the lost princess of oz-第4章

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There　was　another　pool　on　the　tableland；　which　was



not　enchanted　but　contained　good　clear　water　and　was



located　close　to　the　dwellings。　Here　the　people　built



the　Frogman　a　house　of　his　own；　close　to　the　edge　of



the　pool；　so　that　he　could　take　a　bath　or　a　swim



whenever　he　wished。　He　usually　swam　in　the　pool　in　the



early　morning；　before　anyone　else　was　up；　and　during



the　day　he　dressed　himself　in　his　beautiful　clothes　and



sat　in　his　house　and　received　the　visits　of　all　the



Yips　who　came　to　him　to　ask　his　advice。







The　Frogman's　usual　costume　consisted　of　knee…



breeches　made　of　yellow　satin　plush；　with　trimmings　of



gold　braid　and　jeweled　knee…buckles；　a　white　satin　vest



with　silver　buttons　in　which　were　set　solitaire　rubies；



a　swallow…tailed　coat　of　bright　yellow；　green　stockings



and　red　leather　shoes　turned　up　at　the　toes　and　having



diamond　buckles。　He　wore；　when　he　walked　out；　a　purple



silk　hat　and　carried　a　gold…headed　cane。　Over　his　eyes



he　wore　great　spectacles　with　gold　rims；　not　because



his　eyes　were　bad　but　because　the　spectacles　made　him



look　wise；　and　so　distinguished　and　gorgeous　was　his



appearance　that　all　the　Yips　were　very　proud　of　him。







There　was　no　King　or　Queen　in　the　Yip　Country；　so　the



simple　inhabitants　naturally　came　to　look　upon　the



Frogman　as　their　leader　as　well　as　their　counselor　in



all　times　of　emergency。　In　his　heart　the　big　frog　knew



he　was　no　wiser　than　the　Yips；　but　for　a　frog　to　know



as　much　as　a　person　was　quite　remarkable；　and　the



Frogman　was　shrewd　enough　to　make　the　people　believe　he



was　far　more　wise　than　he　really　was。　They　never



suspected　he　was　a　humbug；　but　listened　to　his　words



with　great　respect　and　did　just　what　he　advised　them



to　do。







Now；　when　Cayke　the　Cookie　Cook　raised　such　an　outcry



over　the　theft　of　her　diamond…studded　dishpan；　the



first　thought　of　the　people　was　to　take　her　to　the



Frogman　and　inform　him　of　the　loss；　thinking　that　of



course　he　could　tell　her　where　to　find　it。







He　listened　to　the　story　with　his　big　eyes　wide　open



behind　his　spectacles；　and　said　in　his　deep；　croaking



voice：







〃If　the　dishpan　is　stolen；　somebody　must　have　taken



it。〃







〃But　who？〃　asked　Cayke；　anxiously。　〃Who　is　the



thief？〃







〃The　one　who　took　the　dishpan；　of　course；　replied　the



Frogman；　and　hearing　this　all　the　Yips　nodded　their



heads　gravely　and　said　to　one　another：







〃It　is　absolutely　true！〃







〃But　I　want　my　dishpan！〃　cried　Cayke。







〃No　one　can　blame　you　for　that　wish；〃　remarked　the



Frogman。







〃Then　tell　me　where　I　may　find　it；〃　she　urged。







The　look　the　Frogman　gave　her　was　a　very　wise　look



and　he　rose　from　his　chair　and　strutted　up　and　down　the



room　with　his　hands　under　his　coat…tails；　in　a　very



pompous　and　imposing　manner。　This　was　the　first　time　so



difficult　a　matter　had　been　brought　to　him　and　he



wanted　time　to　think。　It　would　never　do　to　let　them



suspect　his　ignorance　and　so　he　thought　very；　very　hard



how　best　to　answer　the　woman　without　betraying　himself。







〃I　beg　to　inform　you；〃　said　he；　〃that　nothing　in　the



Yip　Country　has　ever　been　stolen　before。〃







〃We　know　that；　already；〃　answered　Cayke　the　Cookie



Cook；　impatiently。







〃Therefore；〃　continued　the　Frogman；　〃this　theft



becomes　a　very　important　matter。〃







〃Well；　where　is　my　dishpan？〃　demanded　the　woman。







〃It　is　lost；　but　it　must　be　found。　Unfortunately；　we



have　no　policemen　or　detectives　to　unravel　the　mystery；



so　we　must　employ　other　means　to　regain　the　lost



article。　Cayke　must　first　write　a　Proclamation　and　tack



it　to　the　door　of　her　house；　and　the　Proclamation　must



read　that　whoever　stole　the　jeweled　dishpan　must　return



it　at　once。〃







〃But　suppose　no　one　returns　it；〃　suggested　Cayke。







〃Then；〃　said　the　Frogman；　〃that　very　fact　will　be



proof　that　no　one　has　stolen　it。〃







Cayke　was　not　satisfied；　but　the　other　Yips　seemed　to



approve　the　plan　highly。　They　all　advised　her　to　do　as



the　Frogman　had　told　her　to；　so　she　posted　the　sign　on



her　door　and　waited　patiently　for　someone　to　return　the



dishpan　　which　no　one　ever　did。







Again　she　went；　accompanied　by　a　group　of　her



neighbors；　to　the　Frogman；　who　by　this　time　had　given



the　matter　considerable　thought。　Said　he　to　Cayke：







〃I　am　now　convinced　that　no　Yip　has　taken　your



dishpan；　and；　since　it　is　gone　from　the　Yip　Country；　I



suspect　that　some　stranger　came　from　the　world　down



below　us；　in　the　darkness　of　night　when　all　of　us　were



asleep；　and　took　away　your　treasure。　There　can　be　no



other　explanation　of　its　disappearance。　So；　if　you　wish



to　recover　that　golden；　diamond…studded　dish…pan；　you



must　go　into　the　lower　world　after　it。〃







This　was　indeed　a　startling　proposition。　Cayke　and



her　friends　went　to　the　edge　of　the　fiat　tableland　and



looked　down　the　steep　hillside　to　the　plains　below。　It



was　so　far　to　the　bottom　of　the　hill　that　nothing　there



could　be　seen　very　distinctly　and　it　seemed　to　the　Yips



very　venturesome；　if　not　dangerous；　to　go　so　far　from



home　into　an　unknown　land。







However；　Cayke　wanted　her　dishpan　very　badly；　so　she



turned　to　her　friends　and　asked：







〃Who　will　go　with　me？〃







No　one　answered　this　question；　but　after　a　period　of



silence　one　of　the　Yips　said：







〃We　know　what　is　here；　on　the　top　of　this　flat　hill；



and　it　seems　to　us　a　very　pleasant　place；　but　what　is



down　below　we　do　not　know。　The　chances　are　it　is　not　so



pleasant；　so　we　had　best　stay　where　we　are。







〃It　may　be　a　far　better　country　than　this　is；〃



suggested　the　Cookie　Cook。







〃Maybe；　maybe；〃　responded　another　Yip；　〃but　why　take



chances？　Contentment　with　one's　lot　is　true　wisdom。



Perhaps；　in　some　other　country；　there　are　better



cookies　than　you　cook；　but　as　we　have　always　eaten　your



cookies；　and　liked　them　　except　when　they　are　burned



on　the　bottom　　we　do　not　long　for　any　better　ones。〃







Cayke　might　have　agreed　to　this　argument　had　she　not



been　so　anxious　to　find　her　precious　dishpan；　but　now



she　exclaimed　impatiently：







〃You　are　cowards　　all　of　you！　If　none　of　you　are



willing　to　explore　with　me　the　great　world　beyond　this



small　hill；　I　will　surely　go　alone。〃







〃That　is　a　wise　resolve；〃　declared　the　Yips；　much



relieved。　〃It　is　your　dishpan　that　is　lost；　not　ours；



and；　if　you　are　willing　to　risk　your　life　and　liberty



to　regain　it；　no　one　can　deny　you　the　privilege。〃







While　they　were　thus　conversing　the　Frogman　joined



them　and　looked　down　at　the　Plain　with　his　big　eyes　and



seemed　unusually　thoughtful。　In　fact；　the　Frogman　was



thinking　that　he'd　like　to　see　more　of　the　world。　Here



in　the　Yip　Country　he　had　become　the　most　important



creature　of　them　all　and　his　importance　was　getting　to



be　a　little　tame。　It　would　be　nice　to　have　other　people



defer　to　him　and　ask　his　advice　and　there　seemed　no



reason；　so　far　as　he　could　see；　why　his　fame　should　not



spread　throughout　all　Oz。







He　knew　nothing　of　the　rest　of　the　world；　but　it　was



reasonable　to　believe　that　there　were　more　people



beyond　the　mountain　where　he　now　lived　than　there　were



Yips；　and　if　he　went　among　them　he　could　surprise　them



with　his　display　of　wisdom　and　make　them　bow　down　to



him　as　the　Yips　did。　In　other　words；　the　Frogman　was



ambitious　to　become　still　greater　th