the patchwork girl of oz-第16节

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the　Shaggy　Man。







〃I　can't　imagine；〃　said　Ojo。







〃Then　we　must　ask　the　Scarecrow。〃







〃The　Scarecrow！　But　surely；　sir；　a　scarecrow



can't　know　anything。〃







〃Most　scarecrows　don't；　I　admit；〃　answered



the　Shaggy　Man。　〃But　this　Scarecrow　of　whom



I　speak　is　very　intelligent。　He　claims　to　possess



the　best　brains　in　all　Oz。〃







〃Better　than　mine？〃　asked　Scraps。







〃Better　than　mine？〃　echoed　the　Glass　Cat。



〃Mine　are　pink；　and　you　can　see　'em　work。〃







〃Well；　you　can't　see　the　Scarecrow's　brains



work；　but　they　do　a　lot　of　clever　thinking；〃



asserted　the　Shaggy　Man。　〃If　anyone　knows　where　a



dark　well　is；　it's　my　friend　the　Scarecrow。〃







〃Where　does　he　live？〃　inquired　Ojo。







〃He　has　a　splendid　castle　in　the　Winkle



Country；　near　to　the　palace　of　his　friend　the



Tin　Woodman；　and　he　is　often　to　be　found　in



the　Emerald　City；　where　he　visits　Dorothy　at



the　royal　palace。〃







〃Then　we　will　ask　him　about　the　dark　well；〃



said　Ojo。







〃But　what　else　does　this　Crooked　Magician



want？〃　asked　the　Shaggy　Man。







〃A　drop　of　oil　from　a　live　man's　body。〃







〃Oh；　but　there　isn't　such　a　thing。〃







〃That　is　what　I　thought；〃　replied　Ojo；　〃but



the　Crooked　Magician　said　it　wouldn't　be　called



for　by　the　recipe　if　it　couldn't　be　found；　and



therefore　I　must　search　until　I　find　it。〃







〃I　wish　you　good　luck；〃　said　the　Shaggy　Man；



shaking　his　head　doubtfully；　〃but　I　imagine



you'll　have　a　hard　job　getting　a　drop　of　oil　from



a　live　man's　body。　There's　blood　in　a　body；　but



no　oil。〃







〃There's　cotton　in　mine；〃　said　Scraps；　dancing



a　little　jig。







〃I　don't　doubt　it；〃　returned　the　Shaggy　Man



admiringly。　〃You're　a　regular　comforter　and　as



sweet　as　patchwork　can　be。　All　you　lack　is



dignity。〃







〃I　hate　dignity；〃　cried　Scraps；　kicking　a　pebble



high　in　the　air　and　then　trying　to　catch　it　as　it



fell。　〃Half　the　fools　and　all　the　wise　folks　are



dignified；　and　I'm　neither　the　one　nor　the　other。〃







〃She's　just　crazy；〃　explained　the　Glass　Cat。







The　Shaggy　Man　laughed。







〃She's　delightful；　in　her　way；〃　he　said。　〃I'm



sure　Dorothy　will　be　pleased　with　her；　and　the



Scarecrow　will　dote　on　her。　Did　you　say　you



were　traveling　toward　the　Emerald　City？〃







〃Yes；〃　replied　Ojo。　〃I　thought　that　the　best



place　to　go；　at　first；　because　the　six…leaved　clover



may　be　found　there。〃







〃I'll　go　with　you；〃　said　the　Shaggy　Man；　〃and



show　you　the　way。〃







〃Thank　you；〃　exclaimed　Ojo。　〃I　hope　it　won't



put　you　out　any。〃







〃No；〃　said　the　other；　〃I　wasn't　going　anywhere



in　particular。　I've　been　a　rover　all　my　life；　and



although　Ozma　has　given　me　a　suite　of　beautiful



rooms　in　her　palace　I　still　get　the　wandering



fever　once　in　a　while　and　start　out　to　roam　the



country　over。　I've　been　away　from　the　Emerald　City



several　weeks；　this　time；　and　now　that　I've　met



you　and　your　friends　I'm　sure　it　will　interest　me



to　accompany　you　to　the　great　city　of　Oz　and



introduce　you　to　my　friends。〃







〃That　will　be　very　nice；〃　said　the　boy；



gratefully。







〃I　hope　your　friends　are　not　dignified；〃



observed　Scraps。







〃Some　are；　and　some　are　not；〃　he　answered；



〃but　I　never　criticise　my　friends。　If　they　are



really　true　friends；　they　may　be　anything　they



like；　for　all　of　me。〃







〃There's　some　sense　in　that；〃　said　Scraps；



nodding　her　queer　head　in　approval。　〃Come　on；　and



let's　get　to　the　Emerald　City　as　soon　as



possible。〃　With　this　she　ran　up　the　path；　skipping



and　dancing；　and　then　turned　to　await　them。







〃It　is　quite　a　distance　from　here　to　the　Emerald



City；〃　remarked　the　Shaggy　Man；　〃so　we　shall　not



get　there　to…day；　nor　to…morrow。　Therefore　let　us



take　the　jaunt　in　an　easy　manner。　I'm　an　old



traveler　and　have　found　that　I　never　gain　anything



by　being　in　a　hurry。　'Take　it　easy'　is　my　motto。



If　you　can't　take　it　easy；　take　it　as　easy　as　you



can。〃







After　walking　some　distance　over　the　road　of



yellow　bricks　Ojo　said　he　was　hungry　and　would



stop　to　eat　some　bread　and　cheese。　He　offered　a



portion　of　the　food　to　the　Shaggy　Man；　who　thanked



him　but　refused　it。







〃When　I　start　out　on　my　travels；〃　said　he；



〃I　carry　along　enough　square　meals　to　last　me



several　weeks。　Think　I'll　indulge　in　one　now；



as　long　as　we're　stopping　anyway。〃







Saying　this；　he　took　a　bottle　from　his　pocket



and　shook　from　it　a　tablet　about　the　size　of　one



of　Ojo's　finger…nails。







〃That；〃　announced　the　Shaggy　Man；　〃is　a　square



meal；　in　condensed　form。　Invention　of　the　great



Professor　Woggle…Bug；　of　the　Royal　College　of



Athletics。　It　contains　soup；　fish；　roast　meat；



salad；　apple…dumplings；　ice　cream　and　chocolate…



drops；　all　boiled　down　to　this　small　size；　so　it



can　be　conveniently　carried　and　swallowed　when　you



are　hungry　and　need　a　square　meal。〃







〃I'm　square；〃　said　the　Woozy。　〃Give　me　one；



please。〃







So　the　Shaggy　Man　gave　the　Woozy　a　tablet　from



his　bottle　and　the　beast　ate　it　in　a　twinkling。







〃You　have　now　had　a　six　course　dinner；〃



declared　the　Shaggy　Man。







〃Pshaw！〃　said　the　Woozy；　ungratefully；　〃I



want　to　taste　something。　There's　no　fun　in　that



sort　of　eating。〃







〃One　should　only　eat　to　sustain　life；〃　replied



the　Shaggy　Man；　〃and　that　tablet　is　equal　to　a



peck　of　other　food。〃







〃I　don't　care　for　it。　I　want　something　I　can



chew　and　taste；〃　grumbled　the　Woozy。







〃You　are　quite　wrong；　my　poor　beast；〃　said



the　Shaggy　Man　in　a　tone　of　pity。　〃Think　how



tired　your　jaws　would　get　chewing　a　square



meal　like　this；　if　it　were　not　condensed　to　the



size　of　a　small　tabletwhich　you　can　swallow



in　a　jiffy。〃







〃Chewing　isn't　tiresome；　it's　fun；　　maintained



the　Woozy。　〃I　always　chew　the　honey…bees　when　I



catch　them。　Give　me　some　bread　and　cheese；　Ojo。〃







〃No；　no！　You've　already　eaten　a　big　dinner！〃



protested　the　Shaggy　Man。







〃May　be；〃　answered　the　Woozy；　〃but　I　guess



I'll　fool　myself　by　munching　some　bread　and



cheese。　I　may　not　be　hungry；　having　eaten　all



those　things　you　gave　me；　but　I　consider　this



eating　business　a　matter　of　taste；　and　I　like　to



realize　what's　going　into　me。〃







Ojo　gave　the　beast　what　he　wanted；　but　the



Shaggy　Man　shook　his　shaggy　head　reproachfully　and



said　there　was　no　animal　so　obstinate　or　hard　to



convince　as　a　Woozy。







At　this　moment　a　patter　of　footsteps　was　heard；



and　looking　up　they　saw　the　live　phonograph



standing　before　them。　It　seemed　to　have　passed



through　many　adventures　since　Ojo　and　his　comrades



last　saw　the　machine；　for　the　varnish　of　its



wooden　case　was　all　marred　and　dented　and



scratched　in　a　way　that　gave　it　an　aged　and



disreputable　appearance。







〃Dear　me！〃　exclaimed　　Ojo；　staring　hard。



〃What　has　happened　to　you？〃







〃Nothing　much；〃　replied　the　phonograph　in



a　sad　and　depressed　voice。　〃I've　had　enough



things　thrown　at　me；　since　I　left　you；　to　stock



a　department　store　and　furnish　half　a　dozen



bargain…counters。〃







〃Are　you　so　broken　up　that　you　can't　play？〃



asked　Scraps。







〃No；　I　still　am　able　to　grind　out　delicious



music。　Just　now　I've　a　record　on　tap　that　is



really　superb；〃　said　the　phonograph；　growing　more



cheerful。







〃That　is　too　bad；〃　remarked　Ojo。　〃We've　no



objection　to　you　as　a　machine；　you　know；　but



as　a　music…maker　we　hate　you。〃







〃Then　why　was　I　ever　invented？〃　demanded



the　machine；　in　a　tone　of　indignant　protest。







They　looked　at　one　another　inquiringly；　but



no　one　could　answer　such　a　puzzling　question。



Finally　the　Shaggy　Man　said：







〃I'd　like　to　hear　the　phonograph　play。〃







Ojo　sighed。　〃We've　been　very　happy　since　we



met　you；　sir；〃　he　said。







〃I　know。　But　a　little　misery；　at　times；　makes



one　appreciate　happiness　more。　Tell　me；　Phony；



what　is　this　record　like；　which　you　say　you　have



on　tap？〃







〃It's　a　popular　song；　sir。　In　all　civilized　lands



the　common　people　have　gone　wild　over　it。〃







〃Makes　civilized　folks　wild　folks；　eh？　Then



it's　dangerous。〃







〃Wild　with　joy；　I　mean；〃　explained　the



phonograph。　〃Listen。　This　song　will　prove