the lost princess of oz-第12节

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standing　on　her　head　on　the　Woozy〃s　square　back。　〃His



splendid　brains　would　soon　show　us　how　to　conquer　this



field　of　thistles。〃







〃What's　the　matter　with　your　brains？〃　asked　the　boy。







〃Nothing；〃　she　said；　making　a　flip…flop　into　the



thistles　and　dancing　among　them　without　feeling　their



sharp　points。　〃I　could　tell　you　in　half　a　minute　how　to



get　over　the　thistles；　if　I　wanted　to。〃







〃Tell　us；　Scraps！〃　begged　Dorothy。







〃I　don't　want　to　wear　my　brains　out　with　overwork；〃



replied　the　Patchwork　Girl。









〃Don't　you　love　Ozma？　And　don't　you　want　to　find



her？〃　asked　Betsy　reproachfully。







〃Yes；　indeed；〃　said　Scraps；　walking　on　her　hands　as



an　acrobat　does　at　the　circus。







〃Well；　we　can't　find　Ozma　unless　we　get　past　these



thistles；〃　declared　Dorothy。







Scraps　danced　around　them　two　or　three



times；　without　reply。　Then　she　said：







〃Don't　look　at　me；　you　stupid　folks；　look　at　those



blankets。〃







The　Wizard's　face　brightened　at　once。







〃Of　course！〃　he　exclaimed。　〃Why　didn't　we



think　of　those　blankets　before？〃







〃Because　you　haven't　magic　brains；〃　laughed　Scraps。



〃Such　brains　as　you　have　are　of　the　common　sort　that



grow　in　your　heads；　like　weeds　in　a　garden。　I'm　sorry



for　you　people　who　have　to　be　born　in　order　to　be



alive。〃







But　the　Wizard　was　not　listening　to　her。　He　quickly



removed　the　blankets　from　the　back　of　the　Sawhorse　and



spread　one　of　them　upon　the　thistles；　just　next　to　the



grass。　The　thick　cloth　rendered　the　prickers　harmless；



so　the　Wizard　walked　over　this　first　blanket　and　spread



the　second　one　farther　on；　in　the　direction　of　the



phantom　city。







〃These　blankets；〃　said　he；　〃are　for　the　Lion　and　the



Mule　to　walk　upon。　The　Sawhorse　and　the　Woozy　can　walk



on　the　thistles。〃







So　the　Lion　and　the　Mule　walked　over　the　first



blanket　and　stood　upon　the　second　one　until　the　Wizard



had　picked　up　the　one　they　had　passed　over　and　spread



it　in　front　of　them；　when　they　advanced　to　that　one　and



waited　while　the　one　behind　them　was　again　spread　in



front。







〃This　is　slow　work；〃　said　the　Wizard；　〃but　it　will



get　us　to　the　city　after　a　while。〃







〃The　city　is　a　good　half　mile　away；　yet；〃　announced



Button…Bright。







〃And　this　is　awful　hard　work　for　the　Wizard；〃　added



Trot。







〃Why　couldn't　the　Lion　ride　on　the　Woozy's　back？〃



asked　Dorothy。　〃It's　a　big；　flat　back；　and　the　Woozy's



mighty　strong。　Perhaps　the　Lion　wouldn't　fall　off。〃







〃You　may　try　it；　if　you　like；〃　said　the　Woozy　to　the



Lion。　〃I　can　take　you　to　the　city　in　a　jiffy　and　then



come　back　for　Hank。〃







〃I'm　　I'm　afraid；〃　said　the　Cowardly　Lion。　He　was



twice　as　big　as　the　Woozy。







〃Try　it；〃　pleaded　Dorothy。







〃And　take　a　tumble　among　the　thistles？〃　asked　the



Lion　reproachfully。　But　when　the　Woozy　came　close　to



him　the　big　beast　suddenly　bounded　upon　its　back　and



managed　to　balance　himself　there；　although　forced　to



hold　his　four　legs　so　close　together　that　he　was　in



danger　of　toppling　over。　The　great　weight　of　the



monster　Lion　did　not　seem　to　affect　the　Woozy；　who



called　to　his　rider：　〃Hold　on　tight！〃　and　ran　swiftly



over　the　thistles　toward　the　city。







The　others　stood　on　the　blankets　and　watched　the



strange　sight　anxiously。　Of　course　the　Lion　couldn't



〃hold　on　tight〃　because　there　was　nothing　to　hold　to；



and　he　swayed　from　side　to　side　as　if　likely　to　fall



off　any　moment。　Still；　he　managed　to　stick　to　the



Woozy's　back　until　they　were　close　to　the　walls　of　the



city；　when　he　leaped　to　the　ground。　Next　moment　the



Woozy　came　dashing　back　at　full　speed。







〃There's　a　little　strip　of　ground　next　to　the　wall



where　there　are　no　thistles；〃　he　told　them；　when　he　had



reached　the　adventurers　once　more。　〃Now；　then；　friend



Hank；　see　if　you　can　ride　as　well　as　the　Lion　did。〃







〃Take　the　others　first；〃　proposed　the　Mule。　So　the



Sawhorse　and　the　Woozy　made　a　couple　of　trips　over　the



thistles　to　the　city　walls　and　carried　all　the　people



in　safety；　Dorothy　holding　little　Toto　in　her　arms。　The



travelers　then　sat　in　a　group　on　a　little　hillock；　just



outside　the　wall；　and　looked　at　the　great　blocks　of



gray　stone　and　waited　for　the　Woozy　to　bring　Hank　to



them。　The　Mule　was　very　awkward　and　his　legs　trembled



so　badly　that　more　than　once　they　thought　he　would



tumble　off；　but　finally　he　reached　them　in　safety　and



the　entire　party　was　now　reunited。　More　than　that；　they



had　reached　the　city　that　had　eluded　them　for　so　long



and　in　so　strange　a　manner。







〃The　gates　must　be　around　the　other　side；〃　said　the



Wizard。　〃Let　us　follow　the　curve　of　the　wall　until　we



reach　an　opening　in　it。〃







〃Which　way？〃　asked　Dorothy。







〃We　must　guess　at　that；〃　he　replied。　〃Suppose　we　go



to　the　left？　One　direction　is　as　good　as　another。〃







They　formed　in　marching　order　and　went　around　the



city　wall　to　the　left。　It　wasn't　a　big　city；　as　I　have



said；　but　to　go　way　around　it；　outside　the　high　wall；



was　quite　a　walk；　as　they　became　aware。　But　around　it



our　adventurers　went；　without　finding　any　sign　of　a



gateway　or　other　opening。　When　they　had　returned　to　the



little　mound　from　which　they　had　started；　they



dismounted　from　the　animals　and　again　seated　themselves



on　the　grassy　mound。







〃It's　mighty　queer；　isn't　it？〃　asked　Button…Bright。







〃There　must　be　some　way　for　the　people　to　get　out　and



in；'　declared　Dorothy。　〃Do　you　s'pose　they　have　flying



machines；　Wizard？〃







〃No；〃　he　replied；　〃for　in　that　case　they　would　be



flying　all　over　the　Land　of　Oz；　and　we　know　they　have



not　done　that。　Flying　machines　are　unknown　here。　I



think　it　more　likely　that　the　people　use　ladders　to　get



over　the　walls。〃







〃It　would　be　an　awful　climb；　over　that　high　stone



wall；〃　said　Betsy。







〃Stone；　is　it？〃　cried　Scraps；　who　was　again　dancing



wildly　around；　for　she　never　tired　and　could　never　keep



still　for　long。







〃Course　it's　stone；〃　answered　Betsy　scornfully。



〃Can't　you　see？〃







〃Yes；〃　said　Scraps；　going　closer；　〃I　can　see　the



wall；　but　I　can't　feel　it。〃　And　then；　with　her　arms



outstretched；　she　did　a　very　queer　thing。　She　walked



right　into　the　wall　and　disappeared。







〃For　goodness　sake！〃　cried　Dorothy　amazed；　as　indeed



they　all　were。



















Chapter　Nine







The　High　Coco…Lorum　of　Thi











And　now　the　Patchwork　Girl　came　dancing　out　of　the　wall



again。　〃Come　on！〃　she　called。　〃It　isn't　there。　There



isn't　any　wall　at　all。〃







〃What！　No　wall？〃　exclaimed　the　Wizard。







〃Nothing　like　it；〃　said　Scraps。　〃It's　a　make…believe。



You　see　it；　but　it　isn't。　Come　on　into　the　city；　we've



been　wasting　time。〃







With　this　she　danced　into　the　wall　again　and　once



more　disappeared。　Button…Bright；　who　was　rather



venturesome；　dashed　away　after　her　and　also　became



invisible　to　them。　The　others　followed　more　cautiously；



stretching　out　their　hands　to　feel　the　wall　and



finding；　to　their　astonishment；　that　they　could　feel



nothing　because　nothing　opposed　them。　They　walked　on　a



few　steps　and　found　themselves　in　the　streets　of　a　very



beautiful　city。　Behind　them　they　again　saw　the　wall；



grim　and　forbidding　as　ever；　but　now　they　knew　it　was



merely　an　illusion；　prepared　to　keep　strangers　from



entering　the　city。







But　the　wall　was　soon　forgotten；　for　in　front　of　them



were　a　number　of　quaint　people　who　stared　at　them　in



amazement；　as　if　wondering　where　they　had　come　from。



Our　friends　forgot　their　good　manners；　for　a　time；　and



returned　the　stares　with　interest；　for　so　remarkable　a



people　had　never　before　been　discovered　in　all　the



remarkable　Land　of　Oz。







Their　heads　were　shaped　like　diamonds　and　their



bodies　like　hearts。　All　the　hair　they　had　was　a　little



bunch　at　the　tip　top　of　their　diamond…shaped　heads　and



their　eyes　were　very　large　and　round　and　their　noses



and　mouths　very　small。　Their　clothing　was　tight…fitting



and　of　brilliant　colors；　being　handsomely　embroidered



in　quaint　designs　with　gold　or　silver　threads；　but　on



their　feet　they　wore　sandals；　with　no　stockings



whatever。　The　expression　of　their　faces　was　pleasant



enough；　although　they　now　showed　surprise　at　the