the lost princess of oz-第2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！





lightly　along　the　passage。







〃Stop　a　minute；　Scraps！〃　she　called。　〃Have　you　seen



Ozma　this　morning？〃







〃Not　I！〃　replied　the　queer　girl；　dancing　nearer。　〃I



lost　both　my　eyes　in　a　tussle　with　the　Woozy；　last



night；　for　the　creature　scraped　'em　both　off　my　face



with　his　square　paws。　So　I　put　the　eyes　in　my　pocket



and　this　morning　Button…Bright　led　me　to　Aunt　Em；　who



sewed　'em　on　again。　So　I've　seen　nothing　at　all　today；



except　during　the　last　five　minutes。　So　of　course　I



haven't　seen　Ozma。〃







〃Very　well；　Scraps；〃　said　Dorothy；　looking　curiously



at　the　eyes；　which　were　merely　two　round　black　buttons



sewed　upon　the　girl's　face。







There　were　other　things　about　Scraps　that　would　have



seemed　curious　to　one　seeing　her　for　the　first　time。



She　was　commonly　called　'The　Patchwork　Girl；〃　because



her　body　and　limbs　were　made　from　a　gaycolored



patchwork　quilt　which　had　been　cut　into　shape　and



stuffed　with　cotton。　Her　head　was　a　round　ball　stuffed



in　the　same　manner　and　fastened　to　her　shoulders。　For



hair　she　had　a　mass　of　brown　yarn　and　to　make　a　nose



for　her　a　pan　of　the　cloth　had　been　pulled　out　into　the



shape　of　a　knob　and　tied　with　a　string　to　hold　it　in



place。　Her　mouth　had　been　carefully　made　by　cutting　a



slit　in　the　proper　place　and　lining　it　with　red　silk；



adding　two　rows　of　pearls　for　teeth　and　a　bit　of　red



flannel　for　a　tongue。







In　spite　of　this　queer　make…up；　the　Patchwork　Girl



was　magically　alive　and　had　proved　herself　not　the



least　jolly　and　agreeable　of　the　many　quaint　characters



who　inhabit　the　astonishing　Fairyland　of　Oz。　Indeed；



Scraps　was　a　general　favorite；　although　she　was　rather



flighty　and　erratic　and　did　and　said　many　things　that



surprised　her　friends。　She　was　seldom　still；　but　loved



to　dance；　to　turn　handsprings　and　somersaults；　to　climb



trees　and　to　indulge　in　many　other　active　sports。







〃I'm　going　to　search　for　Ozma；〃　remarked　Dorothy；



〃for　she　isn't　in　her　rooms　and　I　want　to　ask　her　a



question。〃







〃I'll　go　with　you；〃　said　Scraps；　〃for　my　eyes　are



brighter　than　yours　and　they　can　see　farther。〃







〃I'm　not　sure　of　that；〃　remarked　Dorothy。　〃But　come



along；　if　you　like。〃







Together　they　searched　all　through　the　great　palace



and　even　to　the　farthest　limits　of　the　palace　grounds；



which　were　quite　extensive；　but　nowhere　could　they　find



a　trace　of　Ozma。　When　Dorothy　returned　to　where　Betsy



and　Trot　awaited　her；　the　little　girl's　face　was　rather



solemn　and　troubled；　for　never　before　had　Ozma　gone



away　without　telling　her　friends　where　she　was　going；



or　without　an　escort　that　befitted　her　royal　state。







She　was　gone；　however；　and　none　had　seen　her　go。



Dorothy　had　met　and　questioned　the　Scarecrow；　Tik…Tok；



the　Shaggy　Man；　Button…Bright；　Cap'n　Bill；　and　even　the



wise　and　powerful　Wizard　of　Oz；　but　not　one　of　them　had



seen　Ozma　since　she　parted　with　her　friends　the　evening



before　and　had　gone　to　her　own　rooms。







〃She　didn't　say　anything　las'　night　about　going



anywhere；〃　observed　little　Trot。







〃No；　and　thats　the　strange　Part　of　it；〃　replied



Dorothy。　〃Usually　Ozma　lets　us　know　of　everything　she



does。〃







〃Why　not　look　in　the　Magic　Picture？〃　suggested　Betsy



Bobbin。　〃That　will　tell　us　where　she　is；　in　just　one



second。〃







〃Of　course！〃　cried　Dorothy。　〃Why　didn't　I　think　of



that　before？〃　and　at　once　the　three　girls　hurried　away



to　Ozma's　boudoir；　where　the　Magic　Picture　always　hung。







This　wonderful　Magic　Picture　was　one　of　the　royal



Ozma's　greatest　treasures。　there　was　a　large　gold



frame；　in　the　center　of　which　was　a　bluish…gray　canvas



on　which　various　scenes　constantly　appeared　and



disappeared。　If　one　who　stood　before　it　wished　to　see



what　any　person　　anywhere　in　the　world　　was　doing；



it　was　only　necessary　to　make　the　wish　and　the　scene　in



the　Magic　Picture　would　shift　to　the　scene　where　that



person　was　and　show　exactly　what　he　or　she　was　then



engaged　in　doing。　So　the　girls　knew　it　would　be　easy



for　them　to　wish　to　see　Ozma；　and　from　the　picture　they



could　quickly　learn　where　she　was。







Dorothy　advanced　to　the　place　where　the　picture　was



usually　protected　by　thick　satin　Curtains；　and　pulled



the　draperies　aside。　Then　she　stared　in　amazement；



while　her　two　friends　uttered　exclamations　of



disappointment。







The　Magic　Picture　was　gone。　Only　a　blank　space　on　the



wall　behind　the　curtains　showed　where　it　had　formerly



hung。



















Chapter　Two







The　Troubles　of　Glinda　the　Good











That　same　morning　there　was　great　excitement　in　the



castle　of　the　powerful　Sorceress　of　Oz；　Glinda　the



Good。　This　castle；　situated　in　the　Quadling　Country；



far　south　of　the　Emerald　City　where　Ozma　ruled；　was　a



splendid　structure　of　exquisite　marbles　and　silver



grilles。　Here　the　Sorceress　lived；　surrounded　by　a　bevy



of　the　most　beautiful　maidens　of　Oz；　gathered　from　all



the　four　countries　of　that　fairyland　as　well　as　from



the　magnificent　Emerald　City　itself；　which　stood　in　the



place　where　the　four　countries　cornered。







It　was　considered　a　great　honor　to　be　allowed　to



serve　the　good　Sorceress；　whose　arts　of　magic　were　used



only　to　benefit　the　Oz　people。　Glinda　was　Ozma's　most



valued　servant；　for　her　knowledge　of　sorcery　was



wonderful　and　she　could　accomplish　almost　anything　that



her　mistress；　the　lovely　girl　Ruler　of　Oz；　wished　her



to。







Of　all　the　magical　things　which　surrounded　Glinda　in



her　castle　there　was　none　more　marvelous　than　her　Great



Book　of　Records。　On　the　pages　of　this　Record　Book　were



constantly　being　inscribed　　day　by　day　and　hour　by



hour　　all　the　important　events　that　happened　anywhere



in　the　known　world；　and　they　were　inscribed　in　the　book



at　exactly　the　moment　the　events　happened。　Every



adventure　in　the　Land　of　Oz　and　in　the　big　outside



world；　and　even　in　places　that　you　and　I　have　never



heard　of；　were　recorded　accurately　in　the　Great　Book；



which　never　made　a　mistake　and　stated　only　the　exact



truth。　For　that　reason　nothing　could　be　concealed　from



Glinda　the　Good；　who　had　only　to　look　at　the　pages　of



the　Great　Book　of　Records　to　know　everything　that　had



taken　place。　That　was　one　reason　she　was　such　a　great



Sorceress；　for　the　records　made　her　wiser　than　any



other　living　person。







This　wonderful　book　was　placed　upon　a　big　gold　table



that　stood　in　the　middle　of　Glinda's　drawing…room。　The



legs　of　the　table；　which　were　encrusted　with　precious



gems；　were　firmly　fastened　to　the　tiled　floor　and　the



book　itself　was　chained　to　the　table　and　locked　with



six　stout　golden　padlocks；　the　keys　to　which　Glinda



carried　on　a　chain　that　was　secured　around　her　own



neck。







The　pages　of　the　Great　Book　were　larger　in　size　than



those　of　an　American　newspaper　and　although　they　were



exceedingly　thin　there　were　so　many　of　them　that　they



made　an　enormous；　bulky　volume。　With　its　gold　cover　and



gold　clasps　the　book　was　so　heavy　that　three　men　could



scarcely　have　lifted　it。　Yet　this　morning；　when　Glinda



entered　her　drawing…room　after　breakfast；　with　all　her



maidens　trailing　after　her；　the　good　Sorceress　was



amazed　to　discover　that　her　Great　Book　of　Records　had



mysteriously　disappeared。







Advancing　to　the　table；　she　found　the　chains　had　been



cut　with　some　sharp　instrument；　and　this　must　have　been



done　while　all　in　the