rinkitink in oz-第19节

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So　he　brought　them　to　me　and　they　fit　me　perfectly。〃



By　this　time　Inga　was　trembling　with　eager　joy；　which

of　course　the　girl　could　not　understand。



〃What　is　your　name；　little　maid？〃　he　asked。



〃I　am　called　Zella；　and　my　father　is　Nikobob；　the

charcoal…burner。〃



〃Zella　is　a　pretty　name。　I　am　Inga；　Prince　of

Pingaree；〃　said　he；　〃and　the　shoes　you　are　now　wearing；

Zella；　belong　to　me。　They　were　not　cast　away；　as　your

father　supposed；　but　were　lost。　Will　you　let　me　have

them　again？〃



Zella's　eyes　filled　with　tears。



〃Must　I　give　up　my　pretty　shoes；　then？〃　she　asked。

〃They　are　the　only　ones　I　have　ever　owned。〃



Inga　was　sorry　for　the　poor　child；　but　he　knew　how

important　it　was　that　he　regain　possession　of　the　Magic

Pearls。　So　he　said；　pleadingly：



〃Please　let　me　have　them；　Zella。　See！　I　will　exchange

for　them　the　shoes　I　now　have　on；　which　are　newer　and

prettier　than　the　others。〃



The　girl　hesitated。　She　wanted　to　please　the　boy

Prince；　yet　she　hated　to　exchange　the　shoes　which　her

father　had　brought　her　as　a　present。



〃If　you　will　give　me　the　shoes；〃　continued　the　boy；

anxiously；　〃I　will　promise　to　make　you　and　your　father

and　mother　rich　and　prosperous。　Indeed；　I　will　promise

to　grant　any　favors　you　may　ask　of　me；〃　and　he　sat　down

upon　the　floor　and　drew　off　the　shoes　he　was　wearing

and　held　them　toward　the　girl。



〃I'll　see　if　they　will　fit　me；〃　said　Zella；　taking

off　her　left　shoe　　the　one　that　contained　the　Pink

Pearl　　and　beginning　to　put　on　one　of　Inga's。



Just　then　Queen　Cor；　angry　at　being　made　to

wait　for　her　whip　with　the　seven　lashes；　rushed

into　the　room　to　find　Inga。　Seeing　the　boy　sitting

upon　the　floor　beside　Zella；　the　woman　sprang

toward　him　to　beat　him　with　her　clenched　fists；

but　Inga　had　now　slipped　on　the　shoe　and　the

Queen's　blows　could　not　reach　his　body。



Then　Cor　espied　the　whip　lying　beside　Inga　and

snatching　it　up　she　tried　to　lash　him　with　it　　all　to

no　avail。



While　Zella　sat　horrified　by　this　scene；　the　Prince；

who　realized　he　had　no　time　to　waste；　reached　out　and

pulled　the　right　shoe　from　the　girl's　foot；　quickly

placing　it　upon　his　own。　Then　he　stood　up　and；　facing

the　furious　but　astonished　Queen；　said　to　her　in　a

quiet　voice：



〃Madam；　please　give　me　that　whip。〃



〃I　won't！〃　answered　Cor。　〃I'm　going　to　lash　those

Pingaree　women　with　it。〃



The　boy　seized　hold　of　the　whip　and　with　irresistible

strength　drew　it　from　the　Queen's　hand。　But　she　drew

from　her　bosom　a　sharp　dagger　and　with　the　swiftness　of

lightning　aimed　a　blow　at　Inga's　heart。　He　merely　stood

still　and　smiled；　for　the　blade　rebounded　and　fell

clattering　to　the　floor。



Then；　at　last；　Queen　Cor　understood　the　magic　power

that　had　terrified　her　husband　but　which　she　had

ridiculed　in　her　ignorance；　not　believing　in　it。　She

did　not　know　that　Inga's　power　had　been　lost；　and　found

again；　but　she　realized　the　boy　was　no　common　foe　and

that　unless　she　could　still　manage　to　outwit　him　her

reign　in　the　Island　of　Coregos　was　ended。　To　gain　time；

she　went　back　to　the　red…domed　chamber　and　seated

herself　in　her　throne；　before　which　were　grouped　the

weeping　slaves　from　Pingaree。



Inga　had　taken　Zella's　hand　and　assisted　her　to　put

on　the　shoes　he　had　given　her　in　exchange　for　his　own。

She　found　them　quite　comfortable　and　did　not　know　she

had　lost　anything　by　the　transfer。



〃Come　with　me；〃　then　said　the　boy　Prince；　and　led　her

into　the　presence　of　Queen　Cor；　who　was　giving

Rinkitink　a　scolding。　To　the　overseer　Inga　said。



〃Give　me　the　keys　which　unlock　these　chains；　that　I

may　set　these　poor　women　at　liberty。〃



〃Don't　you　do　it！〃　screamed　Queen　Cor。



〃If　you　interfere；　madam；〃　said　the　boy；　〃I　will　put

you　into　a　dungeon。〃



By　this　Rinkitink　knew　that　Inga　had　recovered　his

Magic　Pearls　and　the　little　fat　King　was　so　overjoyed

that　he　danced　and　capered　all　around　the　room。　But　the

Queen　was　alarmed　at　the　threat　and　the　slave　driver；

fearing　the　conqueror　of　Regos；　tremblingly　gave　up　the

keys。



Inga　quickly　removed　all　the　shackles　from　the　women

of　his　country　and　comforted　them；　telling　them　they

should　work　no　more　but　would　soon　be　restored　to　their

homes　in　Pingaree。　Then　he　commanded　the　slave　driver

to　go　and　get　all　the　children　who　had　been　made

slaves；　and　to　bring　them　to　their　mothers。　The　man

obeyed　and　left　at　once　to　perform　his　errand；　while

Queen　Cor；　growing　more　and　more　uneasy；　suddenly

sprang　from　her　throne　and　before　Inga　could　stop　her

had　rushed　through　the　room　and　out　into　the　courtyard

of　the　palace；　meaning　to　make　her　escape。　Rinkitink

followed　her；　running　as　fast　as　he　could　go。



It　was　at　this　moment　that　Bilbil；　in　his　mad　dash

from　Regos；　turned　in　at　the　gates　of　the　courtyard；

and　as　he　was　coming　one　way　and　Queen　Cor　was　going

the　other　they　bumped　into　each　other　with　great　force。

The　woman　sailed　through　the　air；　over　Bilbil's　head；

and　landed　on　the　ground　outside　the　gates；　where　her

crown　rolled　into　a　ditch　and　she　picked　herself　up；

half　dazed；　and　continued　her　flight。　Bilbil　was　also

somewhat　dazed　by　the　unexpected　encounter；　but　he

continued　his　rush　rather　blindly　and　so　struck　poor

Rinkitink；　who　was　chasing　after　Queen　Cor。　They　rolled

over　one　another　a　few　times　and　then　Rinkitink　sat　up

and　Bilbil　sat　up　and　they　looked　at　each　other　in

amazement。



〃Bilbil；〃　said　the　King；　〃I'm　astonished　at　you！〃



〃Your　Majesty；〃　said　Bilbil；　〃I　expected　kinder

treatment　at　your　hands。〃



〃You　interrupted　me；〃　said　Rinkitink。



〃There　was　plenty　of　room　without　your　taking　my

path；〃　declared　the　goat。



And　then　Inga　came　running　out　and　said。　〃Where　is

the　Queen？〃



〃Gone；〃　replied　Rinkitink；　〃but　she　cannot　go　far；　as

this　is　an　island。　However；　I　have　found　Bilbil；　and

our　party　is　again　reunited。　You　have　recovered　your

magic　powers；　and　again　we　are　masters　of　the

situation。　So　let　us　be　thankful。〃



Saying　this；　the　good　little　King　got　upon　his　feet

and　limped　back　into　the　throne　room　to　help　comfort

the　women。



Presently　the　children　of　Pingaree；　who　had　been

gathered　together　by　the　overseer；　were　brought　in　and

restored　to　their　mothers；　and　there　was　great

rejoicing　among　them；　you　may　be　sure。



〃But　where　is　Queen　Garee；　my　dear　mother？〃

questioned　Inga；　but　the　women　did　not　know　and　it　was

some　time　before　the　overseer　remembered　that　one　of

the　slaves　from　Pingaree　had　been　placed　in　the　royal

dairy。　Perhaps　this　was　the　woman　the　boy　was　seeking。



Inga　at　once　commanded　him　to　lead　the　way　to　the

butter　house；　but　when　they　arrived　there　Queen　Garee

was　nowhere　in　the　place；　although　the　boy　found　a　silk

scarf　which　he　recognized　as　one　that　his　mother　used

to　wear。　Then　they　began　a　search　throughout　the　island

of　Coregos；　but　could　not　find　Inga's　mother　anywhere。



When　they　returned　to　the　palace　of　Queen　Cor；

Rinkitink　discovered　that　the　bridge　of　boats　had　again

been　removed；　separating　them　from　Regos；　and　from　this

they　suspected　that　Queen　Cor　had　fled　to　her　husband's

island　and　had　taken　Queen　Garee　with　her。　Inga　was

much　perplexed　what　to　do　and　returned　with　his　friends

to　the　palace　to　talk　the　matter　over。



Zella　was　now　crying　because　she　had　not　sold　her

honey　and　was　unable　to　return　to　her　parents　on　the

island　of　Regos；　but　the　boy　prince　comforted　her　and

promised　she　should　be　protected　until　she　could　be

restored　to　her　home。　Rinkitink　found　Queen　Cor's

purse；　which　she　had　had　no　time　to　take　with　her；　and

gave　Zella　several　gold　pieces　for　the　honey。　Then　Inga

ordered　the　palace　servants　to　prepare　a　feast　for　all

the　women　and　children　of　Pingaree　and　to　prepare　for

them　beds　in　the　great　palace；　which　was　large　enough

to　accommodate　them　all。



Then　the　boy　and　the　goat　and　Rinkitink　and　Zella

went　into　a　private　room　to　consider　what　should　be

done　next。









Chapter　Fourteen



The　Escape





〃Our　fault；〃　said　Rinkitink；　〃is　that　we　conquer　only

one　of　these　twin　islands　at　a　time。　When　　we

conquered　Regos；　our　foes　all　came　to　Coregos；　and　now

that　we　have　conquered　Coregos；　the　Queen　has　fled　to

Regos。　And　each　time　they　removed　the　bridge　of　boats；

so　that　we　could　not　follow　them。〃



〃What　has　become　of　our　own　boat；　in　which　we　came

from　Pingaree？〃　asked　Bilbil。



〃We　left　it　on　the　shore　of　Regos；〃　replied　the

Prince；　〃but　I　wonder　if　we　could　not　get　it　again。〃



〃Why　don't　you　ask　the　White　Pearl？〃　suggested

Rinkitink。



〃That　is　a　good　idea；〃　returned　the　boy；　and　at　once

he　drew　the　White　Pearl　from　its　silken　bag　and　held　it

to　his　ear。　Then　he　asked：　〃How　may　I　regain　our　boat？〃



The　Voice　of　the　Pearl　replied：　〃Go　to　the　south　end

of　the　Island　of　Coregos；　and　clap　your　hands　three

times　an