the lost princess of oz-第24章

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It　was　a　pleasant　place　to　wander　in　and　the　two



travelers　were　proceeding　at　a　brisk　pace　when　suddenly



a　voice　shouted：







〃Halt！〃







They　looked　around　in　surprise；　seeing　at　first　no



one　at　all。　Then　from　behind　a　tree　there　stepped　a



brown　fuzzy　bear；　whose　head　came　about　as　high　as



Cayke's　waist　　and　Cayke　was　a　small　woman。　The　bear



was　chubby　as　well　as　fuzzy；　his　body　was　even　puffy；



while　his　legs　and　arms　seemed　jointed　at　the　knees　and



elbows　and　fastened　to　his　body　by　pins　or　rivets。　His



ears　were　round　in　shape　and　stuck　out　in　a　comical



way；　while　his　round　black　eyes　were　bright　and



sparkling　as　heads。　Over　his　shoulder　the　little　brown



bear　bore　a　gun　with　a　tin　barrel。　The　barrel　had　a



cork　in　the　end　of　it　and　a　string　was　attached　to　the



cork　and　to　the　handle　of　the　gun。







Both　the　Frogman　and　Cayke　gazed　hard　at　this　curious



bear；　standing　silent　for　some　time。　But　finally　the



Frogman　recovered　from　his　surprise　and　remarked：







〃It　seems　to　me　that　you　are　stuffed　with　sawdust　and



ought　not　to　be　alive。〃







〃That's　all　you　know　about　it；〃　answered　the　little



Brown　Bear　in　a　squeaky　voice。　〃I　am　stuffed　with　a



very　good　quality　of　curled　hair　and　my　skin　is　the



best　plush　that　was　ever　made。　As　for　my　being　alive；



that　is　my　own　affair　and　cannot　concern　you　at　all



except　that　it　gives　me　the　privilege　to　say　you　are　my



prisoners。〃







〃Prisoners！　Why　do　you　speak　such　nonsense？〃　asked



the　Frogman　angrily。　〃Do　you　think　we　are　afraid　of　a



toy　bear　with　a　toy　gun？〃







〃You　ought　to　be；〃　was　the　confident　reply；　〃for　I　am



merely　the　sentry　guarding　the　way　to　Bear　Center；



which　is　a　city　containing　hundreds　of　my　race；　who　are



ruled　by　a　very　powerful　sorcerer　known　as　the　Lavender



Bear。　He　ought　to　be　a　purple　color；　you　know；　seeing



he　is　a　King；　but　he's　only　light　lavender；　which　is；



of　course；　second　cousin　to　royal　purple。　So；　unless



you　come　with　me　peaceably；　as　my　prisoners；　I　shall



fire　my　gun　and　bring　a　hundred　bears　　of　all　sizes



and　colors　　to　capture　you。〃







〃Why　do　you　wish　to　capture　us？〃　inquired　the



Frogman；　who　had　listened　to　this　speech　with　much



astonishment。







〃I　don't　wish　to；　as　a　matter　of　fact；〃　replied　the



little　Brown　Bear；　〃but　it　is　my　duty　to；　because　you



are　now　trespassing　on　the　domain　of　His　Majesty　the



King　of　Bear　Center。　Also　I　will　admit　that　things　are



rather　quiet　in　our　city；　just　now；　and　the　excitement



of　your　capture；　followed　by　your　trial　and　execution；



should　afford　us　much　entertainment。〃







〃We　defy　you！〃　said　the　Frogman。







〃Oh；　no；　don't　do　that；〃　pleaded　Cayke；　speaking　to



her　companion。　〃He　says　his　King　is　a　sorcerer；　so



perhaps　it　is　he　or　one　of　his　bears　who　ventured　to



steal　my　jeweled　dishpan。　Let　us　go　to　the　City　of　the



Bears　and　discover　if　my　dishpan　is　there。〃







〃I　must　now　register　one　more　charge　against　you；〃



remarked　the　little　Brown　Bear；　with　evident



satisfaction。　〃You　have　just　accused　us　of　stealing；



and　that　is　such　a　dreadful　thing　to　say　that　I　am



quite　sure　our　noble　King　will　command　you　to　be



executed。〃







〃But　how　could　you　execute　us？〃　inquired　the　Cookie



Cook。







〃I've　no　idea。　But　our　King　is　a　wonderful　inventor



and　there　is　no　doubt　he　can　find　a　proper　way　to



destroy　you。　So；　tell　me；　are　you　going　to　struggle；　or



will　you　go　peaceably　to　meet　your　doom？〃







It　was　all　so　ridiculous　that　Cayke　laughed　aloud　and



even　the　Frogman's　wide　mouth　curled　in　a　smile。



Neither　was　a　bit　afraid　to　go　to　the　Bear　City　and　it



seemed　to　both　that　there　was　a　possibility　they　might



discover　the　missing　dishpan。　So　the　Frogman　said：







〃Lead　the　way；　little　Bear；　and　we　will　follow



without　a　struggle。〃







〃That's　very　sensible　of　you；　very　sensible；　indeed！〃



declared　the　Brown　Bear。　〃So　　forward　march！〃　and



with　the　command　he　turned　around　and　began　to　waddle



along　a　path　that　led　between　the　trees。







Cayke　and　the　Frogman；　as　they　followed　their



conductor；　could　scarce　forbear　laughing　at　his　stiff；



awkward　manner　of　walking　and；　although　he　moved　his



stuffy　legs　fast；　his　steps　were　so　short　that　they　had



to　go　slowly　in　order　not　to　run　into　him。　But　after　a



time　they　reached　a　large；　circular　space　in　the　center



of　the　forest；　which　was　clear　of　any　stumps　or



underbrush。　The　ground　was　covered　by　a　soft　gray　moss；



pleasant　to　tread　upon。　All　the　trees　surrounding　this



space　seemed　to　be　hollow　and　had　round　holes　in　their



trunks；　set　a　little　way　above　the　ground；　but



otherwise　there　was　nothing　unusual　about　the　place　and



nothing　in　the　opinion　of　the　prisoners；　to　indicate　a



settlement。　But　the　little　Brown　Bear　said　in　a　proud



and　impressive　voice　（although　it　still　squeaked）：







〃This　is　the　wonderful　city　known　to　fame　as　Bear



Center！〃







〃But　there　are　no　houses；　there　are　no　bears　living



here　at　all！〃　exclaimed　Cayke。







〃Oh；　indeed！〃　retorted　their　captor　and　raising　his



gun　he　pulled　the　trigger。　The　cork　flew　out　of　the　tin



barrel　with　a　loud　〃pop！〃　and　at　once　from　every　hole



in　ever　tree　within　view　of　the　clearing　appeared　the



head　of　a　bear。　They　were　of　many　colors　and　of　many



sizes；　but　all　were　made　in　the　same　manner　as　the　bear



who　had　met　and　captured　them。







At　first　a　chorus　of　growls　arose　and　then　a　sharp



voice　cried：







〃What　has　happened；　Corporal　Waddle？〃







〃Captives；　Your　Majesty！〃　answered　　the　Brown　Bear。



〃Intruders　upon　our　domain　and　slanderers　of　our　good



name。〃







〃Ah；　that's　important；〃　answered　the　voice。







Then　from　out　the　hollow　trees　tumbled　a　whole



regiment　of　stuffed　bears；　some　carrying　tin　swords；



some　popguns　and　other　long　spears　with　gay　ribbons



tied　to　the　handles。　There　were　hundreds　of　them；



altogether；　and　they　quickly　formed　a　circle　around　the



Frogman　and　the　Cookie　Cook　but　kept　at　a　distance　and



left　a　large　space　for　the　prisoners　to　stand　in。







Presently　this　circle　parted　and　into　the　center　of



it　stalked　a　huge　toy　bear　of　a　lovely　lavender　color。



He　walked　upon　his　hind　legs；　as　did　all　the　others；



and　on　his　head　he　wore　a　tin　crown　set　with　diamonds



and　amethysts；　while　in　one　paw　he　carried　a　short　wand



of　some；　glimmering　metal　that　resembled　silver　but



wasn't。







〃His　Majesty　the　King！〃　shouted　Corporal　Waddle；　and



all　the　bears　bowed　low。　Some　bowed　so　low　that　they



lost　their　balance　and　toppled　over；　but　they　soon



scrambled　up　again　and　the　Lavender　King　squatted　on



his　haunches　before　the　prisoners　and　gazed　at　them



steadily　with　his　bright　pink　eyes。



















Chapter　Sixteen







The　Little　Pink　Bear











〃One　Person　and　one　Freak；〃　said　the　big　Lavender　Bear；



when　he　had　carefully　examined　the　strangers。







〃I　am　sorry　to　hear　you　call　poor　Cayke　the　Cookie



Cook　a　Freak；〃　remonstrated　the　Frogman。







〃She　is　the　Person；〃　asserted　the　King。　〃Unless　I　am



mistaken；　it　is　you　who　are　the　Freak。〃







The　Frogman　was　silent；　for　he　could　not　truthfully



deny　it。







〃Why　have　you　dared　intrude　in　my　forest？〃　demanded



the　Bear　King。







〃We　didn't　know　it　was　your　forest；〃　said　Cayke；　〃and



we　are　on　our　way　to　the　far　east；　where　the　Emerald