fb.themarvelouslandofoz-第13章

按键盘上方向键 ← 或 → 可快速上下翻页，按键盘上的 Enter 键可回到本书目录页，按键盘上方向键 ↑ 可回到本页顶部！
————未阅读完？加入书签已便下次继续阅读！


or　into　the　hearts　of　the　rebels。〃
　　〃We　five；〃　corrected　the　Pumpkinhead。
　　〃Five？〃　repeated　the　Tin　Woodman。
　　〃Yes；　the　Saw…Horse　is　brave　and　fearless；〃　answered　Jack；　forgetting　his　recent　quarrel　with　the　quadruped。
　　The　Tin　Woodman　looked　around　him　in　a　puzzled　way；　for　the　Saw…Horse　had　until　now　remained　quietly　standing　in　a　corner；　where　the　Emperor　had　not　noticed　him。　Tip　immediately　called　the　odd…looking　creature　to　them；　and　it　approached　so　awkwardly　that　it　nearly　upset　the　beautiful　center…table　and　the　engraved　oil…can。
　　〃I　begin　to　think；〃　remarked　the　Tin　Woodman　as　he　looked　earnestly　at　the　Saw…Horse；　〃that　wonders　will　never　cease！　How　came　this　creature　alive？〃
　　〃I　did　it　with　a　magic　powder；〃　modestly　asserted　the　boy。　〃and　the　Saw…　Horse　has　been　very　useful　to　us。〃
　　〃He　enabled　us　to　escape　the　rebels；〃　added　the　Scarecrow。
　　〃Then　we　must　surely　accept　him　as　a　rade；〃　declared　the　emperor。　〃A　live　Saw…Horse　is　a　distinct　novelty；　and　should　prove　an　interesting　study。　Does　he　know　anything？〃
　　〃Well；　I　cannot　claim　any　great　experience　in　life；〃　the　Saw…Horse　answered　for　himself。　〃but　I　seem　to　learn　very　quickly；　and　often　it　occurs　to　me　that　I　know　more　than　any　of　those　around　me。〃
　　〃Perhaps　you　do；〃　said　the　emperor；　〃for　experience　does　not　always　mean　wisdom。　But　time　is　precious　Just　now；　so　let　us　quickly　make　preparations　to　start　upon　our　Journey。
　　The　emperor　called　his　Lord　High　Chancellor　and　instructed　him　how　to　run　the　kingdom　during　his　absence。
　　Meanwhile　the　Scarecrow　was　taken　apart　and　the　painted　sack　that　served　him　for　a　head　was　carefully　laundered　and　restuffed　with　the　brains　originally　given　him　by　the　great　Wizard。　His　clothes　were　also　cleaned　and　pressed　by　the　Imperial　tailors；　and　his　crown　polished　and　again　sewed　upon　his　head；　for　the　Tin　Woodman　insisted　he　should　not　renounce　this　badge　of　royalty。　The　Scarecrow　now　presented　a　very　respectable　appearance；　and　although　in　no　way　addicted　to　vanity　he　was　quite　pleased　with　himself　and　strutted　a　trifle　as　he　walked。　While　this　was　being　done　Tip　mended　the　wooden　limbs　of　Jack　Pumpkinhead　and　made　them　stronger　than　before；　and　the　Saw…Horse　was　also　inspected　to　see　if　he　was　in　good　working　order。
　　Then　bright　and　early　the　next　morning　they　set　out　upon　the　return　Journey　to　the　emerald　City；　the　Tin　Woodman　bearing　upon　his　shoulder　a　gleaming　axe　and　leading　the　way；　while　the　Pumpkinhead　rode　upon　the　Saw…Horse　and　Tip　and　the　Scarecrow　walked　upon　either　side　to　make　sure　that　he　didn't　fall　off　or　bee　damaged。
　　
　　
　　　Mr。　H。　M。　Woggle…Bug；　T。　E。
　　
　　Now；　General　Jinjur　…　who；　you　will　remember；　manded　the　Army　of　Revolt　…　was　rendered　very　uneasy　by　the　escape　of　the　Scarecrow　from　the　Emerald　City。　She　feared；　and　with　good　reason；　that　if　his　Majesty　and　the　Tin　Woodman　Joined　forces；　it　would　mean　danger　to　her　and　her　entire　army；　for　the　people　of　Oz　had　not　yet　forgotten　the　deeds　of　these　famous　heroes；　who　had　passed　successfully　through　so　many　startling　adventures。
　　So　Jinjur　sent　post…haste　for　old　Mombi；　the　witch；　and　promised　her　large　rewards　if　she　would　e　to　the　assistance　of　the　rebel　army。
　　Mombi　was　furious　at　the　trick　Tip　had　played　upon　her　as　well　as　at　his　escape　and　the　theft　of　the　precious　Powder　of　Life；　so　she　needed　no　urging　to　induce　her　to　travel　to　the　Emerald　City　to　assist　Jinjur　in　defeating　the　Scarecrow　and　the　Tin　Woodman；　who　had　made　Tip　one　of　their　friends。
　　Mombi　had　no　sooner　arrived　at　the　royal　palace　than　she　discovered；　by　means　of　her　secret　magic；　that　the　adventurers　were　starting　upon　their　Journey　to　the　Emerald　City；　so　she　retired　to　a　small　room　high　up　in　a　tower　and　locked　herself　in　while　she　practised　such　arts　as　she　could　mand　to　prevent　the　return　of　the　Scarecrow　and　his　panions。
　　That　was　why　the　Tin　Woodman　presently　stopped　and　said：　〃Something　very　curious　has　happened。　I　ought　to　know　by　heart　and　every　step　of　this　Journey；　yet　I　fear　we　have　already　lost　our　way。〃
　　〃That　is　quite　impossible！〃　protested　the　Scarecrow。　〃Why　do　you　think；　my　dear　friend；　that　we　have　gone　astray？〃
　　〃Why；　here　before　us　is　a　great　field　of　sunflowers　…　and　I　never　saw　this　field　before　in　all　my　life。〃　At　these　words　they　all　looked　around；　only　to　find　that　they　were　indeed　surrounded　by　a　field　of　tall　stalks；　every　stalk　bearing　at　its　top　a　gigantic　sunflower。　And　not　only　were　these　flowers　almost　blinding　in　their　vivid　hues　of　red　and　gold；　but　each　one　whirled　around　upon　its　stalk　like　a　miniature　wind…mill；　pletely　dazzling　the　vision　of　the　beholders　and　so　mystifying　them　that　they　knew　not　which　way　to　turn。
　　〃It's　witchcraft！〃　exclaimed　Tip。
　　While　they　paused；　hesitating　and　wondering；　the　Tin　Woodman　uttered　a　cry　of　impatience　and　advanced　with　swinging　axe　to　cut　down　the　stalks　before　him。　But　now　the　sunflowers　suddenly　stopped　their　rapid　whirling；　and　the　travelers　plainly　saw　a　girl's　face　appear　in　the　center　of　each　flower。　These　lovely　faces　looked　upon　the　astonished　band　with　mocking　smiles；　and　then　burst　into　a　chorus　of　merry　laughter　at　the　dismay　their　appearance　caused。
　　〃Stop！　stop！〃　cried　Tip；　seizing　the　Woodman's　arm；　〃they're　alive！　they're　girls！〃　At　that　moment　the　flowers　began　whirling　again；　and　the　faces　faded　away　and　were　lost　in　the　rapid　revolutions。
　　The　Tin　Woodman　dropped　his　axe　and　sat　down　upon　the　ground。
　　〃It　would　be　heartless　to　chop　down　those　pretty　creatures；〃　said　he；　despondently。　〃and　yet　I　do　not　know　how　else　we　can　proceed　upon　our　way〃
　　〃They　looked　to　me　strangely　like　the　faces　of　the　Army　of　Revolt；〃　mused　the　Scarecrow。　〃But　I　cannot　conceive　how　the　girls　could　have　followed　us　here　so　quickly。〃
　　〃I　believe　it's　magic；〃　said　Tip；　positively；　〃and　that　someone　is　playing　a　trick　upon　us。　I've　known　old　Mombi　do　things　like　that　before。　Probably　it's　nothing　more　than　an　illusion；　and　there　are　no　sunflowers　here　at　all。〃
　　〃Then　let　us　shut　our　eyes　and　walk　forward；〃　suggested　the　Woodman。
　　〃Excuse　me；〃　replied　the　Scarecrow。　〃My　eyes　are　not　painted　to　shut。　Because　you　happen　to　have　tin　eyelids；　you　must　not　imagine　we　are　all　built　in　the　same　way。〃
　　〃And　the　eyes　of　the　Saw…Horse　are　knot　eyes；〃　said　Jack；　leaning　forward　to　examine　them。
　　〃Nevertheless；　you　must　ride　quickly　forward；〃　manded　Tip；　〃and　we　will　follow　after　you　and　so　try　to　escape。　My　eyes　are　already　so　dazzled　that　I　can　scarcely　see。〃　So　the　Pumpkinhead　rode　boldly　forward；　and　Tip　grasped　the　stub　tail　of　the　Saw…Horse　and　followed　with　closed　eyes。　The　Scarecrow　and　the　Tin　Woodman　brought　up　the　rear；　and　before　they　had　gone　many　yards　a　Joyful　shout　from　Jack　announced　that　the　way　was　clear　before　them。
　　Then　all　paused　to　look　backward；　but　not　a　trace　of　the　field　of　sunflowers　remained。
　　More　cheerfully；　now　they　proceeded　upon　their　Journey；　but　old　Mombi　had　so　changed　the　appearance　of　the　landscape　that　they　would　surely　have　been　lost　had　not　the　Scarecrow　wisely　concluded　to　take　their　direction　from　the　sun。　For　no　witch…craft　could　change　the　course　of　the　sun；　and　it　was　therefore　a　safe　guide。
　　However；　other　difficulties　lay　before　them。　The　Saw…Horse　stepped　into　a　rabbit　hole　and　fell　to　the　ground。
　　The　Pumpkinhead　was　pitched　high　into　the　air；　and　his　history　would　probably　have　ended　at　that　exact　moment　had　not　the　Tin　Woodman　skillfully　caught　the　pumpkin　as　it　descended　and　saved　it　from　injury。
　　Tip　soon　had　it　fitted　to　the　neck　again　and　replaced　Jack　upon　his　feet。　But　the　Saw…Horse　did　not　escape　so　easily。　For　when　his　leg　was　pulled　from　the　rabbit　hole　it　was　found　to　be　broken　short　off；　and　must　be　replaced　or　repaired　before　he　could　go　a　step　farther。
　　〃This　is　quite　serious；〃　said　the　Tin　Woodman。〃　If　there　were　trees　near　by　I　might　soon　manufacture　another　leg　for　this　animal；　but　I　cannot　see　even　a　shrub　for　miles　around。〃
　　〃And　there　are　neither　fences　nor　houses　in　this　part　of　the　land　of　Oz；〃　added　the　Scarecrow；　disconsolately。
　　〃Then　what　shall　we　do？〃　enquired　the　boy。
　　〃I　suppose　I　must　start