the patchwork girl of oz-第13章

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Ojo's　got　a　job；　you　bet！〃











〃Is　the　owl　so　very　foolish？〃　asked　the　boy。







〃Extremely　so；〃　replied　the　donkey。　〃Notice　what



vulgar　expressions　she　uses。　But　I　admire　the　owl



for　the　reason　that　she　is　positively　foolish。



Owls　are　supposed　to　be　so　very　wise；　generally；



that　a　foolish　one　is　unusual；　and　you　perhaps



know　that　anything　or　anyone　unusual　is　sure　to　be



interesting　to　the　wise。〃







The　owl　flapped　its　wings　again；　muttering



these　words：











〃It's　hard　to　be　a　glassy　cat



No　cat　can　be　more　hard　than　that；



She's　so　transparent；　every　act



Is　clear　to　us；　and　that's　a　fact。〃











〃Have　you　noticed　my　pink　brains？〃　inquired



Bungle；　proudly。　〃You　can　see　'em　work。〃







〃Not　in　the　daytime；〃　said　the　donkey。　〃She



can't　see　very　well　by　day；　poor　thing。　But　her



advice　is　excellent。　I　advise　you　all　to　follow　it。〃







〃The　owl　hasn't　given　us　any　advice；　as　yet；〃



the　boy　declared。







〃No？　Then　what　do　you　call　all　those　sweet



poems？〃







〃Just　foolishness；〃　replied　Ojo。　〃Scraps　does



the　same　thing。〃







〃Foolishness！　Of　course！　To　be　sure！　The　Foolish



Owl　must　be　foolish　or　she　wouldn't　be　the　Foolish



Owl。　You　are　very　complimentary　to　my　partner；



indeed；〃　asserted　the　donkey；　rubbing　his　front



hoofs　together　as　if　highly　pleased。







〃The　sign　says　that　you　are　wise；〃　remarked



Scraps　to　the　donkey。　〃I　wish　you　would　prove　it。〃







〃With　great　pleasure；〃　returned　the　beast。



〃Put　me　to　the　test；　my　dear　Patches；　and　I'll



prove　my　wisdom　in　the　wink　of　an　eye。







〃What　is　the　best　way　to　get　to　the　Emerald



City？〃　asked　Ojo。







〃Walk；〃　said　the　donkey。







〃I　know；　but　what　road　shall　I　take？〃　was　the



boy's　next　question。







〃The　road　of　yellow　bricks；　of　course。　It　leads



directly　to　the　Emerald　City。〃







〃And　how　shall　we　find　the　road　of　yellow



bricks？〃







〃By　keeping　along　the　path　you　have　been



following。　You'll　come　to　the　yellow　bricks　pretty



soon；　and　you'll　know　them　when　you　see　them



because　they're　the　only　yellow　things　in　the



blue　country。〃







〃Thank　you；〃　said　the　boy。　〃At　last　you　have



told　me　something。〃







〃Is　that　the　extent　of　your　wisdom？〃　asked



Scraps。







〃No；〃　replied　the　donkey；　〃I　know　many



other　things；　but　they　wouldn't　interest　you。



So　I'll　give　you　a　last　word　of　advice：　move　on；



for　the　sooner　you　do　that　the　sooner　you'll



get　to　the　Emerald　City　of　Oz。〃







〃Hoot…ti…toot…ti…toot…ti…too！〃　screeched　the　owl；











〃Off　you　go！　fast　or　slow；



Where　you're　going　you　don't　know。



Patches；　Bungle；　Muchkin　lad；



Facing　fortunes　good　and　bad；



Meeting　dangers　grave　and　sad；



Sometimes　worried；　sometimes　glad



Where　you're　going　you　don't　know；



Nor　do　I；　but　off　you　go！〃











〃Sounds　like　a　hint；　to　me；〃　said　the　Patchwork　Girl。







〃Then　let's　take　it　and　go；〃　replied　Ojo。







They　said　good…bye　to　the　Wise　Donkey　and　the



Foolish　Owl　and　at　once　resumed　their　journey。



















Chapter　Nine







They　Meet　the　Woozy















〃There　seem　to　be　very　few　houses　around　here；



after　all；〃　remarked　Ojo；　after　they　had　walked



for　a　time　in　silence。







〃Never　mind；〃　said　Scraps；　〃we　are　not　looking



for　houses；　but　rather　the　road　of　yellow　bricks。



Won't　it　be　funny　to　run　across　something　yellow



in　this　dismal　blue　country？〃







〃There　are　worse　colors　than　yellow　in　this



country；〃　asserted　the　Glass　Cat；　in　a　spiteful



tone。







〃Oh；　do　you　mean　the　pink　pebbles　you　call



your　brains；　and　your　red　heart　and　green　eyes？〃



asked　the　Patchwork　Girl。







〃No；　I　mean　you；　if　you　must　know　it；〃　growled



the　cat。







〃You're　jealous！〃　laughed　Scraps。　〃You'd　give



your　whiskers　for　a　lovely　variegated　complexion



like　mine。〃







〃I　wouldn't！〃　retorted　the　cat。　〃I've　the



clearest　complexion　in　the　world；　and　I　don't



employ　a　beauty…doctor；　either。〃







〃I　see　you　don't；〃　said　Scraps。







〃Please　don't　quarrel；〃　begged　Ojo。　〃This　is　an



important　journey；　and　quarreling　makes　me



discouraged。　To　be　brave；　one　must　be　cheerful；　so



I　hope　you　will　be　as　good…tempered　as　possible。〃







They　had　traveled　some　distance　when　suddenly



they　faced　a　high　fence　which　barred　any　further



progress　straight　ahead。　It　ran　directly　across



the　road　and　enclosed　a　small　forest　of　tall



trees；　set　close　together。　When　the　group　of



adventurers　peered　through　the　bars　of　the　fence



they　thought　this　forest　looked　more　gloomy　and



forbidding　than　any　they　had　ever　seen　before。







They　soon　discovered　that　the　path　they　had



been　following　now　made　a　bend　and　passed



around　the　enclosure；　but　what　made　Ojo　stop



and　look　thoughtful　was　a　sign　painted　on　the



fence　which　read：











〃BEWARE　OF　THE　WOOZY！〃











〃That　means；〃　he　said；　〃that　there's　a　Woozy



inside　that　fence；　and　the　Woozy　must　be　a



dangerous　animal　or　they　wouldn't　tell　people



to　beware　of　it。〃







〃Let's　keep　out；　then；〃　replied　Scraps。　〃That



path　is　outside　the　fence；　and　Mr。　Woozy　may　have



all　his　little　forest　to　himself；　for　all　we　care。〃







〃But　one　of　our　errands　is　to　find　a　Woozy；〃



Ojo　explained。　〃The　Magician　wants　me　to　get



three　hairs　from　the　end　of　a　Woozy's　tail。〃







〃Let's　go　on　and　find　some　other　Woozy；〃



suggested　the　cat。　〃This　one　is　ugly　and



dangerous；　or　they　wouldn't　cage　him　up。　Maybe



we　shall　find　another　that　is　tame　and　gentle。〃







〃Perhaps　there　isn't　any　other；　at　all；〃



answered　Ojo。　〃The　sign　doesn't　say：　'Beware　a



Woozy'；　it　says：　'Beware　the　Woozy；'　which　may；



mean　there's　only　one　in　all　the　Land　of　Oz。







〃Then；〃　said　Scraps；　〃suppose　we　go　in　and



find　him？　Very　likely　if　we　ask　him　politely　to



let　us　pull　three　hairs　out　of　the　tip　of　his　tail



he　won't　hurt　us。〃







〃It　would　hurt　him；　I'm　sure；　and　that　would



make　him　cross；〃　said　the　cat。







〃You　needn't　worry；　Bungle；〃　remarked　the



Patchwork　Girl；　〃for　if　there　is　danger　you　can



climb　a　tree。　Ojo　and　I　are　not　afraid；　are　we；



Ojo？〃







〃I　am；　a　little；〃　the　boy　admitted；　〃but　this



danger　must　be　faced；　if　we　intend　to　save　poor







Unc　Nunkie。　How　shall　we　get　over　the　fence？〃







〃Climb；〃　answered　Scraps；　and　at　once　she　began



climbing　up　the　rows　of　bars。　Ojo　followed　and



found　it　more　easy　than　he　had　expected。　When　they



got　to　the　top　of　the　fence　they　began　to　get　down



on　the　other　side　and　soon　were　in　the　forest。　The



Glass　Cat；　being　small；　crept　between　the　lower



bars　and　joined　them。







Here　there　was　no　path　of　any　sort；　so　they



entered　the　woods；　the　boy　leading　the　way；



and　wandered　through　the　trees　until　they　were



nearly　in　the　center　of　the　forest。　They　now



came　upon　a　clear　space　in　which　stood　a　rocky



cave。







So　far　they　had　met　no　living　creature；　but



when　Ojo　saw　the　cave　he　knew　it　must　be　the



den　of　the　Woozy。







It　is　hard　to　face　any　savage　beast　without



a　sinking　of　the　heart；　but　still　more　terrifying



is　it　to　face　an　unknown　beast；　which　you　have



never　seen　even　a　picture　of。　So　there　is　little



wonder　that　the　pulses　of　the　Munchkin　boy



beat