the scarecrow of oz-第33章

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Oz；　and　was　as　much　at　home　in　the　royal　palace　as　was



the　gentle　Ruler。　She　knew　almost　every　part　of　the　great



country　and　almost　all　of　its　numerous　inhabitants。　Next



to　Ozma　she　was　loved　better　than　anyone　in　all　Oz；　for



Dorothy　was　simple　and　sweet；　seldom　became　angry　and　had



such　a　friendly；　chummy　way　that　she　made　friends



where…ever　she　wandered。　It　was　she　who　first　brought　the



Scarecrow　and　the　Tin　Woodman　and　the　Cowardly　Lion　to



the　Emerald　City。　Dorothy　had　also　introduced　to　Ozma



the　Shaggy　Man　and　the　Hungry　Tiger；　as　well　as　Billina



the　Yellow　Hen；　Eureka　the　Pink　Kitten；　and　many　other



delightful　characters　and　creatures。　Coming　as　she　did



from　our　world；　Dorothy　was　much　like　many　other　girls　we



know；　so　there　were　times　when　she　was　not　so　wise　as　she



might　have　been；　and　other　times　when　she　was　obstinate



and　got　herself　into　trouble。　But　life　in　a　fairy…land



had　taught　the　little　girl　to　accept　all　sorts　of



surprising　things　as　matters…of…course；　for　while　Dorothy



was　no　fairy　　but　just　as　mortal　as　we　are　　she　had



seen　more　wonders　than　most　mortals　ever　do。







Another　little　girl　from　our　outside　world　also　lived



in　Ozma's　palace。　This　was　Betsy　Bobbin；　whose　strange



adventures　had　brought　her　to　the　Emerald　City；　where



Ozma　had　cordially　welcomed　her。　Betsy　was　a　shy　little



thing　and　could　never　get　used　to　the　marvels　that



surrounded　her；　but　she　and　Dorothy　were　firm　friends　and



thought　themselves　very　fortunate　in　being　together　in



this　delightful　country。







One　day　Dorothy　and　Betsy　were　visiting　Ozma　in　the



girl　Ruler's　private　apartment；　and　among　the　things　that



especially　interested　them　was　Ozma's　Magic　Picture；　set



in　a　handsome　frame　and　hung　upon　the　wall　of　the　room。



This　picture　was　a　magic　one　because　it　constantly



changed　its　scenes　and　showed　events　and　adventures



happening　in　all　parts　of　the　world。　Thus　it　was　really　a



〃moving　picture〃　of　life；　and　if　the　one　who　stood　before



it　wished　to　know　what　any　absent　person　was　doing；　the



picture　instantly　showed　that　person；　with　his　or　her



surroundings。







The　two　girls　were　not　wishing　to　see　anyone　in



particular；　on　this　occasion；　but　merely　enjoyed　watching



the　shifting　scenes；　some　of　which　were　exceedingly



curious　and　remarkable。　Suddenly　Dorothy　exclaimed：　〃Why；



there's　Button…Bright！〃　and　this　drew　Ozma　also　to　look



at　the　picture；　for　she　and　Dorothy　knew　the　boy　well。







〃Who　is　Button…Bright？〃　asked　Betsy；　who　had　never　met



him。







〃Why；　he's　the　little　boy　who　is　just　getting　off　the



back　of　that　strange　flying　creature；〃　exclaimed　Dorothy。



Then　she　turned　to　Ozma　and　asked：　〃What　is　that　thing；



Ozma？　A　bird？　I've　never　seen　anything　like　it　before。〃







〃It　is　an　Ork；〃　answered　Ozma；　for　they　were　watching



the　scene　where　the　Ork　and　the　three　big　birds　were



first　landing　their　passengers　in　Jinxland　after　the　long



flight　across　the　desert。　〃I　wonder；〃　added　the　girl



Ruler；　musingly；　〃why　those　strangers　dare　venture　into



that　unfortunate　country；　which　is　ruled　by　a　wicked



King。〃







〃That　girl；　and　the　one…legged　man；　seem　to　be　mortals



from　the　outside　world；〃　said　Dorothy







〃The　man　isn't　one…legged；〃　corrected　Betsy；　〃he　has



one　wooden　leg。〃







〃It's　almost　as　bad；〃　declared　Dorothy；　watching　Cap'n



Bill　stump　around。







〃They　are　three　mortal　adventurers；〃　said　Ozma；　〃and



they　seem　worthy　and　honest。　But　I　fear　they　will　be



treated　badly　in　Jinxland；　and　if　they　meet　with　any



misfortune　there　it　will　reflect　upon　me；　for　Jinxland　is



a　part　of　my　dominions。〃







〃Can't　we　help　them　in　any　way？〃　inquired　Dorothy。



〃That　seems　like　a　nice　little　girl。　I'd　be　sorry　if



anything　happened　to　her。〃







〃Let　us　watch　the　picture　for　awhile；〃　suggested　Ozma；



and　so　they　all　drew　chairs　before　the　Magic　Picture　and



followed　the　adventures　of　Trot　and　Cap'n　Bill　and



Button…Bright。　Presently　the　scene　shifted　and　showed



their　friend　the　Scarecrow　crossing　the　mountains　into



Jinxland；　and　that　somewhat　relieved　Ozma's　anxiety；　for



she　knew　at　once　that　Glinda　the　Good　had　sent　the



Scarecrow　to　protect　the　strangers。







The　adventures　in　Jinxland　proved　very　interesting　to



the　three　girls　in　Ozma's　palace；　who　during　the



succeeding　days　spent　much　of　their　time　in　watching　the



picture。　It　was　like　a　story　to　them。







〃That　girl's　a　reg'lar　trump！〃　exclaimed　Dorothy；



referring　to　Trot；　and　Ozma　answered：







〃She's　a　dear　little　thing；　and　I'm　sure　nothing　very



bad　will　happen　to　her。　The　old　sailor　is　a　fine



character；　too；　for　he　has　never　once　grumbled　over　being



a　grasshopper；　as　so　many　would　have　done。〃







When　the　Scarecrow　was　so　nearly　burned　up　the　girls



all　shivered　a　little；　and　they　clapped　their　hands　in



joy　when　the　flock　of　Orks　came　and　saved　him。







So　it　was　that　when　all　the　exciting　adventures　in



Jinxland　were　over　and　the　four　Orks　had　begun　their



flight　across　the　mountains　to　carry　the　mortals　into　the



Land　of　Oz；　Ozma　called　the　Wizard　to　her　and　asked　him



to　prepare　a　place　for　the　strangers　to　sleep。







The　famous　Wizard　of　Oz　was　a　quaint　little　man　who



inhabited　the　royal　palace　and　attended　to　all　the



magical　things　that　Ozma　wanted　done。　He　was　not　as



powerful　as　Glinda；　to　be　sure；　but　he　could　do　a　great



many　wonderful　things。　He　proved　this　by　placing　a　house



in　the　uninhabited　part　of　the　Quadling　Country　where　the



Orks　landed　Cap'n　Bill　and　Trot　and　Button…Bright；　and



fitting　it　with　all　the　comforts　I　have　described　in　the



last　chapter。







Next　morning　Dorothy　said　to　Ozma：







〃Oughtn't　we　to　go　meet　the　strangers；　so　we　can　show



them　the　way　to　the　Emerald　City？　I'm　sure　that　little



girl　will　feel　shy　in　this　beautiful　land；　and　I　know　if



'twas　me　I'd　like　somebody　to　give　me　a　welcome。〃







Ozma　smiled　at　her　little　friend　and　answered：







〃You　and　Betsy　may　go　to　meet　them；　if　you　wish；　but　I



can　not　leave　my　palace　just　now；　as　I　am　to　have　a



conference　with　Jack　Pumpkinhead　and　Professor　Wogglebug



on　important　matters。　You　may　take　the　Sawhorse　and　the



Red　Wagon；　and　if　you　start　soon　you　will　be　able　to　meet



the　Scarecrow　and　the　strangers　at　Glinda's　palace。〃







〃Oh；　thank　you！〃　cried　Dorothy；　and　went　away　to　tell



Betsy　and　to　make　preparations　for　the　journey。



















Chapter　Twenty…Two







The　Waterfall











Glinda's　castle　was　a　long　way　from　the　mountains；　but



the　Scarecrow　began　the　journey　cheerfully；　since　time



was　of　no　great　importance　in　the　Land　of　Oz　and　he　had



recently　made　the　trip　and　knew　the　way。　It　never



mattered　much　to　Button…Bright　where　he　was　or　what　he



was　doing；　the　boy　was　content　in　being　alive　and　having



good　companions　to　share　his　wanderings。　As　for　Trot　and



Cap'n　Bill；　they　now　found　themselves　so　comfortable　and



free　from　danger；　in　this　fine　fairyland；　and　they　were



so　awed　and　amazed　by　the　adventures　they　were



encountering；　that　the　journey　to　Glinda's　castle　was



more　like　a　pleasure　trip　than　a　hardship；　so　many



wonderful　things　were　there　to　see。







Button…Bright　had　been　in　Oz　before；　but　never　in　this



part　of　it；　so　the　Scarecrow　was　the　only　one　who　knew



the　paths　and　could　lead　them。　They　had　eaten　a　hearty



breakfast；　which　they　found　already　prepare