the scarecrow of oz-第23章

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Scarecrow　took　a　small　rope　from　his　pocket　and　tossed



one　end　upward；　into　the　air。　The　rope　unwound　itself　for



hundreds　of　feet；　until　it　caught　upon　a　peak　of　rock　at



the　very　top　of　a　mountain；　for　it　was　a　magic　rope



furnished　him　by　Glinda。　The　Scarecrow　climbed　the　rope



and；　after　pulling　it　up；　let　it　down　on　the　other　side



of　the　mountain　range。　When　he　descended　the　rope　on　this



side　he　found　himself　in　Jinxland；　but　at　his　feet　yawned



the　Great　Gulf；　which　must　be　crossed　before　he　could



proceed　any　farther。







The　Scarecrow　knelt　down　and　examined　the　ground



carefully；　and　in　a　moment　he　discovered　a　fuzzy　brown



spider　that　had　rolled　itself　into　a　ball。　So　he　took　two



tiny　pills　from　his　pocket　and　laid　them　beside　the



spider；　which　unrolled　itself　and　quickly　ate　up　the



pills。　Then　the　Scarecrow　said　in　a　voice　of　command：







〃Spin！〃　and　the　spider　obeyed　instantly。







In　a　few　moments　the　little　creature　had　spun　two



slender　but　strong　strands　that　reached　way　across　the



gulf；　one　being　five　or　six　feet　above　the　other。　When



these　were　completed　the　Scarecrow　started　across　the



tiny　bridge；　walking　upon　one　strand　as　a　person　walks



upon　a　rope；　and　holding　to　the　upper　strand　with　his



hands　to　prevent　him　from　losing　his　balance　and　toppling



over　into　the　gulf。　The　tiny　threads　held　him　safely；



thanks　to　the　strength　given　them　by　the　magic　pills。







Presently　he　was　safe　across　and　standing　on　the　plains



of　Jinxland。　Far　away　he　could　see　the　towers　of　the



King's　castle　and　toward　this　he　at　once　began　to　walk。



















Chapter　Fourteen







The　Frozen　Heart











In　the　hut　of　Pon；　the　gardener's　boy；　Button…Bright



was　the　first　to　waken　in　the　morning。　Leaving　his



companions　still　asleep；　he　went　out　into　the　fresh



morning　air　and　saw　some　blackberries　growing　on　bushes



in　a　field　not　far　away。　Going　to　the　bushes　he　found　the



berries　ripe　and　sweet；　so　he　began　eating　them。　More



bushes　were　scattered　over　the　fields；　so　the　boy



wandered　on；　from　bush　to　bush；　without　paying　any　heed



to　where　he　was　wandering。　Then　a　butterfly　fluttered　by。



He　gave　chase　to　it　and　followed　it　a　long　way。　When



finally　he　paused　to　look　around　him；　Button…Bright　could



see　no　sign　of　Pon's　house；　nor　had　he　the　slightest　idea



in　which　direction　it　lay。







〃Well；　I'm　lost　again；〃　he　remarked　to　himself。　〃But



never　mind；　I've　been　lost　lots　of　times。　Someone　is　sure



to　find　me。〃







Trot　was　a　little　worried　about　Button…Bright　when　she



awoke　and　found　him　gone。　Knowing　how　careless　he　was；



she　believed　that　he　had　strayed　away；　but　felt　that　he



would　come　back　in　time；　because　he　had　a　habit　of　not



staying　lost。　Pon　got　the　little　girl　some　food　for　her



breakfast　and　then　together　they　went　out　of　the　hut　and



stood　in　the　sunshine。







Pon's　house　was　some　distance　off　the　road；　but　they



could　see　it　from　where　they　stood　and　both　gave　a　start



of　surprise　when　they　discovered　two　soldiers　walking



along　the　roadway　and　escorting　Princess　Gloria　between



them。　The　poor　girl　had　her　hands　bound　together；　to



prevent　her　from　struggling；　and　the　soldiers　rudely



dragged　her　forward　when　her　steps　seemed　to　lag。







Behind　this　group　came　King　Krewl；　wearing　his　jeweled



crown　and　swinging　in　his　hand　a　slender　golden　staff



with　a　ball　of　clustered　gems　at　one　end。







〃Where　are　they　going？〃　asked　Trot。　〃To　the　house　of



the　Wicked　Witch；　I　fear；〃　Pon　replied。　〃Come；　let　us



follow　them；　for　I　am　sure　they　intend　to　harm　my　dear



Gloria。〃







〃Won't　they　see　us？〃　she　asked　timidly。







〃We　won't　let　them。　I　know　a　short　cut　through　the



trees　to　Blinkie's　house；〃　said　he。







So　they　hurried　away　through　the　trees　and　reached　the



house　of　the　witch　ahead　of　the　King　and　his　soldiers。



Hiding　themselves　in　the　shrubbery；　they　watched　the



approach　of　poor　Gloria　and　her　escort；　all　of　whom



passed　so　near　to　them　that　Pon　could　have　put　out　a　hand



and　touched　his　sweetheart；　had　he　dared　to。







Blinkie's　house　had　eight　sides；　with　a　door　and　a



window　in　each　side。　Smoke　was　coming　out　of　the　chimney



and　as　the　guards　brought　Gloria　to　one　of　the　doors　it



was　opened　by　the　old　witch　in　person。　She　chuckled　with



evil　glee　and　rubbed　her　skinny　hands　together　to　show



the　delight　with　which　she　greeted　her　victim；　for



Blinkie　was　pleased　to　be　able　to　perform　her　wicked



rites　on　one　so　fair　and　sweet　as　the　Princess。







Gloria　struggled　to　resist　when　they　bade　her　enter　the



house；　so　the　soldiers　forced　her　through　the　doorway　and



even　the　King　gave　her　a　shove　as　he　followed　close



behind。　Pon　was　so　incensed　at　the　cruelty　shown　Gloria



that　he　forgot　all　caution　and　rushed　forward　to　enter



the　house　also；　but　one　of　the　soldiers　prevented　him；



pushing　the　gardener's　boy　away　with　violence　and



slamming　the　door　in　his　face。







〃Never　mind；〃　said　Trot　soothingly；　as　Pon　rose　from



where　he　had　fallen。　〃You　couldn't　do　much　to　help　the



poor　Princess　if　you　were　inside。　How　unfortunate　it　is



that　you　are　in　love　with　her！〃







〃True；〃　he　answered　sadly；　〃it　is　indeed　my　misfortune。



If　I　did　not　love　her；　it　would　be　none　of　my　business



what　the　King　did　to　his　niece　Gloria；　but　the　unlucky



circumstance　of　my　loving　her　makes　it　my　duty　to　defend



her。〃







〃I　don't　see　how　you　can；　duty　or　no　duty；〃　observed



Trot。







〃No；　I　am　powerless；　for　they　are　stronger　than　I。　But



we　might　peek　in　through　the　window　and　see　what　they　are



doing。〃







Trot　was　somewhat　curious；　too；　so　they　crept　up　to　one



of　the　windows　and　looked　in；　and　it　so　happened　that



those　inside　the　witch's　house　were　so　busy　they　did　not



notice　that　Pon　and　Trot　were　watching　them。







Gloria　had　been　tied　to　a　stout　post　in　the　center　of



the　room　and　the　King　was　giving　the　Wicked　Witch　a



quantity　of　money　and　jewels；　which　Googly…Goo　had



provided　in　payment。　When　this　had　been　done　the　King



said　to　her：







〃Are　you　perfectly　sure　you　can　freeze　this　maiden's



heart；　so　that　she　will　no　longer　love　that　low



gardener's　boy？〃







〃Sure　as　witchcraft；　your　Majesty；〃　the　creature



replied。







〃Then　get　to　work；〃　said　the　King。　〃There　may　be　some



unpleasant　features　about　the　ceremony　that　would　annoy



me；　so　I'll　bid　you　good　day　and　leave　you　to　carry　out



your　contract。　One　word；　however：　If　you　fail；　I　shall



burn　you　at　the　stake！〃　Then　he　beckoned　to　his　soldiers



to　follow　him；　and　throwing　wide　the　door　of　the　house



walked　out。







This　action　was　so　sudden　that　King　Krewl　almost　caught



Trot　and　Pon　eavesdropping；　but　they　managed　to　run



around　the　house　before　he　saw　them。　Away　he　marched；　up



the　road；　followed　by　his　men；　heartlessly　leaving　Gloria



to　the　mercies　of　old　Blinkie。







When　they　again　crept　up　to　the　window；　Trot　and　Pon



saw　Blinkie　gloating　over　her　victim。　Although　nearly



fainting　from　fear；　the　proud　Princess　gazed　with　haughty



defiance　into　the　face　of　the　wicked　creature；　but　she



was　bound　so　tightly　to　the　post　that　she　could　do　no



more　to　express　her　loathing。







Pretty　soon　Blinkie　went　to　a　kettle　that　was　swinging



by　a　chain　over　the　fire　and　tossed　into　it　several



magical　compounds。　The　kettle　gave　three　flashes；　and　at



every　flash　another