glinda of oz-第3节

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said　to　the　girl。　〃If　serious　danger　threatens　you；

turn　the　ring　around　on　your　finger　once　to　the　right

and　another　turn　to　the　left。　That　will　ring　the　alarm

bell　in　my　palace　and　I　will　at　once　come　to　your

rescue。　But　do　not　use　the　ring　unless　you　are　actually

in　danger　of　destruction。　While　you　remain　with

Princess　Ozma　I　believe　she　will　be　able　to　protect　you

from　all　lesser　ills。〃



〃Thank　you；　Glinda；〃　responded　Dorothy　gratefully；　as

she　placed　the　ring　on　her　finger。　〃I'm　going　to　wear

my　Magic　Belt　which　I　took　from　the　Nome　King；　too；　so

I　guess　I'll　be　safe　from　anything　the　Skeezers　and

Flatheads　try　to　do　to　me。〃



Ozma　had　many　arrangements　to　make　before　she　could

leave　her　throne　and　her　palace　in　the　Emerald　City；

even　for　a　trip　of　a　few　days；　so　she　bade　goodbye　to

Glinda　and　with　Dorothy　climbed　into　the　Red　Wagon。　A

word　to　the　wooden　Sawhorse　started　that　astonishing

creature　on　the　return　journey；　and　so　swiftly　did　he

run　that　Dorothy　was　unable　to　talk　or　do　anything　but

hold　tight　to　her　seat　all　the　way　back　to　the　Emerald

City。









Chapter　Two



Ozma　and　Dorothy







Residing　in　Ozma's　palace　at　this　time　was　a　live

Scarecrow；　a　most　remarkable　and　intelligent　creature

who　had　once　ruled　the　Land　of　Oz　for　a　brief　period

and　was　much　loved　and　respected　by　all　the　people。

Once　a　Munchkin　farmer　had　stuffed　an　old　suit　of

clothes　with　straw　and　put　stuffed　boots　on　the　feet

and　used　a　pair　of　stuffed　cotton　gloves　for　hands。　The

head　of　the　Scarecrow　was　a　stuffed　sack　fastened　to

the　body；　with　eyes；　nose；　mouth　and　ears　painted　on

the　sack。　When　a　hat　had　been　put　on　the　head；　the

thing　was　a　good　imitation　of　a　man。　The　farmer　placed

the　Scarecrow　on　a　pole　in　his　cornfield　and　it　came　to

life　in　a　curious　manner。　Dorothy；　who　was　passing　by

the　field；　was　hailed　by　the　live　Scarecrow　and　lifted

him　off　his　pole。　He　then　went　with　her　to　the　Emerald

City；　where　the　Wizard　of　Oz　gave　him　some　excellent

brains；　and　the　Scarecrow　soon　became　an　important

personage。



Ozma　considered　the　Scarecrow　one　of　her　best　friends

and　most　loyal　subjects；　so　the　morning　after　her　visit

to　Glinda　she　asked　him　to　take　her　place　as　Ruler　of

the　Land　of　Oz　while　she　was　absent　on　a　journey；　and

the　Scarecrow　at　once　consented　without　asking　any

questions。



Ozma　had　warned　Dorothy　to　keep　their　journey　a

secret　and　say　nothing　to　anyone　about　the　Skeezers　and

Flatheads　until　their　return；　and　Dorothy　promised　to

obey。　She　longed　to　tell　her　girl　friends；　tiny　Trot

and　Betsy　Bobbin；　of　the　adventure　they　were

undertaking；　but　refrained　from　saying　a　word　on　the

subject　although　both　these　girls　lived　with　her　in

Ozma's　palace。



Indeed；　only　Glinda　the　Sorceress　knew　they　were

going；　until　after　they　had　gone；　and　even　the

Sorceress　didn't　know　what　their　errand　might　be。



Princess　Ozma　took　the　Sawhorse　and　the　Red　Wagon；

although　she　was　not　sure　there　was　a　wagon　road　all

the　way　to　the　Lake　of　the　Skeezers。　The　Land　of　Oz　is

a　pretty　big　place；　surrounded　on　all　sides　by　a　Deadly

Desert　which　it　is　impossible　to　cross；　and　the　Skeezer

Country；　according　to　the　map；　was　in　the　farthest

northwestern　part　of　Oz；　bordering　on　the　north　desert。

As　the　Emerald　City　was　exactly　in　the　center　of　Oz；　it

was　no　small　journey　from　there　to　the　Skeezers。



Around　the　Emerald　City　the　country　is　thickly

settled　in　every　direction；　but　the　farther　away　you

get　from　the　city　the　fewer　people　there　are；　until

those　parts　that　border　on　the　desert　have　small

populations。　Also　those　faraway　sections　are　little

known　to　the　Oz　people；　except　in　the　south；　where

Glinda　lives　and　where　Dorothy　has　often　wandered　on

trips　of　exploration。



The　least　known　of　all　is　the　Gillikin　Country；　which

harbors　many　strange　bands　of　people　among　its

mountains　and　valleys　and　forests　and　streams；　and　Ozma

was　now　bound　for　the　most　distant　part　of　the　Gillikin

Country。



〃I　am　really　sorry；〃　said　Ozma　to　Dorothy；　as　they

rode　away　in　the　Red　Wagon；　〃not　to　know　more　about　the

wonderful　Land　I　rule。　It　is　my　duty　to　be　acquainted

with　every　tribe　of　people　and　every　strange　and　hidden

country　in　all　Oz；　but　I　am　kept　so　busy　at　my　palace

making　laws　and　planning　for　the　comforts　of　those　who

live　near　the　Emerald　City；　that　I　do　not　often　find

time　to　make　long　journeys。〃



〃Well；〃　replied　Dorothy；　〃we'll　prob'bly　find　out　a

lot　on　this　trip；　and　we'll　learn　all　about　the

Skeezers　and　Flatheads；　anyhow。　Time　doesn't　make　much

diff'rence　in　the　Land　of　Oz；　'cause　we　don't　grow　up；

or　get　old；　or　become　sick　and　die；　as　they　do　other

places；　so；　if　we　explore　one　place　at　a　time；　we'll

by…an'…by　know　all　about　every　nook　and　corner　in　Oz。〃



Dorothy　wore　around　her　waist　the　Nome　King's　Magic

Belt；　which　protected　her　from　harm；　and　the　Magic　Ring

which　Glinda　had　given　her　was　on　her　finger。　Ozma　had

merely　slipped　a　small　silver　wand　into　the　bosom　of

her　gown；　for　fairies　do　not　use　chemicals　and　herbs

and　the　tools　of　wizards　and　sorcerers　to　perform　their

magic。　The　Silver　Wand　was　Ozma's　one　weapon　of　offense

and　defense　and　by　its　use　she　could　accomplish　many

things。



They　had　left　the　Emerald　City　just　at　sunrise　and

the　Sawhorse　traveled　very　swiftly　over　the　roads

towards　the　north；　but　in　a　few　hours　the　wooden　animal

had　to　slacken　his　pace　because　the　farm　houses　had

become　few　and　far　between　and　often　there　were　no

paths　at　all　in　the　direction　they　wished　to　follow。　At

such　times　they　crossed　the　fields；　avoiding　groups　of

trees　and　fording　the　streams　and　rivulets　whenever

they　came　to　them。　But　finally　they　reached　a　broad

hillside　closely　covered　with　scrubby　brush；　through

which　the　wagon　could　not　pass。



〃It　will　be　difficult　even　for　you　and　me　to　get

through　without　tearing　our　dresses；〃　said　Ozma；　〃so　we

must　leave　the　Sawhorse　and　the　Wagon　here　until　our

return。〃



〃That's　all　right；〃　Dorothy　replied；　〃I'm　tired

riding；　anyhow。　Do　you　s'pose；　Ozma；　we're　anywhere

near　the　Skeezer　Country？〃



〃I　cannot　tell；　Dorothy　dear；　but　I　know　we've　been

going　in　the　right　direction；　so　we　are　sure　to　find　it

in　time。〃



The　scrubby　brush　was　almost　like　a　grove　of　small

trees；　for　it　reached　as　high　as　the　heads　of　the　two

girls；　neither　of　whom　was　very　tall。　They　were　obliged

to　thread　their　way　in　and　out；　until　Dorothy　was

afraid　they　would　get　lost；　and　finally　they　were

halted　by　a　curious　thing　that　barred　their　further

progress。　It　was　a　huge　web　　as　if　woven　by　gigantic

spiders　　and　the　delicate；　lacy　film　was　fastened

stoutly　to　the　branches　of　the　bushes　and　continued　to

the　right　and　left　in　the　form　of　a　half　circle。　The

threads　of　this　web　were　of　a　brilliant　purple　color

and　woven　into　numerous　artistic　patterns；　but　it

reached　from　the　ground　to　branches　above　the　heads　of

the　girls　and　formed　a　sort　of　fence　that　hedged　them

in。



〃It　doesn't　look　very　strong；　though；〃　said　Dorothy。

〃I　wonder　if　we　couldn't　break　through。〃　She　tried　but

found　the　web　stronger　than　it　seemed。　All　her　efforts

could　not　break　a　single　thread。



〃We　must　go　back；　I　think；　and　try　to　get　around　this

peculiar　web；〃　Ozma　decided。



So　they　turned　to　the　right　and；　following　the　web

found　that　it　seemed　to　spread　in　a　regular　circle。　On

and　on　they　went　until　finally　Ozma　said　they　had

returned　to　the　exact　spot　from　which　they　had　started。

〃Here　is　a　handkerchief　you　dropped　when　we　were　here

before；〃　she　said　to　Dorothy。



〃In　that　case；　they　must　have　built　the　web　behind

us；　after　we　walked　into　the　trap；〃　exclaimed　the

little　girl。



〃True；〃　agreed　Ozma；　〃an　enemy　has　tried　to　imprison

us。〃



〃And　they　did　it；　too；〃　said　Dorothy。　〃I　wonder　who

it　was。〃



〃It's　a　spider…web；　I'm　quite　sure；〃　returned　Ozma；

〃but　it　must　be　the　work　of　enormous　spiders。〃



〃Quite　right！〃　cried　a　voice　behind　them。　Turning

quickly　around　they　beheld　a　huge　purple　spider　sitting

not　two　yards　away　and　regarding　them　with　its　small

bright　eyes。



Then　there　crawled　from　the　bushes　a　dozen　more　great

purple　spiders；　which　saluted　the　first　one　and　said：



〃The　web　is　finished；　O　King；　and　the　strangers　are

our　prisoners。〃



Dorothy　did　not　like　the　looks　of　these　spiders　at

all。　They　had　big　heads；　sharp　claws；　small　eyes　and

fuzzy　hair　all　over　their　purple　bodies。



〃They　look　wicked；〃　she　whispered　to　Ozma。　〃What

shall　we　do？〃



Ozma　gazed　upon　the　spiders　with　a　serious　face。



〃What　is　your　object　in　making　us　prisoners？〃　she

inquired。



〃We　need　someone　to　keep　house　for　us；〃　answered　the

Spider　King。　〃There　is　sweeping　and　dusting　to　be　done；

and　polishing　and　washing　of　dishes；　and　that　is　work

my　people　dislike　to　do。　So　we　decided　that