the patchwork girl of oz-第6章

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〃Are　you　going　to　make　that　dreadful　thing



live？〃　she　asked。







The　Magician　nodded。







〃It　is　intended　to　be　my　wife's　servant　maid；〃



he　said。　〃When　she　is　alive　she　will　do　all　our



work　and　mind　the　house。　But　you　are　not　to



order　her　around；　Bungle；　as　you　do　us。　You



must　treat　the　Patchwork　Girl　respectfully。〃







〃I　won't。　I　couldn't　respect　such　a　bundle



of　scraps　under　any　circumstances。〃







〃If　you　don't；　there　will　be　more　scraps　than



you　will　like；〃　cried　Margolotte；　angrily。







〃Why　didn't　you　make　her　pretty　to　look　at？〃



asked　the　cat。　〃You　made　me　prettyvery　pretty；



indeedand　I　love　to　watch　my　pink　brains　roll



around　when　they're　working；　and　to　see　my



precious　red　heart　beat。〃　She　went　to　a　long



mirror；　as　she　said　this；　and　stood　before　it；



looking　at　herself　with　an　air　of　much　pride。



〃But　that　poor　patched　thing　will　hate　herself；



when　she's　once　alive；〃　continued　the　cat。　〃If



I　were　you　I'd　use　her　for　a　mop；　and　make



another　servant　that　is　prettier。〃







〃You　have　a　perverted　taste；〃　snapped



Margolotte；　much　annoyed　at　this　frank　criticism。



〃I　think　the　Patchwork　Girl　is　beautiful；



considering　what　she's　made　of。　Even　the　rainbow



hasn't　as　many　colors；　and　you　must　admit　that　the



rainbow　is　a　pretty　thing。〃







The　Glass　Cat　yawned　and　stretched　herself



upon　the　floor。







〃Have　your　own　way；〃　she　said。　〃I'm　sorry



for　the　Patchwork　Girl；　that's　all。〃







Ojo　and　Unc　Nunkie　slept　that　night　in　the



Magician's　house；　and　the　boy　was　glad　to　stay



because　he　was　anxious　to　see　the　Patchwork



Girl　brought　to　life。　The　Glass　Cat　was　also　a



wonderful　creature　to　little　Ojo；　who　had　never



seen　or　known　anything　of　magic　before；　although



he　had　lived　in　the　Fairyland　of　Oz　ever　since　he



was　born。　Back　there　in　the　woods　nothing　unusual



ever　happened。　Unc　Nunkie；　who　might　have　been



King　of　the　Munchkins；　had　not　his　people　united



with　all　the　other　countries　of　Oz　in



acknowledging　Ozma　as　their　Sole　ruler；　had



retired　into　this　forgotten　forest　nook　with　his



baby　nephew　and　they　had　lived　all　alone　there。



Only　that　the　neglected　garden　had　failed　to　grow



food　for　them；　they　would　always　have　lived　in　the



solitary　Blue　Forest；　but　now　they　had　started　out



to　mingle　with　other　people；　and　the　first　place



they　came　to　proved　so　interesting　that　Ojo　could



scarcely　sleep　a　wink　all　night。







Margolotte　was　an　excellent　cook　and　gave



them　a　fine　breakfast。　While　they　were　all　engaged



in　eating；　the　good　woman　said：







〃This　is　the　last　meal　I　shall　have　to　cook



for　some　time；　for　right　after　breakfast　Dr。　Pipt



has　promised　to　bring　my　new　servant　to　life。



I　shall　let　her　wash　the　breakfast　dishes　and



sweep　and　dust　the　house。　What　a　relief　it



will　be！〃







〃It　will；　indeed；　relieve　you　of　much　drudgery；〃



said　the　Magician。　〃By　the　way；　Margolotte；　I



thought　I　saw　you　getting　some　brains　from　the



cupboard；　while　I　was　busy　with　my　kettles。　What



qualities　have　you　given　your　new　servant？〃







〃Only　those　that　an　humble　servant　requires；〃



she　answered。　〃I　do　not　wish　her　to　feel　above



her　station；　as　the　Glass　Cat　does。　That　would



make　her　discontented　and　unhappy；　for　of



course　she　must　always　be　a　servant。〃







Ojo　was　somewhat　disturbed　as　he　listened　to



this；　and　the　boy　began　to　fear　he　had　done　wrong



in　adding　all　those　different　qualities　of　brains



to　the　lot　Margolotte　had　prepared　for　the



servant。　But　it　was　too　late　now　for　regret；　since



all　the　brains　were　securely　sewn　up　inside　the



Patchwork　Girl's　head。　He　might　have　confessed



what　he　had　done　and　thus　allowed　Margolotte　and



her　husband　to　change　the　brains；　but　he　was



afraid　of　incurring　their　anger。　He　believed　that



Unc　had　seen　him　add　to　the　brains；　and　Unc　had



not　said　a　word　against　it；　but　then；　Unc　never



did　say　anything　unless　it　was　absolutely



necessary。







As　soon　as　breakfast　was　over　they　all　went



into　the　Magician's　big　workshop；　where　the



Glass　Cat　was　lying　before　the　mirror　and　the



Patchwork　Girl　lay　limp　and　lifeless　upon　the



bench。







〃Now；　then；〃　said　Dr。　Pipt；　in　a　brisk　tone；



〃we　shall　perform　one　of　the　greatest　feats　of



magic　possible　to　man；　even　in　this　marvelous



Land　of　Oz。　In　no　other　country　could　it　be



done　at　all。　I　think　we　ought　to　have　a　little



music　while　the　Patchwork　Girl　comes　to　life。



It　is　pleasant　to　reflect　that　the　first　sounds　her



golden　ears　will　hear　will　be　delicious　music。







As　he　spoke　he　went　to　a　phonograph；　which



screwed　fast　to　a　small　table；　and　wound　up



the　spring　of　the　instrument　and　adjusted　the



big　gold　horn。







〃The　music　my　servant　will　usually　hear；〃



remarked　Margolotte；　〃will　be　my　orders　to　do



her　work。　But　I　see　no　harm　in　allowing　her　to



listen　to　this　unseen　band　while　she　wakens　to



her　first　realization　of　life。　My　orders　will　beat



the　band；　afterward。〃







The　phonograph　was　now　playing　a　stirring



march　tune　and　the　Magician　unlocked　his



cabinet　and　took　out　the　gold　bottle　containing



the　Powder　of　Life。







They　all　bent　over　the　bench　on　which　the



Patchwork　Girl　reclined。　Unc　Nunkie　and　Margolotte



stood　behind；　near　the　windows；　Ojo　at　one　side



and　the　Magician　in　front；　where　he　would　have



freedom　to　sprinkle　the　powder。　The　Glass　Cat　came



near；　too；　curious　to　watch　the　important　scene。







〃All　ready？〃　asked　Dr。　Pipt。







〃All　is　ready；〃　answered　his　wife。







So　the　Magician　leaned　over　and　shook　from



the　bottle　some　grains　of　the　wonderful　Powder；



and　they　fell　directly　on　the　Patchwork　Girl's



head　and　arms。



















Chapter　Five







A　Terrible　Accident















〃It　will　take　a　few　minutes　for　this　powder　to



do　its　work；〃　remarked　the　Magician；　sprinkling



the　body　up　and　down　with　much　care。







But　suddenly　the　Patchwork　Girl　threw　up　one



arm；　which　knocked　the　bottle　of　powder　from　the



crooked　man's　hand　and　sent　it　flying　across　the



room。　Unc　Nunkie　and　Margolotte　were　so　startled



that　they　both　leaped　backward　and　bumped



together；　and　Unc's　head　joggled　the　shelf　above



them　and　upset　the　bottle　containing　the　Liquid　of



Petrifaction。







The　Magician　uttered　such　a　wild　cry　that　Ojo



jumped　away　and　the　Patchwork　Girl　sprang　after



him　and　clasped　her　stuffed　arms　around　him　in



terror。　The　Glass　Cat　snarled　and　hid　under　the



table；　and　so　it　was　that　when　the　powerful　Liquid



of　Petrifaction　was　spilled　it　fell　only　upon　the



wife　of　the　Magician　and　the　uncle　of　Ojo。　With



these　two　the　charm　worked　promptly。　They　stood



motionless　and　stiff　as　marble　statues；　in　exactly



the　positions　they　were　in　when　the　Liquid　struck



them。







Ojo　pushed　the　Patchwork　Girl　away　and



ran　to　Unc　Nunkie；　filled　with　a　terrible　fear



for　the　only　friend　and　protector　he　had　ever



known。　When　he　grasped　Unc's　hand　it　was



cold　and　hard。　Even　the　long　gray　beard　was



solid　　marble。　　The　　Crooked　　Magician　　was



dancing　around　the　room　in　a　frenzy　of　despair；



calling　upon　his　wife　to　forgive　him；　to　speak



to　him；　to　come　to　life　again！







The　Patchwork　Girl；　quickly　recovering　from　her



fright；　now　came　nearer　and　looked　from　one　to



another　of　the　people