the patchwork girl of oz-第5章

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〃My　girl　is　all　ready　for　your　Powder　of　Life；



my　dear；〃　she　said　to　her　husband。　But　the



Magician　replied：







〃This　powder　must　not　be　used　before　tomorrow



morning；　but　I　think　it　is　now　cool　enough　to　be



bottled。〃







He　selected　a　small　gold　bottle　with　a　pepper…



box　top；　so　that　the　powder　might　be　sprinkled　on



any　object　through　the　small　holes。　Very　carefully



he　placed　the　Powder　of　Life　in　the　gold　bottle



and　then　locked　it　up　in　a　drawer　of　his　cabinet。







〃At　last；〃　said　he；　rubbing　his　hands　together



gleefully；　〃I　have　ample　leisure　for　a　good　talk



with　my　old　friend　Unc　Nunkie。　So　let　us　sit



down　cosily　and　enjoy　ourselves。　After　stirring



those　four　kettles　for　six　years　I　am　glad　to



have　a　little　rest。〃







〃You　will　have　to　do　most　of　the　talking；〃



said　Ojo；　〃for　Unc　is　called　the　Silent　One　and



uses　few　words。〃







〃I　know；　but　that　renders　your　uncle　a



most　agreeable　companion　and　gossip；〃　declared



Dr。　Pipt。　〃Most　people　talk　too　much；　so　it　is



a　relief　to　find　one　who　talks　too　little。〃







Ojo　looked　at　the　Magician　with　much　awe



and　curiosity。







〃Don't　you　find　it　very　annoying　to　be　so



crooked？〃　he　asked。







〃No；　I　am　quite　proud　of　my　person；〃　was



the　reply。　〃I　suppose　I　am　the　only　Crooked



Magician　in　all　the　world。　Some　others　are　accused



of　being　crooked；　but　I　am　the　only　genuine。〃







He　was　really　very　crooked　and　Ojo　wondered　how



he　managed　to　do　so　many　things　with　such　a



twisted　body。　When　he　sat　down　upon　a　crooked



chair　that　had　been　made　to　fit　him；　one　knee　was



under　his　chin　and　the　other　near　the　small　of　his



back；　but　he　was　a　cheerful　man　and　his　face　bore



a　pleasant　and　agreeable　expression。







〃I　am　not　allowed　to　perform　magic；　except



for　my　own　amusement；〃　he　told　his　visitors；



as　he　lighted　a　pipe　with　a　crooked　stem　and



began　to　smoke。　〃Too　many　people　were　working



magic　in　the　Land　of　Oz；　and　so　our　lovely



Princess　Ozma　put　a　stop　to　it。　I　think　she　was



quite　right。　There　were　several　wicked　Witches　who



caused　a　lot　of　trouble；　but　now　they　are　all　out



of　business　and　only　the　great　Sorceress；　Glinda



the　Good；　is　permitted　to　practice　her　arts；　which



never　harm　anybody。　The　Wizard　of　Oz；　who　used　to



be　a　humbug　and　knew　no　magic　at　all；　has　been



taking　lessons　of　Glinda；　and　I'm　told　he　is



getting　to　be　a　pretty　good　Wizard；　but　he　is



merely　the　assistant　of　the　great　Sorceress。　I've



the　right　to　make　a　servant　girl　for　my　wife；　you



know；　or　a　Glass　Cat　to　catch　our　micewhich　she



refuses　to　dobut　I　am　forbidden　to　work　magic　for



others；　or　to　use　it　as　a　profession。〃







〃Magic　must　be　a　very　interesting　study；〃



said　Ojo。







〃It　truly　is；〃　asserted　the　Magician。　〃In　my



time　I've　performed　some　magical　feats　that　were



worthy　of　the　skill　of　Glinda　the　Good。　For



instance；　there's　the　Powder　of　Life；　and　my



Liquid　of　Petrifaction；　which　is　contained　in　that



bottle　on　the　shelf　yonder…over　the　window。〃







〃What　does　the　Liquid　of　Petrifaction　do？〃



inquired　the　boy。







〃Turns　everything　it　touches　to　solid　marble。



It's　an　invention　of　my　own；　and　I　find　it　very



useful。　Once　two　of　those　dreadful　Kalidahs；



with　bodies　like　bears　and　heads　like　tigers；



came　here　from　the　forest　to　attack　us；　but　I



sprinkled　some　of　that　Liquid　on　them　and



instantly　they　turned　to　marble。　I　now　use　them



as　ornamental　statuary　in　my　garden。　This　table



looks　to　you　like　wood；　and　once　it　really　was



wood；　but　I　sprinkled　a　few　drops　of　the　Liquid



of　Petrifaction　on　it　and　now　it　is　marble。　It



will　never　break　nor　wear　out。







〃Fine！〃　said　Unc　Nunkie；　wagging　his　head



and　stroking　his　long　gray　beard。







〃Dear　me；　what　a　chatterbox　you're　getting



to　be；　Unc；〃　remarked　the　Magician；　who　was



pleased　with　the　compliment。　But　just　then



there　came　a　scratching　at　the　back　door　and　a



shrill　voice　cried：







〃Let　me　in！　Hurry　up；　can't　you？　Let　me　in！〃







Margolotte　got　up　and　went　to　the　door。







〃Ask　like　a　good　cat；　then；〃　she　said。







〃Meeee…ow…w…w！　There；　does　that　suit　your



royal　highness？〃　asked　the　voice；　in　scornful



accents。







〃Yes；　that's　proper　cat　talk；〃　declared　the



woman；　and　opened　the　door。　At　once　a　cat　entered；



came　to　the　center　of　the　room　and　stopped　short



at　the　sight　of　strangers。　Ojo　and　Unc　Nunkie　both



stared　at　it　with　wide　open　eyes；　for　surely　no



such　curious　creature　had　ever　existed　before



even　in　the　Land　of　Oz。



















Chapter　Four







The　Glass　Cat











The　cat　was　made　of　glass；　so　clear　and



transparent　that　you　could　see　through　it　as



easily　as　through　a　window。　In　the　top　of　its



head；　however；　Was　a　mass　of　delicate　pink　balls



which　looked　like　jewels；　and　it　had　a　heart　made



of　a　blood…red　ruby。　The　eyes　were　two　large



emeralds；　but　aside　from　these　colors　all　the　rest



of　the　animal　was　clear　glass；　and　it　had　a　spun…



glass　tail　that　was　really　beautiful。







〃Well；　Doc　Pipt；　do　you　mean　to　introduce　us；　or



not？〃　demanded　the　cat；　in　a　tone　of　annoyance。



〃Seems　to　me　you　are　forgetting　your　manners。〃







〃Excuse　me；〃　returned　the　Magician。　〃This



is　Unc　Nunkie；　the　descendant　of　the　former



kings　of　the　Munchkins；　before　this　country　be



came　a　part　of　the　Land　of　Oz。〃







〃He　needs　a　haircut；〃　observed　the　cat；



washing　its　face。







〃True；〃　replied　Unc；　with　a　low　chuckle　of



amusement。







〃But　he　has　lived　alone　in　the　heart　of　the



forest　for　many　years；〃　the　Magician　explained；



〃and；　although　that　is　a　barbarous　country；



there　are　no　barbers　there。〃







〃Who　is　the　dwarf？〃　asked　the　cat。







〃That　is　not　a　dwarf；　but　a　boy；〃　answered



the　Magician。　〃You　have　never　seen　a　boy　before。



He　is　now　small　because　he　is　young。　With　more



years　he　will　grow　big　and　become　as　tall　as　Unc



Nunkie。〃







〃Oh。　Is　that　magic？〃　the　glass　animal　inquired。







〃Yes；　but　it　is　Nature's　magic；　which　is　more



wonderful　than　any　art　known　to　man。　For



instance；　my　magic　made　you；　and　made　you



live；　and　it　was　a　poor　job　because　you　are



useless　and　a　bother　to　me；　but　I　can't　make　you



grow。　You　will　always　be　the　same　sizeand



the　same　saucy；　inconsiderate　Glass　Cat；　with



pink　brains　and　a　hard　ruby　heart。〃







〃No　one　can　regret　more　than　I　the　fact　that　you



made　me；〃　asserted　the　cat；　crouching　upon　the



floor　and　slowly　swaying　its　spun…glass　tail　from



side　to　side。　〃Your　world　is　a　very　uninteresting



place。　I've　wandered　through　your　gardens　and　in



the　forest　until　I'm　tired　of　it　all；　and　when　I



come　into　the　house　the　conversation　of　your　fat



wife　and　of　yourself　bores　me　dreadfully。〃







〃That　is　because　I　gave　you　different　brains



from　those　we　ourselves　possessand　much　too



good　for　a　cat；〃　returned　Dr。　Pipt。







〃Can't　you　take　'em　out；　then；　and　replace



em　with　pebbles；　so　that　I　won't　feel　above　my



station　in　life？〃　asked　the　cat；　pleadingly。







〃Perhaps　so。　I'll　try　it；　after　I've　brought　the



Patchwork　Girl　to　life；〃　he　said。







The　cat　walked　up　to　the　bench　on　which



the　Patchwork　Girl　reclined　and　looked　at　her



attentively。







〃Are　you　going　to　make　that　dreadful　thing



live？〃　she　asked。