the scarecrow of oz-第13章

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But　the　Bumpy　Man　seemed　satisfied　that　he　had　explained



his　position　fully　and　presently　he　placed　four　stone



plates　upon　the　table　and　then　lifted　the　kettle　from　the



fire　and　poured　some　of　its　contents　on　each　of　the



plates。　Cap'n　Bill　and　Trot　at　once　approached　the　table；



for　they　were　hungry；　but　when　she　examined　her　plate　the



little　girl　exclaimed：







〃Why；　it's　molasses　candy！〃







〃To　be　sure；〃　returned　the　Bumpy　Man；　with　a　pleasant



smile。　〃Eat　it　quick；　while　it's　hot；　for　it　cools　very



quickly　this　winter　weather。〃







With　this　he　seized　a　stone　spoon　and　began　putting　the



hot　molasses　candy　into　his　mouth；　while　the　others



watched　him　in　astonishment。







〃Doesn't　it　burn　you？〃　asked　the　girl。







〃No　indeed；〃　said　he。　〃Why　don't　you　eat？　Aren't　you



hungry？〃







〃Yes；〃　she　replied；　〃I　am　hungry。　But　we　usually　eat



our　candy　when　it　is　cold　and　hard。　We　always　pull



molasses　candy　before　we　eat　it。〃







〃Ha；　ha；　ha！〃　laughed　the　Mountain　Ear。　〃What　a　funny



idea！　Where　in　the　world　did　you　come　from？〃







〃California；〃　she　said。







〃California！　Pooh！　there　isn't　any　such　place。　I've



heard　of　every　place　in　the　Land　of　Mo；　but　I　never



before　heard　of　California。〃







〃It　isn't　in　the　Land　of　Mo；〃　she　explained。







〃Then　it　isn't　worth　talking　about；〃　declared　the



Bumpy　Man；　helping　himself　again　from　the　steaming



kettle；　for　he　had　been　eating　all　the　time　he　talked。







〃For　my　part；〃　sighed　Cap'n　Bill；　〃I'd　like　a　decent



square　meal；　once　more；　just　by　way　of　variety。　In　the



last　place　there　was　nothing　but　fruit　to　eat；　and　here



it's　worse；　for　there's　nothing　but　candy。〃







〃Molasses　candy　isn't　so　bad；〃　said　Trot。　〃Mine's



nearly　cool　enough　to　pull；　already。　Wait　a　bit；　Cap'n；



and　you　can　eat　it。〃







A　little　later　she　was　able　to　gather　the　candy　from



the　stone　plate　and　begin　to　work　it　back　and　forth　with



her　hands。　The　Mountain　Ear　was　greatly　amazed　at　this



and　watched　her　closely。　It　was　really　good　candy　and



pulled　beautifully；　so　that　Trot　was　soon　ready　to　cut　it



into　chunks　for　eating。







Cap'n　Bill　condescended　to　eat　one　or　two　pieces　and



the　Ork　ate　several；　but　the　Bumpy　Man　refused　to　try　it。



Trot　finished　the　plate　of　candy　herself　and　then　asked



for　a　drink　of　water。







〃Water？〃　said　the　Mountain　Ear　wonderingly。　〃What　is



that？〃







〃Something　to　drink。　Don't　you　have　water　in　Mo？〃







〃None　that　ever　I　heard　of；〃　said　he。　〃But　I　can　give



you　some　fresh　lemonade。　I　caught　it　in　a　jar　the　last



time　it　rained；　which　was　only　day　before　yesterday。〃







〃Oh；　does　it　rain　lemonade　here？〃　she　inquired。







〃Always；　and　it　is　very　refreshing　and　healthful。〃







With　this　he　brought　from　a　cupboard　a　stone　jar　and　a



dipper；　and　the　girl　found　it　very　nice　lemonade；　indeed。



Cap'n　Bill　liked　it；　too；　but　the　Ork　would　not　touch　it。







〃If　there　is　no　water　in　this　country；　I　cannot　stay



here　for　long；〃　the　creature　declared。　〃Water　means



life　to　man　and　beast　and　bird。〃







〃There　must　be　water　in　lemonade；〃　said　Trot。







〃Yes；〃　answered　the　Ork；　〃I　suppose　so；　but　there　are



other　things　in　it；　too；　and　they　spoil　the　good　water。〃







The　day's　adventures　had　made　our　wanderers　tired；　so



the　Bumpy　Man　brought　them　some　blankets　in　which　they



rolled　themselves　and　then　lay　down　before　the　fire；



which　their　host　kept　alive　with　fuel　all　through　the



night。　Trot　wakened　several　times　and　found　the　Mountain



Ear　always　alert　and　listening　intently　for　the　slightest



sound。　But　the　little　girl　could　hear　no　sound　at　all



except　the　snores　of　Cap'n　Bill。



















Chapter　Eight







Button…Bright　is　Lost　and　Found　Again











〃Wake　up　　wake　up！〃　called　the　voice　of　the　Bumpy



Man。　〃Didn't　I　tell　you　winter　was　coming？　I　could　hear



it　coming　with　my　left　ear；　and　the　proof　is　that　it　is



now　snowing　hard　outside。〃







〃Is　it？〃　said　Trot；　rubbing　her　eyes　and　creeping　out



of　her　blanket。　〃Where　I　live；　in　California；　I　have



never　seen　snow；　except　far　away　on　the　tops　of　high



mountains。〃







〃Well；　this　is　the　top　of　a　high　mountain；〃　returned



the　bumpy　one；　〃and　for　that　reason　we　get　our　heaviest



snowfalls　right　here。〃







The　little　girl　went　to　　the　window　and　looked　out。　The



air　was　filled　with　falling　white　flakes；　so　large　in



size　and　so　queer　in　form　that　she　was　puzzled。







〃Are　you　certain　this　is　snow？〃　she　asked。







〃To　be　sure。　I　must　get　my　snow…shovel　and　turn　out　to



shovel　a　path。　Would　you　like　to　come　with　me？〃







〃Yes；〃　she　said；　and　followed　the　Bumpy　Man　out　when　he



opened　the　door。　Then　she　exclaimed：　〃Why；　it　isn't　cold



a　bit！〃







〃Of　course　not；〃　replied　the　man。　〃It　was　cold　last



night；　before　the　snowstorm；　but　snow；　when　it　falls；　is



always　crisp　and　warm。〃







Trot　gathered　a　handful　of　it。







〃Why；　it's　popcorn？〃　she　cried。







〃Certainly；　all　snow　is　popcorn。　What　did　you　expect　it



to　be？〃







〃Popcorn　is　not　snow　in　my　country。〃







〃Well；　it　is　the　only　snow　we　have　in　the　Land　of　Mo；



so　you　may　as　well　make　the　best　of　it；〃　said　he；　a



little　impatiently。　〃I'm　not　responsible　for　the　absurd



things　that　happen　in　your　country；　and　when　you're　in　Mo



you　must　do　as　the　Momen　do。　Eat　some　of　our　snow；　and



you　will　find　it　is　good。　The　only　fault　I　find　with　our



snow　is　that　we　get　too　much　of　it　at　times。〃







With　this　the　Bumpy　Man　set　to　work　shoveling　a　path



and　he　was　so　quick　and　industrious　that　he　piled　up　the



popcorn　in　great　banks　on　either　side　of　the　trail　that



led　to　the　mountain…top　from　the　plains　below。　While　he



worked；　Trot　ate　popcorn　and　found　it　crisp　and　slightly



warm；　as　well　as　nicely　salted　and　buttered。　Presently



Cap'n　Bill　came　out　of　the　house　and　joined　her。







〃What's　this？〃　he　asked。







〃Mo　snow；〃　said　she。　〃But　it　isn't　real　snow；　although



it　falls　from　the　sky。　It's　popcorn。〃







Cap'n　Bill　tasted　it；　then　he　sat　down　in　the　path　and



began　to　eat。　The　Ork　came　out　and　pecked　away　with　its



bill　as　fast　as　it　could。　They　all　liked　popcorn　and　they



all　were　hungry　this　morning。







Meantime　the　flakes　of　〃Mo　snow〃　came　down　so　fast　that



the　number　of　them　almost　darkened　the　air。　The　Bumpy　Man



was　now　shoveling　quite　a　distance　down　the　mountain…



side；　while　the　path　behind　him　rapidly　filled　up　with



fresh…fallen　popcorn。　Suddenly　Trot　heard　him　call　out：







〃Goodness　gracious　　mince　pie　and　pancakes！　　here



is　some　one　buried　in　the　snow。〃







She　ran　toward　him　at　once　and　the　others　followed；



wading　through　the　corn　and　crunching　it　underneath　their



feet。　The　Mo　snow　was　pretty　deep　where　the　Bumpy　Man　was



shoveling　and　from　beneath　a　great　bank　of　it　he　had



uncovered　a　pair　of　feet。







〃Dear　me！　　Someone　has　been　lost　in　the　storm；〃　said



Cap'n　Bill。　〃I　hope　he　is　still　alive。　Let's　pull　him　out



and　see。〃







He　took　hold　of　one　foot　and　the　Bumpy　Man　took　hold　of



the　other。　Then　they　both　pulled　and　out　from　the　heap　of



popcorn　came　a　little　boy。　He　was　dressed　in　a　brown



velvet　jacket　and　knickerbockers；　with　brown　stockings；



buckled　shoes　and　a　blue　shirt…waist　that　had　frills　down



its　front。　When　drawn　from　the　heap　the　boy　was　chewing　a