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第22节

the lost princess of oz-第22节

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trunks; set a little way above the ground; but



otherwise there was nothing unusual about the place and



nothing in the opinion of the prisoners; to indicate a



settlement。 But the little Brown Bear said in a proud



and impressive voice (although it still squeaked):







〃This is the wonderful city known to fame as Bear



Center!〃







〃But there are no houses; there are no bears living



here at all!〃 exclaimed Cayke。







〃Oh; indeed!〃 retorted their captor and raising his



gun he pulled the trigger。 The cork flew out of the tin



barrel with a loud 〃pop!〃 and at once from every hole



in ever tree within view of the clearing appeared the



head of a bear。 They were of many colors and of many



sizes; but all were made in the same manner as the bear



who had met and captured them。







At first a chorus of growls arose and then a sharp



voice cried:







〃What has happened; Corporal Waddle?〃







〃Captives; Your Majesty!〃 answered  the Brown Bear。



〃Intruders upon our domain and slanderers of our good



name。〃







〃Ah; that's important;〃 answered the voice。







Then from out the hollow trees tumbled a whole



regiment of stuffed bears; some carrying tin swords;



some popguns and other long spears with gay ribbons



tied to the handles。 There were hundreds of them;



altogether; and they quickly formed a circle around the



Frogman and the Cookie Cook but kept at a distance and



left a large space for the prisoners to stand in。







Presently this circle parted and into the center of



it stalked a huge toy bear of a lovely lavender color。



He walked upon his hind legs; as did all the others;



and on his head he wore a tin crown set with diamonds



and amethysts; while in one paw he carried a short wand



of some; glimmering metal that resembled silver but



wasn't。







〃His Majesty the King!〃 shouted Corporal Waddle; and



all the bears bowed low。 Some bowed so low that they



lost their balance and toppled over; but they soon



scrambled up again and the Lavender King squatted on



his haunches before the prisoners and gazed at them



steadily with his bright pink eyes。



















Chapter Sixteen







The Little Pink Bear











〃One Person and one Freak;〃 said the big Lavender Bear;



when he had carefully examined the strangers。







〃I am sorry to hear you call poor Cayke the Cookie



Cook a Freak;〃 remonstrated the Frogman。







〃She is the Person;〃 asserted the King。 〃Unless I am



mistaken; it is you who are the Freak。〃







The Frogman was silent; for he could not truthfully



deny it。







〃Why have you dared intrude in my forest?〃 demanded



the Bear King。







〃We didn't know it was your forest;〃 said Cayke; 〃and



we are on our way to the far east; where the Emerald



City is。〃







〃Ah; it's a long way from here to the Emerald City;〃



remarked the King。 〃It is so far away; indeed; that no



bear among us has ever been there。 But what errand



requires you to travel such a distance?〃







〃Someone has stolen my diamond…studded gold dishpan;〃



explained Cayke; 〃and; as I cannot be happy without it;



I have decided to search the world over until I find it



again。 The Frogman; who is very learned and wonderfully



wise; has come with me to give me his assistance。 Isn't



it kind of him?〃







The King looked at the Frogman。







〃What makes you so wonderfully wise?〃 he asked。







〃I'm not;〃 was the candid reply。 〃The Cookie Cook;



and some others in the Yip Country; think because I am



a big frog and talk and act like a man; that I must be



very wise。 I have learned more than a frog usually



knows; it is true; but I am not yet so wise as I hope



to become at some future time。〃







The King nodded; and when he did so something



squeaked in his chest。







〃Did Your Majesty speak?〃 asked Cayke。







〃Not just then;〃 answered the Lavender Bear; seeming



to be somewhat embarrassed。 〃I am so built; you must



know; that when anything pushes against my chest; as my



chin accidentally did just then; I make that silly



noise。 In this city it isn't considered good manners to



notice it。 But I like your Frogman。 He is honest and



truthful; which is more than can be said of many



others。 As for your late lamented dishpan; I'll show it



to you。







With this he waved three times the metal wand which



he held in his paw and instantly there appeared upon



the ground; midway between the King and Cayke; a big



round pan made of beaten gold。 Around the top edge was



a row of small diamonds; around the center of the pan



was another row of larger diamonds; and at the bottom



was a row of exceedingly large and brilliant diamonds。



In fact; they all sparkled magnificently and the pan



was so big and broad that it took a lot of diamonds to



go around it three times。







Cayke stared so hard that her eyes seemed about to



pop out of her head。







〃O…o…oh!〃 she exclaimed; drawing a deep breath of



delight。







〃Is this your dishpan?〃 inquired the King。







〃It is  it is!〃 cried the Cookie Cook; and rushing



forward she fell on her knees and threw her arms around



the precious pan。 But her arms came together without



meeting any resistance at all。 Cayke tried to seize the



edge; but found nothing to grasp。 The pan was surely



there; she thought; for she could see it plainly; but



it was not solid; she could not feel it at all。 With a



moan of astonishment and despair she raised her head to



look at the Bear King; who was watching her actions



curiously。 Then she turned to the pan again; only to



find it had completely disappeared。







〃Poor creature!〃 murmured the King pityingly。 〃You



must have thought; for the moment; that you had



actually recovered your dishpan。 But what you saw was



merely the image of it; conjured up by means of my



magic。 It is a pretty dishpan; indeed; though rather



big and awkward to handle。 I hope you will some day



find it。〃







Cayke was grievously disappointed。 She began to cry;



wiping her eyes on her apron。 The King turned to the



throng of toy bears surrounding him and asked:







〃Has any of you ever seen this golden dishpan



before?〃







〃No;〃 they answered in a chorus。







The King seemed to reflect。 Presently he inquired:







〃Where is the Little Pink Bear?〃







〃At home; Your Majesty;〃 was the reply。







〃Fetch him here;〃 commanded the King。







Several of the bears waddled over to one of the trees



and pulled from its hollow a tiny pink bear; smaller



than any of the others。 A big white bear carried the



pink one in his arms and set it down beside the King;



arranging the joints of its legs so that it would stand



upright。







This Pink Bear seemed lifeless until the King turned



a crank which protruded from its side; when the little



creature turned its head stiffly from side to side and



said in a small shrill voice:







〃Hurrah for the King of Bear Center!〃







〃Very good;〃 said the big Lavender Bear; 〃he seems to



be working very well today。 Tell me; my Pink Pinkerton;



what has become of this lady's jeweled dishpan?〃







〃U…u…u;〃 said the Pink Bear; and then stopped short。







The King turned the crank again。







〃U…g…u the Shoemaker has it;〃 said the Pink Bear。







〃Who is Ugu the Shoemaker?〃 demanded the King; again



turning the crank。







〃A magician who lives on a mountain in a wickerwork



castle;〃 was the reply。







〃Where is this mountain?〃 was the next question。







〃Nineteen miles and three furlongs from Bear Center



to the northeast。〃







〃And is the dishpan still at the castle of Ugu the



Shoemaker?〃 asked the King。







〃It is。〃







The King turned to Cayke。







〃You may rely on this information;〃 said he。 〃The



Pink Bear can tell us anything we wish to know; and his



words are always words of truth。〃







〃Is he alive?〃 asked the Frogman; much interested in



the Pink Bear。







〃Something animates him  when you turn his crank;〃



replied the King。 〃I do not know if it is life; or what



it is; or how it happens that the Little Pink Bear can



answer correctly every question put to him。 We



discovered his talent a long time ago and whenever we



wish to know

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