the patchwork girl of oz-第22节

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〃Anything　that　suits　you　suits　me；〃　returned



the　wooden　horse。







So　the　Scarecrow　mounted　to　the　jeweled



saddle　and　waved　his　hat；　when　the　Sawhorse



darted　away　so　swiftly　that　they　were　out　of



sight　in　an　instant。



















Chapter　Fourteen







Ojo　Breaks　the　Law











〃What　a　queer　man；〃　remarked　the　Munchkin　boy；



when　the　party　had　resumed　its　journey。







〃And　so　nice　and　polite；〃　added　Scraps；　bobbing



her　Lead。　〃I　think　he　is　the　handsomest　man　I've



seen　since　I　came　to　life。〃







〃Handsome　is　as　handsome　does；〃　quoted　the



Shaggy　Man；　〃but　we　must　admit　that　no　living



scarecrow　is　handsomer。　The　chief　merit　of　my



friend　is　that　he　is　a　great　thinker；　and　in　Oz　it



is　considered　good　policy　to　follow　his　advice。〃







〃I　didn't　notice　any　brains　in　his　head；〃



observed　the　Glass　Cat。







〃You　can't　see　'em　work；　but　they're　there；　all



right；〃　declared　the　Shaggy　Man。　〃I　hadn't　much



confidence　in　his　brains　myself；　when　first　I　came



to　Oz；　for　a　humbug　Wizard　gave　them　to　him；　but　I



was　soon　convinced　that　the　Scarecrow　is　really



wise；　and；　unless　his　brains　make　him　so；　such



wisdom　is　unaccountable。〃







〃Is　the　Wizard　of　Oz　a　humbug？〃　asked　Ojo。







〃Not　now。　He　was　once；　but　he　has　reformed



and　now　assists　Glinda　the　Good；　who　is　the



Royal　Sorceress　of　Oz　and　the　only　one　licensed



to　practice　magic　or　sorcery。　Glinda　has　taught



our　old　Wizard　a　good　many　clever　things；　so



he　is　no　longer　a　humbug。〃







They　walked　a　little　while　in　silence　and



then　Ojo　said：







〃If　Ozma　forbids　the　Crooked　Magician　to



restore　Unc　Nunkie　to　life；　what　shall　I　do？〃







The　Shaggy　Man　shook　his　head。







〃In　that　case　you　can't　do　anything；〃　he　said。



〃But　don't　be　discouraged　yet。　We　will　go　to



Princess　Dorothy　and　tell　her　your　troubles；　and



then　we　will　let　her　talk　to　Ozma。　Dorothy　has　the



kindest　little　heart　in　the　world；　and　she　has



been　through　so　many　troubles　herself　that　she　is



sure　to　sympathize　with　you。〃







〃Is　Dorothy　the　little　girl　who　came　here　from



Kansas？〃　asked　the　boy。







〃Yes。　In　Kansas　she　was　Dorothy　Gale。　I　used　to



know　her　there；　and　she　brought　me　to　the　Land　of



Oz。　But　now　Ozma　has　made　her　a　Princess；　and



Dorothy's　Aunt　Em　and　Uncle　Henry　are　here；　too。〃



Here　the　Shaggy　Man　uttered　a　long　sigh；　and　then



he　continued：　〃It's　a　queer　country；　this　Land　of



Oz；　but　I　like　it；　nevertheless。〃







〃What　is　queer　about　it？〃　asked　Scraps。







〃You；　for　instance；〃　said　he。







〃Did　you　see　no　girls　as　beautiful　as　I　am　in



your　own　country？〃　she　inquired。







〃None　with　the　same　gorgeous；　variegated



beauty；〃　he　confessed。　〃In　America　a　girl　stuffed



with　cotton　wouldn't　be　alive；　nor　would　anyone



think　of　making　a　girl　out　of　a　patchwork　quilt。〃







〃What　a　queer　country　America　must　be！〃　she



exclaimed　in　great　surprise。　〃The　Scarecrow；　whom



you　say　is　wise；　told　me　I　am　the　most　beautiful



creature　he　has　ever　seen。〃







〃I　know；　and　perhaps　you　are…from　a　scarecrow



point　of　view；〃　replied　the　Shaggy　Man；　but　why　he



smiled　as　he　said　it　Scraps　could　not　imagine。







As　they　drew　nearer　to　the　Emerald　City　the



travelers　were　filled　with　admiration　for　the



splendid　scenery　they　beheld。　Handsome　houses



stood　on　both　sides　of　the　road　and　each　had　a



green　lawn　before　it　as　well　as　a　pretty　flower



garden。







〃In　another　hour；〃　said　the　Shaggy　Man；　〃we



shall　come　in　sight　of　the　walls　of　the　Royal



City。〃







He　was　walking　ahead；　with　Scraps；　and　behind



them　came　the　Woozy　and　the　Glass　Cat。　Ojo　had



lagged　behind；　for　in　spite　of　the　warnings　he



had　received　the　boy's　eyes　were　fastened　on　the



clover　that　bordered　the　road　of　yellow　bricks　and





he　was　eager　to　discover　if　such　a　thing　as　a



six…leaved　clover　really　existed。







Suddenly　he　stopped　short　and　bent　over　to



examine　the　ground　more　closely。　Yes；　here　at　last



was　a　clover　with　six　spreading　leaves。　He　counted



them　carefully；　to　make　sure。　In　an　instant　his



heart　leaped　with　joy；　for　this　was　one　of　the



important　things　he　had　come　forone　of　the



things　that　would　restore　dear　Unc　Nunkie　to　life。







He　glanced　ahead　and　saw　that　none　of　his



companions　was　looking　back。　Neither　were　any



other　people　about；　for　it　was　midway　between



two　houses。　The　temptation　was　too　strong　to



be　resisted。







〃I　might　search　for　weeks　and　weeks；　and



never　find　another　six…leaved　clover；〃　he　told



himself；　and　quickly　plucking　the　stem　from　the



plant　he　placed　the　prized　clover　in　his　basket；



covering　it　with　the　other　things　he　carried



there。　Then；　trying　to　look　as　if　nothing　had



happened；　he　hurried　forward　and　overtook　his



comrades。







The　Emerald　City；　which　is　the　most　splendid　as



well　as　the　most　beautiful　city　in　any　fairyland；



is　surrounded　by　a　high；　thick　wall　of　green



marble；　polished　smooth　and　set　with　glistening



emeralds。　There　are　four　gates；　one　facing　the



Munchkin　Country；　one　facing　the　Country　of　the



Winkies；　one　facing　the　Country　of　the　Quadlings



and　one　facing　the　Country　of　the　Gillikins。　The



Emerald　City　lies　directly　in　the　center　of　these



four　important　countries　of　Oz。　The　gates　had　bars



of　pure　gold；　and　on　either　side　of　each　gateway



were　built　high　towers；　from　which　floated　gay



banners。　Other　towers　were　set　at　distances　along



the　walls；　which　were　broad　enough　for　four　people



to　walk　abreast　upon。







This　enclosure；　all　green　and　gold　and



glittering　with　precious　gems；　was　indeed　a



wonderful　sight　to　greet　our　travelers；　who　first



observed　it　from　the　top　of　a　little　hill；　but



beyond　the　wall　was　the　vast　city　it　surrounded；



and　hundreds　of　jeweled　spires；　domes　and



minarets；　flaunting　flags　and　banners；　reared



their　crests　far　above　the　towers　of　the　gateways。



In　the　center　of　the　city　our　friends　could　see



the　tops　of　many　magnificent　trees；　some　nearly　as



tall　as　the　spires　of　the　buildings；　and　the



Shaggy　Man　told　them　that　these　trees　were　in　the



royal　gardens　of　Princess　Ozma。







They　stood　a　long　time　on　the　hilltop；　feasting



their　eyes　on　the　splendor　of　the　Emerald　City。







〃Whee！〃　exclaimed　Scraps；　clasping　her　padded



hands　in　ecstacy；　〃that'll　do　for　me　to　live　in；



all　right。　No　more　of　the　Munchkin　Country　for



these　patchesand　no　more　of　the　Crooked



Magician！〃







〃Why；　you　belong　to　Dr。　Pipt；〃　replied　Ojo；



looking　at　her　in　amazement。　〃You　were　made　for　a



servant；　Scraps；　so　you　are　personal　property　and



not　your　own　mistress。〃







〃Bother　Dr。　Pipt！　If　he　wants　me；　let　him



come　here　and　get　me。　I'll　not　go　back　to　his



den　of　my　own　accord；　that's　certain。　Only　one



place　in　the　Land　of　Oz　is　fit　to　live　in；　and



that's　the　Emerald　City。　It's　lovely！　It's　almost



as　beautiful　as　I　am；　Ojo。〃







〃In　this　country；〃　remarked　the　Shaggy　Man；



〃people　live　wherever　our　Ruler　tells　them　to。　It



wouldn't　do　to　have　everyone　live　in　the　Emerald



City；　you　know；　for　some　must　plow　the　land　and



raise　grains　and　fruits　and　vegetables；　while



others　chop　wood　in　the　forests；　or　fish　in　the



rivers；　or　herd　the　sheep　and　the　cattle。〃







〃Poor　things！〃　said　Scraps。







〃I'm　not　sure　they　are　not　happier　than　the　city



people；〃　replied　the　Shaggy　Man。　〃There's　a



freedom　and　independence　in　country　life　that　not



even　the　Emerald　City　can　give　one。　I　know　that



lots　of　the　city　people　would　like　to　get　back　to



the　land。　The　Scarecrow　lives　in　the　country；　and



so　do　the　Tin　Woodman　and　Jack　Pumpkinhead；　yet



all　three　would　be　welcome　to　live　in　Ozma's



palace　if　they　cared　to。　Too　much　splendor　becomes



tiresome；　you　know。　But；　if　we're　to　reach　the



Emerald　City　before　sundown；　we　must　hurry；　for　it



is　yet　a　long　way　off。〃







The　entrancing　sight　of　the　city　had　put　new



energy　into　them　all　and　they　hurried　forward



with　lighter　steps　than　before。　There　was　much



to　interest　them　along　the　roadway；　for　the



houses　were　now　set　more　closely　together　and



they　met　a　good　many　people　who　were　coming



or　going　from　one　place　or　another。　All　these



seemed　　happy…faced；　　pleasant