the patchwork girl of oz-第37节

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Scarecrow　and　Scraps　were　in　front；　and　the　others



bumped　against　them；　so　that　no　one　was　hurt。　They



found　themselves　in　a　vast　cave　which　was　dimly



lighted　by　the　tiny　grains　of　radium　that　lay



scattered　among　the　loose　rocks。







〃Now；〃　said　Diksey；　when　they　had　all　re



gained　their　feet；　〃I　will　show　you　where　the



dark　well　is。　This　is　a　big　place；　but　if　we　hold



fast　to　each　other　we　won't　get　lost。〃







They　took　hold　of　hands　and　the　Homer　led



them　into　a　dark　corner；　where　he　halted。







〃Be　careful；〃　said　he　warningly。　〃The　well　is



at　your　feet。〃







〃All　right；〃　replied　Ojo；　and　kneeling　down



he　felt　in　the　well　with　his　hand　and　found



that　it　contained　a　quantity　of　water。　〃Where's



the　gold　flask；　Dorothy？〃　he　asked；　and　the



little　girl　handed　him　the　flask；　which　she　had



brought　with　her。







Ojo　knelt　again　and　by　feeling　carefully　in



the　dark　managed　to　fill　the　flask　with　the



unseen　water　that　was　in　the　well。　Then　he



screwed　the　top　of　the　flask　firmly　in　place　and



put　the　precious　water　in　his　pocket。







〃All　right！〃　he　said　again；　in　a　glad　voice；



〃now　we　can　go　back。〃







They　returned　to　the　mouth　of　the　tunnel　and



began　to　creep　cautiously　up　the　incline。　This



time　they　made　Scraps　stay　behind；　for　fear　she



would　slip　again；　but　they　all　managed　to　get　up



in　safety　and　the　Munchkin　boy　was　very　happy　when



he　stood　in　the　Horner　city　and　realized　that　the



water　from　the　dark　well；　which　he　and　his　friends



had　traveled　so　far　to　secure；　was　safe　in　his



jacket　pocket。



















Chapter　Twenty…Five







They　Bribe　the　Lazy　Quadling











〃Now；〃　said　Dorothy；　as　they　stood　on　the　mountain



path；　having　left　behind　them　the　cave　in　which



dwelt　the　Hoppers　and　the　Horners；　〃I　think　we



must　find　a　road　into　the　Country　of　the　Winkies；



for　there　is　where　Ojo　wants　to　go　next。〃







〃Is　there　such　a　road？〃　asked　the　Scarecrow。







〃I　don't　know；〃　she　replied。　〃I　s'pose　we　can　go



back　the　way　we　came；　to　Jack　Pumpkinhead's　house；



and　then　turn　into　the　Winkie　Country；　but　that



seems　like　running　'round　a　haystack；　doesn't　it？〃







〃Yes；〃　said　the　Scarecrow。　〃What　is　the　next



thing　Ojo　must　get？〃







〃A　yellow　butterfly；〃　answered　the　boy。







〃That　means　the　Winkie　Country；　all　right；



for　it's　the　yellow　country　of　Oz；〃　remarked



Dorothy。　〃I　think；　Scarecrow；　we　ought　to　take



him　to　the　Tin　Woodman；　for　he's　the　Emp'ror



of　the　Winkies　and　will　help　us　to　find　what



Ojo　wants。〃







〃Of　course；〃　replied　the　Scarecrow；　brightening



at　the　suggestion。　〃The　Tin　Woodman　will　do



anything　we　ask　him；　for　he's　one　of　my　dearest



friends。　I　believe　we　can　take　a　crosscut　into　his



country　and　so　get　to　his　castle　a　day　sooner



than　if　we　travel　back　the　way　we　came。〃







〃I　think　so；　too；〃　said　the　girl；　〃and　that　means



we　must　keep　to　the　left。〃







They　were　obliged　to　go　down　the　mountain　before



they　found　any　path　that　led　in　the　direction　they



wanted　to　go；　but　among　the　tumbled　rocks　at　the



foot　of　the　mountain　was　a　faint　trail　which　they



decided　to　follow。　Two　or　three　hours　walk　along



this　trail　brought　them　to　a　clear；　level　country；



where　there　were　a　few　farms　and　some　scattered



houses。　But　they　knew　they　were　still　in　the



Country　of　the　Quadlings；　because　everything　had　a



bright　red　color。　Not　that　the　trees　and　grasses



were　red；　but　the　fences　and　houses　were　painted



that　color　and　all　the　wild…flowers　that　bloomed



by　the　wayside　had　red　blossoms。　This　part　of　the



Quadling　Country　seemed　peaceful　and　prosperous；



if　rather　lonely；　and　the　road　was　more　distinct



and　easier　to　follow。







But　just　as　they　were　congratulating　themselves



upon　the　progress　they　had　made　they　came　upon　a



broad　river　which　swept　along　between　high　banks；



and　here　the　road　ended　and　there　was　no　bridge　of



any　sort　to　allow　them　to　cross。







〃This　is　queer；〃　mused　Dorothy；　looking　at



the　water　reflectively。　〃Why　should　there　be



any　road；　if　the　river　stops　everyone　walking



along　it？〃







〃Wow！〃　said　Toto；　gazing　earnestly　into　her



face。







〃That's　the　best　answer　you'll　get；〃　declared



the　Scarecrow；　with　his　comical　smile；　〃for　no



one　knows　any　more　than　Toto　about　this　road。〃







Said　Scraps：











〃Ev'ry　time　I　see　a　river；



I　have　chills　that　make　me　shiver；



For　I　never　can　forget



All　the　water's　very　wet。



If　my　patches　get　a　soak



It　will　be　a　sorry　joke；



So　to　swim　I'll　never　try



Till　I　find　the　water　dry。〃











〃Try　to　control　yourself；　Scraps；〃　said　Ojo；



you　re　getting　crazy　again。　No　one　intends　to　swim



that　river。〃







〃No；〃　decided　Dorothy；　〃we　couldn't　swim　it



if　we　tried。　It's　too　big　a　river；　and　the　water



moves　awful　fast。〃







〃There　ought　to　be　a　ferryman　with　a　boat；〃



said　the　Scarecrow；　〃but　I　don't　see　any。〃







〃Couldn't　we　make　a　raft？〃　suggested　Ojo。







〃There's　nothing　to　make　one　of；〃　answered



Dorothy。







〃Wow！〃　said　Toto　again；　and　Dorothy　saw　he



was　looking　along　the　bank　of　the　river。







〃Why；　he　sees　a　house　over　there！〃　cried　the



little　girl。　〃I　wonder　we　didn't　notice　it



ourselves。　Let's　go　and　ask　the　people　how　to



get　'cross　the　river。〃







A　quarter　of　a　mile　along　the　bank　stood　a



small；　round　house；　painted　bright　red；　and　as



it　was　on　their　side　of　the　river　they　hurried



toward　it。　A　chubby　little　man；　dressed　all　in



red；　came　out　to　greet　them；　and　with　him　were



two　children；　also　in　red　costumes。　The　man's



eyes　were　big　and　staring　as　he　examined　the



Scarecrow　and　the　Patchwork　Girl；　and　the



children　shyly　hid　behind　him　and　peeked



timidly　at　Toto。







〃Do　you　live　here；　my　good　man？〃　asked　the



Scarecrow。







〃I　think　I　do；　Most　Mighty　Magician；〃　replied



the　Quadling；　bowing　low；　〃but　whether　I'm　awake



or　dreaming　I　can't　be　positive；　so　I'm　not　sure



where　I　live。　If　you'll　kindly　pinch　me　I'll　find



out　all　about　it！'







〃You're　awake；〃　said　Dorothy；　〃and　this　is　no



magician；　but　just　the　Scarecrow。〃







〃But　he's　alive；〃　protested　the　man；　〃and　he



oughtn't　to　be；　you　know。　And　that　other　dreadful



personthe　girl　who　is　all　patchesseems　to　be



alive；　too。〃







〃Very　much　so；〃　declared　Scraps；　making　a



face　at　him。　〃But　that　isn't　your　affair；　you



know。〃







〃I've　a　right　to　be　surprised；　haven't　I？〃　asked



the　man　meekly。







〃I'm　not　sure；　but　anyhow　you've　no　right　to　say



I'm　dreadful。　The　Scarecrow；　who　is　a　gentleman　of



great　wisdom；　thinks　I'm　beautiful；〃　retorted



Scraps。







〃Never　mind　all　that；〃　said　Dorothy。　〃Tell　us；



good　Quadling；　how　we　can　get　across　the　river。〃







〃I　don't　know；〃　replied　the　Quadling。







〃Don't　you　ever　cross　it？〃　asked　the　girl。







〃Never。〃







〃Don't　travelers　cross　it？〃







〃Not　to　my　knowledge；〃　said　he。







They　were　much　surprised　to　hear　this；　and



the　man　added：　〃It's　a　pretty　big　river；　and　the



current　is　strong。　I　know　a　man　who　lives　on



the　opposite　bank；　for　I've　seen　him　there　a　good



many　years；　but　we've　never　spoken　because



neither　of　us　has　ever　crossed　over。〃







〃That's　queer；〃　said　the　Scarecrow。　〃Don't　you



own　a　boat？〃







The　man　shook　his　head。







〃Nor　a　raft？〃







〃Where　does　this　river　go　to？〃　asked　Dorothy。







〃That　way；〃　answered　the　man；　pointing　with



one　hand；　〃it　goes　into　the　Country　of　the



Winkies；　which　is　ruled　by　the　Tin　Emperor；



who　must　be　a　mighty　magician　because　he's



all　made　of　tin；　and　yet　he's　alive。　And　that



way；〃　pointing　with　the　other　hand；　〃the　river



runs　between　two　mountains　where　dangerous



people　dwell。〃







The　Scarecrow　looked　at　the　water　before　them。







〃The　current　flows　toward　the　Winkie　Country〃'



said　he；　〃and　so；　if　we　had　a　boat；　or　a　raft；　the



river　would　float　us　there　more　quickly　and　more



easily　than　we　could　walk。〃







〃That　is　true；〃　agreed　Dorothy；　and　then　they



all　looked　thoughtful　and　wondered　what　could



be　done。







〃Why　can't　the　man　make　us　a　raft？〃　asked　Ojo。







〃Will