the lost princess of oz-第8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！





remarked　the　Wizard；　〃but　I'll　go　with　you；　to　protect



you　from　harm　and　to　give　you　my　advice。　All　my



wizardry；　alas；　is　stolen；　so　I　am　now　really　no　more　a



wizard　than　any　of　you；　but　I　will　try　to　protect　you



if　any　enemies　you　may　meet。〃







〃What　harm　could　happen　to　us　in　Oz？〃　inquired　Trot。







〃What　harm　happened　to　Ozma？〃　returned　the　Wizard。



〃If　there　is　an　Evil　Power　abroad　in　our　fairyland；



which　is　able　to　steal　not　only　Ozma　and　her　Magic



Picture；　but　Glinda's　Book　of　Records　and　all　her



magic；　and　my　black　bag　containing　all　my　tricks　of



wizardry；　then　that　Evil　Power　may　yet　cause　us



considerable　injury。　Ozma　is　a　fairy；　and　so　is　Glinda；



so　no　power　can　kill　or　destroy　them；　but　you　girls　are



all　mortals；　and　so　are　Button…Bright　and　I；　so　we　must



watch　out　for　ourselves。〃







〃Nothing　can　kill　me；〃　said　Ojo；　the　Munchkin　boy。







〃That　is　true；〃　replied　the　Sorceress；　〃and　I　think



it　may　be　well　to　divide　the　searchers　into　several



parties；　that　they　may　cover　all　the　land　of　Oz　more



quickly。　So　I　will　send　Ojo　and　Unc　Nunkie　and　Dr。　Pipt



into　the　Munchkin　Country；　which　they　are　well



acquainted　with；　and　I　will　send　the　Scarecrow　and　the



Tin　Woodman　into　the　Quadling　Country；　for　they　are



fearless　and　brave　and　never　tire；　and　to　the　Gillikin



Country；　where　many　dangers　lurk；　I　will　send　the



Shaggy　Man　and　his　brother；　with　Tik…Tok　and　Jack



Pumpkinhead。　Dorothy　may　make　up　her　own　party　and



travel　into　the　Winkie　Country。　All　of　you　must



inquire　everywhere　for　Ozma　and　try　to　discover　where



she　is　hidden。〃







They　thought　this　a　very　wise　plan　and　adopted　it



without　question。　In　Ozma's　absence　Glinda　the　Good　was



the　most　important　person　in　Oz　and　all　were　glad　to



serve　under　her　direction。



















Chapter　Six







The　Search　Party











Next　morning；　as　soon　as　the　sun　was　up；　Glinda　flew



back　to　her　castle；　stopping　on　the　way　to　instruct　the



Scarecrow　and　the　Tin　Woodman；　who　were　at　that　time



staying　at　the　college　of　Professor　H。　M。　Wogglebug；　T。



E。；　and　taking　a　course　of　his　Patent　Educational



Pills。　On　hearing　of　Ozma's　loss　they　started　at　once



for　the　Quadling　Country　to　search　for　her。







As　soon　as　Glinda　had　left　the　Emerald　City；　Tik…Tok



and　the　Shaggy　Man　and　Jack　Pumpkinhead；　who　had　been



present　at　the　conference；　began　their　journey　into　the



Gillikin　Country；　and　an　hour　later　Ojo　and　Unc　Nunkie



joined　Dr。　Pipt　and　together　they　traveled　toward　the



Munchkin　Country。　When　all　these　searchers　were　gone；



Dorothy　and　the　Wizard　completed　their　own



preparations。







The　Wizard　hitched　the　Sawhorse　to　the　Red　Wagon；



which　would　seat　four　very　comfortably。　He　wanted



Dorothy；　Betsy；　Trot　and　the　Patchwork　Girl　to　ride　in



the　wagon；　but　Scraps　came　up　to　them　mounted　upon　the



Woozy；　and　the　Woozy　said　he　would　like　to　join　the



party。　Now　this　Woozy　was　a　most　peculiar　animal；



having　a　square　head；　square　body；　square　legs　and



square　tail。　His　skin　was　very　tough　and　hard；



resembling　leather；　and　while　his　movements　were



somewhat　clumsy　the　beast　could　travel　with　remarkable



swiftness。　His　square　eyes　were　mild　and　gentle　in



expression　and　he　was　not　especially　foolish。　The　Woozy



and　the　Patchwork　Girl　were　great　friends　and　so　the



Wizard　agreed　to　let　the　Woozy　go　with　them。







Another　great　beast　now　appeared　and　asked　to　go



along。　This　was　none　other　than　the　famous　Cowardly



Lion；　one　of　the　most　interesting　creatures　in　all　Oz。



No　lion　that　roamed　the　jungles　or　plains　could　compare



in　size　or　intelligence　with　this　Cowardly　Lion；　who　



like　all　animals　living　in　Oz　　could　talk；　and　who



talked　with　more　shrewdness　and　wisdom　than　many　of　the



people　did。　He　said　he　was　cowardly　because　he　always



trembled　when　he　faced　danger；　but　he　had　faced　danger



many　times　and　never　refused　to　fight　when　it　was



necessary。　This　Lion　was　a　great　favorite　with　Ozma　and



always　guarded　her　throne　on　state　occasions。　He　was



also　an　old　companion　and　friend　of　the　Princess



Dorothy；　so　the　girl　was　delighted　to　have　him　join　the



party。







〃I'm　so　nervous　over　our　dear　Ozma；〃　said　the



Cowardly　Lion　in　his　deep；　rumbling　voice；　〃that　it



would　make　me　unhappy　to　remain　behind　while　you　are



trying　to　find　her。　But　do　not　get　into　any　danger；　I



beg　of　you；　for　danger　frightens　me　terribly。〃







〃We'll　not　get　into　danger　if　we　can　poss'bly　help



it；〃　promised　Dorothy；　〃but　we　shall　do　anything　to



find　Ozma；　danger　or　no　danger。〃







The　addition　of　the　Woozy　and　the　Cowardly　Lion　to



the　party　gave　Betsy　Bobbin　an　idea　and　she　ran　to　the



marble　stables　at　the　rear　of　the　palace　and　brought



out　her　mule；　Hank　by　name。　Perhaps　no　mule　you　ever



saw　was　so　lean　and　bony　and　altogether　plain　looking



as　this　Hank；　but　Betsy　loved　him　dearly　because　he　was



faithful　and　steady　and　not　nearly　so　stupid　as　most



mules　are　considered　to　be。　Betsy　had　a　saddle　for　Hank



and　declared　she　would　ride　on　his　back；　an　arrangement



approved　by　the　Wizard　because　it　left　only　four　of　the



party　to　ride　on　the　seats　of　the　Red　Wagon　　Dorothy　and



Button…Bright　and　Trot　and　himself。







An　old　sailor…man；　who　had　one　wooden　leg；　came　to



see　them　off　and　suggested　that　they　put　a　supply　of



food　and　blankets　in　the　Red　Wagon；　in　as　much　as　they



were　uncertain　how　long　they　would　be　gone。　This



sailor…man　was　called　Cap'n　Bill。　He　was　a　former



friend　and　comrade　of　Trot　and　had　encountered　many



adventures　in　company　with　the　little　girl。　I　think　he



was　sorry　he　could　not　go　with　her　on　this　trip；　but



Glinda　the　Sorceress　had　asked　Cap'n　Bill　to　remain　in



the　Emerald　City　and　take　charge　of　the　royal　palace



while　everyone　else　was　away；　and　the　one…legged　sailor



had　agreed　to　do　so。







They　loaded　the　back　end　of　the　Red　Wagon　with



everything　they　thought　they　might　need；　and　then　they



formed　a　procession　and　marched　from　the　palace　through



the　Emerald　City　to　the　great　gates　of　the　wall　that



surrounded　this　beautiful　capital　of　the　Land　of　Oz。



Crowds　of　citizens　lined　the　streets　to　see　them　pass



and　to　cheer　them　and　wish　them　success；　for　all　were



grieved　over　Ozma's　loss　and　anxious　that　she　be　found



again。







First　came　the　Cowardly　Lion；　then　the　Patchwork　Girl



riding　upon　the　Woozy；　then　Betsy　Bobbin　on　her　mule



Hank；　and　finally　the　Sawhorse　drawing　the　Red　Wagon；



in　which　were　seated　the　Wizard　and　Dorothy　and　Button…



Bright　and　Trot。　No　one　was　obliged　to　drive　the



Sawhorse；　so　there　were　no　reins　to　his　harness；　one



had　only　to　tell　him　which　way　to　go；　fast　or　slow；　and



he　understood　perfectly。







It　was　about　this　time　that　a　shaggy　little　black　dog



who　had　been　lying　asleep　in　Dorothy's　room　in　the



palace　woke　up　and　discovered　he　was　lonesome。



Everything　seemed　very　still　throughout　the　great



building　and　Toto　　that　was　the　little　dog's　name　



missed　the　customary　chatter　of　the　three　girls。　He



never　paid　much　attention　to　what　was　going　on　around



him　and；　although　he　could　speak；　he　seldom　said



anything；　so　the　little　dog　didn't　know　about　Ozma's



loss　or　that　everyone　had　gone　in　search　of　her。　But　he



liked　to　be　with　people；　and　especially　with　his　own



mistress；　Dorothy；　and　having　yawned　and　stretched



himself　and　found　the　door　of　the　room　ajar　he　trotted