the patchwork girl of oz-第3节

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and　make　yourself　comfortable；　Unc　Nunkie；



and　after　I've　finished　my　task　I　will　talk　to



you。







〃You　must　know；〃　said　Margolottte；　when　they



were　all　seated　together　on　the　broad　window…seat；



〃that　my　husband　foolishly　gave　away　all　the



Powder　of　Life　he　first　made　to　old　Mombi　the



Witch；　who　used　to　live　in　the　Country　of　the



Gillikins；　to　the　north　of　here。　Mombi　gave　to　Dr。



Pipt　a　Powder　of　Perpetual　Youth　in　exchange　for



his　Powder　of　Life；　but　she　cheated　him　wickedly；



for　the　Powder　of　Youth　was　no　good　and　could　work



no　magic　at　all。〃







〃Perhaps　the　Powder　of　Life　couldn't　either；〃



said　Ojo。







〃Yes；　it　is　perfection；〃　she　declared。　〃The　first



lot　we　tested　on　our　Glass　Cat；　which　not　only



began　to　live　but　has　lived　ever　since。　She's



somewhere　around　the　house　now。〃







〃A　Glass　Cat！〃　exclaimed　Ojo；　astonished。







〃Yes；　she　makes　a　very　pleasant　companion；　but



admires　herself　a　little　more　than　is　considered



modest；　and　she　positively　refuses　to　catch　mice；〃



explained　Margolotte。　〃My　husband　made　the　cat



some　pink　brains；　but　they　proved　to　be　too　high…



bred　and　particular　for　a　cat；　so　she　thinks　it　is



undignified　in　her　to　catch　mice。　Also　she　has　a



pretty　blood…red　heart；　but　it　is　made　of　stonea



ruby；　I　thinkand　so　is　rather　hard　and　unfeeling。



I　think　the　next　Class　Cat　the　Magician　makes　will



have　neither　brains　nor　heart；　for　then　it　will



not　object　to　catching　mice　and　may　prove　of　some



use　to　us。〃







〃What　did　old　Mombi　the　Witch　do　with　the



Powder　of　Life　your　husband　gave　her？〃　asked



the　boy。







〃She　brought　Jack　Pumpkinhead　to　life；　for



one　thing；〃　was　the　reply。　〃I　suppose　you've



heard　of　jack　Pumpkinhead。　He　is　now　living



near　the　Emerald　City　and　is　a　great　favorite



with　the　Princess　Ozma；　who　rules　all　the　Land



of　Oz。〃







〃No；　I've　never　heard　of　him；〃　remarked



Ojo。　〃I'm　afraid　I　don't　know　much　about　the



Land　of　Oz。　You　see；　I've　lived　all　my　life　with



Unc　Nunkie；　the　Silent　One；　and　there　was　no



one　to　tell　me　anything。〃







〃That　is　one　reason　you　are　Ojo　the　Unlucky；〃



said　the　woman；　in　a　sympathetic　tone。　〃The　more



one　knows；　the　luckier　he　is；　for　knowledge　is　the



greatest　gift　in　life。〃







〃But　tell　me；　please；　what　you　intend　to　do



With　this　new　lot　of　the　Powder　of　Life；　which



Dr。　Pipt　is　making。　He　said　his　wife　wanted　it



for　some　especial　purpose。







〃So　I　do；〃　she　answered。　〃I　want　it　to　bring



my　Patchwork　Girl　to　life。〃







〃Oh！　A　Patchwork　Girl？　What　is　that？〃　Ojo



asked；　for　this　seemed　even　more　strange　and



unusual　than　a　Glass　Cat。







〃I　think　I　must　show　you　my　Patchwork



Girl；〃　said　Margolotte；　laughing　at　the　boy's



astonishment；　〃for　she　is　rather　difficult　to



explain。　But　first　I　will　tell　you　that　for　many



years　I　have　longed　for　a　servant　to　help　me　with



the　housework　and　to　cook　the　meals　and　wash　the



dishes。　No　servant　will　come　here　because　the



place　is　so　lonely　and　out…of…the…way；　so　my



clever　husband；　the　Crooked　Magician；　proposed



that　I　make　a　girl　out　of　some　sort　of　material



and　he　would　make　her　live　by　sprinkling　over　her



the　Powder　of　Life。　This　seemed　an　excellent



suggestion　and　at　once　Dr。　Pipt　set　to　work　to



make　a　new　batch　of　his　magic　powder。　He　has　been



at　it　a　long；　long　while；　and　so　I　have　had　plenty



of　time　to　make　the　girl。　Yet　that　task　was　not　so



easy　as　you　may　suppose。　At　first　I　couldn't　think



what　to　make　her　of；　but　finally　in　searching



through　a　chest　I　came　across　an　old　patchwork



quilt；　which　my　grandmother　once　made　when　she　was



young。







〃What　is　a　patchwork　quilt？〃　asked　Ojo。







〃A　bed…quilt　made　of　patches　of　different　kinds



and　colors　of　cloth；　all　neatly　sewed　together。



The　patches　are　of　all　shapes　and　sizes；　so　a



patchwork　quilt　is　a　very　pretty　and　gorgeous



thing　to　look　at。　Sometimes　it　is　called　a



'crazyquilt；'　because　the　patches　and　colors　are



so　mixed　up。　We　never　have　used　my　grand…mother's



manycolored　patchwork　quilt；　hand…some　as　it　is；



for　we　Munchkins　do　not　care　for　any　color　other



than　blue；　so　it　has　been　packed　away　in　the　chest



for　about　a　hundred　years。　When　I　found　it；　I　said



to　myself　that　it　would　do　nicely　for　my　servant



girl；　for　when　she　was　brought　to　life　she　would



not　be　proud　nor　haughty；　as　the　Glass　Cat　is；　for



such　a　dreadful　mixture　of　colors　would　discourage



her　from　trying　to；　be　as　dignified　as　the　blue



Munchkins　are。







〃Is　blue　the　only　respectable　color；　then？〃



inquired　Ojo。







〃Yes；　for　a　Munchkin。　All　our　country　is　blue；



you　know。　But　in　other　parts　of　Oz　the　people



favor　different　colors。　At　the　Emerald　City；



where　our　Princess　Ozma　lives；　green　is　the



popular　color。　But　all　Munchkins　prefer　blue



to　anything　else　and　when　my　housework　girl



is　brought　to　life　she　will　find　herself　to　be　of



so　many　unpopular　colors　that　she'll　never　dare



be　rebellious　or　impudent；　as　servants　are



sometimes　liable　to　be　when　they　are　made　the　same



way　their　mistresses　are。〃







Unc　Nunkie　nodded　approval。







〃Good　idea；〃　he　said；　and　that　was　a　long



speech　for　Unc　Nunkie　because　it　was　two



words。







〃So　I　cut　up　the　quilt；〃　continued　Margolotte；



〃and　made　from　it　a　very　well…shaped　girl；



which　I　stuffed　with　cotton…wadding。　I　will



show　you　what　a　good　job　I　did；〃　and　she　went



to　a　tall　cupboard　and　threw　open　the　doors。







Then　back　she　came；　lugging　in　her　arms　the



Patchwork　Girl；　which　she　set　upon　the　bench



and　propped　up　so　that　the　figure　would　not



tumble　over。



















Chapter　Three







The　Patchwork　Girl











Ojo　examined　this　curious　contrivance　with　wonder。



The　Patchwork　Girl　was　taller　than　he；　when　she



stood　upright；　and　her　body　was　plump　and　rounded



because　it　had　been　so　neatly　stuffed　with　cotton。



Margolotte　had　first　made　the　girl's　form　from　the



patchwork　quilt　and　then　she　had　dressed　it　with　a



patchwork　skirt　and　an　apron　with　pockets　in　it



using　the　same　gay　material　throughout。　Upon　the



feet　she　had　sewn　a　pair　of　red　leather　shoes　with



pointed　toes。　All　the　fingers　and　thumbs　of　the



girl's　hands　had　been　carefully　formed　and　stuffed



and　stitched　at　the　edges；　with　gold　plates　at　the



ends　to　serve　as　finger…nails。







〃She　will　have　to　work；　when　she　comes　to



life；〃　said　Marglotte。







The　head　of　the　Patchwork　Girl　was　the　most



curious　part　of　her。　While　she　waited　for　her



husband　to　finish　making　his　Powder　of　Life　the



woman　had　found　ample　time　to　complete　the　head　as



her　fancy　dictated；　and　she　realized　that　a　good



servant's　head　must　be　properly　constructed。　The



hair　was　of　brown　yarn　and　hung　down　on　her　neck



in　several　neat　braids。　Her　eyes　were　two　silver



suspender…buttons　cut　from　a　pair　of　the



Magician's　old　trousers；　and　they　were　sewed　on



with　black　threads；　which　formed　the　pupils　of　the



eyes。　Margolotte　had　puzzled　over　the　ears　for



some　time；　for　these　were　important　if　the　servant



was　to　hear　distinctly；　but　finally　she　had　made



them　out　of　thin　plates　of　gold　and　attached　them



in　place　by　means　of　stitches　through　tiny　holes



bored　in　the　metal。　Gold　is　the　most　common　metal



in　the　Land　of　Oz　and　is　used　for　many　purposes



because　it　is　soft　and　pliable。







The　woman　had　cut　a　slit　for　the　Patchwork



Girl's　mouth　and　sewn　two　rows　of　white　pearls



in　it　for　teeth；　using　a　strip　of　scarlet　plush　for



a　tongue。　This　mouth　Ojo　considered　very　artistic



and　lifelike；　and　Margolotte　was　pleased　when　the



boy　praised　it。　There　were　almost　too　many　patches



on　the　face　of　the　girl　for　her　to　be　considered



strictly　beautiful；　for　one　cheek　was　yellow　and



the　other　red；　her　chin　blue；　her　forehead　purple



and　the　center；　where　her　nose　had　been　formed　and



padded；　a　bright　yellow。







〃You　ought　to　have　had　her　face　all　pink；〃



suggested　the　boy。







〃I　suppose　so；　but　I　had　no　pink　cloth；〃　replied



the　woman。　〃Still；　I　cannot　see　as　it　matters



much；　for　I　wish　my　Patchwork　Girl　to　be　useful



rather　than　ornamental。　If　I　get　tired　looking　at



her　patched　face　I　can　whitewash　it。〃







〃Has　she　any　brains？〃　asked　Ojo。