the patchwork girl of oz-第4节

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her　patched　face　I　can　whitewash　it。〃







〃Has　she　any　brains？〃　asked　Ojo。







〃No；　I　forgot　all　about　the　brains！〃　exclaimed



the　woman。　〃I　am　glad　you　reminded　me　of



them；　for　it　is　not　too　late　to　supply　them；　by



any　means。　Until　she　is　brought　to　life　I　can



do　anything　I　please　with　this　girl。　But　I　must



be　careful　not　to　give　her　too　much　brains；　and



those　she　has　must　be　such　as　are　fitted　to　the



station　she　is　to　occupy　in　life。　In　other　words；



her　brains　mustn't　be　very　good。〃







〃Wrong；〃　said　Unc　Nunkie。







〃No；　I　am　sure　I　am　right　about　that；〃　returned



the　woman。







〃He　means；〃　explained　Ojo；　〃that　unless　your



servant　has　good　brains　she　won't　know　how　to　obey



you　properly；　nor　do　the　things　you　ask　her　to



do。〃







〃Well；　that　may　be　true；〃　agreed　Margolotte；



〃but；　on　the　contrary；　a　servant　with　too　much



brains　is　sure　to　become　independent　and　high…



and…mighty　and　feel　above　her　work。　This　is　a



very　delicate　task；　as　I　said；　and　I　must　take



care　to　give　the　girl　just　the　right　quantity　of



the　right　sort　of　brains。　I　want　her　to　know　just



enough；　but　not　too　much。〃







With　this　she　went　to　another　cupboard　which　was



filled　With　shelves。　All　the　shelves　were　lined



With　blue　glass　bottles；　neatly　labeled　by　the



Magician　to　show　what　they　contained。　One　whole



shelf　was　marked：　〃Brain　Furniture；〃　and　the



bottles　on　this　shelf　were　labeled　as　follows：



〃Obedience；〃　〃Cleverness；〃　〃Judgment；〃　〃Courage；〃



〃Ingenuity；〃　〃Amiability；〃　〃Learning；〃　〃Truth；〃



〃Poesy；〃　〃Self　Reliance。〃







〃Let　me　see；〃　said　Margolotte；　〃of　those



qualities　she　must　have　'Obedience'　first　of　all；〃



and　she　took　down　the　bottle　bearing　that　label



and　poured　from　it　upon　a　dish　several　grains　of



the　contents。　〃'Amiability'　is　also　good　and



'Truth。'〃　She　poured　into　the　dish　a　quantity　from



each　of　these　bottles。　〃I　think　that　will　do；〃　she



continued；　〃for　the　other　qualities　are　not　needed



in　a　servant。〃







Unc　Nunkie；　who　with　Ojo　stood　beside　her；



touched　the　bottle　marked　〃Cleverness。〃







〃Little；〃　said　he。







〃A　little　'Cleverness'？　Well；　perhaps　you　are



right；　sir；〃　said　she；　and　was　about　to　take　down



the　bottle　when　the　Crooked　Magician　suddenly



called　to　her　excitedly　from　the　fireplace。







〃Quick；　Margolotte！　Come　and　help　me。〃







She　ran　to　her　husband's　side　at　once　and



helped　him　lift　the　four　kettles　from　the　fire。



Their　contents　had　all　boiled　away；　leaving　in



the　bottom　of　each　kettle　a　few　grains　of　fine



white　powder。　Very　carefully　the　Magician　removed



this　powder；　placing　it　all　together　in　a　golden



dish；　where　he　mixed　it　with　a　golden　spoon。　When



the　mixture　was　complete　there　was　scarcely　a



handful；　all　told。







〃That；〃　said　Dr。　Pipt；　in　a　pleased　and



triumphant　tone；　〃is　the　wonderful　Powder　of　Life；



which　I　alone　in　the　world　know　how　to　make。　It



has　taken　me　nearly　six　years　to　prepare　these



precious　grains　of　dust；　but　the　little　heap　on



that　dish　is　worth　the　price　of　a　kingdom　and　many



a　king　would　give　all　he　has　to　possess　it。　When



it　has　become　cooled　I　will　place　it　in　a　small



bottle；　but　meantime　I　must　watch　it　carefully；



lest　a　gust　of　wind　blow　it　away　or　scatter　it。'







Unc　Nunkie；　Margolotte　and　the　Magician



all　stood　looking　at　the　marvelous　Powder；　but



Ojo　was　more　interested　just　then　in　the　Patchwork



Girl's　brains。　Thinking　it　both　unfair　and　unkind



to　deprive　her　of　any　good　qualities　that　were



handy；　the　boy　took　down　every　bottle　on　the　shelf



and　poured　some　of　the　contents　in　Margolotte's



dish。　No　one　saw　him　do　this；　for　all　were　looking



at　the　Powder　of　Life；　but　soon　the　woman



remembered　what　she　had　been　doing；　and　came　back



to　the　cupboard。







〃Let's　see；〃　she　remarked；　〃I　was　about　to　give



my　girl　a　little　'Cleverness；'　which　is　the



Doctor's　substitute　for　'Intelligence'a　quality



he　has　not　yet　learned　how　to　manufacture。〃　Taking



down　the　bottle　of　〃Cleverness〃　she　added　some　of



the　powder　to　the　heap　on　the　dish。　Ojo　became　a



bit　uneasy　at　this；　for　he　had　already　put　quite



a　lot　of　the　〃Cleverness〃　powder　in　the　dish；　but



he　dared　not　interfere　and　so　he　comforted　himself



with　the　thought　that　one　cannot　have　too　much



cleverness。







Margolotte　now　carried　the　dish　of　brains　to



the　bench。　Ripping　the　seam　of　the　patch　on



the　girl's　forehead；　she　placed　the　powder　within



the　head　and　then　sewed　up　the　seam　as　neatly



and　securely　as　before。







〃My　girl　is　all　ready　for　your　Powder　of　Life；



my　dear；〃　she　said　to　her　husband。　But　the



Magician　replied：







〃This　powder　must　not　be　used　before　tomorrow



morning；　but　I　think　it　is　now　cool　enough　to　be



bottled。〃







He　selected　a　small　gold　bottle　with　a　pepper…



box　top；　so　that　the　powder　might　be　sprinkled　on



any　object　through　the　small　holes。　Very　carefully



he　placed　the　Powder　of　Life　in　the　gold　bottle



and　then　locked　it　up　in　a　drawer　of　his　cabinet。







〃At　last；〃　said　he；　rubbing　his　hands　together



gleefully；　〃I　have　ample　leisure　for　a　good　talk



with　my　old　friend　Unc　Nunkie。　So　let　us　sit



down　cosily　and　enjoy　ourselves。　After　stirring



those　four　kettles　for　six　years　I　am　glad　to



have　a　little　rest。〃







〃You　will　have　to　do　most　of　the　talking；〃



said　Ojo；　〃for　Unc　is　called　the　Silent　One　and



uses　few　words。〃







〃I　know；　but　that　renders　your　uncle　a



most　agreeable　companion　and　gossip；〃　declared



Dr。　Pipt。　〃Most　people　talk　too　much；　so　it　is



a　relief　to　find　one　who　talks　too　little。〃







Ojo　looked　at　the　Magician　with　much　awe



and　curiosity。







〃Don't　you　find　it　very　annoying　to　be　so



crooked？〃　he　asked。







〃No；　I　am　quite　proud　of　my　person；〃　was



the　reply。　〃I　suppose　I　am　the　only　Crooked



Magician　in　all　the　world。　Some　others　are　accused



of　being　crooked；　but　I　am　the　only　genuine。〃







He　was　really　very　crooked　and　Ojo　wondered　how



he　managed　to　do　so　many　things　with　such　a



twisted　body。　When　he　sat　down　upon　a　crooked



chair　that　had　been　made　to　fit　him；　one　knee　was



under　his　chin　and　the　other　near　the　small　of　his



back；　but　he　was　a　cheerful　man　and　his　face　bore



a　pleasant　and　agreeable　expression。







〃I　am　not　allowed　to　perform　magic；　except



for　my　own　amusement；〃　he　told　his　visitors；



as　he　lighted　a　pipe　with　a　crooked　stem　and



began　to　smoke。　〃Too　many　people　were　working



magic　in　the　Land　of　Oz；　and　so　our　lovely



Princess　Ozma　put　a　stop　to　it。　I　think　she　was



quite　right。　There　were　several　wicked　Witches　who



caused　a　lot　of　trouble；　but　now　they　are　all　out



of　business　and　only　the　great　Sorceress；　Glinda



the　Good；　is　permitted　to　practice　her　arts；　which



never　harm　anybody。　The　Wizard　of　Oz；　who　used　to



be　a　humbug　and　knew　no　magic　at　all；　has　been



taking　lessons　of　Glinda；　and　I'm　told　he　is



getting　to　be　a　pretty　good　Wizard；　but　he　is



merely　the　assistant　of　the　great　Sorceress。　I've



the　right　to　make　a　servant　girl　for　my　wife；　you



know；　or　a　Glass　Cat　to　catch　our　micewhich　she



refuses　to　dobut　I　am　forbidden　to　work　magic　for



others；　or　to　use　it　as　a　profession。〃







〃Magic　must　be　a　very　interesting　study；〃



said　Ojo。







〃It　truly　is；〃　asserted　the　Magician。　〃In　my



time　I've　performed　some　magical　feats　that　were



worthy　of　the　skill　of　Glinda　the　Good。　For



instance；　there's　the　Powder　of　Life；　and　my



Liquid　of　Petrifaction；　which　is　contained　in　that



bottle　on　the　shelf　yonder…over　the　window。〃







〃What　does　the　Liquid　of　Petrifaction　do？〃



inquired　the　boy。







〃Turns　everything　it　touches　to　solid　marble。



It's　an　invention　of　my　own；　and　I　find　it　very



useful。　Once　two　of　those　dreadful　Kalidahs；



with　bodies　like　bears　and　heads　like　tigers；



came　here　from　the　forest　to　attack　us；　but　I



sprinkled　some　of　that　Liquid　on　them　and



instantly　they　turned　to　marble。　I　now　use　them



as　ornamental　statuary　in　my　garden。　This　table



looks　to　you　like　wood；　and　once　it　really　was



wood；　but　I　sprinkled　a　few　drops　of　the　Liquid



of　Petrifaction　on　it　and　now　it　is　marble。　It



will　never　break　nor　wear　out。







〃Fine！〃　said　Unc　Nunkie；　wagging　his　head



and　str