the scarecrow of oz-第15章

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



suggested　Trot　regretfully。







Cap'n　Bill　made　no　reply　to　this　statement；　which



showed　he　did　not　fully　agree　with　the　little　girl；　but



he　fell　into　deep　thought；　with　wrinkled　brows；　and



finally　he　said：







〃If　those　purple　berries　would　make　anything　grow



bigger；　whether　it'd　eaten　the　lavender　ones　or　not；



I　could　find　a　way　out　of　our　troubles。〃







They　did　not　understand　this　speech　and　looked　at



the　old　sailor　as　if　expecting　him　to　explain　what　he



meant。　But　just　then　a　chorus　of　shrill　cries　rose　from



outside。







〃Here！　Let　me　go　　let　me　go！〃　the　voices　seemed　to



say。　〃Why　are　we　insulted　in　this　way？　Mountain　Ear；　come



and　help　us！〃







Trot　ran　to　the　window　and　looked　out。







〃It's　the　birds　you　caught；　Cap'n；〃　she　said。　〃I　didn't



know　they　could　talk。〃







〃Oh；　yes；　all　the　birds　in　Mo　are　educated　to　talk；〃



said　the　Bumpy　Man。　Then　he　looked　at　Cap'n　Bill　uneasily



and　added：　〃Won't　you　let　the　poor　things　go？〃







〃I'll　see；〃　replied　the　sailor；　and　walked　out　to　where



the　birds　were　fluttering　and　complaining　because　the



strings　would　not　allow　them　to　fly　away。







〃Listen　to　me！〃　he　cried；　and　at　once　they　became



still。　〃We　three　people　who　are　strangers　in　your　land



want　to　go　to　some　other　country；　and　we　want　three　of



you　birds　to　carry　us　there。　We　know　we　are　asking　a



great　favor；　but　it's　the　only　way　we　can　think　of　



excep'　walkin'；　an'　I'm　not　much　good　at　that　because



I've　a　wooden　leg。　Besides；　Trot　an'　Button…Bright　are



too　small　to　undertake　a　long　and　tiresome　journey。　Now；



tell　me：　Which　three　of　you　birds　will　consent　to　carry



us？〃







The　birds　looked　at　one　another　as　if　greatly



astonished。　Then　one　of　them　replied：　〃You　must　be　crazy；



old　man。　Not　one　of　us　is　big　enough　to　fly　with　even　the



smallest　of　your　party。〃







〃I'll　fix　the　matter　of　size；〃　promised　Cap'n　Bill。　〃If



three　of　you　will　agree　to　carry　us；　I'll　make　you　big



an'　strong　enough　to　do　it；　so　it　won't　worry　you　a　bit。〃







The　birds　considered　this　gravely。　　Living　in　a　magic



country；　they　had　no　doubt　but　that　the　strange　one…



legged　man　could　do　what　he　said。　After　a　little；　one　of



them　asked：







〃If　you　make　us　big；　would　we　stay　big　always？〃







〃I　think　so；〃　replied　Cap'n　Bill。







They　chattered　a　while　among　themselves　and　then　the



bird　that　had　first　spoken　said：　〃I'll　go；　for　one。〃







〃So　will　I；〃　said　another；　and　after　a　pause　a　third



said：　〃I'll　go；　too。〃







Perhaps　more　would　have　volunteered；　for　it　seemed　that



for　some　reason　they　all　longed　to　be　bigger　than　they



were；　but　three　were　enough　for　Cap'n　Bill's　purpose　and



so　he　promptly　released　all　the　others；　who　immediately



flew　away。







The　three　that　remained　were　cousins；　and　all　were　of



the　same　brilliant　plumage　and　in　size　about　as　large　as



eagles。　When　Trot　questioned　them　she　found　they　were



quite　young；　having　only　abandoned　their　nests　a　few



weeks　before。　They　were　strong　young　birds；　with　clear；



brave　eyes；　and　the　little　girl　decided　they　were　the



most　beautiful　of　all　the　feathered　creatures　she　had



ever　seen。







Cap'n　Bill　now　took　from　his　pocket　the　wooden　box　with



the　sliding　cover　and　removed　the　three　purple　berries；



which　were　still　in　good　condition。







〃Eat　these；〃　he　said；　and　gave　one　to　each　of　the



birds。　They　obeyed；　finding　the　fruit　very　pleasant　to



taste。　In　a　few　seconds　they　began　to　grow　in　size　and



grew　so　fast　that　Trot　feared　they　would　never　stop。　But



they　finally　did　stop　growing；　and　then　they　were　much



larger　than　the　Ork；　and　nearly　the　size　of　full…grown



ostriches。







Cap'n　Bill　was　much　pleased　by　this　result。







〃You　can　carry　us　now；　all　right；〃　said　he。







The　birds　strutted　around　with　pride；　highly　pleased



with　their　immense　size。







〃I　don't　see；　though；〃　said　Trot　doubtfully；　〃how



we're　going　to　ride　on　their　backs　without　falling　off。〃







〃We're　not　going　to　ride　on　their　backs；〃　answered



Cap'n　Bill。　〃I'm　going　to　make　swings　for　us　to　ride　in。〃







He　then　asked　the　Bumpy　Man　for　some　rope；　but　the　man



had　no　rope。　He　had；　however；　an　old　suit　of　gray　clothes



which　he　gladly　presented　to　Cap'n　Bill；　who　cut　the



cloth　into　strips　and　twisted　it　so　that　it　was　almost　as



strong　as　rope。　With　this　material　he　attached　to　each



bird　a　swing　that　dangled　below　its　feet；　and　Button…



Bright　made　a　trial　flight　in　one　of　them　to　prove　that



it　was　safe　and　comfortable。　When　all　this　had　been



arranged　one　of　the　birds　asked：







〃Where　do　you　wish　us　to　take　you？〃







〃Why；　just　follow　the　Ork；〃　said　Cap'n　Bill。　〃He　will



be　our　leader；　and　wherever　the　Ork　flies　you　are　to　fly；



and　wherever　the　Ork　lands　you　are　to　land。　Is　that



satisfactory？〃







The　birds　declared　it　was　quite　satisfactory；　so　Cap'n



Bill　took　counsel　with　the　Ork。







〃On　our　way　here；〃　said　that　peculiar　creature；　〃I



noticed　a　broad；　sandy　desert　at　the　left　of　me；　on　which



was　no　living　thing。〃







〃Then　we'd　better　keep　away　from　it；〃　replied　the



sailor。







〃Not　so；〃　insisted　the　Ork。　〃I　have　found；　on　my



travels；　that　the　most　pleasant　countries　often　lie　in



the　midst　of　deserts；　so　I　think　it　would　be　wise　for　us



to　fly　over　this　desert　and　discover　what　lies　beyond　it。



For　in　the　direction　we　came　from　lies　the　ocean；　as　we



well　know；　and　beyond　here　is　this　strange　Land　of　Mo；



which　we　do　not　care　to　explore。　On　one　side；　as　we　can



see　from　this　mountain；　is　a　broad　expanse　of　plain；　and



on　the　other　the　desert。　　For　my　part；　I　vote　for　the



desert。〃







〃What　do　you　say；　Trot？〃　inquired　Cap'n　Bill。







〃It's　all　the　same　to　me；〃　she　replied。







No　one　thought　of　asking　Button…Bright's　opinion；　so　it



was　decided　to　fly　over　the　desert。　They　bade　good…bye　to



the　Bumpy　Man　and　thanked　him　for　his　kindness　and



hospitality。　Then　they　seated　themselves　in　the　swings　



one　for　each　bird　　and　told　the　Ork　to　start　away　and



they　would　follow。







The　whirl　of　the　Ork's　tail　astonished　the　birds　at



first；　but　after　he　had　gone　a　short　distance　they　rose



in　the　air；　carrying　their　passengers　easily；　and　flew



with　strong；　regular　strokes　of　their　great　wings　in　the



wake　of　their　leader。



















Chapter　Nine







The　Kingdom　of　Jinxland











Trot　rode　with　more　comfort　than　she　had　expected；



although　the　swing　swayed　so　much　that　she　had　to　hold　on



tight　with　both　hands。　Cap'n　Bill's　bird　followed　the



Ork；　and　Trot　came　next；　with　Button…Bright　trailing



behind　her。　It　was　quite　an　imposing　procession；　but



unfortunately　there　was　no　one　to　see　it；　for　the　Ork　had



headed　straight　for　the　great　sandy　desert　and　in　a　few



minutes　after　starting　they　were　flying　high　over　the



broad　waste；　where　no　living　thing　could　exist。







The　little　girl　thought　this　would　be　a　bad　place　for



the　birds　to　lose　strength；　or　for　the　cloth　ropes　to



give　way；　but　although　she　could　not　help　feeling　a



trifle　nervous　and　fidgety　she　had　confidence　in　the　huge



and　brilliantly　plumaged　bird　that　bore　her；　as　well　as



in　Cap'n　Bill's　knowledge　of　how　to　twist　and　fasten　a



rope　so　it　would　hold。







That　was　a　remarkably　big　desert。　There　was