the scarecrow of oz-第14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！





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



mouthful　of　popcorn　and　both　his　hands　were　full　of　it。



So　at　first　he　couldn't　speak　to　his　rescuers　but　lay



quite　still　and　eyed　them　calmly　until　he　had　swallowed



his　mouthful。　Then　he　said：







〃Get　my　cap；〃　and　stuffed　more　popcorn　into　his　mouth。







While　the　Bumpy　Man　began　shoveling　into　the　corn…bank



to　find　the　boy's　cap；　Trot　was　laughing　joyfully　and



Cap'n　Bill　had　a　broad　grin　on　his　face。　The　Ork　looked



from　one　to　another　and　asked：







〃Who　is　this　stranger？〃







〃Why；　it's　Button…Bright；　of　course；〃　answered　Trot。



〃If　anyone　ever　finds　a　lost　boy；　he　can　make　up　his　mind



it's　Button…Bright。　But　how　he　ever　came　to　be　lost　in



this　far…away　country　is　more'n　I　can　make　out。〃







〃Where　does　he　belong？〃　inquired　the　Ork。







〃His　home　used　to　be　in　Philadelphia；　I　think；　but　I'm



quite　sure　Button…Bright　doesn't　belong　anywhere。〃







〃That's　right；〃　said　the　boy；　nodding　his　head　as　he



swallowed　the　second　mouthful。







〃Everyone　belongs　somewhere；〃　remarked　the　Ork。







〃Not　me；〃　insisted　Button…Bright。　〃I'm　half　way　round



the　world　from　Philadelphia；　and　I've　lost　my　Magic



Umbrella；　that　used　to　carry　me　anywhere。　Stands　to



reason　that　if　I　can't　get　back　I　haven't　any　home。　But　I



don't　care　much。　This　is　a　pretty　good　country；　Trot。



I've　had　lots　of　fun　here。〃







By　this　time　the　Mountain　Ear　had　secured　the　boy's　cap



and　was　listening　to　the　conversation　with　much　interest。







〃It　seems　you　know　this　poor；　snow…covered　cast…



away；〃　he　said。







〃Yes；　indeed；〃　answered　Trot。　　〃We　made　a　journey



together　to　Sky　Island；　once；　and　were　good　friends。〃







〃Well；　then　I'm　glad　I　saved　his　life；〃　said　the　Bumpy



Man。







〃Much　obliged；　Mr。　Knobs；〃　said　Button…Bright；　sitting



up　and　staring　at　him；　〃but　I　don't　believe　you've　saved



anything　except　some　popcorn　that　I　might　have　eaten　had



you　not　disturbed　me。　It　was　nice　and　warm　in　that　bank



of　popcorn；　and　there　was　plenty　to　eat。　What　made　you



dig　me　out？　And　what　makes　you　so　bumpy　everywhere？〃







〃As　for　the　bumps；〃　replied　the　man；　looking　at　himself



with　much　pride；　〃I　was　born　with　them　and　I　suspect　they



were　a　gift　from　the　fairies。　They　make　me　look　rugged



and　big；　like　the　mountain　I　serve。〃







〃All　right；〃　said　Button…Bright　and　began　eating



popcorn　again。







It　had　stopped　snowing；　now；　and　great　flocks　of　birds



were　gathering　around　the　mountain…side；　eating　the



popcorn　with　much　eagerness　and　scarcely　noticing　the



people　at　all。　There　were　birds　of　every　size　and　color；



most　of　them　having　gorgeous　feathers　and　plumes。







〃Just　look　at　them！〃　exclaimed　the　Ork　scornfully。



〃Aren't　they　dreadful　creatures；　all　covered　with



feathers？〃







〃I　think　they're　beautiful；〃　said　Trot；　and　this



made　the　Ork　so　indignant　that　he　went　back　into　the



house　and　sulked。







Button…Bright　reached　out　his　hand　and　caught　a　big



bird　by　the　leg。　At　once　it　rose　into　the　air　and　it　was



so　strong　that　it　nearly　carried　the　little　boy　with　it。



He　let　go　the　leg　in　a　hurry　and　the　bird　flew　down　again



and　began　to　eat　of　the　popcorn；　not　being　frightened　in



the　least。







This　gave　Cap'n　Bill　an　idea。　He　felt　in　his　pocket　and



drew　out　several　pieces　of　stout　string。　Moving　very



quietly；　so　as　to　not　alarm　the　birds；　he　crept　up　to



several　of　the　biggest　ones　and　tied　cords　around　their



legs；　thus　making　them　prisoners。　　The　birds　were　so



intent　on　their　eating　that　they　did　not　notice　what　had



happened　to　them；　and　when　about　twenty　had　been　captured



in　this　manner　Cap'n　Bill　tied　the　ends　of　all　the



strings　together　and　fastened　them　to　a　huge　stone；　so



they　could　not　escape。







The　Bumpy　Man　watched　the　old　sailor's　actions



with　much　curiosity







〃The　birds　will　be　quiet　until　they've　eaten　up　all　the



snow；〃　he　said；　〃but　then　they　will　want　to　fly　away　to



their　homes。　Tell　me；　sir；　what　will　the　poor　things　do



when　they　find　they　can't　fly？〃







〃It　may　worry　'em　a　little；〃　replied　Cap'n　Bill；　〃but



they're　not　going　to　be　hurt　if　they　take　it　easy　and



behave　themselves。〃







Our　friends　had　all　made　a　good　breakfast　of　the



delicious　popcorn　and　now　they　walked　toward　the　house



again。　Button…Bright　walked　beside　Trot　and　held　her　hand



in　his；　because　they　were　old　friends　and　he　liked　the



little　girl　very　much。　The　boy　was　not　so　old　as　Trot；



and　small　as　she　was　he　was　half　a　head　shorter　in



height。　The　most　remarkable　thing　about　Button…Bright　was



that　he　was　always　quiet　and　composed；　whatever　happened；



and　nothing　was　ever　able　to　astonish　him。　Trot　liked　him



because　he　was　not　rude　and　never　tried　to　plague　her。



Cap'n　Bill　liked　him　because　he　had　found　the　boy



cheerful　and　brave　at　all　times；　and　willing　to　do



anything　he　was　asked　to　do。







When　they　came　to　the　house　Trot　sniffed　the　air　and



asked　〃Don't　I　smell　perfume？〃







〃I　think　you　do；〃　said　the　Bumpy　Man。　〃You　smell



violets；　and　that　proves　there　is　a　breeze　springing　up



from　the　south。　All　our　winds　and　breezes　are　perfumed



and　for　that　reason　we　are　glad　to　have　them　blow　in　our



direction。　The　south　breeze　always　has　a　violet　odor；　the



north　breeze　has　the　fragrance　of　wild　roses；　the　east



breeze　is　perfumed　with　lilies…of…the…valley　and　the　west



wind　with　lilac　blossoms。　So　we　need　no　weathervane　to



tell　us　which　way　the　wind　is　blowing。　We　have　only　to



smell　the　perfume　and　it　informs　us　at　once。〃







Inside　the　house　they　found　the　Ork；　and　Button…Bright



regarded　the　strange；　birdlike　creature　with　curious



interest。　After　examining　it　closely　for　a　time　he　asked：







〃Which　way　does　your　tail　whirl？〃







〃Either　way；〃　said　the　Ork。







Button…Bright　put　out　his　hand　and　tried　to　spin　it。







〃Don't　do　that！〃　exclaimed　the　Ork。







〃Why　not？　〃　inquired　the　boy。







〃Because　it　happens　to　be　my　tail；　and　I　reserve　the



right　to　whirl　it　myself；〃　explained　the　Ork。







〃Let's　go　out　and　fly　somewhere；〃　proposed　Button…



Bright。　〃I　want　to　see　how　the　tail　works。〃







〃Not　now；〃　said　the　Ork。　〃I　appreciate　your　interest　in



me；　which　I　fully　deserve；　but　I　only　fly　when　I　am　going



somewhere；　and　if　I　got　started　I　might　not　stop。〃







〃That　reminds　me；〃　remarked　Cap'n　Bill；　〃to　ask　you；



friend　Ork；　how　we　are　going　to　get　away　from　here？〃







〃Get　away！〃　exclaimed　the　Bumpy　Man。　〃Why　don't　you



stay　here？　You　won't　find　any　nicer　place　than　Mo。〃







〃Have　you　been　anywhere　else；　sir？〃







〃No；　I　can't　say　that　I　have；〃　admitted　the　Mountain



Ear。







〃Then　permit　me　to　say　you're　no　judge；〃　declared　Cap'n



Bill。　〃But　you　haven't　answered　my　question；　friend　Ork。



How　are　we　to　get　away　from　this　mountain？〃







The　Ork　reflected　a　while　before　he　answered。







〃I　might　carry　one　of　you　　the　boy　or　the　girl　upon



my　back；〃　said　he；　〃but　three　big　people　are　more　than　I



can　manage；　although　I　have　carried　two　of　you　for　a



short　distance。　You　ought　not　to　have　eaten　those　purple



berries　so　soon。〃







〃P'r'aps　we　did　make　a　mistake；〃　Cap'n　Bill



acknowledged。







〃Or　we　might　have　brought　some　of　those　lavender



berries　with　us；　instead　of　so　many　purple　ones；〃



suggested　Trot　regretfully。