before　them；　quite



delighted　with　his　transformation。







〃Well；　well！　What　do　you　think　of　me　now？〃　he　asked



proudly。







〃You　are　very　skinny　and　remarkably　ugly；〃　declared



Pessim。







〃You　are　a　poor　judge　of　Orks；〃　was　the　reply。　〃Anyone



can　see　that　I'm　much　handsomer　than　those　dreadful



things　called　birds；　which　are　all　fluff　and　feathers。〃







〃Their　feathers　make　soft　beds；〃　asserted　Pessim。



〃And　my　skin　would　make　excellent　drumheads；〃　retorted



the　Ork。　〃Nevertheless；　a　plucked　bird　or　a　skinned　Ork



would　be　of　no　value　to　himself；　so　we　needn't　brag　of



our　usefulness　after　we　are　dead。　But　for　the　sake　of



argument；　friend　Pessim；　I'd　like　to　know　what　good　you



would　be；　were　you　not　alive？〃







〃Never　mind　that；〃　said　Cap'n　Bill。　〃He　isn't　much　good



as　he　is。〃







〃I　am　King　of　this　Island；　allow　me　to　say；　and　you're



intruding　on　my　property；〃　declared　the　little　man；



scowling　upon　them。　〃If　you　don't　like　me　and　I'm　sure



you　don't；　for　no　one　else　does　　why　don't　you　go　away



and　leave　me　to　myself？〃







〃Well；　the　Ork　can　fly；　but　we　can't；〃　explained　Trot；



in　answer。　〃We　don't　want　to　stay　here　a　bit；　but　I　don't



see　how　we　can　get　away。〃







〃You　can　go　back　into　the　hole　you　came　from。〃







Cap'n　Bill　shook　his　head；　Trot　shuddered　at　the



thought；　the　Ork　laughed　aloud。







〃You　may　be　King　here；〃　the　creature　said　to　Pessim；



〃but　we　intend　to　run　this　island　to　suit　ourselves；　for



we　are　three　and　you　are　one；　and　the　balance　of　power



lies　with　us。〃