rinkitink in oz-第30节

按键盘上方向键 ← 或 → 可快速上下翻页，按键盘上的 Enter 键可回到本书目录页，按键盘上方向键 ↑ 可回到本页顶部！
————未阅读完？加入书签已便下次继续阅读！



secret　of　the　anti…charm　lost。　Even　I；　with　all　my

skill；　cannot　restore　Prince　Bobo　to　his　proper　form。

But　I　think　Glinda　might　be　able　to　do　so　and　if　you

will　all　return　with　Dorothy　and　me　to　the　Land　of　Oz；

where　Ozma　will　make　you　welcome；　I　will　ask　Glinda　to

try　to　break　this　enchantment。〃



This　was　willingly　agreed　to；　for　they　all　welcomed

the　chance　to　visit　the　famous　Land　of　Oz。　So　they　bade

good…bye　to　King　Kaliko；　whom　Dorothy　warned　not　to　be

wicked　any　more　if　he　could　help　it；　and　the　entire

party　returned　over　the　Magic　Carpet　to　the　Land　of　Oz。

They　filled　the　Red　Wagon；　which　was　still　waiting　for

them；　pretty　full；　but　the　Sawhorse　didn't　mind　that

and　with　wonderful　speed　carried　them　safely　to　the

Emerald　City。









Chapter　Twenty　Two



Ozma's　Banquet





Ozma　had　seen　in　her　Magic　Picture　the　liberation　of

Inga's　parents　and　the　departure　of　the　entire　party

for　the　Emerald　City；　so　with　her　usual　hospitality

she　ordered　a　splendid　banquet　prepared　and　invited

all　her　quaint　friends　who　were　then　in　the　Emerald

City　to　be　present　that　evening　to　meet　the　strangers

who　were　to　become　her　guests。



Glinda；　also；　in　her　wonderful　Record　Book　had

learned　of　the　events　that　had　taken　place　in　the

caverns　of　the　Nome　King　and　she　became　especially

interested　in　the　enchantment　of　the　Prince　of

Boboland。　So　she　hastily　prepared　several　of　her　most

powerful　charms　and　then　summoned　her　flock　of　sixteen

white　storks；　which　swiftly　bore　her　to　Ozma's　palace。

She　arrived　there　before　the　Red　Wagon　did　and　was

warmly　greeted　by　the　girl　Ruler。



Realizing　that　the　costume　of　Queen　Garee　of　Pingaree

must　have　become　sadly　worn　and　frayed；　owing　to　her

hardships　and　adventures；　Ozma　ordered　a　royal　outfit

prepared　for　the　good　Queen　and　had　it　laid　in　her

chamber　ready　for　her　to　put　on　as　soon　as　she　arrived；

so　she　would　not　be　shamed　at　the　banquet。　New　costumes

were　also　provided　for　King　Kitticut　and　King　Rinkitink

and　Prince　Inga；　all　cut　and　made　and　embellished　in

the　elaborate　and　becoming　style　then　prevalent　in　the

Land　of　Oz；　and　as　soon　as　the　party　arrived　at　the

palace　Ozma's　guests　were　escorted　by　her　servants　to

their　rooms；　that　they　might　bathe　and　dress

themselves。



Glinda　the　Sorceress　and　the　Wizard　of　Oz　took　charge

of　Bilbil　the　goat　and　went　to　a　private　room　where

they　were　not　likely　to　be　interrupted。　Glinda　first

questioned　Bilbil　long　and　earnestly　about　the　manner

of　his　enchantment　and　the　ceremony　that　had　been　used

by　the　magician　who　enchanted　him。　At　first　Bilbil

protested　that　he　did　not　want　to　be　restored　to　his

natural　shape；　saying　that　he　had　been　forever

disgraced　in　the　eyes　of　his　people　and　of　the　entire

world　by　being　obliged　to　exist　as　a　scrawny；　scraggly

goat。　But　Glinda　pointed　out　that　any　person　who

incurred　the　enmity　of　a　wicked　magician　was　liable　to

suffer　a　similar　fate；　and　assured　him　that　his

misfortune　would　make　him　better　beloved　by　his

subjects　when　he　returned　to　them　freed　from　his　dire

enchantment。



Bilbil　was　finally　convinced　of　the　truth　of　this

assertion　and　agreed　to　submit　to　the　experiments　of

Glinda　and　the　Wizard；　who　knew　they　had　a　hard　task

before　them　and　were　not　at　all　sure　they　could

succeed。　We　know　that　Glinda　is　the　most　complete

mistress　of　magic　who　has　ever　existed；　and　she　was

wise　enough　to　guess　that　the　clever　but　evil　magician

who　had　enchanted　Prince　Bobo　had　used　a　spell　that

would　puzzle　any　ordinary　wizard　or　sorcerer　to　break；

therefore　she　had　given　the　matter　much　shrewd　thought

and　hoped　she　had　conceived　a　plan　that　would　succeed。

But　because　she　was　not　positive　of　success　she　would

have　no　one　present　at　the　incantation　except　her

assistant；　the　Wizard　of　Oz。



First　she　transformed　Bilbil　the　goat　into　a　lamb；

and　this　was　done　quite　easily。　Next　she　transformed

the　lamb　into　an　ostrich；　giving　it　two　legs　and　feet

instead　of　four。　Then　she　tried　to　transform　the

ostrich　into　the　original　Prince　Bobo；　but　this

incantation　was　an　utter　failure。　Glinda　was　not

discouraged；　however；　but　by　a　powerful　spell

transformed　the　ostrich　into　a　tottenhot　　which　is　a

lower　form　of　a　man。　Then　the　tottenhot　was　transformed

into　a　mifket；　which　was　a　great　step　in　advance　and；

finally；　Glinda　transformed　the　mifket　into　a　handsome

young　man；　tall　and　shapely；　who　fell　on　his　knees

before　the　great　Sorceress　and　gratefully　kissed　her

hand；　admitting　that　he　had　now　recovered　his　proper

shape　and　was　indeed　Prince　Bobo　of　Boboland。



This　process　of　magic；　successful　though　it　was　in

the　end；　had　required　so　much　time　that　the　banquet　was

now　awaiting　their　presence。　Bobo　was　already　dressed

in　princely　raiment　and　although　he　seemed　very　much

humbled　by　his　recent　lowly　condition；　they　finally

persuaded　him　to　join　the　festivities。



When　Rinkitink　saw　that　his　goat　had　now　become　a

Prince；　he　did　not　know　whether　to　be　sorry　or　glad；

for　he　felt　that　he　would　miss　the　companionship　of　the

quarrelsome　animal　he　had　so　long　been　accustomed　to

ride　upon；　while　at　the　same　time　he　rejoiced　that　poor

Bilbil　had　come　to　his　own　again。



Prince　Bobo　humbly　begged　Rinkitink's　forgiveness　for

having　been　so　disagreeable　to　him；　at　times；　saying

that　the　nature　of　a　goat　had　influenced　him　and　the

surly　disposition　he　had　shown　was　a　part　of　his

enchantment。　But　the　jolly　King　assured　the　Prince　that

he　had　really　enjoyed　Bilbil's　grumpy　speeches　and

forgave　him　readily。　Indeed；　they　all　discovered　the

young　Prince　Bobo　to　be　an　exceedingly　courteous　and

pleasant　person；　although　he　was　somewhat　reserved　and

dignified。



Ah；　but　it　was　a　great　feast　that　Ozma　served　in　her

gorgeous　banquet　hall　that　night　and　everyone　was　as

happy　as　could　be。　The　Shaggy　Man　was　there；　and　so　was

Jack　Pumpkinhead　and　the　Tin　Woodman　and　Cap'n　Bill。

Beside　Princess　Dorothy　sat　Tiny　Trot　and　Betsy　Bobbin；

and　the　three　little　girls　were　almost　as　sweet　to　look

upon　as　was　Ozma；　who　sat　at　the　head　of　her　table　and

outshone　all　her　guests　in　loveliness。



King　Rinkitink　was　delighted　with　the　quaint　people

of　Oz　and　laughed　and　joked　with　the　tin　man　and　the

pumpkin…headed　man　and　found　Cap'n　Bill　a　very

agreeable　companion。　But　what　amused　the　jolly　King

most　were　the　animal　guests；　which　Ozma　always　invited

to　her　banquets　and　seated　at　a　table　by　themselves；

where　they　talked　and　chatted　together　as　people　do　but

were　served　the　sort　of　food　their　natures　required。

The　Hungry　Tiger　and　Cowardly　Lion　and　the　Glass　Cat

were　much　admired　by　Rinkitink；　but　when　he　met　a　mule

named　Hank；　which　Betsy　Bobbin　had　brought　to　Oz；　the

King　found　the　creature　so　comical　that　he　laughed　and

chuckled　until　his　friends　thought　he　would　choke。　Then

while　the　banquet　was　still　in　progress；　Rinkitink

composed　and　sang　a　song　to　the　mule　and　they　all

joined　in　the　chorus；　which　was　something　like　this：





〃It's　very　queer　how　big　an　ear

　　Is　worn　by　Mr。　Donkey；

And　yet　I　fear　he　could　not　hear

　　If　it　were　on　a　monkey。



'Tis　thick　and　strong　and　broad　and　long

　　And　also　very　hairy；

It's　quite　becoming　to　our　Hank

　　But　might　disgrace　a　fairy！〃





This　song　was　received　with　so　much　enthusiasm　that

Rinkitink　was　prevailed　upon　to　sing　another。　They　gave

him　a　little　time　to　compose　the　rhyme；　which　he

declared　would　be　better　if　he　could　devote　a　month　or

two　to　its　composition；　hut　the　sentiment　he　expressed

was　so　admirable　that　no　one　criticized　the　song　or　the

manner　in　which　the　jolly　little　King　sang　it。



Dorothy　wrote　down　the　words　on　a　piece　of　paper；　and

here　they　are：





〃We're　merry　comrades　all；　to…night；

Because　we've　won　a　gallant　fight

　　And　conquered　all　our　foes。

We're　not　afraid　of　anything；

So　let　us　gayly　laugh　and　sing

　　Until　we　seek　repose。



〃We've　all　our　grateful　hearts　can　wish；

King　Gos　has　gone　to　feed　the　fish；

　　Queen　Cor　has　gone；　as　well；

King　Kitticut　has　found　his　own；

Prince　Bobo　soon　will　have　a　throne

　　Relieved　of　magic　spell。



〃So　let's　forget　the　horrid　strife

That　fell　upon　our　peaceful　life

　　And　caused　distress　and　pain；

For　very　soon　across　the　sea

We'll　all　be　sailing　merrily

To　Pingaree　again。〃









Chapter　Twenty　Three



The　Pearl　Kingdom





It　was　unfortunate　that　the　famous　Scarecrow　…　the　most

popular　person　in　all　Oz；　next　to　Ozma　　was　absent　at

the　time　of　the　banquet；　for　he　happened　just　then　to

be　making　one　of　his　trips　through　the　country；　but　the

Scarecrow　had　a　chance　later　to　meet　Rinkitink　and　Inga

and　the　King　and　Queen　of　Pingaree　and　Prince　Bobo；　for

the　party　remained　several　weeks　at　the　Emerald　City；

where　they　were　royally　entertained；　and　where　both　the

gentle　Queen　Garee　and　the　noble　Ki