the patchwork girl of oz-第42章

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if　rather　lonely；　and　the　road　was　more　distinct



and　easier　to　follow。







But　just　as　they　were　congratulating　themselves



upon　the　progress　they　had　made　they　came　upon　a



broad　river　which　swept　along　between　high　banks；



and　here　the　road　ended　and　there　was　no　bridge　of



any　sort　to　allow　them　to　cross。







〃This　is　queer；〃　mused　Dorothy；　looking　at



the　water　reflectively。　〃Why　should　there　be



any　road；　if　the　river　stops　everyone　walking



along　it？〃







〃Wow！〃　said　Toto；　gazing　earnestly　into　her



face。







〃That's　the　best　answer　you'll　get；〃　declared



the　Scarecrow；　with　his　comical　smile；　〃for　no



one　knows　any　more　than　Toto　about　this　road。〃







Said　Scraps：











〃Ev'ry　time　I　see　a　river；



I　have　chills　that　make　me　shiver；



For　I　never　can　forget



All　the　water's　very　wet。



If　my　patches　get　a　soak



It　will　be　a　sorry　joke；



So　to　swim　I'll　never　try



Till　I　find　the　water　dry。〃











〃Try　to　control　yourself；　Scraps；〃　said　Ojo；



you　re　getting　crazy　again。　No　one　intends　to　swim



that　river。〃







〃No；〃　decided　Dorothy；　〃we　couldn't　swim　it



if　we　tried。　It's　too　big　a　river；　and　the　water



moves　awful　fast。〃







〃There　ought　to　be　a　ferryman　with　a　boat；〃



said　the　Scarecrow；　〃but　I　don't　see　any。〃







〃Couldn't　we　make　a　raft？〃　suggested　Ojo。







〃There's　nothing　to　make　one　of；〃　answered



Dorothy。







〃Wow！〃　said　Toto　again；　and　Dorothy　saw　he



was　looking　along　the　bank　of　the　river。







〃Why；　he　sees　a　house　over　there！〃　cried　the



little　girl。　〃I　wonder　we　didn't　notice　it



ourselves。　Let's　go　and　ask　the　people　how　to



get　'cross　the　river。〃







A　quarter　of　a　mile　along　the　bank　stood　a



small；　round　house；　painted　bright　red；　and　as



it　was　on　their　side　of　the　river　they　hurried



toward　it。　A　chubby　little　man；　dressed　all　in



red；　came　out　to　greet　them；　and　with　him　were



two　children；　also　in　red　costumes。　The　man's



eyes　were　big　and　staring　as　he　examined　the



Scarecrow　and　the　Patchwork　Girl；　and　the



children　shyly　hid　behind　him　and　peeked



timidly　at　Toto。







〃Do　you　live　here；　my　good　man？〃　asked　the



Scarecrow。







〃I　think　I　do；　Most　Mighty　Magician；〃　replied



the　Quadling；　bowing　low；　〃but　whether　I'm　awake



or　dreaming　I　can't　be　positive；　so　I'm　not　sure



where　I　live。　If　you'll　kindly　pinch　me　I'll　find



out　all　about　it！'







〃You're　awake；〃　said　Dorothy；　〃and　this　is　no



magician；　but　just　the　Scarecrow。〃







〃But　he's　alive；〃　protested　the　man；　〃and　he



oughtn't　to　be；　you　know。　And　that　other　dreadful



personthe　girl　who　is　all　patchesseems　to　be



alive；　too。〃







〃Very　much　so；〃　declared　Scraps；　making　a



face　at　him。　〃But　that　isn't　your　affair；　you



know。〃







〃I've　a　right　to　be　surprised；　haven't　I？〃　asked



the　man　meekly。







〃I'm　not　sure；　but　anyhow　you've　no　right　to　say



I'm　dreadful。　The　Scarecrow；　who　is　a　gentleman　of



great　wisdom；　thinks　I'm　beautiful；〃　retorted



Scraps。







〃Never　mind　all　that；〃　said　Dorothy。　〃Tell　us；



good　Quadling；　how　we　can　get　across　the　river。〃







〃I　don't　know；〃　replied　the　Quadling。







〃Don't　you　ever　cross　it？〃　asked　the　girl。







〃Never。〃







〃Don't　travelers　cross　it？〃







〃Not　to　my　knowledge；〃　said　he。







They　were　much　surprised　to　hear　this；　and



the　man　added：　〃It's　a　pretty　big　river；　and　the



current　is　strong。　I　know　a　man　who　lives　on



the　opposite　bank；　for　I've　seen　him　there　a　good



many　years；　but　we've　never　spoken　because



neither　of　us　has　ever　crossed　over。〃







〃That's　queer；〃　said　the　Scarecrow。　〃Don't　you



own　a　boat？〃







The　man　shook　his　head。







〃Nor　a　raft？〃







〃Where　does　this　river　go　to？〃　asked　Dorothy。







〃That　way；〃　answered　the　man；　pointing　with



one　hand；　〃it　goes　into　the　Country　of　the



Winkies；　which　is　ruled　by　the　Tin　Emperor；



who　must　be　a　mighty　magician　because　he's



all　made　of　tin；　and　yet　he's　alive。　And　that



way；〃　pointing　with　the　other　hand；　〃the　river



runs　between　two　mountains　where　dangerous



people　dwell。〃







The　Scarecrow　looked　at　the　water　before　them。







〃The　current　flows　toward　the　Winkie　Country〃'



said　he；　〃and　so；　if　we　had　a　boat；　or　a　raft；　the



river　would　float　us　there　more　quickly　and　more



easily　than　we　could　walk。〃







〃That　is　true；〃　agreed　Dorothy；　and　then　they



all　looked　thoughtful　and　wondered　what　could



be　done。







〃Why　can't　the　man　make　us　a　raft？〃　asked　Ojo。







〃Will　you？〃　inquired　Dorothy；　turning　to　the



Quadling。







The　chubby　man　shook　his　head。







〃I'm　too　lazy；〃　he　said。　〃My　wife　says　I'm　the



laziest　man　in　all　Oz；　and　she　is　a　truthful



woman。　I　hate　work　of　any　kind；　and　making　a　raft



is　hard　work。〃







〃I'll　give　you　my　em'rald　ring；〃　promised　the



girl。







〃No；　I　don't　care　for　emeralds。　If　it　were　a



ruby；　which　is　the　color　I　like　best；　I　might　work



a　little　while。〃







〃I've　got　some　Square　Meal　Tablets；〃　said　the



Scarecrow。　〃Each　one　is　the　same　as　a　dish　of



soup；　a　fried　fish；　a　mutton　pot…pie；　lobster



salad；　charlotte　russe　and　lemon　jellyall　made



into　one　little　tablet　that　you　can　swallow



without　trouble。〃







〃Without　trouble！〃　exclaimed　the　Quadling；



much　interested；　〃then　those　tablets　would　be



fine　for　a　lazy　man。　It's　such　hard　work　to　chew



when　you　eat。〃







〃I'll　give　you　six　of　those　tablets　if　you'll



help　us　make　a　raft；〃　promised　the　Scarecrow。



〃They're　a　combination　of　food　which　people　who



eat　are　very　fond　of。　I　never　eat；　you　know；　being



straw；　but　some　of　my　friends　eat　regularly。　What



do　you　say　to　my　offer；　Quadling？〃







〃I'll　do　it；〃　decided　the　man。　〃I'll　help；　and



you　can　do　most　of　the　work。　But　my　wife　has



gone　fishing　for　red　eels　to…day；　so　some　of　you



will　have　to　mind　the　children。〃







Scraps　promised　to　do　that；　and　the　children



were　not　so　shy　when　the　Patchwork　Girl　sat



down　to　play　with　them。　They　grew　to　like



Toto；　too；　and　the　little　dog　allowed　them　to



pat　him　on　his　head；　which　gave　the　little　ones



much　joy。







There　were　a　number　of　fallen　trees　near　the



house　and　the　Quadling　got　his　axe　and　chopped



them　into　logs　of　equal　length。　He　took　his　wife's



clothesline　to　bind　these　logs　together；　so　that



they　would　form　a　raft；　and　Ojo　found　some　strips



of　wood　and　nailed　them　along　the　tops　of　the



logs；　to　render　them　more　firm。　The　Scarecrow　and



Dorothy　helped　roll　the　logs　together　and　carry



the　strips　of　wood；　but　it　took　so　long　to　make



the　raft　that　evening　came　just　as　it　was



finished；　and　with　evening　the　Quadling's　wife



returned　from　her　fishing。







The　woman　proved　to　be　cross　and　bad…tempered；



perhaps　because　she　had　only　caught　one　red　eel



during　all　the　day。　When　she　found　that　her



husband　had　used　her　clothesline；　and　the　logs　she



had　wanted　for　firewood；　and　the　boards　she　had



intended　to　mend　the　shed　with；　and　a　lot　of　gold



nails；　she　became　very　angry。　Scraps　wanted　to



shake　the　woman；　to　make　her　behave；　but　Dorothy



talked　to　her　in　a　gentle　tone　and　told　the



Quadling's　wife　she　was　a　Princess　of　Oz　and　a



friend　of　Ozma　and　that　when　she　got　back　to　the



Emerald　City　she　would