the lost princess of oz-第32章

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The　Wizard　looked　thoughtfully　around　his　little



party　and　his　face　grew　troubled。







〃It's　a　pretty　high　wall；〃　he　sadly　remarked。　〃I'm



pretty　sure　the　Cowardly　Lion　could　not　leap　over　it。〃







〃I'm　sure　of　that；　too！〃　said　the　Lion　with　a　shudder



of　fear。　〃If　I　foolishly　tried　such　a　leap　I　would　be



caught　on　those　dreadful　spikes。〃







〃I　think　I　could　do　it；　sir；〃　said　the　Frogman；　with



a　bow　to　the　Wizard。　〃It　is　an　up…hill　jump；　as　well　as



being　a　high　jump；　but　I'm　considered　something　of　a



jumper　by　my　friends　in　the　Yip　Country　and　I　believe　a



good；　strong　leap　will　carry　me　to　the　other　side。〃







〃I'm　sure　it　would；〃　agreed　the　Cookie　Cook。







〃Leaping；　you　know；　is　a　froglike　accomplishment；〃



continued　the　Frogman；　modestly；　〃but　please　tell　me



what　I　am　to　do　when　I　reach　the　other　side　of　the



wall。〃







〃You're　a　brave　creature；〃　said　the　Wizard；



admiringly。　〃Has　anyone　a　pin？〃







Betsy　had　one；　which　she　gave　him。







〃All　you　need　do；〃　said　the　Wizard　to　the



Frogman；　giving　him　the　pin；　is　to　stick　this　into　the



other　side　of　the　wall。〃







〃But　the　wall　is　of　steel！〃　exclaimed　the　big　frog。







〃I　know；　at　least；　it　seems　to　be　steel；　but　do　as　I



tell　you。　Stick　the　pin　into　the　wall　and　it　will



disappear。〃







The　Frogman　took　off　his　handsome　coat　and　carefully



Folded　it　and　laid　it　on　the　grass。　Then　he　removed　his



hat　and　laid　it；　together　with　his　goldheaded　cane；



beside　the　coat。　He　then　went　back　a　way　and　made　three



powerful　leaps；　in　rapid　succession。　The　first　two



leaps　took　him　to　the　wall　and　the　third　leap　carried



him　well　over　it；　to　the　amazement　of　all。　For　a　short



time　he　disappeared　from　their　view；　but　when　he　had



obeyed　the　Wizard's　injunction　and　had　thrust　the　pin



into　the　wall；　the　huge　barrier　vanished　and　showed



them　the　form　of　the　Frogman；　who　now　went　to　where　his



coat　lay　and　put　it　on　again。







〃We　thank　you　very　much；〃　said　the　delighted　Wizard。



〃That　was　the　most　wonderful　leap　I　ever　saw　and　it　has



saved　us　from　defeat　by　our　enemy。　Let　us　now　hurry　on



to　the　castle　before　Ugu　the　Shoemaker　thinks　of　some



other　means　to　stop　us。







〃We　must　have　surprised　him；　so　far；〃　declared



Dorothy。







〃Yes；　indeed。　The　fellow　knows　a　lot　of　magic　　all



of　our　tricks　and　some　of　his　own；〃　replied　the　Wizard。



〃So；　if　he　is　half　as　clever　as　he　ought　to　be；　we



shall　have　trouble　with　him　yet。〃







He　had　scarcely　spoken　these　words　when　out　from　the



gates　of　the　wicker　castle　marched　a　regiment　of



soldiers；　clad　in　gay　uniforms　and　all　bearing　long；



pointed　spears　and　sharp　battle…axes。　These　soldiers



were　girls；　and　the　uniforms　were　short　skirts　of



yellow　and　black　satin；　golden　shoes；　bands　of　gold



across　their　foreheads　and　necklaces　of　glittering



jewels。　Their　jackets　were　scarlet；　braided　with　silver



cords。　There　were　hundreds　of　these　girl…soldiers；　and



they　were　more　terrible　than　beautiful；　being　strong



and　fierce　in　appearance。　They　formed　a　circle　all



around　the　castle　and　faced　outward；　their　spears



pointed　toward　the　invaders　and　their　battle…axes　held



over　their　shoulders　ready　to　strike。







Of　course　our　friends　halted　at　once；　for　they　had



not　expected　this　dreadful　array　of　soldiery。　The



Wizard　seemed　puzzled　and　his　companions　exchanged



discouraged　looks。







〃I'd　no　idea　Ugu　had　such　an　army　as　that；〃　said



Dorothy。　〃The　castle　doesn't　look　big　enough　to　hold



them　all。〃







〃It　isn't；〃　declared　the　Wizard。







〃But　they　all　marched　out　of　it。〃







〃They　seemed　to；　but　I　don't　believe　it　is　a　real



army　at　all。　If　Ugu　the　Shoemaker　had　so　many　people



living　with　him；　I'm　sure　the　Czarover　of　Herku　would



have　mentioned　the　fact　to　us。〃







〃They're　only　girls！〃　laughed　Scraps。







〃Girls　are　the　fiercest　soldiers　of　all；〃　declared



the　Frogman。　〃They　are　more　brave　than　men　and　they



have　better　nerves。　That　is　probably　why　the　magician



uses　them　for　soldiers　and　has　sent　them　to　oppose　us。〃







No　one　argued　this　statement；　for　all　were　staring



hard　at　the　line　of　soldiers；　which　now；　having　taken　a



defiant　position；　remained　motionless。







〃Here　is　a　trick　of　magic　to　me；〃　admitted　the



Wizard；　after　a　time。　〃I　do　not　believe　the　army　is



real；　but　the　spears　may　be　sharp　enough　to　prick　us；



nevertheless；　so　we　must　be　cautious。　Let　us　take　time



to　consider　how　to　meet　this　difficulty。〃







While　they　were　thinking　it　over　Scraps　danced　closer



to　the　line　of　girl　soldiers。　Her　button　eyes　sometimes



saw　more　than　did　the　natural　eyes　of　her　comrades　and



so；　after　staring　hard　at　the　magician's　army；　she



boldly　advanced　and　danced　right　through　the



threatening　line！　On　the　other　side　she　waved　her



stuffed　arms　and　called　out：







〃Come　on；　folks。　The　spears　can't　hurt　you。







〃Ah！〃　said　the　Wizard；　gaily；　〃an　optical　illusion；



as　I　thought。　Let　us　all　follow　the　Patchwork　Girl。〃







The　three　little　girls　were　somewhat　nervous　in



attempting　to　brave　the　spears　and　battle…axes；　but



after　the　others　had　safely　passed　the　line　they



ventured　to　follow。　And；　when　all　had　passed　through



the　ranks　of　the　girl　army；　the　army　itself　magically



disappeared　from　view。







All　this　time　our　friends　had　been　getting　farther　up



the　hill　and　nearer　to　the　wicker　castle。　Now；



continuing　their　advance；　they　expected　something　else



to　oppose　their　way；　but　to　their　astonishment　nothing



happened　and　presently　they　arrived　at　the　wicker



gates；　which　stood　wide　open；　and　boldly　entered　the



domain　of　Ugu　the　Shoemaker。



















Chapter　Twenty…Two







In　the　Wicker　Castle











No　sooner　were　the　Wizard　of　Oz　and　his　followers　well



within　the　castle　entrance　when　the　big　gates　swung　to



with　a　clang　and　heavy　bars　dropped　across　them。　They



looked　at　one　another　uneasily；　but　no　one　cared　to



speak　of　the　incident。　If　they　were　indeed　prisoners　in



the　wicker　castle　it　was　evident　they　must　find　a　way



to　escape；　but　their　first　duty　was　to　attend　to　the



errand　on　which　they　had　come　and　seek　the　Royal　Ozma；



whom　they　believed　to　be　a　prisoner　of　the　magician；



and　rescue　her。







They　found　they　had　entered　a　square　courtyard；　from



which　an　entrance　led　into　the　main　building　of　the



castle。　No　person　had　appeared　to　greet　them；　so　far；



although　a　gaudy　peacock；　perched　upon　the　wall；



cackled　with　laughter　and　said　in　its　sharp；　shrill



voice：　〃Poor　fools！　Poor　fools！〃







〃I　hope　the　peacock　is　mistaken；〃　remarked　the



Frogman；　but　no　one　else　paid　any　attention　to　the



bird。　They　were　a　little　awed　by　the　stillness　and



loneliness　of　the　place。







As　they　entered　the　doors　of　the　castle；　which　stood



invitingly　open；　these　also　closed　behind　them　and　huge



bolts　shot　into　place。　The　animals　had　all　accompanied



the　party　into　the　castle；　because　they　felt　it　would



be　dangerous　for　them　to　separate。　They　were　forced　to



follow　a　zigzag　passage；　turning　this　way　and　that；



until　finally　they　entered　a　great　central　hall；



circular　in　form　and　with　a　high　dome　from　which　was



suspended　an　enormous　chandelier。







The　Wizard　went　first；　and　Dorothy；　Betsy　and　Trot



followed　him；　Toto　keeping　at　the　heels　of　his　little



mistress。　Then　came　the