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第4节

the lost princess of oz-第4节

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room with his hands under his coat…tails; in a very



pompous and imposing manner。 This was the first time so



difficult a matter had been brought to him and he



wanted time to think。 It would never do to let them



suspect his ignorance and so he thought very; very hard



how best to answer the woman without betraying himself。







〃I beg to inform you;〃 said he; 〃that nothing in the



Yip Country has ever been stolen before。〃







〃We know that; already;〃 answered Cayke the Cookie



Cook; impatiently。







〃Therefore;〃 continued the Frogman; 〃this theft



becomes a very important matter。〃







〃Well; where is my dishpan?〃 demanded the woman。







〃It is lost; but it must be found。 Unfortunately; we



have no policemen or detectives to unravel the mystery;



so we must employ other means to regain the lost



article。 Cayke must first write a Proclamation and tack



it to the door of her house; and the Proclamation must



read that whoever stole the jeweled dishpan must return



it at once。〃







〃But suppose no one returns it;〃 suggested Cayke。







〃Then;〃 said the Frogman; 〃that very fact will be



proof that no one has stolen it。〃







Cayke was not satisfied; but the other Yips seemed to



approve the plan highly。 They all advised her to do as



the Frogman had told her to; so she posted the sign on



her door and waited patiently for someone to return the



dishpan  which no one ever did。







Again she went; accompanied by a group of her



neighbors; to the Frogman; who by this time had given



the matter considerable thought。 Said he to Cayke:







〃I am now convinced that no Yip has taken your



dishpan; and; since it is gone from the Yip Country; I



suspect that some stranger came from the world down



below us; in the darkness of night when all of us were



asleep; and took away your treasure。 There can be no



other explanation of its disappearance。 So; if you wish



to recover that golden; diamond…studded dish…pan; you



must go into the lower world after it。〃







This was indeed a startling proposition。 Cayke and



her friends went to the edge of the fiat tableland and



looked down the steep hillside to the plains below。 It



was so far to the bottom of the hill that nothing there



could be seen very distinctly and it seemed to the Yips



very venturesome; if not dangerous; to go so far from



home into an unknown land。







However; Cayke wanted her dishpan very badly; so she



turned to her friends and asked:







〃Who will go with me?〃







No one answered this question; but after a period of



silence one of the Yips said:







〃We know what is here; on the top of this flat hill;



and it seems to us a very pleasant place; but what is



down below we do not know。 The chances are it is not so



pleasant; so we had best stay where we are。







〃It may be a far better country than this is;〃



suggested the Cookie Cook。







〃Maybe; maybe;〃 responded another Yip; 〃but why take



chances? Contentment with one's lot is true wisdom。



Perhaps; in some other country; there are better



cookies than you cook; but as we have always eaten your



cookies; and liked them  except when they are burned



on the bottom  we do not long for any better ones。〃







Cayke might have agreed to this argument had she not



been so anxious to find her precious dishpan; but now



she exclaimed impatiently:







〃You are cowards  all of you! If none of you are



willing to explore with me the great world beyond this



small hill; I will surely go alone。〃







〃That is a wise resolve;〃 declared the Yips; much



relieved。 〃It is your dishpan that is lost; not ours;



and; if you are willing to risk your life and liberty



to regain it; no one can deny you the privilege。〃







While they were thus conversing the Frogman joined



them and looked down at the Plain with his big eyes and



seemed unusually thoughtful。 In fact; the Frogman was



thinking that he'd like to see more of the world。 Here



in the Yip Country he had become the most important



creature of them all and his importance was getting to



be a little tame。 It would be nice to have other people



defer to him and ask his advice and there seemed no



reason; so far as he could see; why his fame should not



spread throughout all Oz。







He knew nothing of the rest of the world; but it was



reasonable to believe that there were more people



beyond the mountain where he now lived than there were



Yips; and if he went among them he could surprise them



with his display of wisdom and make them bow down to



him as the Yips did。 In other words; the Frogman was



ambitious to become still greater than he was; which



was impossible if he always remained upon this



mountain。 He wanted others to see his gorgeous clothes



and listen to his solemn sayings; and here was an



excuse for him to get away from the Yip Country。 So he



said to Cayke the Cookie Cook:







〃I will go with you; my good woman;〃 which greatly



Pleased Cayke because she felt the Frogman could be of



much assistance to her in her search。







But now; since the mighty Frogman had decided to



undertake the journey; several of the Yips who were



young and daring at once made up their minds to go



along; so the next morning after breakfast the Frogman



and Cayke the Cookie Cook and nine of the Yips started



to slide down the side of the mountain。 The bramble



bushes and cactus plants were very prickly and



uncomfortable to the touch; so the Frogman commanded



the Yips to go first and break a path; so that when he



followed them he would not tear his splendid clothes。



Cayke; too; was wearing her best dress; and was



likewise afraid of the thorns and prickers; so she kept



behind the Frogman。







They made rather slow progress and night overtook



them before they were halfway down the mountain side;



so they found a cave in which they sought shelter until



morning。 Cayke had brought along a basket full of her



famous cookies; so they all had plenty to eat。







On the second day the Yips began to wish they had not



embarked on this adventure。 They grumbled a good deal



at having to cut away the thorns to make the path for



the Frogman and the Cookie Cook; for their own clothing



suffered many tears; while Cayke and the Frogman



traveled safely and in comfort。







〃If it is true that anyone came to our country to



steal your diamond dishpan;〃 said one of the Yips to



Cayke; 〃it must have been a bird; for no person in the



form of a man; woman or child could have climbed



through these bushes and back again。〃







〃And; allowing he could have done so;〃 said another



Yip; 〃the diamond…studded gold dishpan would not have



repair him for his troubles and his tribulations。〃







〃For my part;〃 remarked a third Yip; 〃I would rather



go back home and dig and polish some more diamonds; and



mine some more gold; and make you another dishpan; than



be scratched from bead to heel by these dreadful



bushes。 Even now; if my mother saw me; she would not



know I am her son。〃







Gayke paid no heed to these mutterings; nor did the



Frogman。 Although their journey was slow it was being



made easy for them by the Yips; so they had nothing to



complain of and no desire to turn back。







Quite near to the bottom of the great hill they came



upon a deep gulf; the sides of which were as smooth as



glass。 The gulf extended a long distance  as far as



they could see; in either direction  and although it



was not very wide it was far too wide for the Yips to



leap across it。 And; should they fall into it; it was



likely they might never get out again。







〃Here our journey ends;〃 said the Yips。 〃We must go



back again。〃







Cayke the Cookie Cook began to weep。







〃I shall never find my pretty dishpan again  and my



heart will be broken!〃 she sobbed。







The Frogman went to the edge of the gulf and with his



eye carefully measured the distance to the other side。







〃Being a frog;〃 said he; 〃I can leap; as all frogs



do; and; being so big and strong; I am sure I can leap



across this gulf with ease。 But the rest of you; not



being frogs; must return the way you came。







〃We will do that with pleasure;〃 cried the Yips and



at once they turned and began to climb up the steep



mountain; feeling they had had quite

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