the lost princess of oz-第15部分

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grew　and　after　several　trials；　during　which　he　was　in



danger　of　falling；　he　finally　managed　to　pick　it。　Then



he　got　back　to　the　ground　and　decided　the　fruit　was



well　worth　his　trouble。　It　was　delightfully　fragrant



and　when　he　bit　into　it　he　found　it　the　most　delicious



morsel　he　had　ever　tasted。







〃I　really　ought　to　divide　it　with　Trot　and　Dorothy



and　Betsy；〃　he　said；　〃but　p'rhaps　there　are　plenty　more



in　some　other　part　of　the　orchard。〃







In　his　heart　he　doubted　this　statement；　for　this　was



a　solitary　peach　tree；　while　all　the　other　fruits　grew



upon　many　trees　set　close　to　one　another；　but　that　one



luscious　bite　made　him　unable　to　resist　eating　the　rest



of　it　and　soon　the　peach　was　all　gone　except　the　pit。



Button…Bright　was　about　to　throw　this　peach…pit　away



when　he　noticed　that　it　was　of　pure　gold。　gold。　Of



course　this　surprised　him；　but　so　many　things　in　the



Land　of　Oz　were　surprising　that　he　did　not　give　much



thought　to　the　golden　peach…pit。　He　put　it　in　his



pocket；　however；　to　show　to　the　girls；　and　five　minutes



afterward　had　forgotten　all　about　it。







For　now　he　realized　that　he　was　far　separated　from



his　companions；　and　knowing　that　this　would　worry　them



and　delay　their　journey；　he　began　to　shout　as　loud　as



he　could。　His　voice　did　not　penetrate　very　far　among



all　those　trees；　and　after　shouting　a　dozen　times　and



getting　no　answer　he　sat　down　on　the　ground　and　said：







〃Well；　I'm　lost　again。　It's　too　bad；　but　I　don't　see



how　it　can　be　helped。〃







As　he　leaned　his　back　against　a　tree　he　looked　up　and



saw　a　Bluefinch　fly　down　from　the　sky　and　alight　upon　a



branch　just　before　him。　The　bird　looked　and　looked　at



him。　First　it　looked　with　one　bright　eye　and　then



turned　its　head　and　looked　at　him　with　the　other　eye。



Then；　fluttering　its　wings　a　little；　it　said：







〃Oho！　so　you've　eaten　the　enchanted　peach；　have　you？〃







〃Was　it　enchanted？〃　asked　Button…Bright。







〃Of　course；〃　replied　the　Bluefinch。　〃Ugu　the



Shoemaker　did　that。〃







〃But　why？　And　how　was　it　enchanted？。　And　what　will



happen　to　one　who　eats　it？〃　questioned　the　boy。







〃Ask　Ugu　the　Shoemaker；　he　knows；〃　said　the　bird；



pruning　its　feathers　with　its　bill。







〃And　who　is　Ugu　the　Shoemaker？〃







〃The　one　who　enchanted　the　peach；　and　placed　it　here



　in　the　exact　center　of　the　Great　Orchard　　so　no



one　would　ever　find　it。　We　birds　didn't　dare　to　eat　it；



we　are　too　wise　for　that。　But　you　are　Button…Bright；



from　the　Emerald　City；　and　you…you…YOU　ate　the



enchanted　peach！　You　must　explain　to　Ugu　the　Shoemaker



why　you　did　that。〃







And　then；　before　the　boy　could　ask　any　more



questions；　the　bird　flew　away　and　left　him　alone。







Button…Bright　was　not　much　worried　to　find　that　the



peach　he　had　eaten　was　enchanted。　It　certainly　had



tasted　very　good　and　his　stomach　didn't　ache　a　bit。　So



again　he　began　to　reflect　upon　the　best　way　to　rejoin



his　friends。







〃Whichever　direction　I　follow　is　likely　to　be　the



wrong　one；〃　he　said　to　himself；　〃so　I'd　better　stay



just　where　I　am　and　let　them　find　me　　if　they　can。〃







A　White　Rabbit　came　hopping　through　the　orchard　and



paused　a　little　way　off　to　look　at　him。







〃Don't　be　afraid；〃　said　Button…Bright；　〃I　won't　hurt



you。〃







〃Oh；　I'm　not　afraid　for　myself；〃　returned　the　White



Rabbit。　〃It's　you　I'm　worried　about。〃







〃Yes；　I'm　lost；〃　said　the　boy。







〃I　fear　you　are；　indeed；〃　answered　the　Rabbit。　〃Why



on　earth　did　you　eat　the　enchanted　peach？〃







The　boy　looked　at　the　excited　little　animal



thoughtfully。







〃There　were　two　reasons；〃　he　explained。　〃One　reason



was　that　I　like　peaches；　and　the　other　reason　was　that



I　didn't　know　it　was　enchanted。〃







〃That　won't　save　you　from　Ugu　the　Shoemaker；〃



declared　the　White　Rabbit　and　it　scurried　away　before



the　boy　could　ask　any　more　questions。







〃Rabbits　and　birds；〃　he　thought；　〃are　timid　creatures



and　seem　afraid　of　this　shoemaker　　whoever　he　may　be。



If　there　was　another　peach　half　as　good　as　that　other；



I'd　eat　it　in　spite　of　a　dozen　enchantments　or　a



hundred　shoemakers！〃







Just　then　Scraps　came　dancing　along　and　saw　him



sitting　at　the　foot　of　the　tree。







〃Oh；　here　you　are！〃　she　said。　〃Up　to　your　old　tricks；



eh？　Don't　you　know　it's　impolite　to　get　lost　and　keep



everybody　waiting　for　you？　Come　along；　and　I'll　lead



you　back　to　Dorothy　and　the　others。〃







Button…Bright　rose　slowly　to　accompany　her。







〃That　wasn't　much　of　a　loss；〃　he　said　cheerfully。　〃I



haven't　been　gone　half　a　day；　so　there's　no　harm　done。〃







Dorothy；　however；　when　the　boy　rejoined　the　party；



gave　him　a　good　scolding。







〃When　we're　doing　such　an　important　thing　as



searching　for　Ozma；〃　said　she；　〃it's　naughty　for　you　to



wander　away；　and　keep　us　from　getting　on。　　S'pose　she's



a　pris'ner　　in　a　dungeon　cell！　　do　you　want　to　keep



our　dear　Ozma　there　any　longer　than　we　can　help？〃







〃If　she's　in　a　dungeon　cell；　how　are　you　going　to　get



her　out？〃　inquired　the　boy。







〃Never　you　mind；　we'll　leave　that　to　the　Wizard；　he's



sure　to　find　a　way。〃







The　Wizard　said　nothing；　for　he　realized　that　without



his　magic　tools　he　could　do　no　more　than　any　other



person。　But　there　was　no　use　reminding　his　companions



of　that　fact；　it　might　discourage　them。







〃The　important　thing　just　now；〃　he　remarked；　〃is　to



find　Ozma；　and；　as　our　party　is　again　happily　reunited；



I　propose　we　move　on。〃







As　they　came　to　the　edge　of　the　Great　Orchard　the　sun



was　setting　and　they　knew　it　would　soon　be　dark。　So　it



was　decided　to　camp　under　the　trees；　as　another　broad



plain　was　before　them。　The　Wizard　spread　the　blankets



on　a　bed　of　soft　leaves　and　presently　all　of　them



except　Scraps　and　the　Sawhorse　were　fast　asleep。　Toto



snuggled　close　to　his　friend　the　Lion；　and　the　Woozy



snored　so　loudly　that　the　Patchwork　Girl　covered　his



square　head　with　her　apron　to　deaden　the　sound。



















Chapter　Twelve







The　Czarover　of　Herku











Trot　wakened　just　as　the　sun　rose　and；　slipping　out　of



the　blankets；　went　to　the　edge　of　the　Great　Orchard　and



looked　across　the　plain。　Something　glittered　in　the　far



distance。







〃That　looks　like　another　city；〃　she　said　half　aloud。







〃And　another　city　it　is；〃　declared　Scraps；　who　had



crept　to　Trot's　side　unheard；　for　her　stuffed　feet　made



no　sound。　〃The　Sawhorse　and　I　made　a　journey　in　the



dark；　while　you　were　all　asleep；　and　we　found　over



there　a　bigger　city　than　Thi。　There's　a　wall　around　it；



too；　but　it　has　gates　and　plenty　of　pathways。〃







〃Did　you　go　in？〃　asked　Trot。







〃No；　for　the　gates　were　locked　and　the　wall　was　a



real　wall。　So　we　came　back　here　again。　It　isn't　far　to



the　city。　We　can　reach　it　in　two　hours　after　you've　had



your　breakfasts。〃







Trot　went　back　and；　finding　the　other　girls　now



awake；　told　them　what　Scraps　had　said。　So　they



hurriedly　ate　some　fruit　　there　were　plenty　of　plums



and　fijoas　in　this　part　of　the　orchard　　and　then　they



mounted　the　animals　and　set　out　upon　the　journey　to　the



strange　city。　Hank　the　Mule　had　breakfasted　on　grass



and　the　Lion　had　stolen　away　and　found　a　breakfast　to



his　liking；　he　never　told　what　it　was；　but　Dorothy



hoped　the　little　rabbits　and　the　field　mice　had　kept



out　of　his　way。　She　warned　Toto　not　to　chase　birds　and



gave　the　dog　some　apple；　with　which　he　was　quite



content。　The　Woozy　was　as　fond　of　fruit　as　of　any　other



food；　except　honey；　and　the　Sawhorse　never　ate　at　all。







Except　for　their　worry　over　Ozma　they　were　all　in



good　spirits　as　they　proceeded　swiftly　over　the　plain。



Toto　still　worried　over　his　lost　growl；　but　like　a　wise



little　dog　kept　his　worry　to　himself。　Before　long　the



city　grew　nearer　and　they　could　examine　it　with



interest。







In　outward　appearance　the　place　was　more　imposing



than　Thi；　and　it　was　a　square　city；　with　a　square；



four…sided　wall　around　it　and　on　each　side　was　a　square



gate　of　burnished　copper。　Everything　about　the　city



looked　solid　and　substantial；　there　were　no　banners



flying　and　the　towers　that　rose　above　the　city　wall



seemed　bare　of　any　ornament　whatever。







A　path　led　from　the　fruit　orchard　directly　to　one　of



the　city　gates；　showing　that　the　inhabitants　preferred



fruit　to　thistles。　Our　friends　followed　this　path　to



the　gate；　which　they　found　fast　shut。　But　the　Wizard



advanced　and　pounded　upon　it　with　his　fist；　saying　in　a



loud　voice：　〃Open！〃







At　once　there　rose　above　the　great　wall　a　row



of　immense　heads；　all　of　which　looked　down



at　them　as　if　to　see　who　was　intruding。　The　size







of　these　heads　was　astonishing　and　our　friends　at　once



realized　that　they　belonged　to　giants；　who　were



standing　within　the　city。　All　had　thick；　bushy　hair　and



whiskers；　on　some　the　hair　being　white　and　on　others



black　or　red　or　yellow；　while　the　hair　of　a　few　was



just　turning　gray；　showing　that　the　giants　were　of　all



ages。　However　fierce　the　heads　might　seem　the　eyes　were



mild　in　expression；　as　if　the　creatures　had　been　long



subdued；　and　their　faces　expressed　patience　rather　than



ferocity。