the scarecrow of oz-第21章

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her　hands　over　it；　mumbled　a　few　words；　and　then　backed



away　as　quickly　as　she　could。







Cap'n　Bill　was　slumbering　peacefully；　all　unconscious



of　what　was　going　on。　Puff！　A　great　cloud　of　smoke　rolled



over　the　bed　and　completely　hid　him　from　view。　When　the



smoke　rolled　away；　both　Blinkie　and　the　King　saw　that　the



body　of　the　stranger　had　quite　disappeared；　while　in　his



place；　crouching　in　the　middle　of　the　bed；　was　a　little



gray　grasshopper。







One　curious　thing　about　this　grasshopper　was　that　the



last　joint　of　its　left　leg　was　made　of　wood。　Another



curious　thing　　considering　it　was　a　grasshopper　　was



that　it　began　talking；　crying　out　in　a　tiny　but　sharp



voice：







〃Here　　you　people！　What　do　you　mean　by　treating　me



so？　Put　me　back　where　I　belong；　at　once；　or　you'll　be



sorry！〃







The　cruel　King　turned　pale　at　hearing　the　grasshopper's



threats；　but　the　Wicked　Witch　merely　laughed　in　derision。



Then　she　raised　her　stick　and　aimed　a　vicious　blow　at　the



grasshopper；　but　before　the　stick　struck　the　bed　the　tiny



hopper　made　a　marvelous　jump　　marvelous；　indeed；　when



we　consider　that　it　had　a　wooden　leg。　It　rose　in　the　air



and　sailed　across　the　room　and　passed　right　through　the



open　window；　where　it　disappeared　from　their　view。







〃Good！〃　shouted　the　King。　〃We　are　well　rid　of　this



desperate　wizard。〃　And　then　they　both　laughed　heartily　at



the　success　of　the　incantation；　and　went　away　to　complete



their　horrid　plans。







After　Trot　had　visited　a　time　with　Princess　Gloria；　the



little　girl　went　to　Button…Bright's　room　but　did　not　find



him　there。　Then　she　went　to　Cap'n　Bill's　room；　but　he　was



not　there　because　the　witch　and　the　King　had　been　there



before　her。　So　she　made　her　way　downstairs　and　questioned



the　servants。　They　said　they　had　seen　the　little　boy　go



out　into　the　garden；　some　time　ago；　but　the　old　man　with



the　wooden　leg　they　had　not　seen　at　all。







Therefore　Trot；　not　knowing　what　else　to　do；　rambled



through　the　great　gardens；　seeking　for　Button…Bright　or



Cap'n　Bill　and　not　finding　either　of　them。　This　part　of



the　garden；　which　lay　before　the　castle；　was　not　walled



in；　but　extended　to　the　roadway；　and　the　paths　were　open



to　the　edge　of　the　forest；　so；　after　two　hours　of　vain



search　for　her　friends；　the　little　girl　returned　to　the



castle。







But　at　the　doorway　a　soldier　stopped　her。







〃I　live　here；〃　said　Trot；　〃so　it's　all　right　to　let



me　in。　The　King　has　given　me　a　room。〃







〃Well；　he　has　taken　it　back　again；〃　was　the　soldier's



reply。　〃His　Majesty's　orders　are　to　turn　you　away　if　you



attempt　to　enter。　I　am　also　ordered　to　forbid　the　boy；



your　companion；　to　again　enter　the　King's　castle。〃







〃How　'bout　Cap'n　Bill？〃　she　inquired。







〃Why；　it　seems　he　has　mysteriously　disappeared；〃



replied　the　soldier；　shaking　his　head　ominously。　〃Where



he　has　gone　to；　I　can't　make　out；　but　I　can　assure　you　he



is　no　longer　in　this　castle。　I'm　sorry；　little　girl；　to



disappoint　you。　Don't　blame　me；　I　must　obey　my　master's



orders。〃







Now；　all　her　life　Trot　had　been　accustomed　to　depend　on



Cap'n　Bill；　so　when　this　good　friend　was　suddenly　taken



from　her　she　felt　very　miserable　and　forlorn　indeed。　She



was　brave　enough　not　to　cry　before　the　soldier；　or　even



to　let　him　see　her　grief　and　anxiety；　but　after　she　was



turned　away　from　the　castle　she　sought　a　quiet　bench　in



the　garden　and　for　a　time　sobbed　as　if　her　heart　would



break。







It　was　Button…Bright　who　found　her；　at　last；　just　as



the　sun　had　set　and　the　shades　of　evening　were　falling。



He　also　had　been　turned　away　from　the　King's　castle；　when



he　tried　to　enter　it；　and　in　the　park　he　came　across



Trot。







〃Never　mind；〃　said　the　boy。　〃We　can　find　a　place　to



sleep。〃







〃I　want　Cap'n　Bill；〃　wailed　the　girl。







〃Well；　so　do　I；〃　was　the　reply。　〃But　we　haven't　got



him。　Where　do　you　s'pose　he　is；　Trot？







〃I　don't　s'pose　anything。　He's　gone；　an'　that's　all　I



know　'bout　it。〃







Button…Bright　sat　on　the　bench　beside　her　and　thrust



his　hands　in　the　pockets　of　his　knickerbockers。　Then　he



reflected　somewhat　gravely　for　him。







〃Cap'n　Bill　isn't　around　here；〃　he　said；　letting　his



eyes　wander　over　the　dim　garden；　〃so　we　must　go　somewhere



else　if　we　want　to　find　him。　　Besides；　it's　fast　getting



dark；　and　if　we　want　to　find　a　place　to　sleep　we　must　get



busy　while　we　can　see　where　to　go。〃







He　rose　from　the　bench　as　he　said　this　and　Trot　also



jumped　up；　drying　her　eyes　on　her　apron。　Then　she　walked



beside　him　out　of　the　grounds　of　the　King's　castle。　They



did　not　go　by　the　main　path；　but　passed　through　an



opening　in　a　hedge　and　found　themselves　in　a　small　but



well…worn　roadway。　Following　this　for　some　distance；



along　a　winding　way；　they　came　upon　no　house　or　building



that　would　afford　them　refuge　for　the　night。　It　became　so



dark　that　they　could　scarcely　see　their　way；　and　finally



Trot　stopped　and　suggested　that　they　camp　under　a　tree。







〃All　right；〃　said　Button…Bright；　〃I've　often　found　that



leaves　make　a　good　warm　blanket。　But　　look　there；　Trot！



　isn't　that　a　light　flashing　over　yonder？〃







〃It　certainly　is；　Button…Bright。　Let's　go　over　and　see



if　it's　a　house。　Whoever　lives　there　couldn't　treat　us



worse　than　the　King　did。〃







To　reach　the　light　they　had　to　leave　the　road；　so　they



stumbled　over　hillocks　and　brushwood；　hand　in　hand；



keeping　the　tiny　speck　of　light　always　in　sight。







They　were　rather　forlorn　little　waifs；　outcasts　in　a



strange　country　and　forsaken　by　their　only　friend　and



guardian；　Cap'n　Bill。　So　they　were　very　glad　when　finally



they　reached　a　small　cottage　and；　looking　in　through　its



one　window；　saw　Pon；　the　gardener's　boy；　sitting　by　a



fire　of　twigs。







As　Trot　opened　the　door　and　walked　boldly　in；　Pon



sprang　up　to　greet　them。　They　told　him　of　Cap'n　Bill's



disappearance　and　how　they　had　been　turned　out　of　the



King's　castle。　As　they　finished　the　story　Pon　shook　his



head　sadly。







〃King　Krewl　is　plotting　mischief；　I　fear；〃　said　he；



〃for　to…day　he　sent　for　old　Blinkie；　the　Wicked　Witch；



and　with　my　own　eyes　I　saw　her　come　from　the　castle　and



hobble　away　toward　her　hut。　She　had　been　with　the　King



and　Googly…Goo；　and　I　was　afraid　they　were　going　to　work



some　enchantment　on　Gloria　so　she　would　no　longer　love



me。　But　perhaps　the　witch　was　only　called　to　the　castle



to　enchant　your　friend；　Cap'n　Bill。〃







〃Could　she　do　that？〃　asked　Trot；　horrified　by　the



suggestion。







〃I　suppose　so；　for　old　Blinkie　can　do　a　lot　of　wicked



magical　things。〃







〃What　sort　of　an　enchantment　could　she　put　on　Cap'n



Bill？〃







〃I　don't　know。　But　he　has　disappeared；　so　I'm　pretty



certain　she　has　done　something　dreadful　to　him。　But　don't



worry。　If　it　has　happened；　it　can't　be　helped；　and　if　it



hasn't　happened　we　may　be　able　to　find　him　in　the



morning。〃







With　this　Pon　went　to　the　cupboard　and　brought　food　for



them。　Trot　was　far　too　worried　to　eat；　but　Button…Bright



made　a　good　supper　from　the　simple　food　and　then　lay　down



before　the　fire　and　went　to　sleep。　The　little　girl　and



the　gardener's　boy；　however；　sat　for　a　long　time　staring



into　the　fire；　busy　with　their　thoughts。　But　at　last



Trot；　too；　became　sleepy　and　Pon　gently　covered　her　with



the　one　blanket　he　possessed。　Then　he　threw　more　wood　on