the scarecrow of oz-第17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！





cold　water　from　a　spring　and　the　three　wanderers　ate



heartily　and　enjoyed　the　good　things　immensely。







When　Button…Bright　could　eat　no　more　he　filled　the



pockets　of　his　jacket　with　cakes　and　cheese；　and　not　even



the　children　objected　to　this。　Indeed　they　all　seemed



pleased　to　see　the　strangers　eat；　so　Cap'n　Bill　decided



that　no　matter　what　the　King　of　Jinxland　was　like；　the



people　would　prove　friendly　and　hospitable。







〃Whose　castle　is　that；　yonder；　ma'am？〃　he　asked；　waving



his　hand　toward　the　towers　that　rose　above　the　trees。







〃It　belongs　to　his　Majesty；　King　Krewl。〃　she　said。







〃Oh；　indeed；　and　does　he　live　there？〃







〃When　he　is　not　out　hunting　with　his　fierce　courtiers



and　war　captains；〃　she　replied。







〃Is　he　hunting　now？〃　Trot　inquired。







〃I　do　not　know；　my　dear。　The　less　we　know　about　the



King's　actions　the　safer　we　are。〃







It　was　evident　the　woman　did　not　like　to　talk　about



King　Krewl　and　so；　having　finished　their　meal；　they　said



good…bye　and　continued　along　the　pathway。







〃Don't　you　think　we'd　better　keep　away　from　that



King's　castle；　Cap'n？〃　asked　Trot。







〃Well；〃　said　he；　〃King　Krewl　would　find　out；　sooner　or



later；　that　we　are　in　his　country；　so　we　may　as　well　face



the　music　now。　Perhaps　he　isn't　quite　so　bad　as　that



woman　thinks　he　is。　Kings　aren't　always　popular　with



their　people；　you　know；　even　if　they　do　the　best　they



know　how。〃







〃Ozma　is　pop'lar；〃　said　Button…Bright。







〃Ozma　is　diff'rent　from　any　other　Ruler；　from　all　I've



heard；〃　remarked　Trot　musingly；　as　she　walked　beside　the



boy。　〃And；　after　all；　we　are　really　in　the　Land　of　Oz；



where　Ozma　rules　ev'ry　King　and　ev'rybody　else。　I　never



heard　of　anybody　getting　hurt　in　her　dominions；　did　you；



Button…Bright？〃







〃Not　when　she　knows　about　it；〃　he　replied。　〃But　those



birds　landed　us　in　just　the　wrong　place；　seems　to　me。



They　might　have　carried　us　right　on；　over　that　row　of



mountains；　to　the　Em'rald　City。〃







〃True　enough；〃　said　Cap'n　Bill；　〃but　they　didn't；　an'



so　we　must　make　the　best　of　Jinxland。　Let's　try　not　to　be



afraid。〃







〃Oh；　I'm　not　very　scared；〃　said　Button…Bright；　pausing



to　look　at　a　pink　rabbit　that　popped　its　head　out　of　a



hole　in　the　field　near　by。







〃Nor　am　I；〃　added　Trot。　〃Really；　Cap'n；　I'm　so　glad　to



be　anywhere　at　all　in　the　wonderful　fairyland　of　Oz　that



I　think　I'm　the　luckiest　girl　in　all　the　world。　Dorothy



lives　in　the　Em'rald　City；　you　know；　and　so　does　the



Scarecrow　and　the　Tin　Woodman　and　Tik…Tok　and　the　Shaggy



Man　　and　all　the　rest　of　'em　that　we've　heard　so　much



about　　not　to　mention　Ozma；　who　must　be　the　sweetest



and　loveliest　girl　in　all　the　world！〃







〃Take　your　time；　Trot；〃　advised　Button…Bright。　〃You



don't　have　to　say　it　all　in　one　breath；　you　know。　And　you



haven't　mentioned　half　of　the　curious　people　in　the



Em'rald　City。〃







〃That　'ere　Em'rald　City；〃　said　Cap'n　Bill　impressively；



〃happens　to　be　on　the　other　side　o'　those　mountains；　that



we're　told　no　one　is　able　to　cross。　I　don't　want　to



discourage　of　you；　Trot；　but　we're　a'most　as　much



separated　from　your　Ozma　an'　Dorothy　as　we　were　when　we



lived　in　Californy。〃







There　was　so　much　truth　in　this　statement　that　they　all



walked　on　in　silence　for　some　time。　Finally　they　reached



the　grove　of　stately　trees　that　bordered　the　grounds　of



the　King's　castle。　They　had　gone　halfway　through　it　when



the　sound　of　sobbing；　as　of　someone　in　bitter　distress；



reached　their　ears　and　caused　them　to　halt　abruptly。



















Chapter　Ten







Pon；　the　Gardener's　Boy











It　was　Button…Bright　who　first　discovered；　lying　on　his



face　beneath　a　broad　spreading　tree　near　the　pathway；　a



young　man　whose　body　shook　with　the　force　of　his　sobs。　He



was　dressed　in　a　long　brown　smock　and　had　sandals　on　his



feet；　betokening　one　in　humble　life。　His　head　was　bare



and　showed　a　shock　of　brown；　curly　hair。　Button…Bright



looked　down　on　the　young　man　and　said：







〃Who　cares；　anyhow？〃







〃I　do！〃　cried　the　young　man；　interrupting　his　sobs　to



roll　over；　face　upward；　that　he　might　see　who　had　spoken。



〃I　care；　for　my　heart　is　broken！〃







〃Can't　you　get　another　one？〃　asked　the　little　boy。







〃I　don't　want　another！〃　wailed　the　young　man。







By　this　time　Trot　and　Cap'n　Bill　arrived　at　the　spot



and　the　girl　leaned　over　and　said　in　a　sympathetic　voice：







〃Tell　us　your　troubles　and　perhaps　we　may　help　you。〃







The　youth　sat　up；　then；　and　bowed　politely。　Afterward



he　got　upon　his　feet；　but　still　kept　wringing　his　hands



as　he　tried　to　choke　down　his　sobs。　Trot　thought　he　was



very　brave　to　control　such　awful　agony　so　well。







〃My　name　is　Pon；〃　he　began。　〃I'm　the　gardener's　boy。〃







〃Then　the　gardener　of　the　King　is　your　father；　I



suppose；〃　said　Trot。







〃Not　my　father；　but　my　master；〃　was　the　reply







〃I　do　the　work　and　the　gardener　gives　the　orders。　And



it　was　not　my　fault；　in　the　least；　that　the　Princess



Gloria　fell　in　love　with　me。〃







〃Did　she；　really？〃　asked　the　little　girl。







〃I　don't　see　why；〃　remarked　Button…Bright；　staring　at



the　youth。







〃And　who　may　the　Princess　Gloria　be？〃　inquired　Cap'n



Bill。







〃She　is　the　niece　of　King　Krewl；　who　is　her　guardian。



The　Princess　lives　in　the　castle　and　is　the　loveliest　and



sweetest　maiden　in　all　Jinxland。　She　is　fond　of　flowers



and　used　to　walk　in　the　gardens　with　her　attendants。　At



such　times；　if　I　was　working　at　my　tasks；　I　used　to　cast



down　my　eyes　as　Gloria　passed　me；　but　one　day　I　glanced



up　and　found　her　gazing　at　me　with　a　very　tender　look　in



her　eyes。　The　next　day　she　dismissed　her　attendants　and；



coming　to　my　side；　began　to　talk　with　me。　She　said　I　had



touched　her　heart　as　no　other　young　man　had　ever　done。　I



kissed　her　hand。　Just　then　the　King　came　around　a　bend　in



the　walk。　He　struck　me　with　his　fist　and　kicked　me　with



his　foot。　Then　he　seized　the　arm　of　the　Princess　and



rudely　dragged　her　into　the　castle。〃







〃Wasn't　he　awful！〃　gasped　Trot　indignantly。







〃He　is　a　very　abrupt　King；〃　said　Pon；　〃so　it　was　the



least　I　could　expect。　Up　to　that　time　I　had　not　thought



of　loving　Princess　Gloria；　but　realizing　it　would　be



impolite　not　to　return　her　love；　I　did　so。　We　met　at



evening；　now　and　then；　and　she　told　me　the　King　wanted



her　to　marry　a　rich　courtier　named　Googly…Goo；　who　is　old



enough　to　be　Gloria's　father。　She　has　refused　Googly…Goo



thirty…nine　times；　but　he　still　persists　and　has　brought



many　rich　presents　to　bribe　the　King。　On　that　account



King　Krewl　has　commanded　his　niece　to　marry　the　old　man；



but　the　Princess　has　assured　me；　time　and　again；　that　she



will　wed　only　me。　This　morning　we　happened　to　meet　in　the



grape　arbor　and　as　I　was　respectfully　saluting　the　cheek



of　the　Princess；　two　of　the　King's　guards　seized　me　and



beat　me　terribly　before　the　very　eyes　of　Gloria；　whom　the



King　himself　held　back　so　she　could　not　interfere。〃







〃Why；　this　King　must　be　a　monster！〃　cried　Trot。







〃He　is　far　worse　than　that；〃　said　Pon；　mournfully。







〃But；　see　here；〃　interrupted　Cap'n　Bill；　who　had



listened　carefully　to　Pon。　〃This　King　may　not　be　so　much



to　blame；　after　all。　Kings　are　proud　folks；　because



they're　so　high　an'　mighty；　an'　it　isn't　reasonable　for　a



royal　Princess　to　marry　a　comm