the patchwork girl of oz-第12节

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Facing　fortunes　good　and　bad；



Meeting　dangers　grave　and　sad；



Sometimes　worried；　sometimes　glad



Where　you're　going　you　don't　know；



Nor　do　I；　but　off　you　go！〃











〃Sounds　like　a　hint；　to　me；〃　said　the　Patchwork　Girl。







〃Then　let's　take　it　and　go；〃　replied　Ojo。







They　said　good…bye　to　the　Wise　Donkey　and　the



Foolish　Owl　and　at　once　resumed　their　journey。



















Chapter　Nine







They　Meet　the　Woozy















〃There　seem　to　be　very　few　houses　around　here；



after　all；〃　remarked　Ojo；　after　they　had　walked



for　a　time　in　silence。







〃Never　mind；〃　said　Scraps；　〃we　are　not　looking



for　houses；　but　rather　the　road　of　yellow　bricks。



Won't　it　be　funny　to　run　across　something　yellow



in　this　dismal　blue　country？〃







〃There　are　worse　colors　than　yellow　in　this



country；〃　asserted　the　Glass　Cat；　in　a　spiteful



tone。







〃Oh；　do　you　mean　the　pink　pebbles　you　call



your　brains；　and　your　red　heart　and　green　eyes？〃



asked　the　Patchwork　Girl。







〃No；　I　mean　you；　if　you　must　know　it；〃　growled



the　cat。







〃You're　jealous！〃　laughed　Scraps。　〃You'd　give



your　whiskers　for　a　lovely　variegated　complexion



like　mine。〃







〃I　wouldn't！〃　retorted　the　cat。　〃I've　the



clearest　complexion　in　the　world；　and　I　don't



employ　a　beauty…doctor；　either。〃







〃I　see　you　don't；〃　said　Scraps。







〃Please　don't　quarrel；〃　begged　Ojo。　〃This　is　an



important　journey；　and　quarreling　makes　me



discouraged。　To　be　brave；　one　must　be　cheerful；　so



I　hope　you　will　be　as　good…tempered　as　possible。〃







They　had　traveled　some　distance　when　suddenly



they　faced　a　high　fence　which　barred　any　further



progress　straight　ahead。　It　ran　directly　across



the　road　and　enclosed　a　small　forest　of　tall



trees；　set　close　together。　When　the　group　of



adventurers　peered　through　the　bars　of　the　fence



they　thought　this　forest　looked　more　gloomy　and



forbidding　than　any　they　had　ever　seen　before。







They　soon　discovered　that　the　path　they　had



been　following　now　made　a　bend　and　passed



around　the　enclosure；　but　what　made　Ojo　stop



and　look　thoughtful　was　a　sign　painted　on　the



fence　which　read：











〃BEWARE　OF　THE　WOOZY！〃











〃That　means；〃　he　said；　〃that　there's　a　Woozy



inside　that　fence；　and　the　Woozy　must　be　a



dangerous　animal　or　they　wouldn't　tell　people



to　beware　of　it。〃







〃Let's　keep　out；　then；〃　replied　Scraps。　〃That



path　is　outside　the　fence；　and　Mr。　Woozy　may　have



all　his　little　forest　to　himself；　for　all　we　care。〃







〃But　one　of　our　errands　is　to　find　a　Woozy；〃



Ojo　explained。　〃The　Magician　wants　me　to　get



three　hairs　from　the　end　of　a　Woozy's　tail。〃







〃Let's　go　on　and　find　some　other　Woozy；〃



suggested　the　cat。　〃This　one　is　ugly　and



dangerous；　or　they　wouldn't　cage　him　up。　Maybe



we　shall　find　another　that　is　tame　and　gentle。〃







〃Perhaps　there　isn't　any　other；　at　all；〃



answered　Ojo。　〃The　sign　doesn't　say：　'Beware　a



Woozy'；　it　says：　'Beware　the　Woozy；'　which　may；



mean　there's　only　one　in　all　the　Land　of　Oz。







〃Then；〃　said　Scraps；　〃suppose　we　go　in　and



find　him？　Very　likely　if　we　ask　him　politely　to



let　us　pull　three　hairs　out　of　the　tip　of　his　tail



he　won't　hurt　us。〃







〃It　would　hurt　him；　I'm　sure；　and　that　would



make　him　cross；〃　said　the　cat。







〃You　needn't　worry；　Bungle；〃　remarked　the



Patchwork　Girl；　〃for　if　there　is　danger　you　can



climb　a　tree。　Ojo　and　I　are　not　afraid；　are　we；



Ojo？〃







〃I　am；　a　little；〃　the　boy　admitted；　〃but　this



danger　must　be　faced；　if　we　intend　to　save　poor







Unc　Nunkie。　How　shall　we　get　over　the　fence？〃







〃Climb；〃　answered　Scraps；　and　at　once　she　began



climbing　up　the　rows　of　bars。　Ojo　followed　and



found　it　more　easy　than　he　had　expected。　When　they



got　to　the　top　of　the　fence　they　began　to　get　down



on　the　other　side　and　soon　were　in　the　forest。　The



Glass　Cat；　being　small；　crept　between　the　lower



bars　and　joined　them。







Here　there　was　no　path　of　any　sort；　so　they



entered　the　woods；　the　boy　leading　the　way；



and　wandered　through　the　trees　until　they　were



nearly　in　the　center　of　the　forest。　They　now



came　upon　a　clear　space　in　which　stood　a　rocky



cave。







So　far　they　had　met　no　living　creature；　but



when　Ojo　saw　the　cave　he　knew　it　must　be　the



den　of　the　Woozy。







It　is　hard　to　face　any　savage　beast　without



a　sinking　of　the　heart；　but　still　more　terrifying



is　it　to　face　an　unknown　beast；　which　you　have



never　seen　even　a　picture　of。　So　there　is　little



wonder　that　the　pulses　of　the　Munchkin　boy



beat　fast　as　he　and　his　companions　stood　facing



the　cave。　The　opening　was　perfectly　square；



and　about　big　enough　to　admit　a　goat。







〃I　guess　the　Woozy　is　asleep；〃　said　Scraps。



〃Shall　I　throw　in　a　stone；　to　waken　him？〃







〃No；　please　don't；〃　answered　Ojo；　his　voice



trembling　a　little。　〃I'm　in　no　hurry。〃







But　he　had　not　long　to　wait；　for　the　Woozy



heard　the　sound　of　voices　and　came　trotting　out



of　his　cave。　As　this　is　the　only　Woozy　that　has



ever　lived；　either　in　the　Land　of　Oz　or　out　of



it；　I　must　describe　it　to　you。







The　creature　was　all　squares　and　flat　surfaces



and　edges。　Its　head　was　an　exact　square；　like



one　of　the　building…blocks　a　child　plays　with；



therefore　it　had　no　ears；　but　heard　sounds



through　two　openings　in　the　upper　corners。　Its



nose；　being　in　the　center　of　a　square　surface；



was　flat；　while　the　mouth　was　formed　by　the



opening　of　the　lower　edge　of　the　block。　The



body　of　the　Woozy　was　much　larger　than　its



head；　but　was　likewise　block…shapedbeing



twice　as　long　as　it　was　wide　and　high。　The　tail



was　square　and　stubby　and　perfectly　straight；



and　the　four　legs　were　made　in　the　same　way；



each　being　four…sided。　The　animal　was　covered



with　a　thick；　smooth　skin　and　had　no　hair　at　all



except　at　the　extreme　end　of　its　tail；　where　there



grew　exactly　three　stiff；　stubby　hairs。　The　beast



was　dark　blue　in　color　and　his　face　was　not



fierce　nor　ferocious　in　expression；　but　rather



good…humored　and　droll。







Seeing　the　strangers；　the　Woozy　folded　his



hind　legs　as　if　they　Lad　been　hinged　and　sat



down　to　look　his　visitors　over。







〃Well；　well；〃　he　exclaimed；　〃what　a　queer　lot



you　are！　at　first　I　thought　some　of　those



miserable　Munchkin　farmers　had　come　to　annoy　me；



but　I　am　relieved　to　find　you　in　their　stead。　It



is　plain　to　me　that　you　are　a　remarkable　groupas



remarkable　in　your　way　as　I　am　in　mineand　so　you



are　welcome　to　my　domain。　Nice　place；　isn't　it？



But　lonesome…dreadfully　lonesome。〃







〃Why　did　they　shut　you　up　here？〃　asked



Scraps；　who　was　regarding　the　queer；　square



creature　with　much　curiosity。







〃Because　I　eat　up　all　the　honey…bees　which



the　Munchkin　farmers　who　live　around　here



keep　to　make　them　honey。〃







〃Are　you　fond　of　eating　honey…bees？〃　inquired



the　boy。







〃Very。　They　are　really　delicious。　But　the



farmers　did　not　like　to　lose　their　bees　and　so



they　tried　to　destroy　me。　Of　course　they　couldn't



do　that。〃







〃Why　not？〃







〃My　skin　is　so　thick　and　tough　that　nothing　can



get　through　it　to　hurt　me。　So；　finding　they　could



not　destroy　me；　they　drove　me　into　this　forest　and



built　a　fence　around　me。　Unkind；　wasn't　it？〃







〃But　what　do　you　eat　now？〃　asked　Ojo。







〃Nothing　at　all。　I've　tried　the　leaves　from　the



trees　and　the　mosses　and　creeping　vines；　but　they



don't　seem　to　suit　my　taste。　So；　there　being　no



honey…bees　here；　I've　eaten　nothing　for　years。







〃You　must　be　awfully　hungry；〃　said　the　boy。



〃I've　got　some　bread　and　cheese　in　my　basket。



Would　you　like　that　kind　of　food？〃







〃Give　me　a　nibble　and　I　will　try　it；　then　I



can　tell　you　better　whether　it　is　grateful　to　my



appetite；〃　returned　the　Woozy。







So　the　boy　opened　his　basket　and　broke　a



piece　off　the　loaf　of　bread。　He　tossed　it　toward



the　Woozy；　who　cleverly　caught　it　in　his　mouth



and　ate　it　in　a　twinkling。







〃That's　rather　good；〃　declared　the　animal。



〃Any　more？〃







〃Try　some　cheese；〃　said　Ojo；　and　threw　down　a



piece。







The　Woozy　ate　that；　too；　and　smacked　its　long；



thin　lips。