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第23节

the lost princess of oz-第23节

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answer correctly every question put to him。 We



discovered his talent a long time ago and whenever we



wish to know anything  which is not very often  we



ask the Pink Bear。 There is no doubt whatever; madam;



that Ugu the Magician has your dishpan; and if you dare



go to him you may be able to recover it。 But of that I



am not certain。〃







〃Can't the Pink Bear tell?〃 asked Cayke anxiously。







〃No; for that is in the future。 He can tell anything



that has happened; but nothing that is going



to happen。 Don't ask me why; for I don't know。〃







〃Well;〃 said the Cookie Cook; after a little thought;



〃I mean to go to this magician; anyhow; and tell him I



want my dishpan。 I wish I knew what Ugu the Shoemaker



is like。〃







〃Then I'll show him to you;〃 promised the King。 〃But



do not be frightened; it won't be Ugu; remember; but



only his image。〃







With this he waved his metal wand again and in the



circle suddenly appeared a thin little man; very old



and skinny; who was seated on a wicker stool before a



wicker table。 On the table lay a Great Book with gold



clasps。 The Book was open and the man was reading in



it。 He wore great spectacles; which were fastened



before his eyes by means of a ribbon that passed around



his head and was tied in a bow at the back。 His hair



was very thin and white; his skin; which clung fast to



his bones; was brown and seared with furrows; he had a



big; fat nose and little eyes set close together。







On no account was Ugu the Shoemaker a pleasant person



to gaze at。 As his image appeared before them; all were



silent and intent until Corporal Waddle; the Brown



Bear; became nervous and Pulled the trigger of his gun。



Instantly the cork flew out of the tin barrel with a



loud 〃pop!〃 that made them all jump。 And; at this



sound; the image of the magician vanished。







〃So! that's the thief; is it?〃 said Cayke; in an



angry voice。 〃I should think he'd be ashamed of himself



for stealing a poor woman's diamond dishpan! But I mean



to face him in his wicker castle and force him to



return my property。〃







〃To me;〃 said the Bear King; reflectively; 〃he looked



like a dangerous person。 I hope he won't be so unkind



as to argue the matter with you。〃







The Frogman was much disturbed by the vision of Ugu



the Shoemaker; and Cayke's determination to go to the



magician filled her companion with misgivings。 But he



would not break his pledged word to assist the Cookie



Cook and after breathing a deep sigh of resignation he



asked the King:







〃Will Your Majesty lend us this Pink Bear who answers



questions; that we may take him with us on our journey?



He would be very useful to us and we will promise to



bring him safely hack to you。〃







The King did not reply at once; he seemed to be



thinking。







〃Please let us take the Pink Bear;〃 begged Cayke。



〃I'm sure he would be a great help to us。〃







〃The Pink Bear;〃 said the King; 〃is the best bit of



magic I possess; and there is not another like him in



the world。 I do not care to let him out of my sight;



nor do I wish to disappoint you; so I believe I will



make the journey in your company and carry my Pink Bear



with me。 He can walk; when you wind the other side of



him; but so slowly and awkwardly that he would delay



you。 But if I go along I can carry him in my arms; so I



will join your party。 Whenever you are ready to start;



let me know。







〃But  Your Majesty!〃 exclaimed Corporal Waddle in



protest; 〃I hope you do not intend to let these



prisoners escape without punishment。〃







〃Of what crime do you accuse them?〃 inquired the



King。







〃Why; they trespassed on your domain; for one thing;〃



said the Brown Bear。







〃We didn't know it was private property; Your



Majesty;〃 said the Cookie Cook。







〃And they asked if any of us had stolen the dishpan!〃



continued Corporal Waddle indignantly。 〃That is the



same thing as calling us thieves and robbers; and



bandits and brigands; is it not?〃







〃Every person has the right to ask questions;〃 said



the Frogman。







〃But the Corporal is quite correct;〃 declared the



Lavender Bear。 〃I condemn you both to death; the



execution to take place ten years from this hour。〃







〃But we belong in the Land of Oz; where no one ever



dies;〃 Cayke reminded him。







〃Very true;  said the King。 〃I condemn you to death



merely as a matter of form。 It sounds quite terrible;



and in ten years we shall have forgotten all about it。



Are you ready to start for the wicker castle of Ugu the



Shoemaker?〃







〃Quite ready; Your Majesty。〃







〃But who will rule in your place; while you are



gone?〃 asked a big Yellow Bear。







〃I myself will rule while I am gone;〃 was the reply。



〃A King isn't required to stay at home forever; and if



he takes a notion to travel; whose business is it but



his own? All I ask is that you bears behave yourselves



while I am away。 If any of you is naughty; I'll send



him to some girl or boy in America to play with。〃







This dreadful threat made all the toy bears look



solemn。 They assured the King; in a chorus of growls;



that they would be good。 Then the big Lavender Bear



picked up the little Pink Bear and after tucking it



carefully under one arm he said 〃Good…bye till I come



back!〃 and waddled along the path that led through the



forest。 The Frogman and Cayke the Cookie Cook also said



good…bye to the bears and then followed after the King;



much to the regret of the little Brown Bear; who pulled



the trigger of his gun and popped the cork as a parting



salute。



















Chapter Seventeen







The Meeting











While the Frog man and his party were advancing from



the west; Dorothy and her party were advancing from



the east; and so it happened that on the following



night they all camped at a little hill that was only a



few miles from the wicker castle of Ugu the Shoemaker。



But the two parties did not see one another that night;



for one camped on one side of the hill while the other



camped on the opposite side。 But the next morning the



Frogman thought he would climb the hill and see what



was on top of it; and at the same time Scraps; the



Patchwork Girl; also decided to climb the hill to find



if the wicker castle was visible from its top。 So she



stuck her head over an edge just as the Frogman's head



appeared over another edge and both; being surprised;



kept still while they took a good look at one another。







Scraps recovered from her astonishment first and



bounding upward she turned a somersault and landed



sitting down and facing the big Frogman; who slowly



advanced and sat opposite her。







〃Well met; Stranger!〃 cried the Patchwork Girl; with



a whoop of laughter。 〃You are quite the funniest



individual I have seen in all my travels。〃







〃Do you suppose I can be any funnier than you?〃 asked



the Frogman; gazing at her in wonder。







〃I'm; not funny to myself; you know;〃 returned



Scraps。 〃I wish I were。 And perhaps you are so used to



your own absurd shape that you do not laugh whenever



you see your reflection in a pool; or in a mirror。







〃No;〃 said the Frogman gravely; 〃I do not。 I used to



be proud of my great size and vain of my culture and



education; but since I bathed in the Truth Pond I



sometimes think it is not right that I should be



different from all other frogs。〃







〃Right or wrong;〃 said the Patchwork Girl; 〃to be



different is to be distinguished。 Now; in my case; I'm



just like all other Patchwork Girls because I'm the



only one there is。 But; tell me; where did you come



from?〃







〃The Yip Country;〃 said he。







〃Is that in the Land of Oz?〃







〃Of course;〃 replied the Frogman。







〃And do you know that your Ruler; Ozma of Oz; has



been stolen?〃







〃I was not aware that I had a Ruler; so of course I



couldn't know that she was stolen。〃







〃Well; you have。 All the people of Oz;〃 explained



Scraps; 〃are ruled by Ozma; whether they know it or



not。 And she has been stolen。 Aren't you angry? Aren't



you indignant? Your Ruler; whom you didn't know you



had; has positively been stolen!〃







〃That is queer;〃 remarked the Frogman thoughtfully。



〃Stealing is 

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