the patchwork girl of oz-第24章

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and　kicked　again；　but　the　Woozy　trotted　away



and　said　to　the　Scarecrow：







〃What　a　sweet　disposition　that　creature　has！



I　advise　you　to　chop　it　up　for　kindling…wood



and　use　me　to　ride　upon。　My　back　is　flat　and



you　can't　fall　off。〃







〃I　think　the　trouble　is　that　you　haven't　been



properly　introduced；〃　said　the　Scarecrow；



regarding　the　Woozy　with　much　wonder；　for　he　had



never　seen　such　a　queer　animal　before。







〃The　Sawhorse　is　the　favorite　steed　of　Princess



Ozma；　the　Ruler　of　the　Land　of　Oz；　and　he　lives　in



a　stable　decorated　with　pearls　and　emeralds；　at



the　rear　of　the　royal　palace。　He　is　swift　as　the



wind；　untiring；　and　is　kind　to　his　friends。　All



the　people　of　Oz　respect　the　Sawhorse　highly；　and



when　I　visit　Ozma　she　sometimes　allows　me　to　ride



himas　I　am　doing　to…day。　Now　you　know　what　an



important　personage　the　Sawhorse　is；　and　if　some



oneperhaps　your…selfwill　tell　me　your　name；



your　rank　and　station；　and　your　history；　it　will



give　me　pleasure　to　relate　them　to　the　Sawhorse。



This　will　lead　to　mutual　respect　and　friendship。〃







The　Woozy　was　somewhat　abashed　by　this　speech



and　did　not　know　how　to　reply。　But　Ojo　said：







〃This　square　beast　is　called　the　Woozy；　and　he



isn't　of　much　importance　except　that　he　has　three



hairs　growing　on　the　tip　of　his　tail。〃







The　Scarecrow　looked　and　saw　that　this　was　true。







〃But；〃　said　he；　in　a　puzzled　way；　〃what　makes



those　three　hairs　important？　The　Shaggy　Man　has



thousands　of　hairs；　but　no　one　has　ever　accused



him　of　being　important。〃







So　Ojo　related　the　sad　story　of　Unc　Nunkie's



transformation　into　a　marble　statue；　and　told　how



he　had　set　out　to　find　the　things　the　Crooked



Magician　wanted；　in　order　to　make　a　charm　that



would　restore　his　uncle　to　life。　One　of　the



requirements　was　three　hairs　from　a　Woozy's　tail；



but　not　being　able　to　pull　out　the　hairs　they　had



been　obliged　to　take　the　Woozy　with　them。







The　Scarecrow　looked　grave　as　he　listened　and　he



shook　his　head　several　times；　as　if　in



disapproval。







〃We　must　see　Ozma　about　this　matter；〃　he



said。　〃That　Crooked　Magician　is　breaking　the



Law　by　practicing　magic　without　a　license；　and



I'm　not　sure　Ozma　will　allow　him　to　restore　your



uncle　to　life。〃







〃Already　I　have　warned　the　boy　of　that；〃



declared　the　Shaggy　Man。







At　this　Ojo　began　to　cry。　〃I　want　my　Unc



Nunkie！〃　he　exclaimed。　〃I　know　how　he　can　be



restored　to　life；　and　I'm　going　to　do　itOzma　or



no　Ozma！　What　right　has　this　girl　Ruler　to　keep　my



Unc　Nunkie　a　statue　forever？〃







〃Don't　worry　about　that　just　now；〃　advised



the　Scarecrow。　〃Go　on　to　the　Emerald　City；



and　when　you　reach　it　have　the　Shaggy　Man



take　you　to　see　Dorothy。　Tell　her　your　story　and



I'm　sure　she　will　help　you。　Dorothy　is　Ozma's



best　friend；　and　if　you　can　win　her　to　your　side



your　uncle　is　pretty　safe　to　live　again。〃　Then　he



turned　to　the　Woozy　and　said：　〃I'm　afraid　you



are　not　important　enough　to　be　introduced　to



the　Sawhorse；　after　all。〃







〃I'm　a　better　beast　than　he　is；〃　retorted　the



Woozy；　indignantly。　〃My　eyes　can　flash　fire；　and



his　can't。〃







〃Is　this　true？〃　inquired　the　Scarecrow；　turning



to　the　Munchkin　boy。







〃Yes；〃　said　Ojo；　and　told　how　the　Woozy　had



set　fire　to　the　fence。







〃Have　you　any　other　accomplishments？〃



asked　the　Scarecrow。







〃I　have　a　most　terrible　growlthat　is；



sometimes；〃　said　the　Woozy；　as　Scraps　laughed



merrily　and　the　Shaggy　Man　smiled。　But　the　Patch…



work　Girl's　laugh　made　the　Scarecrow　forget　all



about　the　Woozy。　He　said　to　her：







〃What　an　admirable　young　lady　you　are；　and



what　jolly　good　company！　We　must　be　better



acquainted；　for　never　before　have　I　met　a　girl



with　such　exquisite　coloring　or　such　natural；



artless　manners。〃







〃No　wonder　they　call　you　the　Wise　Scarecrow；〃



replied　Scraps。







〃When　you　arrive　at　the　Emerald　City　I　will　see



you　again；〃　continued　the　Scarecrow。　〃Just　now　I



am　going　to　call　upon　an　old　friendan　ordinary



young　lady　named　Jinjurwho　has　Promised　to



repaint　my　left　ear　for　me。　You　may　have　noticed



that　the　paint　on　my　left　ear　has　peeled　off　and



faded；　which　affects　my　hearing　on　that　side。



Jinjur　always　fixes　me　up　when　I　get　weather…



worn。〃







〃When　do　you　expect　to　return　to　the　Emerald



City？〃　asked　the　Shaggy　Man。







〃I'll　be　there　this　evening；　for　I'm　anxious



to　have　a　long　talk　with　Miss　Scraps。　How　is　it；



Sawhorse；　are　you　equal　to　a　swift　run？〃







〃Anything　that　suits　you　suits　me；〃　returned



the　wooden　horse。







So　the　Scarecrow　mounted　to　the　jeweled



saddle　and　waved　his　hat；　when　the　Sawhorse



darted　away　so　swiftly　that　they　were　out　of



sight　in　an　instant。



















Chapter　Fourteen







Ojo　Breaks　the　Law











〃What　a　queer　man；〃　remarked　the　Munchkin　boy；



when　the　party　had　resumed　its　journey。







〃And　so　nice　and　polite；〃　added　Scraps；　bobbing



her　Lead。　〃I　think　he　is　the　handsomest　man　I've



seen　since　I　came　to　life。〃







〃Handsome　is　as　handsome　does；〃　quoted　the



Shaggy　Man；　〃but　we　must　admit　that　no　living



scarecrow　is　handsomer。　The　chief　merit　of　my



friend　is　that　he　is　a　great　thinker；　and　in　Oz　it



is　considered　good　policy　to　follow　his　advice。〃







〃I　didn't　notice　any　brains　in　his　head；〃



observed　the　Glass　Cat。







〃You　can't　see　'em　work；　but　they're　there；　all



right；〃　declared　the　Shaggy　Man。　〃I　hadn't　much



confidence　in　his　brains　myself；　when　first　I　came



to　Oz；　for　a　humbug　Wizard　gave　them　to　him；　but　I



was　soon　convinced　that　the　Scarecrow　is　really



wise；　and；　unless　his　brains　make　him　so；　such



wisdom　is　unaccountable。〃







〃Is　the　Wizard　of　Oz　a　humbug？〃　asked　Ojo。







〃Not　now。　He　was　once；　but　he　has　reformed



and　now　assists　Glinda　the　Good；　who　is　the



Royal　Sorceress　of　Oz　and　the　only　one　licensed



to　practice　magic　or　sorcery。　Glinda　has　taught



our　old　Wizard　a　good　many　clever　things；　so



he　is　no　longer　a　humbug。〃







They　walked　a　little　while　in　silence　and



then　Ojo　said：







〃If　Ozma　forbids　the　Crooked　Magician　to



restore　Unc　Nunkie　to　life；　what　shall　I　do？〃







The　Shaggy　Man　shook　his　head。







〃In　that　case　you　can't　do　anything；〃　he　said。



〃But　don't　be　discouraged　yet。　We　will　go　to



Princess　Dorothy　and　tell　her　your　troubles；　and



then　we　will　let　her　talk　to　Ozma。　Dorothy　has　the



kindest　little　heart　in　the　world；　and　she　has



been　through　so　many　troubles　herself　that　she　is



sure　to　sympathize　with　you。〃







〃Is　Dorothy　the　little　girl　who　came　here　from



Kansas？〃　asked　the　boy。







〃Yes。　In　Kansas　she　was　Dorothy　Gale。　I　used　to



know　her　there；　and　she　brought　me　to　the　Land　of



Oz。　But　now　Ozma　has　made　her　a　Princess；　and



Dorothy's　Aunt　Em　and　Uncle　Henry　are　here；　too。〃



Here　the　Shaggy　Man　uttered　a　long　sigh；　and　then



he　continued：　〃It's　a　queer　country；　this　Land　of



Oz；　but　I　like　it；　nevertheless。〃







〃What　is　queer　about　it？〃　asked　Scraps。







〃You；　for　instance；〃　said　he。







〃Did　you　see　no　girls　as　beautiful　as　I　am　in



your　own　country？〃　she　inquired。







〃None　with　the　same　gorgeous；　variegated



beauty；〃　he　confessed。　〃In　America　a　girl　stuffed



with　cotton　woul