the lost princess of oz-第9节

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is　between　here　and　the　west　branch　of　the　Winkie　River



that　all　dangers　lie；　for　that　is　the　unknown　territory



that　is　inhabited　by　terrible；　lawless　people。〃







〃It　may　be；　and　it　may　not　be；〃　said　the　Wizard。　〃We



shall　know　when　we　get　there。〃







〃Well；〃　persisted　the　shepherd；　〃in　a　fairy　country



such　as　ours　every　undiscovered　place　is　likely　to



harbor　wicked　creatures。　If　they　were　not　wicked；　they



would　discover　themselves；　and　by　coming　among　us



submit　to　Ozma's　rule　and　be　good　and　considerate；　as



are　all　the　Oz　people　whom　we　know。〃







〃That　argument；〃　stated　the　little　Wizard；　〃convinces



me　that　it　is　our　duty　to　go　straight　to　those　unknown



places；　however　dangerous　they　may　be；　for　it　is　surely



some　cruel　and　wicked　person　who　has　stolen　our　Ozma；



and　we　know　it　would　be　folly　to　search　among　good



people　for　the　culprit。　Ozma　may　not　be　hidden　in　the



secret　places　of　the　Winkie　Country；　it　is　true；　but　it



is　our　duty　to　travel　to　every　spot；　however　dangerous；



where　our　beloved　Ruler　is　likely　to　be　imprisoned。〃







〃You're　right　about　that；〃　said　Button…Bright



approvingly。　〃Dangers　don't　hurt　us；　only　things　that



happen　ever　hurt　anyone；　and　a　danger　is　a　thing　that



might　happen；　and　might　not　happen；　and　sometimes　don't



amount　to　shucks。　I　vote　we　go　ahead　and　take　our



chances。〃







They　were　all　of　he　same　opinion；　so　they　packed　up



and　said　good…bye　to　the　friendly　shepherd　and



proceeded　on　their　way。



















Chapter　Seven







The　Merry…Go…Round　Mountains











The　Rolling　Prairie　was　not　difficult　to　travel　over；



although　it　was　all　up…hill　and　down…hill；　so　for　a



while　they　made　good　progress。　Not　even　a　shepherd　was



to　be　met　with　now　and　the　farther　they　advanced　the



more　dreary　the　landscape　became。　At　noon　they　stopped



for　a　〃picnic　luncheon；〃　as　Betsy　called　it；　and　then



they　again　resumed　their　journey。　All　the　animals　were



swift　and　tireless　and　even　the　Cowardly　Lion　and　the



Mule　found　they　could　keep　up　with　the　pace　of　the



Woozy　and　the　Sawhorse。







It　was　the　middle　of　the　afternoon　when　first　they



came　in　sight　of　a　cluster　of　low　mountains。　These　were



cone…shaped；　rising　from　broad　bases　to　sharp　peaks　at



the　tops。　From　a　distance　the　mountains　appeared



indistinct　and　seemed　rather　small…more　like　hills　than



mountains　　but　as　the　travelers　drew　nearer　they



noted　a　most　unusual　circumstance：　the　hills　were　all



whirling　around；　some　in　one　direction　and　some　the



opposite　way。







〃I　guess　those　are　the　Merry…Go…Round　Mountains；　all



right；〃　said　Dorothy。







〃They　must　be；〃　said　the　Wizard。







〃They　go　'round；　sure　enough；〃　added　Trot；　〃but　they



don't　seem　very　merry。〃







There　were　several　rows　of　these　mountains；　extending



both　to　the　right　and　to　the　left；　for　miles　and　miles。



How　many　rows　there　might　be；　none　could　tell；　but



between　the　first　row　of　peaks　could　be　seen　other



peaks；　all　steadily　whirling　around　one　way　or　another。



Continuing　to　ride　nearer；　our　friends　watched　these



hills　attentively；　until　at　last；　coming　close　up；　they



discovered　there　was　a　deep　but　narrow　gulf　around　the



edge　of　each　mountain；　and　that　the　mountains　were　set



so　close　together　that　the　outer　gulf　was　continuous



and　barred　farther　advance。







At　the　edge　of　the　gulf　they　all　dismounted　and



peered　over　into　its　depths。　There　was　no　telling　where



the　bottom　was；　if　indeed　there　was　any　bottom　at　all。



From　where　they　stood　it　seemed　as　if　the　mountains　had



been　set　in　one　great　hole　in　the　ground；　just　close



enough　together　so　they　would　not　touch；　and　that　each



mountain　was　supported　by　a　rocky　column　beneath　its



base　which　extended　far　down　into　the　black　pit　below。



From　the　land　side　it　seemed　impossible　to　get　across



the　gulf　or；　succeeding　in　that；　to　gain　a　foothold　on



any　of　the　whirling　mountains。







〃This　ditch　is　too　wide　to　jump　across；〃　remarked



Button…Bright。







〃P'raps　the　Lion　could　do　it；〃　suggested　Dorothy。







〃What；　jump　from　here　to　that　whirling　hill？〃　cried



the　Lion　indignantly。　〃I　should　say　not！　Even　if　I



landed　there；　and　could　hold　on；　what　good　would　it　do？



There's　another　spinning　mountain　beyond　it；　and



perhaps　still　another　beyond　that。　I　don't　believe　any



living　creature　could　jump　from　one　mountain　to



another；　when　both　are　whirling　like　tops　and　in



different　directions。〃







〃I　propose　we　turn　back；〃　said　the　Wooden　Sawhorse；



with　a　yawn　of　his　chopped…out　mouth；　as　he　stared　with



his　knot　eyes　at　the　Merry…Go…Round　Mountains。







〃I　agree　with　you；〃　said　the　Woozy；　wagging　his



square　head。







〃We　should　have　taken　the　shepherd's　advice；〃　added



Hank　the　Mule。







The　others　of　the　party；　however　they　might　be



puzzled　by　the　serious　problem　that　confronted　them；



would　not　allow　themselves　to　despair。







〃If　we　once　get　over　these　mountains；〃　said　Button…



Bright；　〃we　could　probably　get　along　all　right。〃







〃True　enough；〃　agreed　Dorothy。　〃So　we　must　find　some



way；　of　course；　to　get　past　these　whirligig　hills。　But



how？〃







〃I　wish　the　Ork　was　with　us；〃　sighed　Trot。







〃But　the　Ork　isn't　here；〃　said　the　Wizard；　〃and　we



must　depend　upon　ourselves　to　conquer　this　difficulty。



Unfortunately；　all　my　magic　has　been　stolen；　otherwise



I　am　sure　I　could　easily　get　over　the　mountains。〃







〃Unfortunately；〃　observed　the　Woozy；　〃none　of　us　has



wings。　And　we're　in　a　magic　country　without　any　magic。〃







〃What　is　that　around　your　waist；　Dorothy？〃　asked　the



Wizard。







〃That？　Oh；　that's　just　the　Magic　Belt　I　once　captured



from　the　Nome　King；〃　she　replied。







〃A　Magic　Belt！　Why；　that's　fine。　I'm　sure　a　Magic



Belt　would　take　you　over　these　hills。〃







〃It　might；　if　I　knew　how　to　work　it；〃　said　the　little



girl。　〃Ozma　knows　a　lot　of　its　magic；　but　I've　never



found　out　about　it。　All　I　know　is　that　while　I　am



wearing　it　nothing　can　hurt　me。〃







〃Try　wishing　yourself　across；　and　see　if　it　will　obey



you；〃　suggested　the　Wizard。







〃But　what　good　would　that　do？〃　asked　Dorothy。　〃If　I



got　across　it　wouldn't　help　the　rest　of　you；　and　I



couldn't　go　alone　among　all　those　giants　and　dragons；



while　you　stayed　here。〃







〃True　enough；〃　agreed　the　Wizard；　sadly；　and　then；



after　looking　around　the　group；　he　inquired：　〃What　is



that　on　your　finger；　Trot？〃







〃A　ring。　The　Mermaids　gave　it　to　me；〃　she　explained；



〃and　if　ever　I'm　in　trouble　when　I'm　on　the　water　I　can



call　the　Mermaids　and　they'll　come　and　help　me。　But　the



Mermaids　can't　help　me　on　the　land；　you　know；　'cause



they　swim；　and…and…they　haven't　any　legs。〃







〃True　enough；〃　repeated　the　Wizard；　more　sadly。







There　was　a　big；　broad　spreading　tree　near　the　edge



of　the　gulf　and　as　the　sun　was　hot　above　them　they　all



gathered　under　the　shade　of　the　tree　to　study　the



problem　of　what　to　do　next。







〃If　we　had　a　long　rope；〃　said　Betsy；　〃we　could　fasten



it　to　this　tree　and　let　the　other　end　of　it　down　into



the　gulf　and　all　slide　down　it。〃







〃Well；　what　then？〃　asked　the　Wizard。







〃Then；　if　we　could　manage　to　throw　the　rope　up　the



other　side；〃　explained　the　girl；　〃we　could　all　climb　it



and　be　on　the　other　side　of　the　gulf。〃







〃There　are　too　many　'if's'　in　that　suggestion；〃



remarked　the　little　Wizard。　〃And　you　must　remember　that



the　other　side　is　nothing　but　spinning　mountains；　so　we



couldn't　possibly　fasten　a　rope　to　them　　even　if　we



had　one。〃







〃That　rope　idea　isn't　half　bad；　though；〃　said　the



Patchwork　Girl；　who　had　been　dancing　dangerously　near



to　the　edge　of　the　gulf。







〃What　do　you　mean？〃　asked　Dorothy。







The　Patchwork　Girl　suddenly　stood　still　and　cast　her



button　eyes　around　the　group。







〃Ha；　I　have　it！〃　she　exclaimed。　〃Unharness　the



Sawhorse；　somebody；　my　fingers　are　too　clumsy。〃







〃Shall　we？〃　asked　Button…Bright　doubtfully；　turning



to　the　others。







〃Well；　Scraps　has　a　lot　of　brains；　even　if　she　is



stuffed　with　cotton；〃　asserted　the　Wizard。　〃If　her



brains　can　help　us　out　of　this　trouble　we　ought



to　use　them。〃







So　he　began　unharnessing　the　Sawhorse；　and　Button…



Bright　and　Dorothy　hel