the patchwork girl of oz-第16章

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〃Where　are　you　bound　for？〃　asked　the　Woozy。







〃The　Emerald　City；〃　he　replied。







〃Then　go　west；〃　said　the　Woozy。　〃I　know　this



road　pretty　well；　for　I've　chased　many　a　honey…bee



over　it。〃







〃Have　you　ever　been　to　the　Emerald　City？〃



asked　Scraps。







〃No。　I　am　very　shy　by　nature；　as　you　may　have



noticed；　so　I　haven't　mingled　much　in　society。〃







〃Are　you　afraid　of　men？〃　inquired　the　Patchwork



Girl。







〃Me？　With　my　heart…rending　growl…my　horrible；



shudderful　growl？　I　should　say　not。　I　am　not



afraid　of　anything；〃　declared　the　Woozy。







〃I　wish　I　could　say　the　same；〃　sighed　Ojo。　〃I



don't　think　we　need　be　afraid　when　we　get　to　the



Emerald　City；　for　Unc　Nunkie　has　told　me　that



Ozma；　our　girl　Ruler；　is　very　lovely　and　kind；　and



tries　to　help　everyone　who　is　in　trouble。　But　they



say　there　are　many　dangers　lurking　on　the　road　to



the　great　Fairy　City；　and　so　we　must　be　very



careful。〃







〃I　hope　nothing　will　break　me；〃　said　the



Glass　Cat；　in　a　nervous　voice。　〃I'm　a　little　brittle；



you　know；　and　can't　stand　many　hard　knocks。〃







〃If　anything　should　fade　the　colors　of　my　lovely



patches　it　would　break　my　heart；〃　said　the



Patchwork　Girl。







〃I'm　not　sure　you　have　a　heart；〃　Ojo　reminded



her。







〃Then　it　would　break　my　cotton；〃　persisted



Scraps。　〃Do　you　think　they　are　all　fast　colors；



Ojo？〃　she　asked　anxiously。







〃They　seem　fast　enough　when　you　run；〃　he



replied；　and　then；　looking　ahead　of　them；　he



exclaimed：　〃Oh；　what　lovely　trees！〃







They　were　certainly　pretty　to　look　upon　and



the　travelers　hurried　forward　to　observe　them



more　closely。







〃Why；　they　are　not　trees　at　all；〃　said　Scraps；



〃they　are　just　monstrous　plants。〃







That　is　what　they　really　were：　masses　of　great



broad　leaves　which　rose　from　the　ground　far　into



the　air；　until　they　towered　twice　as　high　as　the



top　of　the　Patchwork　Girl's　head；　who　was　a　little



taller　than　Ojo。　The　plants　formed　rows　on　both



sides　of　the　road　and　from　each　plant　rose　a　dozen



or　more　of　the　big　broad　leaves；　which　swayed



continually　from　side　to　side；　although　no　wind



was　blowing。　But　the　most　curious　thing　about　the



swaying　leaves　was　their　color。　They　seemed　to



have　a　general　groundwork　of　blue；　but　here　and



there　other　colors　glinted　at　times　through　the



bluegorgeous　yellows；　turning　to　pink；　purple；



orange　and　scarlet；　mingled　with　more　sober　browns



and　grayseach　appearing　as　a　blotch　or　stripe



anywhere　on　a　leaf　and　then　disappearing；　to　be



replaced　by　some　other　color　of　a　different　shape。



The　changeful　coloring　of　the　great　leaves　was



very　beautiful；　but　it　was　bewildering；　as　well；



and　the　novelty　of　the　scene　drew　our　travelers



close　to　the　line　of　plants；　where　they　stood



watching　them　with　rapt　interest。







Suddenly　a　leaf　bent　lower　than　usual　and



touched　the　Patchwork　Girl。　Swiftly　it　enveloped



her　in　its　embrace；　covering　her　completely　in



its　thick　folds；　and　then　it　swayed　back　upon　its



stem。







〃Why；　she's　gone！〃　gasped　Ojo；　in　amazement；　and



listening　carefully　he　thought　he　could　hear　the



muffled　screams　of　Scraps　coming　from　the　center



of　the　folded　leaf。　But；　before　he　could　think



what　he　ought　to　do　to　save　her；　another　leaf　bent



down　and　captured　the　Glass　Cat；　rolling　around



the　little　creature　until　she　was　completely



hidden；　and　then　straightening　up　again　upon　its



stem。







〃Look　out；〃　cried　the　Woozy。　〃Run！　Run



fast；　or　you　are　lost。〃







Ojo　turned　and　saw　the　Woozy　running



swiftly　up　the　road。　But　the　last　leaf　of　the　row



of　plants　seized　the　beast　even　as　he　ran　and



instantly　he　disappeared　from　sight。







The　boy　had　no　chance　to　escape。　Half　a　dozen　of



the　great　leaves　were　bending　toward　him　from



different　directions　and　as　he　stood　hesitating



one　of　them　clutched　him　in　its　embrace。　In　a



flash　he　was　in　the　dark。　Then　he　felt　himself



gently　lifted　until　he　was　swaying　in　the　air；



with　the　folds　of　the　leaf　hugging　him　on　all



sides。







At　first　he　struggled　hard　to　escape；　crying



out　in　anger：　〃Let　me　go！　Let　me　go！〃　But



neither　struggles　nor　protests　had　any　effect



whatever。　The　leaf　held　him　firmly　and　he　was



a　prisoner。〃







Then　Ojo　quieted　himself　and　tried　to　think。



Despair　fell　upon　him　when　he　remembered　that　all



his　little　party　had　been　captured；　even　as　he



was；　and　there　was　none　to　save　them。







〃I　might　have　expected　it；〃　he　sobbed；



miserably。　〃I'm　Ojo　the　Unlucky；　and　something



dreadful　was　sure　to　happen　to　me。〃







He　pushed　against　the　leaf　that　held　him　and



found　it　to　be　soft；　but　thick　and　firm。　It　was



like　a　great　bandage　all　around　him　and　he



found　it　difficult　to　move　his　body　or　limbs　in



order　to　change　their　position。







The　minutes　passed　and　became　hours。　Ojo



wondered　how　long　one　could　live　in　such　a



condition　and　if　the　leaf　would　gradually　sap



his　strength　and　even　his　life；　in　order　to　feed



itself。　The　little　Munchkin　boy　had　never　heard



of　any　person　dying　in　the　Land　of　Oz；　but　he



knew　one　could　suffer　a　great　deal　of　pain。　His



greatest　fear　at　this　time　was　that　he　would



always　remain　imprisoned　in　the　beautiful　leaf



and　never　see　the　light　of　day　again。







No　sound　came　to　him　through　the　leaf；　all



around　was　intense　silence。　Ojo　wondered　if　Scraps



had　stopped　screaming；　or　if　the　folds　of　the　leaf



prevented　his　hearing　her。　By　and　by　he　thought　he



heard　a　whistle；　as　of　some　one　whistling　a　tune。



Yes；　it　really　must　be　some　one　whistling；　he



decided；　for　he　could　follow　the　strains　of　a



pretty　Munchkin　melody　that　Unc　Nunkie　used　to



sing　to　him。　The　sounds　were　low　and　sweet　and；



although　they　reached　Ojo's　ears　very　faintly；



they　were　clear　and　harmonious。







Could　the　leaf　whistle；　Ojo　wondered？　Nearer　and



nearer　came　the　sounds　and　then　they　seemed　to　be



just　the　other　side　of　the　leaf　that　was　hugging



him。







Suddenly　the　whole　leaf　toppled　and　fell；



carrying　the　boy　with　it；　and　while　he　sprawled　at



full　length　the　folds　slowly　relaxed　and　set　him



free。　He　scrambled　quickly　to　his　feet　and　found



that　a　strange　man　was　standing　before　hima　man



so　curious　in　appearance　that　the　boy　stared　with



round　eyes。







He　was　a　big　man；　with　shaggy　whiskers；　shaggy



eyebrows；　shaggy　hairbut　kindly　blue　eyes　that



were　gentle　as　those　of　a　cow。　On　his　head　was　a



green　velvet　hat　with　a　jeweled　band；　which　was



all　shaggy　around　the　brim。　Rich　but　shaggy　laces



were　at　his　throat；　a　coat　with　shaggy　edges　was



decorated　with　diamond　buttons；　the　velvet



breeches　had　jeweled　buckles　at　the　knees　and



shags　all　around　the　bottoms。　On　his　breast　hung　a



medallion　bearing　a　picture　of　Princess　Dorothy　of



Oz；　and　in　his　hand；　as　he　stood　looking　at　Ojo；



was　a　sharp　knife　shaped　like　a　dagger。







〃Oh！〃　exclaimed　Ojo；　greatly　astonished　at　the



sight　of　this　stranger；　and　then　he　added：　〃Who



has　saved　me；　sir？〃







〃Can't　you　see？〃　replied　the　other；　with　a



smile；　〃I'm　the　Shaggy　Man。〃







〃Yes；　I　can　see　that；〃　said　the　boy；　nodding。



〃Was　it　you　who　rescued　me　from　the　leaf？〃







〃None　other；　you　may　be　sure。　But　take　care；



or　I　shall　have　to　rescue　you　again。〃







Ojo　gave　a　jump；　for　he　saw