the patchwork girl of oz-第37章

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surprise　it　slowly　swung　backward　and　showed



behind　it　a　dark　hole　that　looked　like　the　mouth



of　a　tunnel。







〃Why；　here's　where　the　path　goes　to！〃　she



exclaimed。







〃So　it　is；〃　answered　the　Scarecrow。　〃But　the



question　is；　do　we　want　to　go　where　the　path



does？〃







〃It's　underground；　right　inside　the　mountain；〃



said　Ojo；　peering　into　the　dark　hole。　〃perhaps



there's　a　well　there；　and；　if　there　is；　it's　sure



to　be　a　dark　one。〃







〃Why；　that's　true　enough！〃　cried　Dorothy



with　eagerness。　〃Let's　go　in；　Scarecrow；　'cause；



if　others　have　gone；　we're　pretty　safe　to　go；　too。〃







Toto　looked　in　and　barked；　but　he　did　not



venture　to　enter　until　the　Scarecrow　had　bravely



gone　first。　Scraps　followed　closely　after　the



straw　man　and　then　Ojo　and　Dorothy　timidly　stepped



inside　the　tunnel。　As　soon　as　all　of　them　had



passed　the　big　rock；　it　slowly　turned　and　filled



up　the　opening　again；　but　now　they　were　no　longer



in　the　dark；　for　a　soft；　rosy　light　enabled　them



to　see　around　them　quite　distinctly。







It　was　only　a　passage；　wide　enough　for　two



of　them　to　walk　abreastwith　Toto　in　between



themand　it　had　a　high；　arched　roof。　They



could　not　see　where　the　light　which　flooded　the



place　so　pleasantly　came　from；　for　there　were



no　lamps　anywhere　visible。　The　passage　ran



straight　for　a　little　way　and　then　made　a　bend



to　the　right　and　another　sharp　turn　to　the　left；



after　which　it　went　straight　again。　But　there



were　no　side　passages；　so　they　could　not　lose



their　way。







After　proceeding　some　distance；　Toto；　who



had　gone　on　ahead；　began　to　bark　loudly。　They



ran　around　a　bend　to　see　what　was　the　matter



and　found　a　man　sitting　on　the　floor　of　the



passage　and　leaning　his　back　against　the　wall。



He　had　probably　been　asleep　before　Toto's　barks



aroused　him；　for　he　was　now　rubbing　his　eyes



and　staring　at　the　little　dog　with　all　his　might。







There　was　something　about　this　man　that　Toto



objected　to；　and　when　he　slowly　rose　to　his　foot



they　saw　what　it　was。　He　had　but　one　leg；　set　just



below　the　middle　of　his　round；　fat　body；　but　it



was　a　stout　leg　and　had　a　broad；　flat　foot　at　the



bottom　of　it；　on　which　the　man　seemed　to　stand



very　well。　He　had　never　had　but　this　one　leg；



which　looked　something　like　a　pedestal；　and　when



Toto　ran　up　and　made　a　grab　at　the　man's　ankle　he



hopped　first　one　way　and　then　another　in　a　very



active　manner；　looking　so　frightened　that　Scraps



laughed　aloud。







Toto　was　usually　a　well　behaved　dog；　but　this



time　he　was　angry　and　snapped　at　the　man's　leg



again　and　again。　This　filled　the　poor　fellow　with



fear；　and　in　hopping　out　of　Toto's　reach　he



suddenly　lost　his　balance　and　tumbled　heel　over



head　upon　the　floor。　When　he　sat　up　he　kicked　Toto



on　the　nose　and　made　the　dog　howl　angrily；　but



Dorothy　now　ran　forward　and　caught　Toto's　collar；



holding　him　back。







〃Do　you　surrender？〃　she　asked　the　man。







〃Who？　Me？〃　asked　the　Hopper。







〃Yes；　you；〃　said　the　little　girl。







〃Am　I　captured？〃　he　inquired。







〃Of　course。　My　dog　has　captured　you；〃　she　said。







〃Well；〃　replied　the　man；　〃if　I'm　captured　I　must



surrender；　for　it's　the　proper　thing　to　do。　I　like



to　do　everything　proper；　for　it　saves　one　a　lot　of



trouble。〃







〃It　does；　indeed；〃　said　Dorothy。　〃Please　tell　us



who　you　are。







〃I'm　Hip　HopperHip　Hopper；　the　Champion。〃







〃Champion　what？〃　she　asked　in　surprise。







〃Champion　wrestler。　I'm　a　very　strong　man；



and　that　ferocious　animal　which　you　are　so



kindly　holding　is　the　first　living　thing　that　has



ever　conquered　me。〃







〃And　you　are　a　Hopper？〃　she　continued。







〃Yes。　My　people　live　in　a　great　city　not　far



from　here。　Would　you　like　to　visit　it？〃







〃I'm　not　sure；〃　she　said　with　hesitation。　〃Have



you　any　dark　wells　in　your　city？〃







〃I　think　not。　We　have　wells；　you　know；　hut



they're　all　well　lighted；　and　a　well　lighted　well



cannot　well　be　a　dark　well。　But　there　may　be



such　a　thing　as　a　very　dark　well　in　the　Horner



Country；　which　is　a　black　spot　on　the　face　of



the　earth。〃







〃Where　is　the　Horner　Country？〃　Ojo　inquired。







〃The　other　side　of　the　mountain。　There's　a



fence　between　the　Hopper　Country　and　the



Horner　Country；　and　a　gate　in　the　fence；　but



you　can't　pass　through　just　now；　because　we



are　at　war　with　the　Horners。〃







〃That's　too　bad；〃　said　the　Scarecrow。　〃What



seems　to　be　the　trouble？〃







〃Why；　one　of　them　made　a　very　insulting　remark



about　my　people。　He　said　we　were　lacking　in



understanding；　because　we　had　only　one　leg　to　a



person。　I　can't　see　that　legs　have　anything　to　do



with　understanding　things。　The　Homers　each　have



two　legs；　just　as　you　have。　That's　one　leg　too



many；　it　seems　to　me。〃







〃No；〃　declared　Dorothy；　〃it's　just　the　right



number。〃







〃You　don't　need　them；〃　argued　the　Hopper；



obstinately。　〃You've　only　one　head；　and　one



body；　and　one　nose　and　mouth。　Two　legs　are



quite　unnecessary；　and　they　spoil　one's　shape。〃







〃But　how　can　you　walk；　with　only　one　leg？〃　asked



Ojo。







〃Walk！　Who　wants　to　walk？〃　exclaimed　the　man。



〃Walking　is　a　terribly　awkward　way　to　travel。　I



hop；　and　so　do　all　my　people。　It's　so　much　more



graceful　and　agreeable　than　walking。〃







〃I　don't　agree　with　you；〃　said　the　Scarecrow。



〃But　tell　me；　is　there　any　way　to　get　to　the



Horner　Country　without　going　through　the　city　of



the　Hoppers？〃







〃Yes；　there　is　another　path　from　the　rocky



lowlands；　outside　the　mountain；　that　leads



straight　to　the　entrance　of　the　Horner　Country。



But　it's　a　long　way　around；　so　you'd　better　come



with　me。　Perhaps　they　will　allow　you　to　go



through　the　gate；　but　we　expect　to　conquer



them　this　afternoon；　if　we　get　time；　and　then



you　may　go　and　come　as　you　please。〃







They　thought　it　best　to　take　the　Hopper's



advice；　and　asked　him　to　lead　the　way。　This　he



did　in　a　series　of　hops；　and　he　moved　so　swiftly



in　this　strange　manner　that　those　with　two　legs



had　to　run　to　keep　up　with　him。



















Chapter　Twenty…Two







The　Joking　Horners











It　was　not　long　before　they　left　the　passage　and



came　to　a　great　cave；　so　high　that　it　must　have



reached　nearly　to　the　top　of　the　mountain　within



which　it　lay。　It　was　a　magnificent　cave；　illumined



by　the　soft；　invisible　light；　so　that　everything



in　it　could　be　plainly　seen。　The　walls　were　of



polished　marble；　white　with　veins　of　delicate



colors　running　through　it；　and　the　roof　was　arched



and　fantastic　and　beautiful。







Built　beneath　this　vast　dome　was　a　pretty



villagenot　very　large；　for　there　seemed　not　more



than　fifty　houses　altogetherand　the　dwellings



were　of　marble　and　artistically　designed。　No　grass



nor　flowers　nor　trees　grew　in　this　cave；　so　the



yards　surrounding　the　houses　carved　in　designs



both　were　smooth　and　bare　and　had　low　walls　around



them　to　mark　their　boundaries。







In　the　streets　and　the　yards　of　the　houses



were　many　people　all　having　one　leg　growing



below　their　bodies　and　all　hopping　here　and



there　whenever　they　moved。　Even　the　children



stood　firmly　upon　their　single　legs　and　never



lost　their　balance。







〃All　hail；　Champion！〃　cried　a　man　in　the　first



group　of　Hoppers　they　met；