the patchwork girl of oz-第13节

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piece。







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



thin　lips。







〃That's　mighty　good！〃　it　exclaimed。　〃Any　more？〃







〃Plenty；〃　replied　Ojo。　So　he　sat　down　on　a　Stump



and　fed　the　Woozy　bread　and　cheese　for　a　long



time；　for；　no　matter　how　much　the　boy　broke　off；



the　loaf　and　the　slice　remained　just　as　big。







〃That'll　do；〃　said　the　Woozy；　at　last；　〃I'm



quite　full。　I　hope　the　strange　food　won't　give



me　indigestion。







〃I　hope　not；〃　said　Ojo。　〃It's　what　I　eat。〃







〃Well；　I　must　say　I'm　much　obliged；　and



I'm　glad　you　came；〃　announced　the　beast。　〃Is



there　anything　I　can　do　in　return　for　your



kindness？〃







〃Yes；〃　said　Ojo　earnestly；　〃you　have　it　in



your　power　to　do　me　a　great　favor；　if　you　will。〃







〃What　is　it？〃　asked　the　Woozy。　〃Name　the



favor　and　I　will　grant　it。〃







〃II　want　three　hairs　from　the　tip　of　your



tail；〃　said　Ojo；　with　some　hesitation。







〃Three　hairs！　Why；　that's　all　I　haveon　my



tail　or　anywhere　else；〃　exclaimed　the　beast。







〃I　know；　but　I　want　them　very　much。〃







〃They　are　my　sole　ornaments；　my　prettiest



feature；〃　said　the　Woozy；　uneasily。　〃If　I　give



up　those　three　hairs　II'm　just　a　blockhead。〃







〃Yet　I　must　have　them；〃　insisted　the　boy；



firmly；　and　he　then　told　the　Woozy　all　about　the



accident　to　Unc　Nunkie　and　Margolotte；　and　how　the



three　hairs　were　to　be　a　part　of　the　magic　charm



that　would　restore　them　to　life。　The　beast



listened　with　attention　and　when　Ojo　had　finished



the　recital　it　said；　with　a　sigh。







〃I　always　keep　my　word；　for　I　pride　myself　on



being　square。　So　you　may　have　the　three　hairs；　and



welcome。　I　think；　under　such　circumstances；　it



would　be　selfish　in　me　to　refuse　you。〃







〃Thank　you！　Thank　you　very　much；〃　cried



the　boy；　joyfully。　〃May　I　pull　out　the　hairs



now？〃







〃Any　time　you　like；〃　answered　the　Woozy。







So　Ojo　went　up　to　the　queer　creature　and



taking　hold　of　one　of　the　hairs　began　to　pull。



He　pulled　harder。　He　pulled　with　all　his　might；



but　the　hair　remained　fast。







〃What's　the　trouble？〃　asked　the　Woozy；



which　Ojo　had　dragged　here　and　there　all



around　the　clearing　in　his　endeavor　to　pull　out



the　hair。







〃It　won't　come；〃　said　the　boy；　panting。







〃I　was　afraid　of　that；〃　declared　the　beast。



〃You'll　have　to　pull　harder。〃







〃I'll　help　you；〃　exclaimed　Scraps；　coming　to



the　boy's　side。　〃You　pull　the　hair；　and　I'll　pull



you；　and　together　we　ought　to　get　it　out　easily。〃







〃Wait　a　jiffy；〃　called　the　Woozy；　and　then



it　went　to　a　tree　and　hugged　it　with　its　front



paws；　so　that　its　body　couldn't　be　dragged



around　by　the　pull。　〃All　ready；　now。　Go　ahead！〃







Ojo　grasped　the　hair　with　both　hands　and



pulled　with　all　his　strength；　while　Scraps　seized



the　boy　around　his　waist　and　added　her　strength



to　his。　But　the　hair　wouldn't　budge。　Instead；　it



slipped　out　of　Ojo's　hands　and　he　and　Scraps



both　rolled　upon　the　ground　in　a　heap　and　never



stopped　until　they　bumped　against　the　rocky



cave。







〃Give　it　up；〃　advised　the　Glass　Cat；　as　the



boy　arose　and　assisted　the　Patchwork　Girl　to　her



feet。　〃A　dozen　strong　men　couldn't　pull　out



those　Hairs。　I　believe　they're　clinched　on　the



under　side　of　the　Woozy's　thick　skin。〃







〃Then　what　shall　I　do？〃　asked　the　boy；



despairingly。　〃If　on　our　return　I　fail　to　take



these　three　hairs　to　the　Crooked　Magician；　the



other　things　I　have　come　to　seek　will　be　of　no



use　at　all；　and　we　cannot　restore　Unc　Nunkie



and　Margolotte　to　life。〃







〃They're　goners；　I　guess；〃　said　the　Patchwork



Girl。







〃Never　mind；〃　added　the　cat。　〃I　can't　see　that



old　Unc　and　Margolotte　are　worth　all　this　trouble；



anyhow。〃







But　Ojo　did　not　feel　that　way。　He　was　so



disheartened　that　he　sat　down　upon　a　stump　and



began　to　cry。







The　Woozy　looked　at　the　boy　thoughtfully。







〃Why　don't　you　take　me　with　you？〃　asked　the



beast。　〃Then；　when　at　last　you　get　to　the



Magician's　house；　he　can　surely　find　some　way　to



pull　out　those　three　hairs。〃







Ojo　was　overjoyed　at　this　suggestion。







〃That's　it！〃　he　cried；　wiping　away　the　tears



and　springing　to　his　feet　with　a　smile。　〃If　I　take



the　three　hairs　to　the　Magician；　it　won't　matter



if　they　are　still　in　your　body。〃







〃It　can't　matter　in　the　least；〃　agreed　the



Woozy。







〃Come　on；　then；〃　said　the　boy；　picking　up　his



basket；　〃let　us　start　at　once。　I　have　several　other



things　to　find；　you　know。〃







But　the　Class　Cat　gave　a　little　laugh　and



inquired　in　her　scornful　way：







〃How　do　you　intend　to　get　the　beast　out　of　this



forest？〃







That　puzzled　them　all　for　a　time。







〃Let　us　go　to　the　fence；　and　then　we　may　find　a



way；〃　suggested　Scraps。　So　they　walked　through　the



forest　to　the　fence；　reaching　it　at　a　point



exactly　opposite　that　where　they　had　entered　the



enclosure。







〃How　did　you　get　in？〃　asked　the　Woozy。







〃We　climbed　over；〃　answered　Ojo。







〃I　can't　do　that；〃　said　the　beast。　〃I'm　a　very



swift　runner；　for　I　can　overtake　a　honey…bee　as



it　flies；　and　I　can　jump　very　high；　which　is　the



reason　they　made　such　a　tall　fence　to　keep　me



in。　But　I　can't　climb　at　all；　and　I'm　too　big　to



squeeze　between　the　bars　of　the　fence。〃







Ojo　tried　to　think　what　to　do。







〃Can　you　dig？〃　he　asked。







〃No；〃　answered　the　Woozy；　〃for　I　have　no



claws。　My　feet　are　quite　flat　on　the　bottom　of



them。　Nor　can　I　gnaw　away　the　boards；　as　I



have　no　teeth。〃







〃You're　not　such　a　terrible　creature；　after　all；〃



remarked　Scraps。







〃You　haven't　heard　me　growl；　or　you　wouldn't　say



that；〃　declared　the　Woozy。　〃When　I　growl；　the



sound　echoes　like　thunder　all　through　the　valleys



and　woodlands；　and　children　tremble　with　fear；　and



women　cover　their　heads　with　their　aprons；　and　big



men　run　and　hide。　I　suppose　there　is　nothing　in



the　world　so　terrible　to　listen　to　as　the　growl　of



a　Woosy。〃







〃Please　don't　growl；　then；〃　begged　Ojo；



earnestly。







〃There　is　no　danger　of　my　growling；　for



I　am　not　angry。　Only　when　angry　do　I　utter



my　fearful；　ear…splitting；　soul…shuddering　growl。



Also；　when　I　am　angry；　my　eyes　flash　fire；



whether　I　growl　or　not。〃







〃Real　fire？〃　asked　Ojo。







〃Of　course；　real　fire。　Do　you　suppose　they'd



flash　imitation　fire？〃　inquired　the　Woozy；　in　an



injured　tone。







〃In　that　case；　I've　solved　the　riddle；〃　cried



Scraps；　dancing　with　glee。　〃Those　fence…boards



are　made　of　wood；　and　if　the　Woozy　stands



close　to　the　fence　and　lets　his　eyes　flash　fire；



they　might　set　fire　to　the　fence　and　burn　it　up。



Then　he　could　walk　away　with　us　easily；　being



free。〃







〃Ah；　I　have　never　thought　of　that　plan；　or　I



would　have　been　free　long　ago；〃　said　the　Woozy。



〃But　I　cannot　flash　fire　from　my　eyes　unless　I　am



very　angry。〃







〃Can't　you　get　angry　'bout　something；　please？〃



asked　Ojo。







〃I'll　try。　You　just　say　'Krizzle…Kroo'　to　me。〃







〃Will　that　make　you　angry？〃　inquired　the　boy~。







〃Terribly　angry。〃







〃What　does　it　mean？〃　asked　Scraps。







〃I　don't　know；　that's　what　makes　me　so　angry；〃



re…plied　the　Woozy。







He　then　stood　close　to　the　fence；　with　his



head　near　one　of　the　boards；　and　Scraps　called　out



〃Krizzle…Kroo！〃　Then　Ojo　said　〃Krizzle…Kroo！〃



and　the　Glass　Cat　said　〃Krizzle…Kroo！〃　The　Woozy



began　　to　tremble　with　anger　and　small　sparks



darted　from　his　eyes。　Seeing　this；　they　all　cried



〃Krizzle…Kroo！〃　together；　and　that　made　the



beast's　eyes　flash　fire　so　fiercely　that　the



fence…board　caught　the　sparks　and　began　to　smoke。



Then　it　burst　into　flame；　and　the　Woozy　stepped



back　and　said　triumphantly：







〃Aha！　That　did　the　business；　all　right。　It　was



a　happy　thought　for　you　to　yell　all　together；　for



that　made　me　as　angry　as　I　have　ever　been。



Fine　sparks；　weren't　they？〃







〃Reg'lar　fireworks；〃　replied　Scraps；　admiringly。







In　a　few　moments　the　board　had　burned　to　a



distance　of　several　feet；　leaving　an　opening　big



enough　for　them　all　to　pass　through。　Ojo　broke



some　branches　from　a　tree　and　with　them



whipped　the　fire　until　it　was　extinguish