the lost princess of oz-第18章

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him。〃







〃It's　a　good　place　to　wait；〃　suggested　Betsy；　who　had



found　a　plum　tree　and　was　eating　some　of　its　fruit。







〃How　can　you　wait　here；　and　find　Button…Bright；　at



one　and　the　same　time？〃　inquired　the　Patchwork　Girl；



hanging　by　her　toes　on　a　limb　just　over　the　heads　of



the　three　mortal　girls。







〃Perhaps　he'll　come　back　here；〃　answered　Dorothy。







〃If　he　tries　that；　he'll　prob'ly　lose　his　way；　said



Trot。　I've　known　him　to　do　that；　lots　of　times。　It's



losing　his　way　that　gets　him　lost。〃







〃Very　true；〃　said　the　Wizard。　〃So　all　the　rest　of　you



must　stay　here　while　I　go　look　for　the　boy。〃







〃Won't　you　get　lost；　too？〃　asked　Betsy。







〃I　hope　not；　my　dear。〃







〃Let　me　go；〃　said　Scraps；　dropping　lightly　to　the



ground。　〃I　can't　get　lost；　and　I'm　more　likely　to　find



Button　Bright　than　any　of　you。〃







Without　waiting　for　permission　she　darted　away



through　the　trees　and　soon　disappeared　from　their　view。







〃Dorothy；〃　said　Toto；　squatting　beside　his　little



mistress；　〃I've　lost　my　growl。〃







〃How　did　that　happen？〃　she　asked。







〃I　don't　know；〃　replied　Toto。　〃Yesterday　morning　the



Woozy　nearly　stepped　on　me　and　I　tried　to　growl　at　him



and　found　I　couldn't　growl　a　bit。〃







〃Can　you　bark？〃　inquired　Dorothy。







〃Oh；　yes；　indeed！〃







〃Then　never　mind　the　growl；〃　said　she。







〃But　what　will　I　do　when　I　get　home　to　the　Glass　Cat



and　the　Pink　Kitten？〃　asked　the　little　dog　in　an



anxious　voice。







〃They　won't　mind；　if　you　can't　growl　at　them；　I'm



sure；〃　said　Dorothy。　〃I'm　sorry　for　you；　of　course；



Toto；　for　it's　just　those　things　we　can　t　do　that　we



want　to　do　most　of　all；　but　before　we　get　back　you　may



find　your　growl　again。〃







〃Do　you　think　the　person　who　stole　Ozma　stole　my



growl？〃







Dorothy　smiled。







〃Perhaps；　Toto。〃







〃Then　he's　a　scoundrel！〃　cried　the　little　dog。







〃Anyone　who　would　steal　Ozma　is　as　bad　as　bad　can



be；〃　agreed　Dorothy；　〃and　when　we　remember　that　our



dear　friend；　the　lovely　Ruler　of　Oz；　is　lost；　we　ought



not　to　worry　over　just　a　growl。〃







Toto　was　not　entirely　satisfied　with　this　remark；　for



the　more　he　thought　upon　his　lost　growl　the　more



important　his　misfortune　he　came。　When　no　one　was



looking　he　went　away　among　the　trees　and　tried　his　best



to　growl　　even　a　little　bit　　but　could　not　manage



to　do　so。　All　he　could　do　was　bark；　and　a　bark　cannot



take　the　place　of　a　growl；　so　he　sadly　returned　to　the



others。







Now；　Button…Bright　had　no　idea　that　he　was　lost；　at



first。　He　had　merely　wandered　from　tree　to　tree；



seeking　the　finest　fruit；　until　he　discovered　he　was



alone　in　the　great　orchard。　But　that　didn't　worry　him



just　then　and　seeing　some　apricot　trees　farther　on　he



went　to　them；　then　he　discovered　some　cherry　trees；



just　beyond　these　were　some　tangerines。







〃We've　found　'most　ev'ry　kind　of　fruit　but　peaches；〃



he　said　to　himself；　〃so　I　guess　there　are　peaches　here；



too；　if　I　can　find　the　trees。〃







He　searched　here　and　there；　paying　no　attention　to



his　way；　until　he　found　that　the　trees　surrounding　him



bore　only　nuts。　He　put　some　walnuts　in　his　pockets　and



kept　on　searching　and　at　last　　right　among　the　nut



trees　　he　came　upon　one　solitary　peach　tree。　It　was　a



graceful；　beautiful　tree；　but　although　it　was　thickly



leaved　it　bore　no　fruit　except　one　large；　splendid



peach；　rosy　cheeked　and　fuzzy　and　just　right　to　eat。







Button…Bright　had　some　trouble　getting　that　lonesome



peach；　for　it　hung　far　out　of　reach；　but　he　climbed　the



tree　nimbly　and　crept　out　on　the　branch　on　which　it



grew　and　after　several　trials；　during　which　he　was　in



danger　of　falling；　he　finally　managed　to　pick　it。　Then



he　got　back　to　the　ground　and　decided　the　fruit　was



well　worth　his　trouble。　It　was　delightfully　fragrant



and　when　he　bit　into　it　he　found　it　the　most　delicious



morsel　he　had　ever　tasted。







〃I　really　ought　to　divide　it　with　Trot　and　Dorothy



and　Betsy；〃　he　said；　〃but　p'rhaps　there　are　plenty　more



in　some　other　part　of　the　orchard。〃







In　his　heart　he　doubted　this　statement；　for　this　was



a　solitary　peach　tree；　while　all　the　other　fruits　grew



upon　many　trees　set　close　to　one　another；　but　that　one



luscious　bite　made　him　unable　to　resist　eating　the　rest



of　it　and　soon　the　peach　was　all　gone　except　the　pit。



Button…Bright　was　about　to　throw　this　peach…pit　away



when　he　noticed　that　it　was　of　pure　gold。　gold。　Of



course　this　surprised　him；　but　so　many　things　in　the



Land　of　Oz　were　surprising　that　he　did　not　give　much



thought　to　the　golden　peach…pit。　He　put　it　in　his



pocket；　however；　to　show　to　the　girls；　and　five　minutes



afterward　had　forgotten　all　about　it。







For　now　he　realized　that　he　was　far　separated　from



his　companions；　and　knowing　that　this　would　worry　them



and　delay　their　journey；　he　began　to　shout　as　loud　as



he　could。　His　voice　did　not　penetrate　very　far　among



all　those　trees；　and　after　shouting　a　dozen　times　and



getting　no　answer　he　sat　down　on　the　ground　and　said：







〃Well；　I'm　lost　again。　It's　too　bad；　but　I　don't　see



how　it　can　be　helped。〃







As　he　leaned　his　back　against　a　tree　he　looked　up　and



saw　a　Bluefinch　fly　down　from　the　sky　and　alight　upon　a



branch　just　before　him。　The　bird　looked　and　looked　at



him。　First　it　looked　with　one　bright　eye　and　then



turned　its　head　and　looked　at　him　with　the　other　eye。



Then；　fluttering　its　wings　a　little；　it　said：







〃Oho！　so　you've　eaten　the　enchanted　peach；　have　you？〃







〃Was　it　enchanted？〃　asked　Button…Bright。







〃Of　course；〃　replied　the　Bluefinch。　〃Ugu　the



Shoemaker　did　that。〃







〃But　why？　And　how　was　it　enchanted？。　And　what　will



happen　to　one　who　eats　it？〃　questioned　the　boy。







〃Ask　Ugu　the　Shoemaker；　he　knows；〃　said　the　bird；



pruning　its　feathers　with　its　bill。







〃And　who　is　Ugu　the　Shoemaker？〃







〃The　one　who　enchanted　the　peach；　and　placed　it　here



　in　the　exact　center　of　the　Great　Orchard　　so　no



one　would　ever　find　it。　We　birds　didn't　dare　to　eat　it；



we　are　too　wise　for　that。　But　you　are　Button…Bright；



from　the　Emerald　City；　and　you…you…YOU　ate　the



enchanted　peach！　You　must　explain　to　Ugu　the　Shoemaker



why　you　did　that。〃







And　then；　before　the　boy　could　ask　any　more



questions；　the　bird　flew　away　and　left　him　alone。







Button…Bright　was　not　much　worried　to　find　that　the



peach　he　had　eaten　was　enchanted。　It　certainly　had



tasted　very　good　and　his　stomach　didn't　ache　a　bit。　So



again　he　began　to　reflect　upon　the　best　way　to　rejoin



his　friends。







〃Whichever　direction　I　follow　is　likely　to　be　the



wrong　one；〃　he　said　to　himself；　〃so　I'd　better　stay



just　where　I　am　and　let　them　find　me　　if　they　can。〃







A　White　Rabbit　came　hopping　through　the　orchard　and



paused　a　little　way　off　to　look　at　him。







〃Don't　be　afraid；〃　said　Button…Bright；　〃I　won't　hurt



you。〃







〃Oh；　I'm　not　afraid　for　myself；〃　returned　the　White



Rabbit。　〃It's　you　I'm　worried　about。〃







〃Yes；　I'm　lost；〃　said　the　boy。







〃I　fear　you　are；　indeed；〃　answered　the　Rabbit。　〃Why



on　earth　did　you　eat　the　enchanted　peach？〃







The　boy　looked　at　the　excited　little　animal



thoughtfully。







〃There　were　two　reasons；〃　he　explained。　〃One　reason



was　that　I　like　peaches；　and　the　other　reason　was　t