the lost princess of oz-第23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！





Cookie　Cook　who　cannot　cook　good　cookies　is　not　of　much



use。　The　Frogman；　who　wanted　to　see　more　of　the　world；



had　accompanied　her　to　assist　in　the　search。　When　the



woman　had　listened　to　this　story　she　asked。







〃Then　you　have　no　idea；　as　yet；　who　has　stolen　your



dishpan？〃







〃I　only　know　it　must　have　been　some　mischievous



fairy；　or　a　magician；　or　some　such　powerful　person；



because　none　other　could　have　climbed　the　steep



mountain　to　the　Yip　Country。　And　who　else　could　have



carried　away　my　beautiful；　magic　dishpan　without　being



seen？〃







The　woman　thought　about　this　during　the　time　that



Cayke　and　the　Frogman　ate　their　breakfast。　When　they



had　finished　she　said：







〃Where　are　you　going　next？〃







〃We　have　not　decided；〃　answered　the　Cookie　Cook。







〃Our　plan；〃　explained　the　Frogman；　in　his　important



way；　〃is　to　travel　from　place　to　place　until　we　learn



where　the　thief　is　located；　and　then　to　force　him　to



return　the　dishpan　to　its　proper　owner。〃







〃The　plan　is　all　right；〃　agreed　the　woman；　〃but　it



may　take　you　a　long　time　before　you　succeed；　your



method　being　sort　of　haphazard　and　indefinite。　However；



I　advise　you　to　travel　toward　the　east。〃







〃Why？〃　asked　the　Frogman。







〃Because　if　you　went　west　you　would　soon　come　to　the



desert；　and　also　because　in　this　part　of　the　Winkie



Country　no　one　steals；　so　your　time　here　would　be



wasted。　But　toward　the　east；　beyond　the　river；　live



many　strange　people　whose　honesty　I　would　not　vouch



for。　Moreover；　if　you　journey　far　enough　east　and　cross



the　river　for　a　second　time；　you　will　come　to　the



Emerald　City；　where　there　is　much　magic　and　sorcery。



The　Emerald　City　is　ruled　by　a　dear　little　girl　called



Ozma；　who　also　rules　the　Emperor　of　the　Winkies　and　all



the　Land　of　Oz。　So；　as　Ozma　is　a　fairy；　she　may　be　able



to　tell　you　just　who　has　taken　your　precious　dishpan。



Provided；　of　course；　you　do　not　find　it　before　you



reach　her。〃







〃This　seems　to　me　to　be　excellent　advice；〃　said　the



Frogman；　and　Cayke　agreed　with　him。







〃The　most　sensible　thing　for　you　to　do；〃　continued



the　woman；　〃would　be　to　return　to　your　home　and　use



another　dishpan；　learning　to　cook　cookies　as　other



people　cook　cookies；　without　the　aid　of　magic。　But；　if



you　cannot　be　happy　without　the　magic　dishpan　you　have



lost；　you　are　likely　to　learn　more　about　it　in　the



Emerald　City　than　at　any　other　place　in　Oz。〃







They　thanked　the　good　woman　and　on　leaving　her　house



faced　the　east　and　continued　in　that　direction　all　the



way。　Toward　evening　they　came　to　the　west　branch　of　the



Winkie　River　and　there；　on　the　river　bank；　found　a



ferryman　who　lived　all　alone　in　a　little　yellow　house。







This　ferryman　was　a　Winkie　with　a　very　small　head　and



a　very　large　body。　He　was　sitting　in　his　doorway　as　the



travelers　approached　him　and　did　not　even　turn　his　head



to　look　at　them。







〃Good　evening；〃　said　the　Frogman。







The　ferryman　made　no　reply。







〃We　would　like　some　supper　and　the　privilege　of



sleeping　in　your　house　until　morning；〃　continued　the



Frogman。　〃At　daybreak　we　would　like　some　breakfast　and



then　we　would　like　to　have　you　row　us　across　the



river。〃







The　ferryman　neither　moved　nor　spoke。　He　sat　in　his



doorway　and　looked　straight　ahead。







〃I　think　he　must　be　deaf　and　dumb；〃　Cayke　whispered



to　her　companion。　Then　she　stood　directly　in　front　of



the　ferryman　and　putting　her　mouth　close　to　his　ear　she



yelled　as　loudly　as　she　could：







〃Good　evening！〃







The　ferryman　scowled。







〃Why　do　you　yell　at　me；　woman？〃　he　asked。







〃Can　you　hear　what　I　say？〃　she　asked　in　her　ordinary



tone　of　voice。







〃Of　course；〃　replied　the　man。







〃Then　why　didn't　you　answer　the　Frogman？〃







〃Because；〃　said　the　ferryman；　〃I　don't　understand　the



frog　language。







〃He　speaks　the　same　words　that　I　do　and　in　the　same



way；〃　declared　Cayke。







〃Perhaps；〃　replied　the　ferryman；　〃but　to　me　his　voice



sounded　like　a　frog's　croak。　I　know　that　in　the　Land　of



Oz　animals　can　speak　our　language；　and　so　can　the



birds　and　bugs　and　fishes；　but　in　my　ears　they　sound



merely　like　growls　and　chirps　and　croaks。〃







〃Why　is　that？〃　asked　the　Cookie　Cook　in　surprise。







〃Once；　many　years　ago；　I　cut　the　tail　off　a　fox　which



had　taunted　me；　and　I　stole　some　birds　eggs　from　a　nest



to　make　an　omelet　with；　and　also　I　pulled　a　fish　from



the　river　and　left　it　lying　on　the　bank　to　gasp　for



lack　of　water　until　it　died。　I　don't　know　why　I　did



those　wicked　things；　but　I　did　them。　So　the　Emperor　of



the　Winkies　　who　is　the　Tin　Woodman　and　has　a　very



tender　tin　heart　　punished　me　by　denying　me　any



communication　with　beasts；　birds　or　fishes。　I　cannot



understand　them　when　they　speak　to　me；　although　I　know



that　other　people　can　do　so；　nor　can　the　creatures



understand　a　word　I　say　to　them。　Every　time　I　meet　one



of　them　I　am　reminded　of　my　former　cruelty；　and　it



makes　me　very　unhappy。〃







〃Really；〃　said　Cayke；　〃I'm　sorry　for　you；　although



the　Tin　Woodman　is　not　to　blame　for　punishing　you。〃







〃What　is　he　mumbling　about？〃　asked　the　Frogman。







〃He　is　talking　to　me；　but　you　don't　understand　him；〃



she　replied。　And　then　she　told　him　of　the　ferryman's



punishment　and　afterward　explained　to　the　ferryman　that



they　wanted　to　stay　all　night　with　him　and　be　fed。







He　gave　them　some　fruit　and　bread；　which　was　the　only



sort　of　food　he　had；　and　he　allowed　Cayke　to　sleep　in　a



room　of　his　cottage。　But　the　Frogman　he　refused　to



admit　to　his　house；　saying　that　the　frog's　presence



made　him　miserable　and　unhappy。　At　no　time　would　he



look　directly　at　the　Frogman；　or　even　toward　him；



fearing　he　would　shed　tears　if　he　did　so；　so　the　big



frog　slept　on　the　river　bank；　where　he　could　hear



little　frogs　croaking　in　the　river　all　the　night



through。　But　that　did　not　keep　him　awake；　it　merely



soothed　him　to　slumber；　for　he　realized　how　much



superior　he　was　to　them。







Just　as　the　sun　was　rising　on　a　new　day　the　ferryman



rowed　the　two　travelers　across　the　river　　keeping　his



back　to　the　Frogman　all　the　way　　and　then　Cayke



thanked　him　and　bade　him　good…bye　and　the　ferryman



rowed　home　again。







On　this　side　the　river　there　were　no　paths　at　all；　so



it　was　evident　they　had　reached　a　part　of　the　country



little　frequented　by　travelers。　There　was　a　marsh　at



the　south　of　them；　sandhills　at　the　north　and　a　growth



of　scrubby　underbrush　leading　toward　a　forest　at　the



east。　So　the　east　was　really　the　least　difficult　way　to



go　and　that　direction　was　the　one　they　had　determined



to　follow。







Now　the　Frogman；　although　he　wore　green　patent…



leather　shoes　with　ruby　buttons；　had　very　large　and



flat　feet；　and　when　he　tramped　through　the　scrub　his



weight　crushed　down　the　underbrush　and　made　a　path　for



Cayke　to　follow　him。　Therefore　they　soon　reached　the



forest；　where　the　tall　trees　were　set　far　apart　but



were　so　leafy　that　they　shaded　all　the　spaces　between



them　with　their　branches。







〃There　are　no　bushes　here；〃　said　Cayke；　much　pleased；



〃so　we　can　now　travel　faster　and　with　more　comfort。〃



















Chapter　Fifteen







The　Big　Lavender　Bear











It　was　a　pleasant　place　to　wander　in　and　the　two



travelers　were　proceeding　at　a　brisk　pace　when　s