the patchwork girl of oz-第7章

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fright；　now　came　nearer　and　looked　from　one　to



another　of　the　people　with　deep　interest。　Then　she



looked　at　herself　and　laughed。　Noticing　the



mirror；　she　stood　before　it　and　examined　her



extraordinary　features　with　amazementher　button



eyes；　pearl　bead　teeth　and　puffy　nose。　Then；



addressing　her　reflection　in　the　glass；　she　exclaimed：











〃Whee；　but　there's　a　gaudy　dame！



Makes　a　paint…box　blush　with　shame。



Razzle…dazzle；　fizzle…fazzle！



Howdy…do；　Miss　What's…your…name？〃















She　bowed；　and　the　reflection　bowed。　Then



she　laughed　again；　long　and　merrily；　and　the



Glass　Cat　crept　out　from　under　the　table　and　said：







〃I　don't　blame　you　for　laughing　at　yourself。



Aren't　you　horrid？〃







〃Horrid？〃　she　replied。　〃Why；　I'm　thoroughly



delightful。　I'm　an　Original；　if　you　please；　and



therefore　incomparable。　Of　all　the　comic；　absurd；



rare　and　amusing　creatures　the　world　contains；　I



must　be　the　supreme　freak。　Who　but　poor　Margolotte



could　have　managed　to　invent　such　an　unreasonable



being　as　I？　But　I'm　gladI'm　awfully　glad！that



I'm　just　what　I　am；　and　nothing　else。〃







〃Be　quiet；　will　you？〃　cried　the　frantic



Magician；　〃be　quiet　and　let　me　think！　If　I　don't



think　I　shall　go　mad。〃







〃Think　ahead；〃　said　the　Patchwork　Girl；　seating



herself　in　a　chair。　〃Think　all　you　want　to。　I



don't　mind。〃







〃Gee！　but　I'm　fired　playing　that　tune；〃　called



the　phonograph；　speaking　through　its　horn　in



a　brazen；　scratchy　voice。　〃If　you　don't　mind；



Pipt；　old　boy；　I'll　cut　it　out　and　take　a　rest。〃







The　Magician　looked　gloomily　at　the　music…



machine。







〃What　dreadful　luck！〃　he　wailed；　despondently。



〃The　Powder　of　Life　must　have　fallen　on　the



phonograph。〃







He　went　up　to　it　and　found　that　the　gold　bottle



that　contained　the　precious　powder　had　dropped



upon　the　stand　and　scattered　its　life…giving



grains　over　the　machine。　The　phonograph　was　very



much　alive；　and　began　dancing　a　jig　with　the　legs



of　the　table　to　which　it　was　attached；　and　this



dance　so　annoyed　Dr。　Pipt　that　he　kicked　the　thing



into　a　corner　and　pushed　a　bench　against　it；　to



hold　it　quiet。







〃You　were　bad　enough　before；〃　said　the　Magician；



resentfully；　〃but　a　live　phonograph　is　enough　to



drive　every　sane　person　in　the　Land　of　Oz　stark



crazy。〃







〃No　insults；　please；〃　answered　the　phonograph　in



a　surly；　tone。　〃You　did　it；　my　boy；　don't　blame



me。　〃







〃You've　bungled　everything；　Dr。　Pipt；〃　added



the　Glass　Cat；　contemptuously。







〃Except　me；〃　said　the　Patchwork　Girl；　jumping　up



to　whirl　merrily　around　the　room。







〃I　think；〃　said　Ojo；　almost　ready　to　cry



through　grief　over　Unc　Nunkie's　sad　fate；　〃it



must　all　be　my　fault；　in　some　way。　I'm　called



Ojo　the　Unlucky；　you　know。〃







〃That's　nonsense；　kiddie；〃　retorted　the



Patchwork　Girl　cheerfully。　〃No　one　can　be　unlucky



who　has　the　intelligence　to　direct　his　own



actions。　The　unlucky　ones　are　those　who　beg　for　a



chance　to　think；　like　poor　Dr。　Pipt　here。　What's



the　row　about；　anyway；　Mr。　Magic…maker？〃







〃The　Liquid　of　Petrifaction　has　accidentally



fallen　upon　my　dear　wife　and　Unc　Nunkie　and



turned　them　into　marble；〃　he　sadly　replied。







〃Well；　why　don't　you　sprinkle　some　of　that



powder　on　them　and　bring　them　to　life　again？〃



asked　the　Patchwork　Girl。







The　Magician　gave　a　jump。







〃Why；　I　hadn't　thought　of　that！〃　he　joyfully



cried；　and　grabbed　up　the　golden　bottle；　with



which　he　ran　to　Margolotte。







Said　the　Patchwork　Girl：











〃Higgledy；　piggledy；　dee…



What　fools　magicians　be！



His　head's　so　thick



He　can't　think　quick；



So　he　takes　advice　from　me。〃















Standing　upon　the　bench；　for　he　was　so



crooked　he　could　not　reach　the　top　of　his　wife's



head　in　any　other　way；　Dr。　Pipt　began　shaking



the　bottle。　But　not　a　grain　of　powder　came　out。



He　pulled　off　the　cover；　glanced　within；　and



then　threw　the　bottle　from　him　with　a　wail　of



despair。







〃Gone…gone！　Every　bit　gone；〃　he　cried。



〃Wasted　on　that　miserable　phonograph　when



it　might　have　saved　my　dear　wife！〃







Then　the　Magician　bowed　his　head　on　his



crooked　arms　and　began　to　cry。







Ojo　was　sorry　for　him。　He　went　up　to　the



sorrowful　man　and　said　softly：







〃You　can　make　more　Powder　of　Life；　Dr。　Pipt。〃







〃Yes；　but　it　will　take　me　six　yearssix　long；



weary　years　of　stirring　four　kettles　with　both



feet　and　both　hands；〃　was　the　agonized　reply。　〃Six



years！　while　poor　Margolotte　stands　watching　me　as



a　marble　image。　〃







〃Can't　anything　else　be　done？〃　asked　the



Patchwork　Girl。







The　Magician　shook　his　head。　Then　he　seemed　to



remember　something　and　looked　up。







〃There　is　one　other　compound　that　would　destroy



the　magic　spell　of　the　Liquid　of　Petrifaction　and



restore　my　wife　and　Unc　Nunkie　to　life；〃　said　he。



〃It　may　be　hard　to　find　the　things　I　need　to　make



this　magic　compound；　but　if　they　were　found　I



could　do　in　an　instant　what　will　otherwise　take



six　long；　weary　years　of　stirring　kettles　with



both　hands　and　both　feet。〃







〃All　right；　let's　find　the　things；　then；〃



suggested　the　Patchwork　Girl。　〃That　seems　a　lot



more　sensible　than　those　stirring　times　with　the



kettles。〃







〃That's　the　idea；　Scraps；〃　said　the　Glass　Cat；



approvingly。　〃I'm　glad　to　find　you　have　decent



brains。　Mine　are　exceptionally　good。　You　can



see　em　work；　they're　pink。〃







〃Scraps？〃　repeated　the　girl。　〃Did　you　call　me



'Scraps'？　Is　that　my　name？〃







〃II　believe　my　poor　wife　had　intended　to



name　you　'Angeline；'〃　said　the　Magician。







〃But　I　like　'Scraps'　best；〃　she　replied　with　a



laugh。　〃It　fits　me　better；　for　my　patchwork　is



all　scraps；　and　nothing　else。　Thank　you　for



naming　me；　Miss　Cat。　Have　you　any　name　of



your　own？〃







〃I　have　a　foolish　name　that　Margolotte　once



gave　me；　but　which　is　quite　undignified　for



one　of　my　importance；〃　answered　the　cat。　〃She



called　me　'Bungle。'〃







〃Yes；〃　sighed　the　Magician；　〃you　were　a　sad



bungle；　taken　all　in　all。　I　was　wrong　to　make



you　as　I　did；　for　a　more　useless；　conceited　and



brittle　thing　never　before　existed。〃







〃I'm　not　so　brittle　as　you　think；〃　retorted　the



cat。　〃I've　been　alive　a　good　many　years；　for



Dr。　Pipt　experimented　on　me　with　the　first



magic　Powder　of　Life　he　ever　made；　and　so



far　I've　never　broken　or　cracked　or　chipped　any



part　of　me。〃







〃You　seem　to　have　a　chip　on　your　shoulder；〃



laughed　the　Patchwork　Girl；　and　the　cat　went



to　the　mirror　to　see。







〃Tell　me；〃　pleaded　Ojo；　speaking　to　the



Crooked　Magician；　〃what　must　we　find　to　make



the　compound　that　will　save　Unc　Nunkie？〃







〃First；〃　was　the　reply；　〃I　must　have　a　six…



leaved　clover。　That　can　only　be　found　in　the　green



country　around　the　Emerald　City；　and　six…leaved



clovers　are　very　scarce；　even　there。〃







〃I'll　find　it　for　you；〃　promised　Ojo。







〃The　next　thing；〃　continued　the　Magician；



〃is　the　left　wing　of　a　yellow　butterfly。　That



color　can　only　be　found　in　the　yellow　country



of　the　Winkies；　West　of　the　Emerald　City。〃







〃I'll　find　it；〃　declared　Ojo。　〃Is　that　all？〃







〃Oh；　no；　I'll　get　my　Book　of　Recipes　and　see



what　comes　next。〃







Saying　this；　the　Magici