the patchwork girl of oz-第21节

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travelers；　he　reined　in　his　wooden　steed　and



dismounted；　greeting　the　Shaggy　Man　with　a　smiling



nod。　Then　he　turned　to　stare　at　the　Patchwork　Girl



in　wonder；　while　she　in　turn　stared　at　him。







〃Shags；〃　he　whispered；　drawing　the　Shaggy　Man



aside；　〃pat　me　into　shape；　there's　a　good　fellow！〃







While　his　friend　punched　and　patted　the



Scarecrow's　body；　to　smooth　out　the　humps；　Scraps



turned　to　Ojo　and　whispered：　〃Roll　me　out；　please；



I've　sagged　down　dreadfully　from　walking　so　much



and　men　like　to　see　a　stately　figure。〃







She　then　fell　upon　the　ground　and　the　boy　rolled



her　back　and　forth　like　a　rolling…pin；　until　the



cotton　had　filled　all　the　spaces　in　her　patchwork



covering　and　the　body　had　lengthened　to　its



fullest　extent。　Scraps　and　the　Scarecrow　both



finished　their　hasty　toilets　at　the　same　time；　and



again　they　faced　each　other。







〃Allow　me；　Miss　Patchwork；〃　said　the　Shaggy　Man；



〃to　present　my　friend；　the　Right　Royal　Scarecrow



of　Oz。　Scarecrow；　this　is　Miss　Scraps　Patches；



Scraps；　this　is　the　Scarecrow。　ScarecrowScraps；



ScrapsScarecrow。〃







They　both　bowed　with　much　dignity。







〃Forgive　me　for　staring　so　rudely；〃　said　the



Scarecrow；　〃but　you　are　the　most　beautiful　sight



my　eyes　have　ever　beheld。〃







〃That　is　a　high　compliment　from　one　who　is



himself　so　beautiful；〃　murmured　Scraps；　casting



down　her　suspender…button　eyes　by　lowering　her



head。　〃But；　tell　me；　good　sir；　are　you　not　a



trifle　lumpy？〃







〃Yes；　of　course；　that's　my　straw；　you　know。



It　bunches　up；　sometimes；　in　spite　of　all　my



efforts　to　keep　it　even。　Doesn't　your　straw　ever



bunch？〃







〃Oh；　I'm　stuffed　with　cotton；〃　said　Scraps。



〃It　never　bunches；　but　it's　inclined　to　pack　down



and　make　me　sag。〃







〃But　cotton　is　a　high…grade　stuffing。　I　may　say



it　is　even　more　stylish；　not　to　say　aristocratic；



than　straw；〃　said　the　Scarecrow　politely。　〃Still；



it　is　but　proper　that　one　so　entrancingly　lovely



should　have　the　best　stuffing　there　is　going。　I



erI'm　so　glad　I've　met　you；　Miss　Scraps！



Introduce　us　again；　Shaggy。〃







〃Once　is　enough；〃　replied　the　Shaggy　Man；



laughing　at　his　friend's　enthusiasm。







〃Then　tell　me　where　you　found　her；　andDear　me；



what　a　queer　cat！　What　are　you　made　ofgelatine？〃







〃Pure　glass；〃　answered　the　cat；　proud　to　have



attracted　the　Scarecrow's　attention。　〃I　am　much



more　beautiful　than　the　Patchwork　Girl。　I'm



transparent；　and　Scraps　isn't；　I've　pink　brains



you　can　see　'em　work；　and　I've　a　ruby　heart；



finely　polished；　while　Scraps　hasn't　any　heart　at



all。〃







〃No　more　have　I；〃　said　the　Scarecrow；　shaking



hands　with　Scraps；　as　if　to　congratulate　her　on



the　fact。　〃I've　a　friend；　the　Tin　Woodman；　who　has



a　heart；　but　I　find　I　get　along　pretty　well



without　one。　And　soWell；　well！　here's　a　little



Munchkin　boy；　too。　Shake　hands；　my　little　man。　How



are　you？〃







Ojo　placed　his　hand　in　the　flabby　stuffed　glove



that　served　the　Scarecrow　for　a　hand；　and　the



Scarecrow　pressed　it　so　cordially　that　the　straw



in　his　glove　crackled。







Meantime；　the　Woozy　had　approached　the　Sawhorse



and　begun　to　sniff　at　it。　The　Sawhorse　resented



this　familiarity　and　with　a　sudden　kick　pounded



the　Woozy　squarely　on　its　Lead　with　one　gold…shod



foot。







〃Take　that；　you　monster！〃　it　cried　angrily。







The　Woozy　never　even　winked。







〃To　be　sure；〃　he　said；　〃I'll　take　anything　I



have　to。　But　don't　make　me　angry；　you　wooden



beast；　or　my　eyes　will　flash　fire　and　burn　you



up。〃







The　Sawhorse　rolled　its　knot　eyes　wickedly



and　kicked　again；　but　the　Woozy　trotted　away



and　said　to　the　Scarecrow：







〃What　a　sweet　disposition　that　creature　has！



I　advise　you　to　chop　it　up　for　kindling…wood



and　use　me　to　ride　upon。　My　back　is　flat　and



you　can't　fall　off。〃







〃I　think　the　trouble　is　that　you　haven't　been



properly　introduced；〃　said　the　Scarecrow；



regarding　the　Woozy　with　much　wonder；　for　he　had



never　seen　such　a　queer　animal　before。







〃The　Sawhorse　is　the　favorite　steed　of　Princess



Ozma；　the　Ruler　of　the　Land　of　Oz；　and　he　lives　in



a　stable　decorated　with　pearls　and　emeralds；　at



the　rear　of　the　royal　palace。　He　is　swift　as　the



wind；　untiring；　and　is　kind　to　his　friends。　All



the　people　of　Oz　respect　the　Sawhorse　highly；　and



when　I　visit　Ozma　she　sometimes　allows　me　to　ride



himas　I　am　doing　to…day。　Now　you　know　what　an



important　personage　the　Sawhorse　is；　and　if　some



oneperhaps　your…selfwill　tell　me　your　name；



your　rank　and　station；　and　your　history；　it　will



give　me　pleasure　to　relate　them　to　the　Sawhorse。



This　will　lead　to　mutual　respect　and　friendship。〃







The　Woozy　was　somewhat　abashed　by　this　speech



and　did　not　know　how　to　reply。　But　Ojo　said：







〃This　square　beast　is　called　the　Woozy；　and　he



isn't　of　much　importance　except　that　he　has　three



hairs　growing　on　the　tip　of　his　tail。〃







The　Scarecrow　looked　and　saw　that　this　was　true。







〃But；〃　said　he；　in　a　puzzled　way；　〃what　makes



those　three　hairs　important？　The　Shaggy　Man　has



thousands　of　hairs；　but　no　one　has　ever　accused



him　of　being　important。〃







So　Ojo　related　the　sad　story　of　Unc　Nunkie's



transformation　into　a　marble　statue；　and　told　how



he　had　set　out　to　find　the　things　the　Crooked



Magician　wanted；　in　order　to　make　a　charm　that



would　restore　his　uncle　to　life。　One　of　the



requirements　was　three　hairs　from　a　Woozy's　tail；



but　not　being　able　to　pull　out　the　hairs　they　had



been　obliged　to　take　the　Woozy　with　them。







The　Scarecrow　looked　grave　as　he　listened　and　he



shook　his　head　several　times；　as　if　in



disapproval。







〃We　must　see　Ozma　about　this　matter；〃　he



said。　〃That　Crooked　Magician　is　breaking　the



Law　by　practicing　magic　without　a　license；　and



I'm　not　sure　Ozma　will　allow　him　to　restore　your



uncle　to　life。〃







〃Already　I　have　warned　the　boy　of　that；〃



declared　the　Shaggy　Man。







At　this　Ojo　began　to　cry。　〃I　want　my　Unc



Nunkie！〃　he　exclaimed。　〃I　know　how　he　can　be



restored　to　life；　and　I'm　going　to　do　itOzma　or



no　Ozma！　What　right　has　this　girl　Ruler　to　keep　my



Unc　Nunkie　a　statue　forever？〃







〃Don't　worry　about　that　just　now；〃　advised



the　Scarecrow。　〃Go　on　to　the　Emerald　City；



and　when　you　reach　it　have　the　Shaggy　Man



take　you　to　see　Dorothy。　Tell　her　your　story　and



I'm　sure　she　will　help　you。　Dorothy　is　Ozma's



best　friend；　and　if　you　can　win　her　to　your　side



your　uncle　is　pretty　safe　to　live　again。〃　Then　he



turned　to　the　Woozy　and　said：　〃I'm　afraid　you



are　not　important　enough　to　be　introduced　to



the　Sawhorse；　after　all。〃







〃I'm　a　better　beast　than　he　is；〃　retorted　the



Woozy；　indignantly。　〃My　eyes　can　flash　fire；　and



his　can't。〃







〃Is　this　true？〃　inquired　the　Scarecrow；　turning



to　the　Munchkin　boy。







〃Yes；〃　said　Ojo；　and　told　how　the　Woozy　had



set　fire　to　the　fence。







〃Have　you　any　other　accomplishments？〃



asked　the　Scarecrow。







〃I　have　a　most　terrible　growlthat　is；



sometimes；〃　said　the　Woozy；　as　Scraps　laughed



merrily　and　the　Shaggy　Man　smiled。　But　the　Patch…



work　Girl's　laugh　made　the　Scarecrow　forget　all



about　the　Woozy。　He　said　to　her：







〃What　an　admirable　young　lady　you　are；　and



what　jolly　good　company！　We　must　be　better



acquainted；　for　never　before　have　I　met　a　girl



with　such　exquisite　coloring　or　such　natural；



artless　manners。〃







〃No　wonder　they　call　you　the　Wise　Scarecrow；〃



replied　Scraps。







〃When　you　arrive　at　the　Emerald　City　I　will　see



you　again；〃　continued　the　Scarecrow。　〃Just　now　I



am　going　to　call　upon　an　old　friendan　ordinary



young　lady　named　Jinjurwho　has　Promised　to



repaint　my　left　ear　for　me。　You　may　have　noticed



that　the　paint　on　my　left　ear　has　peeled　off　and



faded；　which　affects　my　hearing　on　that　side。



Jinjur　always　fixes　me　up　when　I　get　weather…



worn。〃







〃When　do　you　expect　to　return　to　the　Emerald



City？〃　asked　the　Shaggy　Man。







〃I'll　be　there　this　evening；　for　I'm　anxious



to　have　a　long　talk　with　Miss　Scraps。　How　is　it；



Sawhorse；　are　you　equal　to　a　swift　run？〃







〃Anything　that　suits　you　suits　me；〃　returned



the　wooden　horse。







So　the　Sca