the patchwork girl of oz-第29节

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for　that　night　and　the　afternoon　he　passed　with



Dorothygetting　acquainted；　as　she　saidand



receiving　advice　from　the　Shaggy　Man　as　to　where



they　must　go。　The　Shaggy　Man　had　wandered　in　many



parts　of　Oz；　and　so　had　Dorothy；　for　that　matter；



yet　neither　of　them　knew　where　a　dark　well　was　to



be　found。







〃If　such　a　thing　is　anywhere　in　the　settled



parts　of　Oz；〃　said　Dorothy；　〃we'd　prob'ly　have



heard　of　it　long　ago。　If　it's　in　the　wild　parts　of



the　country；　no　one　there　would　need　a　dark



well。　P'raps　there　isn't　such　a　thing。〃







〃Oh；　there　must　he！〃　returned　Ojo；　positively；



〃or　else　the　recipe　of　Dr。　Pipt　wouldn't　call



for　it。〃







〃That's　true；〃　agreed　Dorothy；　〃and；　if　it's



anywhere　in　the　Land　of　Oz；　we're　bound　to　find



it。〃







〃Well；　we're　bound　to　search　for　it；　anyhow；〃



said　the　Scarecrow。　〃As　for　finding　it；　we　must



trust　to　luck。〃







〃Don't　do　that；〃　begged　Ojo；　earnestly。　〃I'm



called　Ojo　the　Unlucky；　you　know。〃



















Chapter　Nineteen







Trouble　with　the　Tottenhots











A　day's　journey　from　the　Emerald　City　brought　the



little　band　of　adventurers　to　the　home　of　Jack



Pumpkinhead；　which　was　a　house　formed　from　the



shell　of　an　immense　pumpkin。　Jack　had　made　it



himself　and　was　very　proud　of　it。　There　was　a



door；　and　several　windows；　and　through　the　top　was



stuck　a　stovepipe　that　led　from　a　small　stove



inside。　The　door　was　reached　by　a　flight　of　three



steps　and　there　was　a　good　floor　on　which　was



arranged　some　furniture　that　was　quite



comfortable。







It　is　certain　that　Jack　Pumpkinhead　might



have　had　a　much　finer　house　to　live　in　bad　he



wanted　it；　for　Ozma　loved　the　stupid　fellow；



who　had　been　her　earliest　companion；　but　Jack



preferred　his　pumpkin　house；　as　it　matched



himself　very　well；　and　in　this　he　was　not　so



stupid；　after　all。







The　body　of　this　remarkable　person　was　made　of



wood；　branches　of　trees　of　various　sizes　having



been　used　for　the　purpose。　This　wooden　framework



was　covered　by　a　red　shirtwith　white　spots　in



itblue　trousers；　a　yellow　vest；　a　jacket　of



green…and…gold　and　stout　leather　shoes。　The　neck



was　a　sharpened　stick　on　which　the　pumpkin　head



was　set；　and　the　eyes；　ears；　nose　and　mouth　were



carved　on　the　skin　of　the　pumpkin；　very　like　a



child's　jack…o'…lantern。







The　house　of　this　interesting　creation　stood



in　the　center　of　a　vast　pumpkin…field；　where　the



vines　grew　in　profusion　and　bore　pumpkins　of



extraordinary　size　as　well　as　those　which　were



smaller。　Some　of　the　pumpkins　now　ripening



on　the　vines　were　almost　as　large　as　Jack's　house；



and　he　told　Dorothy　he　intended　to　add　another



pumpkin　to　his　mansion。







The　travelers　were　cordially　welcomed　to　this



quaint　domicile　and　invited　to　pass　the　night



there；　which　they　had　planned　to　do。　The



Patchwork　Girl　was　greatly　interested　in　Jack



and　examined　him　admiringly。







〃You　are　quite　handsome；〃　she　said；　〃but　not



as　really　beautiful　as　the　Scarecrow。〃







Jack　turned；　at　this；　to　examine　the　Scarecrow



critically；　and　his　old　friend　slyly　winked　one



painted　eye　at　him。







〃There　is　no　accounting　for　tastes；〃　remarked



the　Pumpkinhead；　with　a　sigh。　〃An　old　crow



once　told　me　I　was　very　fascinating；　but　of



course　the　bird　might　have　been　mistaken。　Yet



I　have　noticed　that　the　crows　usually　avoid　the



Scarecrow；　who　is　a　very　honest　fellow；　in　his



way；　but　stuffed。　I　am　not　stuffed；　you　will



observe；　my　body　is　good　solid　hickory。〃







〃I　adore　stuffing；〃　said　the　Patchwork　Girl。







〃Well；　as　for　that；　my　head　is　stuffed　with



pumpkin…seeds；〃　declared　Jack。　〃I　use　them　for



brains；　and　when　they　are　fresh　I　am　intellectual。



Just　now；　I　regret　to　say；　my　seeds　are　rattling　a



bit；　so　I　must　soon　get　another　head。〃







〃Oh；　do　you　change　your　head？〃　asked　Ojo。







〃To　be　sure。　Pumpkins　are　not　permanent；　more's



the　pity；　and　in　time　they　spoil。　That　is　why　I



grow　such　a　great　field　of　pumpkinsthat　I　may



select　a　new　head　whenever　necessary。〃







〃Who　carves　the　faces　on　them？〃　inquired　the



boy。







〃I　do　that　myself。　I　lift　off　my　old　head；　place



it　on　a　table　before　me；　and　use　the　face　for　a



pattern　to　go　by。　Sometimes　the　faces　I　carve　are



better　than　othersmore　expressive　and　cheerful；



you　knowbut　I　think　they　average　very　well。〃







Before　she　had　started　on　the　journey　Dorothy



had　packed　a　knapsack　with　the　things　she　might



need；　and　this　knapsack　the　Scarecrow　carried



strapped　to　his　back。　The　little　girl　wore　a　plain



gingham　dress　and　a　checked　sunbonnet；　as　she　knew



they　were　best　fitted　for　travel。　Ojo　also　had



brought　along　his　basket；　to　which　Ozma　had　added



a　bottle　of　〃Square　Meal　Tablets〃　and　some　fruit。



But　Jack　Pumpkinhead　grew　a　lot　of　things　in　his



garden　besides　pumpkins；　so　he　cooked　for　them　a



fine　vegetable　soup　and　gave　Dorothy；　Ojo　and



Toto；　the　only　ones　who　found　it　necessary　to　eat；



a　pumpkin　pie　and　some　green　cheese。　For　beds　they



must　use　the　sweet　dried　grasses　which　Jack　had



strewn　along　one　side　of　the　room；　but　that



satisfied　Dorothy　and　Ojo　very　well。　Toto；　of



course；　slept　beside　his　little　mistress。







The　Scarecrow；　Scraps　and　the　Pumpkinhead



were　tireless　and　had　no　need　to　sleep；　so　they



sat　up　and　talked　together　all　night；　but　they



stayed　outside　the　house；　under　the　bright　stars；



and　talked　in　low　tones　so　as　not　to　disturb　the



sleepers。　During　the　conversation　the　Scarecrow



explained　their　quest　for　a　dark　well；　and　asked



Jack's　advice　where　to　find　it。







The　Pumpkinhead　considered　the　matter　gravely。







〃That　is　going　to　be　a　difficult　task；〃　said　he；



〃and　if　I　were　you　I'd　take　any　ordinary　well



and　enclose　it；　so　as　to　make　it　dark。〃







〃I　fear　that　wouldn't　do；〃　replied　the



Scarecrow。　〃The　well　must　be　naturally　dark；　and



the　water　must　never　have　seen　the　light　of　day；



for　otherwise　the　magic　charm　might　not　work　at



all。〃







〃How　much　of　the　water　do　you　need？〃　asked　Jack。







〃A　gill。〃







〃How　much　is　a　gill？〃







〃Whya　gill　is　a　gill；　of　course；〃　answered



the　Scarecrow；　who　did　not　wish　to　display　his



ignorance。







〃I　know！〃　cried　Scraps。　〃Jack　and　Jill　went　up



the　hill　to　fetch〃







〃No；　no；　that's　wrong；〃　interrupted　the



Scarecrow。　〃There　are　two　kinds　of　gills；　I　think；



one　is　a　girl；　and　the　other　is〃







〃A　gillyflower；〃　said　Jack。







〃No；　a　measure。〃







〃How　big　a　measure？〃







〃Well；　I'll　ask　Dorothy。〃







So　next　morning　they　asked　Dorothy；　and　she



said：







〃I　don't　just　know　how　much　a　gill　is；　but　I've



brought　along　a　gold　flask　that　holds　a　pint。



That's　more　than　a　gill；　I'm　sure；　and　the　Crooked



Magician　may　measure　it　to　suit　himself。　But　the



thing　that's　bothering　us　most；　Jack；　is　to　find



the　well。〃







Jack　gazed　around　the　landscape；　for　he　was



standing　in　the　doorway　of　his　house。







〃This　is　a　flat　country；　so　you　won　t　find　any



dark　wells　here；〃　said　he。　〃You　must　go　into　the



mountains；　where　rocks　and　caverns　are。







〃And　where　is　that？〃　asked　Ojo。







〃In　the　Quadling　Country；　which　lies　south



of　here；〃　replied　the　Scarecrow。　〃I've　known　all



along　that　we　must　go　to　the　mountains。〃







〃So　have　I；〃　said　Dorothy。







〃Butgoodness　me！the　Quadling　Country　is　full



of　dangers；〃　declared　Jack。　〃I've　never　been　there



myself；　but〃







〃I　have；〃　said　the　Scarecrow。　〃I've　faced　the



dreadful　Hammerheads；　which　have　no　arms　and　butt



you　like　a　goat；　and　I've　faced　the　Fighting



Trees；　which　bend　down　their　branches　to　pound　and



whip　you；　and　had　many　other　adventures　there。〃







〃It's　a　wild　country；〃　remarked　Dorothy；



soberly；　〃and　if　we　go　there　we're　sure　to　have



troubles　of　our　own。　But　I　guess　we'll　have　to　go；



if　we　want　that　gill　of　water　from　the　dark　well。〃







So　they　said　good…bye　to　the　Pumpkinhead　and



resumed　their　travels；　heading　now　directly　toward



the　South　Country；　where　mountains　and　rocks　and



caverns　and　forests　of　great　trees　abounded。　This



part　of　the　Land　of　Oz；　while　it　belonged　to　Ozma



and　owed　her　allegiance；　was　so