the patchwork girl of oz-第26节

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〃I'm　glad　she　did；〃　retorted　the　Patchwork　Girl。



〃A　heart　must　be　a　great　annoyance　to　one。　It



makes　a　person　feel　sad　or　sorry　or　devoted　or



sympatheticall　of　which　sensations　interfere　with



one's　happiness。〃







〃I　have　a　heart；〃　murmured　the　Glass　Cat。



〃It's　made　of　a　ruby；　but　I　don't　imagine　I　shall



let　it　bother　me　about　helping　Unc　Nunkie　and



Margolotte。〃







〃That's　a　pretty　hard　heart　of　yours；〃　said



Dorothy。　〃And　the　Woozy；　of　course〃







〃Why；　as　for　me；〃　observed　the　Woozy；　who　was



reclining　on　the　floor　with　his　legs　doubled　under



him；　so　that　he　looked　much　like　a　square　box；　〃I



have　never　seen　those　unfortunate　people　you　are



speaking　of；　and　yet　I　am　sorry　for　them；　having



at　times　been　unfortunate　myself。　When　I　was　shut



up　in　that　forest　I　longed　for　some　one　to　help



me；　and　by　and　by　Ojo　came　and　did　help　me。　So　I'm



willing　to　help　his　uncle。　I'm　only　a　stupid



beast；　Dorothy；　but　I　can't　help　that；　and　if



you'll　tell　me　what　to　do　to　help　Ojo　and　his



uncle；　I'll　gladly　do　it。〃







Dorothy　walked　over　and　patted　the　Woozy　on　his



square　head。







〃You're　not　pretty；〃　she　said；　〃but　I　like　you。



What　are　you　able　to　do；　anything　'special？〃







〃I　can　make　my　eyes　flash　firereal　firewhen



I'm　angry。　When　anyone　says：　'Krizzle…Kroo'　to　me



I　get　angry；　and　then　my　eyes　flash　fire。〃







〃I　don't　see　as　fireworks　could　help　Ojo's



uncle；〃　remarked　Dorothy。　〃Can　you　do　anything



else？〃







〃II　thought　I　bad　a　very　terrifying　growl；〃



said　the　Woozy；　with　hesitation；　〃but　perhaps



I　was　mistaken。〃







〃Yes；〃　said　the　Shaggy　Man；　〃you　were　certainly



wrong　about　that。〃　Then　he　turned　to　Dorothy　and



added：　〃What　will　become　of　the　Munchkin　boy？〃







〃I　don't　know；〃　she　said；　shaking　her　head



thoughtfully。　〃Ozma　will　see　him　'bout　it；　of



course；　and　then　she'll　punish　him。　But　how；



I　don't　know；　'cause　no　one　ever　has　been



punished　in　Oz　since　I　knew　anything　about



the　place。　Too　bad；　Shaggy　Man；　isn't　it？〃







While　they　were　talking　Scraps　had　been



roaming　around　the　room　and　looking　at　all



the　pretty　things　it　contained。　She　had　carried



Ojo's　basket　in　her　hand；　until　now；　when　she



decided　to　see　what　was　inside　it。　She　found



the　bread　and　cheese；　which　she　had　no　use　for；



and　the　bundle　of　charms；　which　were　curious



but　quite　a　mystery　to　her。　Then；　turning　these



over；　she　came　upon　the　six…leaved　clover　which



the　boy　had　plucked。







Scraps　was　quick…witted；　and　although　she　had　no



heart　she　recognized　the　fact　that　Ojo　was　her



first　friend。　She　knew　at　once　that　because　the



boy　had　taken　the　clover　he　bad　been　imprisoned；



and　she　understood　that　Ojo　had　given　her　the



basket　so　they　would　not　find　the　clover　in　his



possession　and　have　proof　of　his　crime。　So；



turning　her　head　to　see　that　no　one　noticed　her；



she　took　the　clover　from　the　basket　and　dropped　it



into　a　golden　vase　that　stood　on　Dorothy's　table。



Then　she　came　forward　and　said　to　Dorothy：







〃I　wouldn't　care　to　help　Ojo's　uncle；　but　I



will　help　Ojo。　He　did　not　break　the　Lawno



one　can　prove　he　didand　that　green…whiskered



soldier　had　no　right　to　arrest　him。〃







〃Ozma　ordered　the　boy's　arrest；〃　said　Dorothy；



〃and　of　course　she　knew　what　she　was　doing。　But　if



you　can　prove　Ojo　is　innocent　they　will　set　him



free　at　once。







〃They'll　have　to　prove　him　guilty；　won't



they？''　asked　Scraps。







〃I　s'pose　so。〃







〃Well；　they　can't　do　that；〃　declared　the



Patchwork　Girl。







As　it　was　nearly　time　for　Dorothy　to　dine　with



Ozma；　which　she　did　every　evening；　she　rang　for　a



servant　and　ordered　the　Woozy　taken　to　a　nice　room



and　given　plenty　of　such　food　as　he　liked　best。







〃That's　honey…bees；〃　said　the　Woozy。







〃You　can't　eat　honey…bees；　but　you'll　be　given



something　just　as　nice；〃　Dorothy　told　him。　Then



she　had　the　Glass　Cat　taken　to　another　room　for



the　night　and　the　Patchwork　Girl　she　kept　in　one



of　her　own　rooms；　for　she　was　much　interested　in



the　strange　creature　and　wanted　to　talk　with　her



again　and　try　to　understand　her　better。



















Chapter　Seventeen







Ozma　and　Her　Friends











The　Shaggy　Man　had　a　room　of　his　own　in　the　royal



palace；　so　there　he　went　to　change　his　shaggy　suit



of　clothes　for　another　just　as　shaggy　but　not　so



dusty　from　travel。　He　selected　a　costume　of



peagreen　and　pink　satin　and　velvet；　with



embroidered　shags　on　all　the　edges　and　iridescent



pearls　for　ornaments。　Then　he　bathed　in　an



alabaster　pool　and　brushed　his　shaggy　hair　and



whiskers　the　wrong　way　to　make　them　still　more



shaggy。　This　accomplished；　and　arrayed　in　his



splendid　shaggy　garments；　he　went　to　Ozma's



banquet　hall　and　found　the　Scarecrow；　the　Wizard



and　Dorothy　already　assembled　there。　The　Scarecrow



had　made　a　quick　trip　and　returned　to　the　Emerald



City　with　his　left　ear　freshly　painted。







A　moment　later；　while　they　all　stood　in　waiting；



a　servant　threw　open　a　door；　the　orchestra　struck



up　a　tune　and　Ozma　of　Oz　entered。







Much　has　been　told　and　written　concerning　the



beauty　of　person　and　character　of　this　sweet　girl



Ruler　of　the　Land　of　Ozthe　richest；　the　happiest



and　most　delightful　fairyland　of　which　we　have　any



knowledge。　Yet　with　all　her　queenly　qualities　Ozma



was　a　real　girl　and　enjoyed　the　things　in　life



that　other　real　girls　enjoy。　When　she　sat　on　her



splendid　emerald　throne　in　the　great　Throne　Room



of　her　palace　and　made　laws　and　settled　disputes



and　tried　to　keep　all　her　subjects　happy　and



contented；　she　was　as　dignified　and　demure　as　any



queen　might　be；　but　when　she　had　thrown　aside　her



jeweled　robe　of　state　and　her　sceptre；　and　had



retired　to　her　private　apartments；　the　girl



joyous；　light…hearted　and　freereplaced　the



sedate　Ruler。







In　the　banquet　hall　to…night　were　gathered



only　old　and　trusted　friends；　so　here　Ozma　was



herselfa　mere　girl。　She　greeted　Dorothy　with



a　kiss；　the　Shaggy　Man　with　a　smile；　the　little



old　Wizard　with　a　friendly　handshake　and　then



she　pressed　the　Scarecrow's　stuffed　arm　and



cried　merrily：







〃What　a　lovely　left　ear！　Why；　it's　a　hundred



times　better　than　the　old　one。〃







〃I'm　glad　you　like　it；〃　replied　the　Scarecrow；



well　pleased。　〃Jinjur　did　a　neat　job；　didn't　she？



And　my　hearing　is　now　perfect。　Isn't　it　wonderful



what　a　little　paint　will　do；　if　it's　properly



applied？〃







〃It　really　is　wonderful；〃　she　agreed；　as　they



all　took　their　seats；　〃but　the　Sawhorse　must



have　his　legs　twinkle　to　have　carried　you　so　far



in　one　day。　I　didn't　expect　you　back　before



tomorrow；　at　the　earliest。〃







〃Well；〃　said　the　Scarecrow；　〃I　met　a　charming



girl　on　the　road　and　wanted　to　see　more　of　her；　so



I　hurried　back。〃







Ozma　laughed。







〃I　know；〃　she　returned；　〃it's　the　Patchwork



Girl。　She　is　certainly　bewildering；　if　not　strictly



beautiful。〃







〃Have　you　seen　her；　then？〃　the　straw　man　eagerly



asked。







〃Only　in　my　Magic　Picture；　which　shows　me　all



scenes　of　interest　in　the　Land　of　Oz。〃







〃I　fear　the　picture　didn't　do　her　justice；〃　said



the　Scarecrow。







〃It　seemed　to　me　that　nothing　could　be　more



gorgeous；〃　declared　Ozma。　〃Whoever　made　that



patchwork　quilt；　from　which　Scraps　was　formed；



must　have　selected　the　gayest　and　brightest　bits



of　cloth　that　ever　were　woven。







〃I　am　glad　you　like　her；〃　said　the　Scarecrow



in　a　satisfied　tone。　Although　the　straw　man　did



not　eat；　not　being　made　so　he　could；　he　often



dined　with　Ozma　and　her　companions；　merely



for　the　pleasure　of　talking　with　them。　He　sat　at



the　table　and　had　a　napkin　and　plate；　but　the



servants　knew　better　than　to　offer　him　food。



After　a　little　while　he　asked：　〃Where　is　the



Patchwork　Girl　now？〃







〃In　my　room；〃　replied　Dorothy。　〃I've　taken　a



fancy　to　her；　she's　so　queer　and…and…uncommon。〃







〃She's　half　crazy；　I　think；〃　added　the　Shaggy



Man。







〃But　she　is　so　beautiful！〃　　exclaimed　the



Scarecrow；　as　if　that　fact　disarmed　all　criticism。



They　　all　laughed　at　his　enthusiasm；　but　the



Scarecrow　　was　quite　serious。　Seeing　that　he　was



interested　in　Scraps　they　forbore　to