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the lost princess of oz-第2节

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patchwork quilt which had been cut into shape and



stuffed with cotton。 Her head was a round ball stuffed



in the same manner and fastened to her shoulders。 For



hair she had a mass of brown yarn and to make a nose



for her a pan of the cloth had been pulled out into the



shape of a knob and tied with a string to hold it in



place。 Her mouth had been carefully made by cutting a



slit in the proper place and lining it with red silk;



adding two rows of pearls for teeth and a bit of red



flannel for a tongue。







In spite of this queer make…up; the Patchwork Girl



was magically alive and had proved herself not the



least jolly and agreeable of the many quaint characters



who inhabit the astonishing Fairyland of Oz。 Indeed;



Scraps was a general favorite; although she was rather



flighty and erratic and did and said many things that



surprised her friends。 She was seldom still; but loved



to dance; to turn handsprings and somersaults; to climb



trees and to indulge in many other active sports。







〃I'm going to search for Ozma;〃 remarked Dorothy;



〃for she isn't in her rooms and I want to ask her a



question。〃







〃I'll go with you;〃 said Scraps; 〃for my eyes are



brighter than yours and they can see farther。〃







〃I'm not sure of that;〃 remarked Dorothy。 〃But come



along; if you like。〃







Together they searched all through the great palace



and even to the farthest limits of the palace grounds;



which were quite extensive; but nowhere could they find



a trace of Ozma。 When Dorothy returned to where Betsy



and Trot awaited her; the little girl's face was rather



solemn and troubled; for never before had Ozma gone



away without telling her friends where she was going;



or without an escort that befitted her royal state。







She was gone; however; and none had seen her go。



Dorothy had met and questioned the Scarecrow; Tik…Tok;



the Shaggy Man; Button…Bright; Cap'n Bill; and even the



wise and powerful Wizard of Oz; but not one of them had



seen Ozma since she parted with her friends the evening



before and had gone to her own rooms。







〃She didn't say anything las' night about going



anywhere;〃 observed little Trot。







〃No; and thats the strange Part of it;〃 replied



Dorothy。 〃Usually Ozma lets us know of everything she



does。〃







〃Why not look in the Magic Picture?〃 suggested Betsy



Bobbin。 〃That will tell us where she is; in just one



second。〃







〃Of course!〃 cried Dorothy。 〃Why didn't I think of



that before?〃 and at once the three girls hurried away



to Ozma's boudoir; where the Magic Picture always hung。







This wonderful Magic Picture was one of the royal



Ozma's greatest treasures。 there was a large gold



frame; in the center of which was a bluish…gray canvas



on which various scenes constantly appeared and



disappeared。 If one who stood before it wished to see



what any person  anywhere in the world  was doing;



it was only necessary to make the wish and the scene in



the Magic Picture would shift to the scene where that



person was and show exactly what he or she was then



engaged in doing。 So the girls knew it would be easy



for them to wish to see Ozma; and from the picture they



could quickly learn where she was。







Dorothy advanced to the place where the picture was



usually protected by thick satin Curtains; and pulled



the draperies aside。 Then she stared in amazement;



while her two friends uttered exclamations of



disappointment。







The Magic Picture was gone。 Only a blank space on the



wall behind the curtains showed where it had formerly



hung。



















Chapter Two







The Troubles of Glinda the Good











That same morning there was great excitement in the



castle of the powerful Sorceress of Oz; Glinda the



Good。 This castle; situated in the Quadling Country;



far south of the Emerald City where Ozma ruled; was a



splendid structure of exquisite marbles and silver



grilles。 Here the Sorceress lived; surrounded by a bevy



of the most beautiful maidens of Oz; gathered from all



the four countries of that fairyland as well as from



the magnificent Emerald City itself; which stood in the



place where the four countries cornered。







It was considered a great honor to be allowed to



serve the good Sorceress; whose arts of magic were used



only to benefit the Oz people。 Glinda was Ozma's most



valued servant; for her knowledge of sorcery was



wonderful and she could accomplish almost anything that



her mistress; the lovely girl Ruler of Oz; wished her



to。







Of all the magical things which surrounded Glinda in



her castle there was none more marvelous than her Great



Book of Records。 On the pages of this Record Book were



constantly being inscribed  day by day and hour by



hour  all the important events that happened anywhere



in the known world; and they were inscribed in the book



at exactly the moment the events happened。 Every



adventure in the Land of Oz and in the big outside



world; and even in places that you and I have never



heard of; were recorded accurately in the Great Book;



which never made a mistake and stated only the exact



truth。 For that reason nothing could be concealed from



Glinda the Good; who had only to look at the pages of



the Great Book of Records to know everything that had



taken place。 That was one reason she was such a great



Sorceress; for the records made her wiser than any



other living person。







This wonderful book was placed upon a big gold table



that stood in the middle of Glinda's drawing…room。 The



legs of the table; which were encrusted with precious



gems; were firmly fastened to the tiled floor and the



book itself was chained to the table and locked with



six stout golden padlocks; the keys to which Glinda



carried on a chain that was secured around her own



neck。







The pages of the Great Book were larger in size than



those of an American newspaper and although they were



exceedingly thin there were so many of them that they



made an enormous; bulky volume。 With its gold cover and



gold clasps the book was so heavy that three men could



scarcely have lifted it。 Yet this morning; when Glinda



entered her drawing…room after breakfast; with all her



maidens trailing after her; the good Sorceress was



amazed to discover that her Great Book of Records had



mysteriously disappeared。







Advancing to the table; she found the chains had been



cut with some sharp instrument; and this must have been



done while all in the castle slept。 Glinda was shocked



and grieved。 Who could have done this wicked; bold



thing? And who could wish to deprive her of her Great



Book of Records?







The Sorceress was thoughtful for a time; considering



the consequences of her loss。 Then she went to her Room



of Magic to prepare a charm that would tell her who had



stolen the Record Book。 But; when she unlocked her



cupboards and threw open the doors; all of her magical



instruments and rare chemical compounds had been



removed from the shelves。







The Sorceress was now both angry and alarmed。 She sat



down in a chair and tried to think how this



extraordinary robbery could have taken place。 It was



evident that the thief was some person of very great



power; or the theft could never have been accomplished



without her knowledge。 But who; in all the Land of Oz;



was powerful and skillful enough to do this awful



thing? And who; having the power; could also have an



object in defying the wisest and most talented



Sorceress the world has ever known?







Glinda thought over the perplexing matter for a full



hour; at the end of which time she was still puzzled



how to explain it。 But although her instrument and



chemicals were gone her knowledge of magic had not been



stolen; by any means; since no thief; however skillful;



can rob one of knowledge; and that is why knowledge is



the best and safest treasure to acquire。 Glinda



believed that when she had time to gather more magical



herbs and elixirs and to manufacture more magical



instruments she would be able to discover who the



robber was; and what had become of her precious Book of



Records。







〃Whoever has done this;〃 she said to her maidens; 〃is



a very foolish person; for in time he is sure to be



found out and will then be severely punished

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