the patchwork girl of oz-第14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！





never　seen　even　a　picture　of。　So　there　is　little



wonder　that　the　pulses　of　the　Munchkin　boy



beat　fast　as　he　and　his　companions　stood　facing



the　cave。　The　opening　was　perfectly　square；



and　about　big　enough　to　admit　a　goat。







〃I　guess　the　Woozy　is　asleep；〃　said　Scraps。



〃Shall　I　throw　in　a　stone；　to　waken　him？〃







〃No；　please　don't；〃　answered　Ojo；　his　voice



trembling　a　little。　〃I'm　in　no　hurry。〃







But　he　had　not　long　to　wait；　for　the　Woozy



heard　the　sound　of　voices　and　came　trotting　out



of　his　cave。　As　this　is　the　only　Woozy　that　has



ever　lived；　either　in　the　Land　of　Oz　or　out　of



it；　I　must　describe　it　to　you。







The　creature　was　all　squares　and　flat　surfaces



and　edges。　Its　head　was　an　exact　square；　like



one　of　the　building…blocks　a　child　plays　with；



therefore　it　had　no　ears；　but　heard　sounds



through　two　openings　in　the　upper　corners。　Its



nose；　being　in　the　center　of　a　square　surface；



was　flat；　while　the　mouth　was　formed　by　the



opening　of　the　lower　edge　of　the　block。　The



body　of　the　Woozy　was　much　larger　than　its



head；　but　was　likewise　block…shapedbeing



twice　as　long　as　it　was　wide　and　high。　The　tail



was　square　and　stubby　and　perfectly　straight；



and　the　four　legs　were　made　in　the　same　way；



each　being　four…sided。　The　animal　was　covered



with　a　thick；　smooth　skin　and　had　no　hair　at　all



except　at　the　extreme　end　of　its　tail；　where　there



grew　exactly　three　stiff；　stubby　hairs。　The　beast



was　dark　blue　in　color　and　his　face　was　not



fierce　nor　ferocious　in　expression；　but　rather



good…humored　and　droll。







Seeing　the　strangers；　the　Woozy　folded　his



hind　legs　as　if　they　Lad　been　hinged　and　sat



down　to　look　his　visitors　over。







〃Well；　well；〃　he　exclaimed；　〃what　a　queer　lot



you　are！　at　first　I　thought　some　of　those



miserable　Munchkin　farmers　had　come　to　annoy　me；



but　I　am　relieved　to　find　you　in　their　stead。　It



is　plain　to　me　that　you　are　a　remarkable　groupas



remarkable　in　your　way　as　I　am　in　mineand　so　you



are　welcome　to　my　domain。　Nice　place；　isn't　it？



But　lonesome…dreadfully　lonesome。〃







〃Why　did　they　shut　you　up　here？〃　asked



Scraps；　who　was　regarding　the　queer；　square



creature　with　much　curiosity。







〃Because　I　eat　up　all　the　honey…bees　which



the　Munchkin　farmers　who　live　around　here



keep　to　make　them　honey。〃







〃Are　you　fond　of　eating　honey…bees？〃　inquired



the　boy。







〃Very。　They　are　really　delicious。　But　the



farmers　did　not　like　to　lose　their　bees　and　so



they　tried　to　destroy　me。　Of　course　they　couldn't



do　that。〃







〃Why　not？〃







〃My　skin　is　so　thick　and　tough　that　nothing　can



get　through　it　to　hurt　me。　So；　finding　they　could



not　destroy　me；　they　drove　me　into　this　forest　and



built　a　fence　around　me。　Unkind；　wasn't　it？〃







〃But　what　do　you　eat　now？〃　asked　Ojo。







〃Nothing　at　all。　I've　tried　the　leaves　from　the



trees　and　the　mosses　and　creeping　vines；　but　they



don't　seem　to　suit　my　taste。　So；　there　being　no



honey…bees　here；　I've　eaten　nothing　for　years。







〃You　must　be　awfully　hungry；〃　said　the　boy。



〃I've　got　some　bread　and　cheese　in　my　basket。



Would　you　like　that　kind　of　food？〃







〃Give　me　a　nibble　and　I　will　try　it；　then　I



can　tell　you　better　whether　it　is　grateful　to　my



appetite；〃　returned　the　Woozy。







So　the　boy　opened　his　basket　and　broke　a



piece　off　the　loaf　of　bread。　He　tossed　it　toward



the　Woozy；　who　cleverly　caught　it　in　his　mouth



and　ate　it　in　a　twinkling。







〃That's　rather　good；〃　declared　the　animal。



〃Any　more？〃







〃Try　some　cheese；〃　said　Ojo；　and　threw　down　a



piece。







The　Woozy　ate　that；　too；　and　smacked　its　long；



thin　lips。







〃That's　mighty　good！〃　it　exclaimed。　〃Any　more？〃







〃Plenty；〃　replied　Ojo。　So　he　sat　down　on　a　Stump



and　fed　the　Woozy　bread　and　cheese　for　a　long



time；　for；　no　matter　how　much　the　boy　broke　off；



the　loaf　and　the　slice　remained　just　as　big。







〃That'll　do；〃　said　the　Woozy；　at　last；　〃I'm



quite　full。　I　hope　the　strange　food　won't　give



me　indigestion。







〃I　hope　not；〃　said　Ojo。　〃It's　what　I　eat。〃







〃Well；　I　must　say　I'm　much　obliged；　and



I'm　glad　you　came；〃　announced　the　beast。　〃Is



there　anything　I　can　do　in　return　for　your



kindness？〃







〃Yes；〃　said　Ojo　earnestly；　〃you　have　it　in



your　power　to　do　me　a　great　favor；　if　you　will。〃







〃What　is　it？〃　asked　the　Woozy。　〃Name　the



favor　and　I　will　grant　it。〃







〃II　want　three　hairs　from　the　tip　of　your



tail；〃　said　Ojo；　with　some　hesitation。







〃Three　hairs！　Why；　that's　all　I　haveon　my



tail　or　anywhere　else；〃　exclaimed　the　beast。







〃I　know；　but　I　want　them　very　much。〃







〃They　are　my　sole　ornaments；　my　prettiest



feature；〃　said　the　Woozy；　uneasily。　〃If　I　give



up　those　three　hairs　II'm　just　a　blockhead。〃







〃Yet　I　must　have　them；〃　insisted　the　boy；



firmly；　and　he　then　told　the　Woozy　all　about　the



accident　to　Unc　Nunkie　and　Margolotte；　and　how　the



three　hairs　were　to　be　a　part　of　the　magic　charm



that　would　restore　them　to　life。　The　beast



listened　with　attention　and　when　Ojo　had　finished



the　recital　it　said；　with　a　sigh。







〃I　always　keep　my　word；　for　I　pride　myself　on



being　square。　So　you　may　have　the　three　hairs；　and



welcome。　I　think；　under　such　circumstances；　it



would　be　selfish　in　me　to　refuse　you。〃







〃Thank　you！　Thank　you　very　much；〃　cried



the　boy；　joyfully。　〃May　I　pull　out　the　hairs



now？〃







〃Any　time　you　like；〃　answered　the　Woozy。







So　Ojo　went　up　to　the　queer　creature　and



taking　hold　of　one　of　the　hairs　began　to　pull。



He　pulled　harder。　He　pulled　with　all　his　might；



but　the　hair　remained　fast。







〃What's　the　trouble？〃　asked　the　Woozy；



which　Ojo　had　dragged　here　and　there　all



around　the　clearing　in　his　endeavor　to　pull　out



the　hair。







〃It　won't　come；〃　said　the　boy；　panting。







〃I　was　afraid　of　that；〃　declared　the　beast。



〃You'll　have　to　pull　harder。〃







〃I'll　help　you；〃　exclaimed　Scraps；　coming　to



the　boy's　side。　〃You　pull　the　hair；　and　I'll　pull



you；　and　together　we　ought　to　get　it　out　easily。〃







〃Wait　a　jiffy；〃　called　the　Woozy；　and　then



it　went　to　a　tree　and　hugged　it　with　its　front



paws；　so　that　its　body　couldn't　be　dragged



around　by　the　pull。　〃All　ready；　now。　Go　ahead！〃







Ojo　grasped　the　hair　with　both　hands　and



pulled　with　all　his　strength；　while　Scraps　seized



the　boy　around　his　waist　and　added　her　strength



to　his。　But　the　hair　wouldn't　budge。　Instead；　it



slipped　out　of　Ojo's　hands　and　he　and　Scraps



both　rolled　upon　the　ground　in　a　heap　and　never



stopped　until　they　bumped　against　the　rocky



cave。







〃Give　it　up；〃　advised　the　Glass　Cat；　as　the



boy　arose　and　assisted　the　Patchwork　Girl　to　her



feet。　〃A　dozen　strong　men　couldn't　pull　out



those　Hairs。　I　believe　they're　clinched　on　the



under　side　of　the　Woozy's　thick　skin。〃







〃Then　what　shall　I　do？〃　asked　the　boy；



despairingly。　〃If　on　our　return　I　fail　to　take



these　three　hairs　to　the　Crooked　Magician；　the



other　things　I　have　come　to　seek　will　be　of　no



use　at　all；　and　we　cannot　restore　Unc　Nunkie



and　Margolotte　to　life。〃







〃They're　goners；　I　guess；〃　said　the　Patchwork



Girl。







〃Never　mind；〃　added　the　cat。　〃I　can't　see　that



old　Unc　and　Margolotte　are　worth　all