the patchwork girl of oz-第22章

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Chapter　Thirteen







Scraps　and　the　Scarecrow











From　here　on　the　country　improved　and　the　desert



places　began　to　give　way　to　fertile　spots；　still



no　houses　were　yet　to　be　seen　near　the　road。　There



were　some　hills；　with　valleys　between　them；　and　on



reaching　the　top　of　one　of　these　hills　the



travelers　found　before　them　a　high　wall；　running



to　the　right　and　the　left　as　far　as　their　eyes



could　reach。　Immediately　in　front　of　them；　where



the　wall　crossed　the　roadway；　stood　a　gate　having



stout　iron　bars　that　extended　from　top　to　bottom。



They　found；　on　coming　nearer；　that　this　gate　was



locked　with　a　great　padlock；　rusty　through　lack　of



use。







〃Well；〃　said　Scraps；　〃I　guess　we'll　stop　here。〃







〃It's　a　good　guess；〃　replied　Ojo。　〃Our　way　is



barred　by　this　great　wall　and　gate。　It　looks　as　if



no　one　had　passed　through　in　many　years。







〃Looks　are　deceiving；〃　declared　the　Shaggy　Man；



laughing　at　their　disappointed　faces；　〃and　this



barrier　is　the　most　deceiving　thing　in　all　Oz。〃







〃It　prevents　our　going　any　farther；　anyhow；〃



said　Scraps。　〃There　is　no　one　to　mind　the　gate



and　let　people　through；　and　we've　no　key　to



the　padlock。〃







〃True；〃　replied　Ojo；　going　a　little　nearer　to



peep　through　the　bars　of　the　gate。　〃What　shall　we



do；　Shaggy　Man？　If　we　had　wings　we　might　fly　over



the　wall；　but　we　cannot　climb　it　and　unless　we　get



to　the　Emerald　City　I　won't　be　able　to　find　the



things　to　restore　Unc　Nunkie　to　life。〃







〃All　very　true；〃　answered　the　Shaggy　Man；



quietly；　〃but　I　know　this　gate；　having　passed



through　it　many　times。〃







〃How？〃　they　all　eagerly　inquired。







〃I'll　show　you　how；〃　said　he。　He　stood　Ojo



in　the　middle　of　the　road　and　placed　Scraps



just　behind　him；　with　her　padded　hands　on　his



shoulders。　After　the　Patchwork　Girl　came　the



Woozy；　who　held　a　part　of　her　skirt　in　his



mouth。　Then；　last　of　all；　was　the　Glass　Cat；



holding　fast　to　the　Woozy's　tail　with　her　glass



jaws。







〃Now；〃　said　the　Shaggy　Man；　〃you　must　all



shut　your　eyes　tight；　and　keep　them　shut　until



I　tell　you　to　open　them。〃







〃I　can't；〃　objected　Scraps。　〃My　eyes　are　but…



tons；　and　they　won't　shut。〃









So　the　Shaggy　Man　tied　his　red　handkerchief　over



the　Patchwork　Girl's　eyes　and　examined　all　the



others　to　make　sure　they　had　their　eyes　fast　shut



and　could　see　nothing。







〃What's　the　game；　　anyhowblind…man's…buff？〃



asked　Scraps。







〃Keep　quiet！〃　commanded　the　Shaggy　Man；



sternly。　〃All　ready？　Then　follow　me。〃







He　took　Ojo's　hand　and　led　him　forward　over　the



road　of　yellow　bricks；　toward　the　gate。　Holding



fast　to　one　another　they　all　followed　in　a　row；



expecting　every　minute　to　bump　against　the　iron



bars。　The　Shaggy　Man　also　had　his　eyes　closed；　but



marched　straight　ahead；　nevertheless；　and　after



he　had　taken　one　hundred　steps；　by　actual　count；



he　stopped　and　said：







〃Now　you　may　open　your　eyes。〃







They　did　so；　and　to　their　astonishment　found



the　wall　and　the　gateway　far　behind　them；



while　in　front　the　former　Blue　Country　of　the



Munchkins　had　given　way　to　green　fields；　with



pretty　farm…houses　scattered　among　them。







〃That　wall；〃　explained　the　Shaggy　Man；　〃is



what　is　called　an　optical　illusion。　It　is　quite　real



while　you　have　your　eyes　open；　but　if　you　are



not　looking　at　it　the　barrier　doesn't　exist　at　all。



It's　the　same　way　with　many　other　evils　in　life；



they　seem　to　exist；　and　yet　it's　all　seeming　and



not　true。　You　will　notice　that　the　wallor　what



we　thought　was　a　wallseparates　the　Munchkin



Country　from　the　green　country　that　surrounds



the　Emerald　City；　which　lies　exactly　in　the



center　of　Oz。　There　are　two　roads　of　yellow



bricks　through　the　Munchkin　Country；　but　the



one　we　followed　is　the　best　of　the　two。　Dorothy



once　traveled　the　other　way；　and　met　with　more



dangers　than　we　did。　But　all　our　troubles　are



over　for　the　present；　as　another　day's　journey



will　bring　us　to　the　great　Emerald　City。〃







They　were　delighted　to　know　this；　and　proceeded



with　new　courage。　In　a　couple　of　hours　they



stopped　at　a　farmhouse；　where　the　people　were　very



hospitable　and　invited　them　to　dinner。　The　farm



folk　regarded　Scraps　with　much　curiosity　but　no



great　astonishment；　for　they　were　accustomed　to



seeing　extraordinary　people　in　the　Land　of　Oz。







The　woman　of　this　house　got　her　needle　and



thread　and　sewed　up　the　holes　made　by　the



porcupine　quills　in　the　Patchwork　Girl's　body；



after　which　Scraps　was　assured　she　looked　as



beautiful　as　ever。







〃You　ought　to　have　a　hat　to　wear；〃　remarked



the　woman；　〃for　that　would　keep　the　sun　from



fading　the　colors　of　your　face。　I　have　some



patches　and　scraps　put　away；　and　if　you　will



wait　two　or　three　days　I'll　make　you　a　lovely



hat　that　will　match　the　rest　of　you。〃







〃Never　mind　the　hat；〃　said　Scraps；　shaking



her　yarn　braids；　〃it's　a　kind　offer；　but　we　can't



stop。　I　can't　see　that　my　colors　have　faded　a



particle；　as　yet；　can　you？〃







〃Not　much；〃　replied　the　woman。　〃You　are　still



very　gorgeous；　in　spite　of　your　long　journey。〃







The　children　of　the　house　wanted　to　keep　the



Class　Cat　to　play　with；　so　Bungle　was　offered



a　good　home　if　she　would　remain；　but　the　cat



was　too　much　interested　in　Ojo's　adventures　and



refused　to　stop。







〃Children　are　rough　playmates；〃　she　remarked　to



the　Shaggy　Man；　〃and　although　this　home　is　more



pleasant　than　that　of　the　Crooked　Magician　I　fear



I　would　soon　be　smashed　to　pieces　by　the　boys　and



girls。〃







After　they　had　rested　themselves　they　renewed



their　journey；　finding　the　road　now　smooth　and



pleasant　to　walk　upon　and　the　country　growing　more



beautiful　the　nearer　they　drew　to　the　Emerald



City。







By　and　by　Ojo　began　to　walk　on　the　green



grass；　looking　carefully　around　him。







〃What　are　you　trying　to　find？〃　asked　Scraps。







〃A　six…leaved　clover；〃　said　he。







〃Don't　do　that！〃　exclaimed　the　Shaggy　Man；



earnestly。　〃It's　against　the　Law　to　pick　a　six…



leaved　clover。　You　must　wait　until　you　get　Ozma's



consent。〃







〃She　wouldn't　know　it；〃　declared　the　boy。







〃Ozma　knows　many　things；〃　said　the　Shaggy　Man。



〃In　her　room　is　a　Magic　Picture　that　shows　any



scene　in　the　Land　of　Oz　where　strangers　or



travelers　happen　to　be。　She　may　be　watching　the



picture　of　us　even　now；　and　noticing　everything



that　we　do。〃







〃Does　she　always　watch　the　Magic　Picture？〃



asked　Ojo。







〃Not　always；　for　she　has　many　other　things



to　do；　but；　as　I　said；　she　may　be　watching　us



this　very　minute。〃







〃I　don't　care；〃　said　Ojo；　in　an　obstinate　tone



of　voice；　〃Ozma's　only　a　girl。〃







The　Shaggy　Man　looked　at　him　in　surprise。







〃You　ought　to　care　for　Ozma；〃　said　he；　〃if　you



expect　to　save　your　uncle。　For；　if　you　displease



our　powerful　Ruler；　your　journey　will　surely　prove



a　failure；　whereas；　if　you　make　a　friend　of　Ozma；



she　will　gladly　assist　you。　As　for　her　being　a



girl；　that　is　another　reason　why　you　should　obey



her　laws；　if　you　are　courteous　and　polite。



Everyone　in　Oz　loves　Ozma　and　hates　her　enemies；



for　she　is　as　just　as　she　is　powerful。〃







Ojo　sulked　a　while；　but　finally　returned　to　the



road　and　kept　away　from　the　green　clover。　The