the patchwork girl of oz-第38节

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be　done。







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







〃Will　you？〃　inquired　Dorothy；　turning　to　the



Quadling。







The　chubby　man　shook　his　head。







〃I'm　too　lazy；〃　he　said。　〃My　wife　says　I'm　the



laziest　man　in　all　Oz；　and　she　is　a　truthful



woman。　I　hate　work　of　any　kind；　and　making　a　raft



is　hard　work。〃







〃I'll　give　you　my　em'rald　ring；〃　promised　the



girl。







〃No；　I　don't　care　for　emeralds。　If　it　were　a



ruby；　which　is　the　color　I　like　best；　I　might　work



a　little　while。〃







〃I've　got　some　Square　Meal　Tablets；〃　said　the



Scarecrow。　〃Each　one　is　the　same　as　a　dish　of



soup；　a　fried　fish；　a　mutton　pot…pie；　lobster



salad；　charlotte　russe　and　lemon　jellyall　made



into　one　little　tablet　that　you　can　swallow



without　trouble。〃







〃Without　trouble！〃　exclaimed　the　Quadling；



much　interested；　〃then　those　tablets　would　be



fine　for　a　lazy　man。　It's　such　hard　work　to　chew



when　you　eat。〃







〃I'll　give　you　six　of　those　tablets　if　you'll



help　us　make　a　raft；〃　promised　the　Scarecrow。



〃They're　a　combination　of　food　which　people　who



eat　are　very　fond　of。　I　never　eat；　you　know；　being



straw；　but　some　of　my　friends　eat　regularly。　What



do　you　say　to　my　offer；　Quadling？〃







〃I'll　do　it；〃　decided　the　man。　〃I'll　help；　and



you　can　do　most　of　the　work。　But　my　wife　has



gone　fishing　for　red　eels　to…day；　so　some　of　you



will　have　to　mind　the　children。〃







Scraps　promised　to　do　that；　and　the　children



were　not　so　shy　when　the　Patchwork　Girl　sat



down　to　play　with　them。　They　grew　to　like



Toto；　too；　and　the　little　dog　allowed　them　to



pat　him　on　his　head；　which　gave　the　little　ones



much　joy。







There　were　a　number　of　fallen　trees　near　the



house　and　the　Quadling　got　his　axe　and　chopped



them　into　logs　of　equal　length。　He　took　his　wife's



clothesline　to　bind　these　logs　together；　so　that



they　would　form　a　raft；　and　Ojo　found　some　strips



of　wood　and　nailed　them　along　the　tops　of　the



logs；　to　render　them　more　firm。　The　Scarecrow　and



Dorothy　helped　roll　the　logs　together　and　carry



the　strips　of　wood；　but　it　took　so　long　to　make



the　raft　that　evening　came　just　as　it　was



finished；　and　with　evening　the　Quadling's　wife



returned　from　her　fishing。







The　woman　proved　to　be　cross　and　bad…tempered；



perhaps　because　she　had　only　caught　one　red　eel



during　all　the　day。　When　she　found　that　her



husband　had　used　her　clothesline；　and　the　logs　she



had　wanted　for　firewood；　and　the　boards　she　had



intended　to　mend　the　shed　with；　and　a　lot　of　gold



nails；　she　became　very　angry。　Scraps　wanted　to



shake　the　woman；　to　make　her　behave；　but　Dorothy



talked　to　her　in　a　gentle　tone　and　told　the



Quadling's　wife　she　was　a　Princess　of　Oz　and　a



friend　of　Ozma　and　that　when　she　got　back　to　the



Emerald　City　she　would　send　them　a　lot　of　things



to　repay　them　for　the　raft；　including　a　new



clothesline。　This　promise　pleased　the　woman　and



she　soon　became　more　pleasant；　saying　they　could



stay　the　night　at　her　house　and　begin　their　voyage



on　the　river　next　morning。







This　they　did；　spending　a　pleasant　evening



with　the　Quadling　family　and　being　entertained



with　such　hospitality　as　the　poor　people　were



able　to　offer　them。　The　man　groaned　a　good



deal　and　said　he　had　overworked　himself　by



chopping　the　logs；　but　the　Scarecrow　gave　him



two　more　tablets　than　he　had　promised；　which



seemed　to　comfort　the　lazy　fellow。



















Chapter　Twenty…Six







The　Trick　River











Next　morning　they　pushed　the　raft　into　the　water



and　all　got　aboard。　The　Quadling　man　had　to　hold



the　log　craft　fast　while　they　took　their　places；



and　the　flow　of　the　river　was　so　powerful　that　it



nearly　tore　the　raft　from　his　hands。　As　soon　as



they　were　all　seated　upon　the　logs　he　let　go　and



away　it　floated　and　the　adventurers　had　begun



their　voyage　toward　the　Winkie　Country。







The　little　house　of　the　Quadlings　was　out　of



sight　almost　before　they　had　cried　their　good…



byes；　and　the　Scarecrow　said　in　a　pleased　voice：



〃It　won't　take　us　long　to　get　to　the　Winkie



Country；　at　this　rate。〃







They　had　floated　several　miles　down　the　stream



and　were　enjoying　the　ride　when　suddenly　the　raft



slowed　up；　stopped　short；　and　then　began　to　float



back　the　way　it　had　come。







〃Why；　what's　wrong？〃　asked　Dorothy；　in



astonishment；　but　they　were　all　just　as　bewildered



as　she　was　and　at　first　no　one　could　answer　the



question。　Soon；　however；　they　realized　the　truth：



that　the　current　of　the　river　had　reversed　and　the



water　was　now　flowing　in　the　opposite　direction



toward　the　mountains。







They　began　to　recognize　the　scenes　they　had



passed；　and　by　and　by　they　came　in　sight　of　the



little　house　of　the　Quadlings　again。　The　man



was　standing　on　the　river　bank　and　he　called



to　them：







〃How　do　you　do？　Glad　to　see　you　again。　I　forgot



to　tell　you　that　the　river　changes　its　direction



every　little　while。　Sometimes　it　flows　one　way；



and　sometimes　the　other。〃







They　had　no　time　to　answer　him；　for　the　raft



was　swept　past　the　house　and　a　long　distance　on



the　other　side　of　it。







〃We're　going　just　the　way　we　don't　want　to



go；〃　said　Dorothy；　〃and　I　guess　the　best　thing



we　can　do　is　to　get　to　land　before　we're　carried



any　farther。〃







But　they　could　not　get　to　land。　They　had



no　oars；　nor　even　a　pole　to　guide　the　raft　with。



The　logs　which　bore　them　floated　in　the　middle



of　the　stream　and　were　held　fast　in　that　position



by　the　strong　current。







So　they　sat　still　and　waited　and；　even　while



they　were　wondering　what　could　be　done；　the　raft



slowed　down；　stopped；　and　began　drifting　the　other



wayin　the　direction　it　had　first　followed。　After



a　time　they　repassed　the　Quadling　house　and　the



man　was　still　standing　on　the　bank。　He　cried　out



to　them：







〃Good　day！　Glad　to　see　you　again。　I　expect



I　shall　see　you　a　good　many　times；　as　you　go



by；　unless　you　happen　to　swim　ashore。〃







By　that　time　they　had　left　him　behind　and



were　headed　once　more　straight　toward　the



Winkie　Country。







〃This　is　pretty　hard　luck；〃　said　Ojo　in　a



discouraged　voice。　〃The　Trick　River　keeps



changing；　it　seems；　and　here　we　must　float　back



and　forward　forever；　unless　we　manage　in　some　way



to　get　ashore。〃







〃Can　you　swim？〃　asked　Dorothy。







〃No；　I'm　Ojo　the　Unlucky。〃







〃Neither　can　I。　Toto　can　swim　a　little；　but



that　won't　help　us　to　get　to　shore。〃







〃I　don't　know　whether　I　could　swim；　or　not；〃



remarked　Scraps；　〃but　if　I　tried　it　I'd　surely　ruin



my　lovely　patches。〃







〃My　straw　would　get　soggy　in　the　water　and



I　would　sink；〃　said　the　Scarecrow。







So　there　seemed　no　way　out　of　their　dilemma



and　being　helpless　they　simply　sat　still。　Ojo；



who　was　on　the　front　of　the　raft；　looked　over



into　the　water　and　thought　he　saw　some　large



fishes　swimming　about。　He　found　a　loose　end



of　the　clothesline　which　fastened　the　logs



together；　and　taking　a　gold　nail　from　his　pocket



he　bent　it　nearly　double；　to　form　a　hook；　and



tied　it　to　the　end　of　the　line。　Having　baited　the



hook　with　some　bread　which　he　broke　from　his



loaf；　he　dropped　the　line　into　the　water　and



almost　instantly　it　was　seized　by　a　great　fish。







They　knew　it　was　a　great　fish；　because　it



pulled　so　hard　on　the　line　that　it　dragged　the



raft　forward　even　faster　than　the　current　of　the



river　had　carried　it。　The　fish　was　frightened；



and　it　was　a　strong　swimmer。　As　the　other　end



of　the　clothesline　was　bound　around　the　logs



he　could　not　get　it　away；　and　as　he　had　greedily



swallowed　the　gold　hook　at　the　first　bite　he



could　not　get　rid　of　that；　either。







When　they　reached　the　place　where　the　current



had　before　changed；　the　fish　was　still　swimming



ahead　in　its　wild　attempt　to　escape。　The　raft



slowed　down；　yet　it　did　not　stop；　because　the　fish



would　not　let　it。　It　continued　to　move　in　the　same



direction　it　had　been　going。　As　the　current



reversed　and　rushed　backward　on　its　course　it



failed　to　drag　the　raft　with　it。　Slowly；　inch　by



inch；　they　floated　on；　and　the　fish　tugged　and



tugged　and　kept　them　going。







〃I　hope　he　won't　give　up；〃　said　Ojo　anxious