the patchwork girl of oz-第2章

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the　Crooked　Magician　and　his　wife。　They　live



high　up　on　the　mountain；　and　the　good　Munchkin



Country；　where　the　fruits　and　flowers　grow；　is



just　the　other　side。　It's　funny　you　and　I　should



live　here　all　alone；　in　the　middle　of　the　forest；



Isn't　it？〃







〃Yes；〃　said　Unc。







〃Then　let's　go　away　and　visit　the　Munchkin



Country　and　its　jolly；　good…natured　people。　I'd



love　to　get　a　sight　of　something　besides　woods；



Unc　Nunkie。〃







〃Too　little；〃　said　Unc。







〃Why；　I'm　not　so　little　as　I　used　to　be；〃



answered　the　boy　earnestly。　〃I　think　I　can　walk



as　far　and　as　fast　through　the　woods　as　you



can；　Unc。　And　now　that　nothing　grows　in　our



back　yard　that　is　good　to　eat；　we　must　go　where



there　is　food。〃







Unc　Nunkie　made　no　reply　for　a　time。　Then



he　shut　down　the　window　and　turned　his　chair



to　face　the　room；　for　the　sun　was　sinking　behind



the　tree…tops　and　it　was　growing　cool。







By　and　by　Ojo　lighted　the　fire　and　the　logs



blazed　freely　in　the　broad　fireplace。　The　two　sat



in　the　firelight　a　long　timethe　old；　white…



bearded　Munchkin　and　the　little　boy。　Both　were



thinking。　When　it　grew　quite　dark　out…side；　Ojo



said：







〃Eat　your　bread；　Unc；　and　then　we　will　go　to



bed。〃







But　Unc　Nunkie　did　not　eat　the　bread；　neither



did　he　go　directly　to　bed。　Long　after　his　little



nephew　was　sound　asleep　in　the　corner　of　the　room



the　old　man　sat　by　the　fire；　thinking。



















Chapter　Two







The　Crooked　Magician











Just　at　dawn　next　morning　Unc　Nunkie　laid　his　hand



tenderly　on　Ojo's　head　and　awakened　him。







〃Come；〃　he　said。







Ojo　dressed。　He　wore　blue　silk　stockings；　blue



knee　pants　with　gold　buckles；　a　blue　ruffled



waist　and　a　jacket　of　bright　blue　braided　with



gold。　His　shoes　were　of　blue　leather　and　turned　up



at　the　toes；　which　were　pointed。　His　hat　had　a



peaked　crown　and　a　flat　brim；　and　around　the　brim



was　a　row　of　tiny　golden　bells　that　tinkled　when



he　moved。　This　was　the　native　costume　of　those



who　inhabited　the　Munchkin　Country　of　the　Land　of



Oz；　so　Unc　Nunkie's　dress　was　much　like　that　of



his　nephew。　Instead　of　shoes；　the　old　man　wore



boots　with　turnover　tops　and　his　blue　coat　had



wide　cuffs　of　gold　braid。







The　boy　noticed　that　his　uncle　had　not　eaten



the　bread；　and　supposed　the　old　man　had　not



been　hungry。　Ojo　was　hungry；　though；　so　he



divided　the　piece　of　bread　upon　the　table　and



ate　his　half　for　breakfast；　washing　it　down　with



fresh；　cool　water　from　the　brook。　Unc　put　the



other　piece　of　bread　in　his　jacket　pocket；　after



which　he　again　said；　as　he　walked　out　through



the　doorway：　〃Come。〃







Ojo　was　well　pleased。　He　was　dreadfully



tired　of　living　all　alone　in　the　woods　and　wanted



to　travel　and　see　people。　For　a　long　time　he　had



wished　to　explore　the　beautiful　Land　of　Oz



in　which　they　lived。　When　they　were　outside；



Unc　simply　latched　the　door　and　started　up　the



path。　No　one　would　disturb　their　little　house；



even　if　anyone　came　so　far　into　the　thick　forest



while　they　were　gone。







At　the　foot　of　the　mountain　that　separated　the



Country　of　the　Munchkins　from　the　Country　of　the



Gillikins；　the　path　divided。　One　way　led　to　the



left　and　the　other　to　the　rightstraight　up　the



mountain。　Unc　Nunkie　took　this　righthand　path　and



Ojo　followed　without　asking　why。　He　knew　it　would



take　them　to　the　house　of　the　Crooked　Magician；



whom　he　had　never　seen　but　who　was　their　nearest



neighbor。







All　the　morning　they　trudged　up　the　mountain　path



and　at　noon　Unc　and　Ojo　sat　on　a　fallen　tree…trunk



and　ate　the　last　of　the　bread　which　the　old



Munchkin　had　placed　in　his　pocket。　Then　they



started　on　again　and　two　hours　later　came　in　sight



of　the　house　of　Dr。　Pipt。







It　was　a　big　house；　round；　as　were　all　the



Munchkin　houses；　and　painted　blue；　which　is　the



distinctive　color　of　the　Munchkin　Country　of　Oz。



There　was　a　pretty　garden　around　the　house；　where



blue　trees　and　blue　flowers　grew　in　abundance　and



in　one　place　were　beds　of　blue　cabbages；　blue



carrots　and　blue　lettuce；　all　of　which　were



delicious　to　eat。　In　Dr。　Pipt's　garden　grew　bun…



trees；　cake…trees；　cream…puff　bushes；　blue



buttercups　which　yielded　excellent　blue　butter　and



a　row　of　chocolate…caramel　plants。　Paths　of　blue



gravel　divided　the　vegetable　and　flower　beds　and　a



wider　path　led　up　to　the　front　door。　The　place　was



in　a　clearing　on　the　mountain；　but　a　little　way



off　was　the　grim　forest；　which　completely



surrounded　it。







Unc　knocked　at　the　door　of　the　house　and



a　chubby；　pleasant…faced　woman；　dressed　all　in



blue；　opened　it　and　greeted　the　visitors　with　a



smile。







〃Ah；〃　said　Ojo；　〃you　must　be　Dame　Margolotte；



the　good　wife　of　Dr。　Pipt。〃







〃I　am；　my　dear；　and　all　strangers　are　welcome



to　my　home。〃







〃May　we　see　the　famous　Magician；　Madam？〃







〃He　is　very　busy　just　now；〃　she　said；　shaking



her　head　doubtfully。　〃But　come　in　and　let　me



give　you　something　to　eat；　for　you　must　have



traveled　far　in　order　to　get　our　lonely　place。〃







〃We　have；〃　replied　Ojo；　as　he　and　Unc　entered



the　house。　〃We　have　come　from　a　far　lonelier　place



than　this。〃







〃A　lonelier　place！　And　in　the　Munchkin　Country？〃



she　exclaimed。　〃Then　it　must　be　somewhere　in　the



Blue　Forest。〃







〃It　is；　good　Dame　Margolotte。〃







〃Dear　me！〃　she　said；　looking　at　the　man；　〃you



must　be　Unc　Nunkie；　known　as　the　Silent　One。〃　Then



she　looked　at　the　boy。　〃And　you　must　be　Ojo　the



Unlucky；〃　she　added。







〃Yes；〃　said　Unc。







〃I　never　knew　I　was　called　the　Unlucky；〃



said　Ojo；　soberly；　〃but　it　is　really　a　good　name



for　me。〃







〃Well；〃　remarked　the　woman；　as　she　bustled



around　the　room　and　set　the　table　and　brought　food



from　the　cupboard；　〃you　were　unlucky　to　live　all



alone　in　that　dismal　forest；　which　is　much　worse



than　the　forest　around　here；　but　perhaps　your　luck



will　change；　now　you　are　away　from　it。　If；　during



your　travels；　you　can　manage　to　lose　that　'Un'　at



the　beginning　of　your　name　　Unlucky；'　you　will



then　become　Ojo　the　Lucky；　which　will　be　a　great



improvement。〃







〃How　can　I　lose　that　'Un；'　Dame　Margolotte？〃







〃I　do　not　know　how；　but　you　must　keep　the



matter　in　mind　and　perhaps　the　chance　will



come　to　you；〃　she　replied。







Ojo　had　never　eaten　such　a　fine　meal　in　all



his　life。　There　was　a　savory　stew；　smoking　hot；



a　dish　of　blue　peas；　a　bowl　of　sweet　milk　of　a



delicate　blue　tint　and　a　blue　pudding　with　blue



plums　in　it。　When　the　visitors　had　eaten　heartily



of　this　fare　the　woman　said　to　them：







〃Do　you　wish　to　see　Dr。　Pipt　on　business　or



for　pleasure？〃







Unc　shook　his　head。







〃We　are　traveling；〃　replied　Ojo；　〃and　we



stopped　at　your　house　just　to　rest　and　refresh



ourselves。　I　do　not　think　Unc　Nunkie　cares



very　much　to　see　the　famous　Crooked　Magician；



but　for　my　part　I　am　curious　to　look　at　such



a　great　man。







The　woman　seemed　thoughtful。







〃I　remember　that　Unc　Nunkie　and　my　husband　used



to　be　friends；　many　years　ago；〃　she　said；　〃so



perhaps　they　will　be　glad　to　meet　again。　The



Magician　is　very　busy；　as　I　said；　but　if　you　will



promise　not　to　disturb　him　you　may　come　into　his



workshop　and　watch　him　prepare　a　wonderful　charm。〃