the patchwork girl of oz-第15节

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prevented　his　hearing　her。　By　and　by　he　thought　he



heard　a　whistle；　as　of　some　one　whistling　a　tune。



Yes；　it　really　must　be　some　one　whistling；　he



decided；　for　he　could　follow　the　strains　of　a



pretty　Munchkin　melody　that　Unc　Nunkie　used　to



sing　to　him。　The　sounds　were　low　and　sweet　and；



although　they　reached　Ojo's　ears　very　faintly；



they　were　clear　and　harmonious。







Could　the　leaf　whistle；　Ojo　wondered？　Nearer　and



nearer　came　the　sounds　and　then　they　seemed　to　be



just　the　other　side　of　the　leaf　that　was　hugging



him。







Suddenly　the　whole　leaf　toppled　and　fell；



carrying　the　boy　with　it；　and　while　he　sprawled　at



full　length　the　folds　slowly　relaxed　and　set　him



free。　He　scrambled　quickly　to　his　feet　and　found



that　a　strange　man　was　standing　before　hima　man



so　curious　in　appearance　that　the　boy　stared　with



round　eyes。







He　was　a　big　man；　with　shaggy　whiskers；　shaggy



eyebrows；　shaggy　hairbut　kindly　blue　eyes　that



were　gentle　as　those　of　a　cow。　On　his　head　was　a



green　velvet　hat　with　a　jeweled　band；　which　was



all　shaggy　around　the　brim。　Rich　but　shaggy　laces



were　at　his　throat；　a　coat　with　shaggy　edges　was



decorated　with　diamond　buttons；　the　velvet



breeches　had　jeweled　buckles　at　the　knees　and



shags　all　around　the　bottoms。　On　his　breast　hung　a



medallion　bearing　a　picture　of　Princess　Dorothy　of



Oz；　and　in　his　hand；　as　he　stood　looking　at　Ojo；



was　a　sharp　knife　shaped　like　a　dagger。







〃Oh！〃　exclaimed　Ojo；　greatly　astonished　at　the



sight　of　this　stranger；　and　then　he　added：　〃Who



has　saved　me；　sir？〃







〃Can't　you　see？〃　replied　the　other；　with　a



smile；　〃I'm　the　Shaggy　Man。〃







〃Yes；　I　can　see　that；〃　said　the　boy；　nodding。



〃Was　it　you　who　rescued　me　from　the　leaf？〃







〃None　other；　you　may　be　sure。　But　take　care；



or　I　shall　have　to　rescue　you　again。〃







Ojo　gave　a　jump；　for　he　saw　several　broad



leaves　leaning　toward　him；　but　the　Shaggy　Man



began　to　whistle　again；　and　at　the　sound　the



leaves　all　straightened　up　on　their　stems　and



kept　still。







The　man　now　took　Ojo's　arm　and　led　him



up　the　road；　past　the　last　of　the　great　plants；



and　not　till　he　was　safely　beyond　their　reach　did



he　cease　his　whistling。







〃You　see；　the　music　charms　'em；〃　said　he。



〃Singing　or　whistlingit　doesn't　matter　which



makes　'em　behave；　and　nothing　else　will。　I　always



whistle　as　I　go　by　'em　and　so　they　always　let　me



alone。　Today　as　I　went　by；　whistling；　I　saw　a　leaf



curled　and　knew　there　must　be　something　inside　it。



I　cut　down　the　leaf　with　my　knife　andout　you



popped。　Lucky　I　passed　by；　wasn't　it？〃







〃You　were　very　kind；〃　said　Ojo；　〃and　I　thank



you。　Will　you　please　rescue　my　companions；　also？〃







〃What　companions？〃　asked　the　Shaggy　Man。







〃The　leaves　grabbed　them　all；〃　said　the　boy。



〃There's　a　Patchwork　Girl　and〃







〃A　what？〃







〃A　girl　made　of　patchwork；　you　know。　She's



alive　and　her　name　is　Scraps。　And　there's　a



Glass　Cat〃







〃Glass？〃　asked　the　Shaggy　Man。







〃All　glass。〃







〃And　alive？〃







〃Yes；〃　said　Ojo；　〃she　has　pink　brains。　And



there's　a　Woozy〃







〃What's　a　Woozy？〃　inquired　the　Shaggy　Man。







〃Why；　IIcan't　describe　it；〃　answered　the



boy；　greatly　perplexed。　〃But　it's　a　queer　animal



with　three　hairs　on　the　tip　of　its　tail　that　won't



come　out　and〃







〃What　won't　come　out？〃　asked　the　Shaggy　Man；



〃the　tail？〃







〃The　hairs　won't　come　out。　But　you'll　see　the



Woozy；　if　you'll　please　rescue　it；　and　then　you'll



know　just　what　it　is。〃







〃Of　course；〃　said　the　Shaggy　Man；　nodding　his



shaggy　head。　And　then　he　walked　back　among　the



plants；　still　whistling；　and　found　the　three



leaves　which　were　curled　around　Ojo's　traveling



companions。　The　first　leaf　he　cut　down　released



Scraps；　and　on　seeing　her　the　Shaggy　Man　threw



back　his　shaggy　head；　opened　wide　his　mouth　and



laughed　so　shaggily　and　yet　so　merrily　that　Scraps



liked　him　at　once。　Then　he　took　off　his　hat　and



made　her　a　low　bow；　saying：







〃My　dear；　you're　a　wonder。　I　must　introduce



you　to　my　friend　the　Scarecrow。〃







When　he　cut　down　the　second　leaf　he　rescued　the



Glass　Cat；　and　Bungle　was　so　frightened　that　she



scampered　away　like　a　streak　and　soon　had　joined



Ojo；　when　she　sat　beside　him　panting　and



trembling。　The　last　plant　of　all　the　row　had



captured　the　Woozy；　and　a　big　bunch　in　the　center



of　the　curled　leaf　showed　plainly　where　he　was。



With　his　sharp　knife　the　Shaggy　Man　sliced　off　the



stem　of　the　leaf　and　as　it　fell　and　unfolded　out



trotted　the　Woozy　and　escaped　beyond　the　reach　of



any　more　of　the　dangerous　plants。



















Chapter　Eleven







A　Good　Friend











Soon　the　entire　party　was　gathered　on　the　road　of



yellow　bricks；　quite　beyond　the　reach　of　the



beautiful　but　treacherous　plants。　The　Shaggy　Man；



staring　first　at　one　and　then　at　the　other；　seemed



greatly　pleased　and　interested。







〃I've　seen　queer　things　since　I　came　to　the　Land



of　Oz；〃　said　he；　〃but　never　anything　queerer　than



this　band　of　adventurers。　Let　us　sit　down　a　while；



and　have　a　talk　and　get　acquainted。〃







〃Haven't　you　always　lived　in　the　Land　of　Oz？〃



asked　the　Munchkin　boy。







〃No；　I　used　to　live　in　the　big；　outside　world。



But　I　came　here　once　with　Dorothy；　and　Ozma



let　me　stay。〃







〃How　do　you　like　Oz？〃　asked　Scraps。　〃Isn't



the　country　and　the　climate　grand？〃







〃It's　the　finest　country　in　all　the　world；　even



if　it　is　a　fairyland。　and　I'm　happy　every　minute　I



live　in　it；〃　said　the　Shaggy　Man。　〃But　tell　me



something　about　yourselves。〃







So　Ojo　related　the　story　of　his　visit　to　the



house　of　the　Crooked　Magician；　and　how　he　met



there　the　Class　Cat；　and　how　the　Patchwork　Girl



was　brought　to　life　and　of　the　terrible　accident



to　Unc　Nunkie　and　Margdotte。　Then　he　told　how　he



had　set　out　to　find　the　five　different　things



which　the　Magician　needed　to　make　a　charm　that



would　restore　the　marble　figures　to　life；　one



requirement　being　three　hairs　from　a　Woozy's　tail。







〃We　found　the　Woozy；〃　explained　the　boy；



〃and　he　agreed　to　give　us　the　three　hairs；　but



we　couldn't　pull　them　out。　So　we　had　to　bring



the　Woozy　along　with　us。〃







〃I　see；〃　returned　the　Shaggy　Man；　who　had



listened　with　interest　to　the　story。　〃But　perhaps



I；　who　am　big　and　strong；　can　pull　those　three



hairs　from　the　Woozy's　tail。〃







〃Try　it；　if　you　like；〃　said　the　Woozy。







So　the　Shaggy　Man　tried　it；　but　pull　as　hard



as　he　could　he　failed　to　get　the　hairs　out　of　the



Woozy's　tail。　So　he　sat　down　again　and　wiped



his　shaggy　face　with　a　shaggy　silk　handkerchief



and　said：







〃It　doesn't　matter。　If　you　can　keep　the　Woozy



until　you　get　the　rest　of　the　things　you　need；



you　can　take　the　beast　and　his　three　hairs　to



the　Crooked　Magician　and　let　him　find　a　way



to　extract　'em。　What　are　the　other　things　you　are



to　find？〃







〃One；〃　said　Ojo；　〃is　a　six…leaved　clover。〃







〃You　ought　to　find　that　in　the　fields　around



the　Emerald　City；〃　said　the　Shaggy　Man。



〃There　is　a　Law　against　picking　six…leaved



clovers；　but　I　think　I　can　get　Ozma　to　let　you



have　one。〃







〃Thank　you；〃　replied　Ojo。　〃The　next　thing



is　the　left　wing　of　a　yellow　butterfly。〃







〃For　that　you　must　go　to　the　Winkle　Country；〃



the　Shaggy　Man　declared。　〃I've　never　noticed　any



butterflies　there；　but　that　is　the　yellow　country



of　Oz　and　it's　ruled；　by　a　good　friend　of　mine；



the　Tin　Woodman。〃







〃Oh；　I've　heard　of　him！〃　exclaimed　Ojo。　〃He



must　be　a　wonderful　man。〃







〃So　he　is；　and　his　heart　is　wonderfully　kind。



I'm　sure　the　Tin　Woodman　will　do　all　in　his



power　to　help　you　to　save　your　Unc　Nunkie



and　poor　Margolotte。〃







〃The　next　thing　I　must　find；〃　said　the



Munchkin　boy；　〃is　a　gill　of　water　from　a　dark



well。〃







〃Indeed！　Well；　that　is　more　difficult；〃　said



the　Shaggy　Man；　scratching　his　left　ear　in　a



puzzled　way。　〃I've　never　heard　of　a　dark　well；



have　you？〃







〃No；〃　said　Ojo。







〃Do　you　know　where　one　may　be　found？〃　inquired



the　Shaggy　Man。







〃I　can't　imagine；〃　said　Ojo。







〃Then　we　must　ask　the　Scarecro