the lost princess of oz-第15节

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thought　gravely　upon　the　dangerous　adventure　they　had



undertaken；　wondering　if　they　would　ever　be　able　to



find　their　beloved　Ozma　again。　The　animals　lay　in　a



group　by　themselves；　a　little　distance　from　the　others。







〃I've　lost　my　growl！〃　said　Toto；　who　had　been　very



silent　and　sober　all　that　day。　〃What　do　you　suppose　has



become　of　it？〃







〃If　you　had　asked　me　to　keep　track　of　your　growl；　I



might　be　able　to　tell　you；〃　remarked　the　Lion　sleepily。



〃But；　frankly；　Toto；　I　supposed　you　were　taking　care　of



it　yourself。〃







〃It's　an　awful　thing　to　lose　one's　growl；〃　said　Toto；



wagging　his　tail　disconsolately。　〃What　if　you　lost　your



roar；　Lion？　Wouldn't　you　feel　terrible？〃







〃My　roar；〃　replied　the　Lion；　〃is　the　fiercest　thing



about　me。　I　depend　on　it　to　frighten　my　enemies　so



badly　that　they　won't　dare　to　fight　me。〃







〃Once；〃　said　the　Mule；　〃I　lost　my　bray；　so　that　I



couldn't　call　to　Betsy　to　let　her　know　I　was　hungry。



That　was　before　I　could　talk；　you　know；　for　I　had　not



yet　come　into　the　Land　of　Oz；　and　I　found　it　was



certainly　very　uncomfortable　not　to　be　able　to　make　a



noise。〃







〃You　make　enough　noise　now；〃　declared　Toto。　〃But　none



of　you　has　answered　my　question：　Where　is　my　growl？〃







〃You　may　search　me；〃　said　the　Woozy。　〃I　don't　care



for　such　things　myself。〃







〃You　snore　terribly；〃　asserted　Toto。







〃It　may　he；〃　said　the　Woozy。　〃What　one　does　when



asleep　one　is　not　accountable　for。　I　wish　you　would



wake　me　up；　some　time　when　I'm　snoring；　and　let　me　hear



the　sound。　Then　I　can　judge　whether　it　is　terrible　or



delightful。〃







〃It　isn't　pleasant；　I　assure　you；〃　said　the　Lion；



yawning。







〃To　me　it　seems　wholly　unnecessary；〃　declared　Hank



the　Mule。







〃You　ought　to　break　yourself　of　the　habit；〃　said　the



Sawhorse。　〃You　never　hear　me　snore；　because　I　never



sleep。　I　don't　even　whinny；　as　those　puffy　meat　horses



do。　I　wish　that　whoever　stole　Toto's　growl　had　taken



the　Mule's　bray　and　the　Lion's　roar　and　the　Woozy's



snore　at　the　same　time。〃







〃Do　you　think；　then；　that　my　growl　was　stolen？〃







〃You　have　never　lost　it　before；　have　you？〃　inquired



the　Sawhorse。







〃Only　once；　when　I　had　a　sore　throat　from　barking　too



long　at　the　moon。〃







〃Is　your　throat　sore　now？〃　asked　the　Woozy。







〃No；〃　replied　the　dog。







〃I　can't　understand；〃　said　Hank；　〃why　dogs　bark　at



the　moon；　They　can't　scare　the　moon；　and　the　moon



doesn't　pay　any　attention　to　the　bark。　So　why　do　dogs



do　it？〃







〃Were　you　ever　a　dog？〃　asked　Toto。







〃No；　indeed；〃　replied　Hank。　〃I　am　thankful　to　say　I



was　created　a　mule　　the　most　beautiful　of　all　beasts



　and　have　always　remained　one。〃







The　Woozy　sat　upon　his　square　haunches　to　examine



Hank　with　care。







〃Beauty；〃　said　he；　〃must　be　a　matter　of　taste。　I



don't　say　your　judgment　is　bad；　friend　Hank；　or　that



you　are　so　vulgar　as　to　be　conceited。　But　if　you　admire



big　waggly　ears；　and　a　tail　like　a　paint…brush；　and



hoofs　big　enough　for　an　elephant；　and　a　long　neck　and　a



body　so　skinny　that　one　can　count　the　ribs　with　one　eye



shut　　if　that's　your　idea　of　beauty；　Hank　　then



either　you　or　I　must　be　much　mistaken。〃







〃You're　full　of　edges；〃　sneered　the　Mule。　〃If　I　were



square；　as　you　are；　I　suppose　you'd　think　me　lovely。〃







〃Outwardly；　dear　Hank；　I　would；〃　replied　the　Woozy。



〃But　to　be　really　lovely　one　must　be　beautiful　without



and　within。〃







The　Mule　couldn't　deny　this　statement；　so　he　gave　a



disgusted　grunt　and　rolled　over　so　that　his　back　was



toward　the　Woozy。　But　the　Lion；　regarding　the　two



calmly　with　his　great　yellow　eyes；　said　to　the　dog：







〃My　dear　Toto；　our　friends　have　taught　us　a　lesson　in



humility。　If　the　Woozy　and　the　Mule　are　indeed



beautiful　creatures；　as　they　seem　to　think；　you　and　I



must　be　decidedly　ugly。〃







〃Not　to　ourselves；〃　protested　Toto；　who　was　a　shrewd



little　dog。　〃You　and　I；　Lion；　are　fine　specimens　of　our



own　races。　I　am　a　fine　dog　and　you　are　a　fine　lion。



Only　in　point　of　comparison；　one　with　another；　can　we



be　properly　judged；　so　I　will　leave　it　to　the　poor　old



Sawhorse　to　decide　which　is　the　most　beautiful　animal



among　us　all。　The　Sawhorse　is　wood；　so　he　won't　be



prejudiced　and　will　speak　the　truth。〃







〃I　surely　will；〃　responded　the　Sawhorse；　wagging　his



ears；　which　were　chips　set　in　his　wooden　head。　〃Are　you



all　agreed　to　accept　my　judgment？〃







〃We　are！〃　they　declared；　each　one　hopeful。







〃Then；〃　said　the　Sawhorse；　〃I　must　point　out　to　you



the　fact　that　you　are　all　meat　creatures；　who　tire



unless　they　sleep；　and　starve　unless　they　eat；　and



suffer　from　thirst　unless　they　drink。　Such　animals　must



be　very　imperfect；　and　imperfect　Creatures　cannot　be



beautiful。　Now；　I　am　made　of　wood。〃







〃You　surely　have　a　wooden　head；〃　said　the　Mule。







〃Yes；　and　a　wooden　body　and　wooden　legs　　which　are



as　swift　as　the　wind　and　as　tireless。　I've　heard



Dorothy　say　that　'handsome　is　as　handsome　does；'　and　I



surely　perform　my　duties　in　a　handsome　manner。



Therefore；　if　you　wish　my　honest　judgement；　I　will



confess　that　among　us　all　I　am　the　most　beautiful。〃







The　Mule　snorted　and　the　Woozy　laughed；　Toto　had　lost



his　growl　and　could　only　look　scornfully　at　the



Sawhorse；　who　stood　in　his　place　unmoved。　But　the　Lion



stretched　himself　and　yawned；　saying　quietly：







〃Were　we　all　like　the　Sawhorse　we　would　all　be



Sawhorses；　which　would　be　too　many　of　the　kind；　were　we



all　like　Hank；　we　would　be　a　herd　of　mules；　if　like



Toto；　we　would　be　a　pack　of　dogs；　should　we　all　become



the　shape　of　the　Woozy；　he　would　no　longer　be



remarkable　for　his　unusual　appearance。　Finally；　were



you　all　like　me；　I　would　consider　you　so　common　that　I



would　not　care　to　associate　with　you。　To　be　individual；



my　friends；　to　be　different　from　others；　is　the　only



way　to　become　distinguished　from　the　common　herd。　Let



us　be　glad；　therefore；　that　we　differ　from　one　another



in　form　and　in　disposition。　Variety　is　the　spice　of



life　and　we　are　various　enough　to　enjoy　one　another's



society；　so　let　us　be　content。〃







〃There　is　some　truth　in　that　speech；〃　remarked　Toto



reflectively。　〃But　how　about　my　lost　growl？〃







〃The　growl　is　of　importance　only　to　you；〃　responded



the　Lion；　〃so　it　is　your　business　to　worry　over　the



loss；　not　ours。　If　you　love　us；　do　not　inflict　your



burdens　on　us；　be　unhappy　all　by　yourself。〃







〃If　the　same　person　stole　my　growl　who　stole　Ozma；〃



said　the　little　dog；　〃I　hope　we　shall　find　him　very



soon　and　punish　him　as　he　deserves。　He　must　be　the　most



cruel　person　in　all　the　world；　for　to　prevent　a　dog



from　growling　when　it　is　his　nature　to　growl　is　just　as



wicked；　in　my　opinion；　as　stealing　all　the　magic　in



Oz。〃



















Chapter　Eleven







Button…Bright　Loses　Himself











The　Patchwork　Girl；　who　never　slept　and　who　could　see



very　well　in　the　dark；　had　wandered　among　the　rocks　and



bushes　all　night　long；　with　the　result　that　she　was



able　to　tell　some　good　news　the　next　morning。







〃Over　the　crest　of　the　hill　before　us；〃　she　said；　〃is



a　big　grove　of　trees　of　many　kinds；　on　which　all　sorts



of　fruits　grow。　If　you　will　go　there　you　will　find　a



nice　breakfast　awaiting　you。〃







This　made　them　eager　to　start；　so　as　soon　as　the



blankets　were　folded　and　strapped　to　the　back　of　the



Sawhorse　they　all　took　their　places　on　the　animals　and



set　out　for　the　big　grove　Scraps　had　told　them　of。







As　soon　as　they　got　over　the　brow　of　the　hill　they



discovered　it　to　be　a　really　immense　orchard；　extending



for　miles　to　the　right　and　left　of　them。　As　their　way



led　straight　through　the　trees　they　hurried　forward　as



fast　as　possible。







The　first　trees　they　came　to　bore　quinces；　which　they



did　not　like。　Then　there　were　rows　of　citron　trees　and



then　crab　apples　and　after。　ward　limes　and　lemons。　But



beyond　these　they　found　a　grove　of　big　golden　oranges；



juicy　and　sweet；　and　the　fruit　hung　low　on　the



branches；　so　they　could　pluck　it　easily。







They　helped　themselves　freely　and　all　ate　oranges　as



they　continued　on　their　way。　Then；　a　little　farther



along；　they　came　to　some　trees　bearing　fine　red　apples；



whi