the lost princess of oz-第21节

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〃Can　you　hear　what　I　say？〃　she　asked　in　her　ordinary



tone　of　voice。







〃Of　course；〃　replied　the　man。







〃Then　why　didn't　you　answer　the　Frogman？〃







〃Because；〃　said　the　ferryman；　〃I　don't　understand　the



frog　language。







〃He　speaks　the　same　words　that　I　do　and　in　the　same



way；〃　declared　Cayke。







〃Perhaps；〃　replied　the　ferryman；　〃but　to　me　his　voice



sounded　like　a　frog's　croak。　I　know　that　in　the　Land　of



Oz　animals　can　speak　our　language；　and　so　can　the



birds　and　bugs　and　fishes；　but　in　my　ears　they　sound



merely　like　growls　and　chirps　and　croaks。〃







〃Why　is　that？〃　asked　the　Cookie　Cook　in　surprise。







〃Once；　many　years　ago；　I　cut　the　tail　off　a　fox　which



had　taunted　me；　and　I　stole　some　birds　eggs　from　a　nest



to　make　an　omelet　with；　and　also　I　pulled　a　fish　from



the　river　and　left　it　lying　on　the　bank　to　gasp　for



lack　of　water　until　it　died。　I　don't　know　why　I　did



those　wicked　things；　but　I　did　them。　So　the　Emperor　of



the　Winkies　　who　is　the　Tin　Woodman　and　has　a　very



tender　tin　heart　　punished　me　by　denying　me　any



communication　with　beasts；　birds　or　fishes。　I　cannot



understand　them　when　they　speak　to　me；　although　I　know



that　other　people　can　do　so；　nor　can　the　creatures



understand　a　word　I　say　to　them。　Every　time　I　meet　one



of　them　I　am　reminded　of　my　former　cruelty；　and　it



makes　me　very　unhappy。〃







〃Really；〃　said　Cayke；　〃I'm　sorry　for　you；　although



the　Tin　Woodman　is　not　to　blame　for　punishing　you。〃







〃What　is　he　mumbling　about？〃　asked　the　Frogman。







〃He　is　talking　to　me；　but　you　don't　understand　him；〃



she　replied。　And　then　she　told　him　of　the　ferryman's



punishment　and　afterward　explained　to　the　ferryman　that



they　wanted　to　stay　all　night　with　him　and　be　fed。







He　gave　them　some　fruit　and　bread；　which　was　the　only



sort　of　food　he　had；　and　he　allowed　Cayke　to　sleep　in　a



room　of　his　cottage。　But　the　Frogman　he　refused　to



admit　to　his　house；　saying　that　the　frog's　presence



made　him　miserable　and　unhappy。　At　no　time　would　he



look　directly　at　the　Frogman；　or　even　toward　him；



fearing　he　would　shed　tears　if　he　did　so；　so　the　big



frog　slept　on　the　river　bank；　where　he　could　hear



little　frogs　croaking　in　the　river　all　the　night



through。　But　that　did　not　keep　him　awake；　it　merely



soothed　him　to　slumber；　for　he　realized　how　much



superior　he　was　to　them。







Just　as　the　sun　was　rising　on　a　new　day　the　ferryman



rowed　the　two　travelers　across　the　river　　keeping　his



back　to　the　Frogman　all　the　way　　and　then　Cayke



thanked　him　and　bade　him　good…bye　and　the　ferryman



rowed　home　again。







On　this　side　the　river　there　were　no　paths　at　all；　so



it　was　evident　they　had　reached　a　part　of　the　country



little　frequented　by　travelers。　There　was　a　marsh　at



the　south　of　them；　sandhills　at　the　north　and　a　growth



of　scrubby　underbrush　leading　toward　a　forest　at　the



east。　So　the　east　was　really　the　least　difficult　way　to



go　and　that　direction　was　the　one　they　had　determined



to　follow。







Now　the　Frogman；　although　he　wore　green　patent…



leather　shoes　with　ruby　buttons；　had　very　large　and



flat　feet；　and　when　he　tramped　through　the　scrub　his



weight　crushed　down　the　underbrush　and　made　a　path　for



Cayke　to　follow　him。　Therefore　they　soon　reached　the



forest；　where　the　tall　trees　were　set　far　apart　but



were　so　leafy　that　they　shaded　all　the　spaces　between



them　with　their　branches。







〃There　are　no　bushes　here；〃　said　Cayke；　much　pleased；



〃so　we　can　now　travel　faster　and　with　more　comfort。〃



















Chapter　Fifteen







The　Big　Lavender　Bear











It　was　a　pleasant　place　to　wander　in　and　the　two



travelers　were　proceeding　at　a　brisk　pace　when　suddenly



a　voice　shouted：







〃Halt！〃







They　looked　around　in　surprise；　seeing　at　first　no



one　at　all。　Then　from　behind　a　tree　there　stepped　a



brown　fuzzy　bear；　whose　head　came　about　as　high　as



Cayke's　waist　　and　Cayke　was　a　small　woman。　The　bear



was　chubby　as　well　as　fuzzy；　his　body　was　even　puffy；



while　his　legs　and　arms　seemed　jointed　at　the　knees　and



elbows　and　fastened　to　his　body　by　pins　or　rivets。　His



ears　were　round　in　shape　and　stuck　out　in　a　comical



way；　while　his　round　black　eyes　were　bright　and



sparkling　as　heads。　Over　his　shoulder　the　little　brown



bear　bore　a　gun　with　a　tin　barrel。　The　barrel　had　a



cork　in　the　end　of　it　and　a　string　was　attached　to　the



cork　and　to　the　handle　of　the　gun。







Both　the　Frogman　and　Cayke　gazed　hard　at　this　curious



bear；　standing　silent　for　some　time。　But　finally　the



Frogman　recovered　from　his　surprise　and　remarked：







〃It　seems　to　me　that　you　are　stuffed　with　sawdust　and



ought　not　to　be　alive。〃







〃That's　all　you　know　about　it；〃　answered　the　little



Brown　Bear　in　a　squeaky　voice。　〃I　am　stuffed　with　a



very　good　quality　of　curled　hair　and　my　skin　is　the



best　plush　that　was　ever　made。　As　for　my　being　alive；



that　is　my　own　affair　and　cannot　concern　you　at　all



except　that　it　gives　me　the　privilege　to　say　you　are　my



prisoners。〃







〃Prisoners！　Why　do　you　speak　such　nonsense？〃　asked



the　Frogman　angrily。　〃Do　you　think　we　are　afraid　of　a



toy　bear　with　a　toy　gun？〃







〃You　ought　to　be；〃　was　the　confident　reply；　〃for　I　am



merely　the　sentry　guarding　the　way　to　Bear　Center；



which　is　a　city　containing　hundreds　of　my　race；　who　are



ruled　by　a　very　powerful　sorcerer　known　as　the　Lavender



Bear。　He　ought　to　be　a　purple　color；　you　know；　seeing



he　is　a　King；　but　he's　only　light　lavender；　which　is；



of　course；　second　cousin　to　royal　purple。　So；　unless



you　come　with　me　peaceably；　as　my　prisoners；　I　shall



fire　my　gun　and　bring　a　hundred　bears　　of　all　sizes



and　colors　　to　capture　you。〃







〃Why　do　you　wish　to　capture　us？〃　inquired　the



Frogman；　who　had　listened　to　this　speech　with　much



astonishment。







〃I　don't　wish　to；　as　a　matter　of　fact；〃　replied　the



little　Brown　Bear；　〃but　it　is　my　duty　to；　because　you



are　now　trespassing　on　the　domain　of　His　Majesty　the



King　of　Bear　Center。　Also　I　will　admit　that　things　are



rather　quiet　in　our　city；　just　now；　and　the　excitement



of　your　capture；　followed　by　your　trial　and　execution；



should　afford　us　much　entertainment。〃







〃We　defy　you！〃　said　the　Frogman。







〃Oh；　no；　don't　do　that；〃　pleaded　Cayke；　speaking　to



her　companion。　〃He　says　his　King　is　a　sorcerer；　so



perhaps　it　is　he　or　one　of　his　bears　who　ventured　to



steal　my　jeweled　dishpan。　Let　us　go　to　the　City　of　the



Bears　and　discover　if　my　dishpan　is　there。〃







〃I　must　now　register　one　more　charge　against　you；〃



remarked　the　little　Brown　Bear；　with　evident



satisfaction。　〃You　have　just　accused　us　of　stealing；



and　that　is　such　a　dreadful　thing　to　say　that　I　am



quite　sure　our　noble　King　will　command　you　to　be



executed。〃







〃But　how　could　you　execute　us？〃　inquired　the　Cookie



Cook。







〃I've　no　idea。　But　our　King　is　a　wonderful　inventor



and　there　is　no　doubt　he　can　find　a　proper　way　to



destroy　you。　So；　tell　me；　are　you　going　to　struggle；　or



will　you　go　peaceably　to　meet　your　doom？〃







It　was　all　so　ridiculous　that　Cayke　laughed　aloud　and



even　the　Frogman's　wide　mouth　curled　in　a　smile。



Neither　was　a　bit　afraid　to　go　to　the　Bear　City　and　it



seemed　to　both　that　there　was　a　possibility　they　might



discover　the　missing　dishpan。　So　the　Frogman　said：







〃Lead　the　way；　little　Bear；　and　we　will　follow



without　a　struggle。〃







〃That's　very　sensible　of　you；　very　sensible；　indeed！〃



declared　the　Brown　Bear。　〃So　　forward　march！〃　and



with　the　command　he　turned　around　and　began　to　waddle



along　a　path　that　led　between　the　trees。







Cayke　and　the　Frogman；　as　they　followed　their



conductor；　could　scarce　forbear　laughing　at　his　stiff；



awkward　manner　of　walking　and；　although　he　moved　his



stuffy　legs　fast；　his　steps　were　so　short　that　they　had



to　go　slowly　in　order　not　to　run　into　him。　But　after　a



time　they　reached　a　large；　circular　space　in　the　center



of　the　forest；　which　was　clear　of　any　stumps　or



underbrush。　The　ground　was　covered　by　a　soft　gray　moss；



pleasant　to　tread　upon。　All　the　trees　surrounding　this



space　seemed　to　be　hollow　and　had　round　holes　in　their



trunks；　set　a　little　way　above　the　ground；　but



otherwise　there　was　nothin