the lost princess of oz-第26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！









〃So！　that's　the　thief；　is　it？〃　said　Cayke；　in　an



angry　voice。　〃I　should　think　he'd　be　ashamed　of　himself



for　stealing　a　poor　woman's　diamond　dishpan！　But　I　mean



to　face　him　in　his　wicker　castle　and　force　him　to



return　my　property。〃







〃To　me；〃　said　the　Bear　King；　reflectively；　〃he　looked



like　a　dangerous　person。　I　hope　he　won't　be　so　unkind



as　to　argue　the　matter　with　you。〃







The　Frogman　was　much　disturbed　by　the　vision　of　Ugu



the　Shoemaker；　and　Cayke's　determination　to　go　to　the



magician　filled　her　companion　with　misgivings。　But　he



would　not　break　his　pledged　word　to　assist　the　Cookie



Cook　and　after　breathing　a　deep　sigh　of　resignation　he



asked　the　King：







〃Will　Your　Majesty　lend　us　this　Pink　Bear　who　answers



questions；　that　we　may　take　him　with　us　on　our　journey？



He　would　be　very　useful　to　us　and　we　will　promise　to



bring　him　safely　hack　to　you。〃







The　King　did　not　reply　at　once；　he　seemed　to　be



thinking。







〃Please　let　us　take　the　Pink　Bear；〃　begged　Cayke。



〃I'm　sure　he　would　be　a　great　help　to　us。〃







〃The　Pink　Bear；〃　said　the　King；　〃is　the　best　bit　of



magic　I　possess；　and　there　is　not　another　like　him　in



the　world。　I　do　not　care　to　let　him　out　of　my　sight；



nor　do　I　wish　to　disappoint　you；　so　I　believe　I　will



make　the　journey　in　your　company　and　carry　my　Pink　Bear



with　me。　He　can　walk；　when　you　wind　the　other　side　of



him；　but　so　slowly　and　awkwardly　that　he　would　delay



you。　But　if　I　go　along　I　can　carry　him　in　my　arms；　so　I



will　join　your　party。　Whenever　you　are　ready　to　start；



let　me　know。







〃But　　Your　Majesty！〃　exclaimed　Corporal　Waddle　in



protest；　〃I　hope　you　do　not　intend　to　let　these



prisoners　escape　without　punishment。〃







〃Of　what　crime　do　you　accuse　them？〃　inquired　the



King。







〃Why；　they　trespassed　on　your　domain；　for　one　thing；〃



said　the　Brown　Bear。







〃We　didn't　know　it　was　private　property；　Your



Majesty；〃　said　the　Cookie　Cook。







〃And　they　asked　if　any　of　us　had　stolen　the　dishpan！〃



continued　Corporal　Waddle　indignantly。　〃That　is　the



same　thing　as　calling　us　thieves　and　robbers；　and



bandits　and　brigands；　is　it　not？〃







〃Every　person　has　the　right　to　ask　questions；〃　said



the　Frogman。







〃But　the　Corporal　is　quite　correct；〃　declared　the



Lavender　Bear。　〃I　condemn　you　both　to　death；　the



execution　to　take　place　ten　years　from　this　hour。〃







〃But　we　belong　in　the　Land　of　Oz；　where　no　one　ever



dies；〃　Cayke　reminded　him。







〃Very　true；　　said　the　King。　〃I　condemn　you　to　death



merely　as　a　matter　of　form。　It　sounds　quite　terrible；



and　in　ten　years　we　shall　have　forgotten　all　about　it。



Are　you　ready　to　start　for　the　wicker　castle　of　Ugu　the



Shoemaker？〃







〃Quite　ready；　Your　Majesty。〃







〃But　who　will　rule　in　your　place；　while　you　are



gone？〃　asked　a　big　Yellow　Bear。







〃I　myself　will　rule　while　I　am　gone；〃　was　the　reply。



〃A　King　isn't　required　to　stay　at　home　forever；　and　if



he　takes　a　notion　to　travel；　whose　business　is　it　but



his　own？　All　I　ask　is　that　you　bears　behave　yourselves



while　I　am　away。　If　any　of　you　is　naughty；　I'll　send



him　to　some　girl　or　boy　in　America　to　play　with。〃







This　dreadful　threat　made　all　the　toy　bears　look



solemn。　They　assured　the　King；　in　a　chorus　of　growls；



that　they　would　be　good。　Then　the　big　Lavender　Bear



picked　up　the　little　Pink　Bear　and　after　tucking　it



carefully　under　one　arm　he　said　〃Good…bye　till　I　come



back！〃　and　waddled　along　the　path　that　led　through　the



forest。　The　Frogman　and　Cayke　the　Cookie　Cook　also　said



good…bye　to　the　bears　and　then　followed　after　the　King；



much　to　the　regret　of　the　little　Brown　Bear；　who　pulled



the　trigger　of　his　gun　and　popped　the　cork　as　a　parting



salute。



















Chapter　Seventeen







The　Meeting











While　the　Frog　man　and　his　party　were　advancing　from



the　west；　Dorothy　and　her　party　were　advancing　from



the　east；　and　so　it　happened　that　on　the　following



night　they　all　camped　at　a　little　hill　that　was　only　a



few　miles　from　the　wicker　castle　of　Ugu　the　Shoemaker。



But　the　two　parties　did　not　see　one　another　that　night；



for　one　camped　on　one　side　of　the　hill　while　the　other



camped　on　the　opposite　side。　But　the　next　morning　the



Frogman　thought　he　would　climb　the　hill　and　see　what



was　on　top　of　it；　and　at　the　same　time　Scraps；　the



Patchwork　Girl；　also　decided　to　climb　the　hill　to　find



if　the　wicker　castle　was　visible　from　its　top。　So　she



stuck　her　head　over　an　edge　just　as　the　Frogman's　head



appeared　over　another　edge　and　both；　being　surprised；



kept　still　while　they　took　a　good　look　at　one　another。







Scraps　recovered　from　her　astonishment　first　and



bounding　upward　she　turned　a　somersault　and　landed



sitting　down　and　facing　the　big　Frogman；　who　slowly



advanced　and　sat　opposite　her。







〃Well　met；　Stranger！〃　cried　the　Patchwork　Girl；　with



a　whoop　of　laughter。　〃You　are　quite　the　funniest



individual　I　have　seen　in　all　my　travels。〃







〃Do　you　suppose　I　can　be　any　funnier　than　you？〃　asked



the　Frogman；　gazing　at　her　in　wonder。







〃I'm；　not　funny　to　myself；　you　know；〃　returned



Scraps。　〃I　wish　I　were。　And　perhaps　you　are　so　used　to



your　own　absurd　shape　that　you　do　not　laugh　whenever



you　see　your　reflection　in　a　pool；　or　in　a　mirror。







〃No；〃　said　the　Frogman　gravely；　〃I　do　not。　I　used　to



be　proud　of　my　great　size　and　vain　of　my　culture　and



education；　but　since　I　bathed　in　the　Truth　Pond　I



sometimes　think　it　is　not　right　that　I　should　be



different　from　all　other　frogs。〃







〃Right　or　wrong；〃　said　the　Patchwork　Girl；　〃to　be



different　is　to　be　distinguished。　Now；　in　my　case；　I'm



just　like　all　other　Patchwork　Girls　because　I'm　the



only　one　there　is。　But；　tell　me；　where　did　you　come



from？〃







〃The　Yip　Country；〃　said　he。







〃Is　that　in　the　Land　of　Oz？〃







〃Of　course；〃　replied　the　Frogman。







〃And　do　you　know　that　your　Ruler；　Ozma　of　Oz；　has



been　stolen？〃







〃I　was　not　aware　that　I　had　a　Ruler；　so　of　course　I



couldn't　know　that　she　was　stolen。〃







〃Well；　you　have。　All　the　people　of　Oz；〃　explained



Scraps；　〃are　ruled　by　Ozma；　whether　they　know　it　or



not。　And　she　has　been　stolen。　Aren't　you　angry？　Aren't



you　indignant？　Your　Ruler；　whom　you　didn't　know　you



had；　has　positively　been　stolen！〃







〃That　is　queer；〃　remarked　the　Frogman　thoughtfully。



〃Stealing　is　a　thing　practically　unknown　in　Oz；　yet



this　Ozma　has　been　taken　and　a　friend　of　mine　has　also



had　her　dishpan　stolen。　With　her　I　have　traveled　all



the　way　from　the　Yip　Country　in　order　to　recover　it。〃







〃I　don't　see　any　connection　between　a　Royal　Ruler　of



Oz　and　a　dishpan！〃　declared　Scraps。







〃They've　both　been　stolen；　haven't　they？〃







〃True。　But　why　can't　your　friend　wash　her　dishes　in



another　dishpan？〃　asked　Scraps。







〃Why　can't　you　use　another　Royal　Ruler？　I　suppose　you



prefer　the　one　who　is　lost；　and　my　friend　wants　her　own



dishpan；　which　is　made　of　gold　and　studded　with



diamonds　and　has　magic　powers。







〃Magic；　eh？〃　exclaimed　Scraps。　〃There　is　a　link　that



connects　the　two　steals；　anyhow；　for　it　seems　that　all



the　magic　in　the　Land　of　Oz　was　stolen　at　the　same



time；　whether　it　was　in　the　Emerald　City　or　in　Glinda's



castle　or　in　the　Yip　Country。　Seems　mighty　strange　and



mysteriou