the lost princess of oz-第23部分

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〃Don't　you　suppose　Ugu　would　listen　to　reason？〃　asked



Betsy。　〃If　we　explained　to　him　how　wicked　he　has　been；



don't　you　think　he'd　let　poor　Ozma　go？〃







〃And　give　me　back　my　dishpan？〃　added　the　Cookie　Cook



eagerly。







〃Yes；　yes；　won't　he　say　he's　sorry　and　get　on　his



knees　and　beg　our　pardon？〃　cried　Scraps；　turning　a



flip…flop　to　show　her　scorn　of　the　Suggestion。　〃When



Ugu　the　Shoemaker　does　that；　please　knock　at　the　front



door　and　let　me　know。〃







The　Wizard　sighed　and　rubbed　his　bald　head　with　a



puzzled　air。







〃I'm　quite　sure　Ugu　will　not　be　polite　to　us；　said



he；　〃so　we　must　conquer　this　cruel　magician　by　force；



much　as　we　dislike　to　be　rude　to　anyone。　But　none　of



you　has　yet　suggested　a　way　to　do　that。　Couldn't　the



Little　Pink　Bear　tell　us　how？〃　he　asked；　turning　to　the



Bear　King。







〃No；　for　that　is　something　that　is　going　to　happen；〃



replied　the　Lavender　Bear。　〃He　can　only　tell　us　what



already　has　happened。〃







Again　they　were　grave　and　thoughtful。　But　after　a



time　Betsy　said　in　a　hesitating　voice：







〃Hank　is　a　great　fighter；　perhaps　he　could



conquer　the　magician。〃







The　Mule　turned　his　head　to　look　reproachfully　at　his



old　friend；　the　young　girl。







〃Who　can　fight　against　magic？〃　he　asked。







〃The　Cowardly　Lion　could；〃　said　Dorothy。







The　Lion；　who　was　lying　with　his　front　legs　spread



out；　his　chin　on　his　paws；　raised　his　shaggy　head。







〃I　can　fight　when　I'm　not　afraid；〃　said　he　calmly；



〃but　the　mere　mention　of　a　fight　sets　me　to　trembling。〃







〃Ugu's　magic　couldn't　hurt　the　Sawhorse；〃　suggested



tiny　Trot。







〃And　the　Sawhorse　couldn't　hurt　the　Magician；〃



declared　that　wooden　animal。







〃For　my　part；〃　said　Toto；　〃I　am　helpless；　having　lost



my　growl。〃







〃Then；〃　said　Cayke　the　Cookie　Cook；　〃we　must　depend



upon　the　Frogman。　His　marvelous　wisdom　will　surely



inform　him　how　to　conquer　the　wicked　Magician　and



restore　to　me　my　dishpan。〃







All　eyes　were　now　turned　questioningly　upon　the



Frogman。　Finding　himself　the　center　of　observation；　he



swung　his　gold…headed　cane；　adjusted　his　big　spectacles



and　after　swelling　out　his　chest；　sighed　and　said　in　a



modest　tone　of　voice：







〃Respect　for　truth　obliges　me　to　confess　that　Cayke



is　mistaken　in　regard　to　my　superior　wisdom。　I　am　not



very　wise。　Neither　have　I　had　any　practical　experience



in　conquering　magicians。　But　let　us　consider　this　case。



What　is　Ugu；　and　what　is　a　magician？　Ugu　is　a　renegade



shoemaker　and　a　magician　is　an　ordinary　man　who；　having



learned　how　to　do　magical　tricks；　considers　himself



above　his　fellows。　In　this　case；　the　Shoemaker　has　been



naughty　enough　to　steal　a　lot　of　magical　tools　and



things　that　did　not　belong　to　him；　and　it　is　more



wicked　to　steal　than　to　be　a　magician。　Yet；　with　all



the　arts　at　his　command；　Ugu　is　still　a　man；　and　surely



there　are　ways　in　which　a　man　may　be　conquered。　How；



do　you　say；　how？　Allow　me　to　state　that　I　don't　know。



In　my　judgment　we　cannot　decide　how　best　to　act　until



we　get　to　Ugu's　castle。　So　let　us　go　to　it　and　take　a



look　at　it。　After　that　we　may　discover　an　idea　that



will　guide　us　to　victory。〃







〃That　may　not　be　a　wise　speech；　but　it　sounds　good；〃



said　Dorothy　approvingly。　〃Ugu　the　Shoemaker　is　not



only　a　common　man；　but　he's　a　wicked　man　and　a　cruel



man　and　deserves　to　be　conquered。　We　mustn't　have　any



mercy　on　him　till　Ozma　is　set　free。　So　let's　go　to　his



castle；　as　the　Frogman　says；　and　see　what　the　place



looks　like。〃







No　one　offered　an　objection　to　this　plan　and　so　it



was　adopted。　They　broke　camp　and　were　about　to　start　on



the　journey　to　Ugu's　castle　when　they　discovered　that



Button…Bright　was　lost　again。　The　girls　and　the　Wizard



shouted　his　name　and　the　Lion　roared　and　the　Donkey



brayed　and　the　Frogman　croaked　and　the　Big　Lavender



Bear　growled　（to　the　envy　of　Toto；　who　couldn't　growl



but　barked　his　loudest）　yet　none　of　them　could　make



Button…Bright　hear。　So；　after　vainly　searching　for　the



boy　a　full　hour；　they　formed　a　procession　and　proceeded



in　the　direction　of　the　wicker　castle　of　Ugu　the



Shoemaker。







〃Button…Bright's　always　getting　lost；〃　said　Dorothy。



〃And；　if　he　wasn't　always　getting　found　again；　I'd



prob'ly　worry。　He　may　have　gone　ahead　of　us；　and　he　may



have　gone　back；　but；　wherever　he　is；　we'll　find　him



sometime　and　somewhere；　I'm　almost　sure。



















Chapter　Nineteen







Ugu　the　Shoemaker











A　curious　thing　about　Ugu　the　Shoemaker　was　that　he



didn't　suspect；　in　the　least；　that　he　was　wicked。　He



wanted　to　be　powerful　and　great　and　he　hoped　to　make



himself　master　of　all　the　Land　of　Oz；　that　he　might



compel　everyone　in　that　fairy　country　to　obey　him。　His



ambition　blinded　him　to　the　rights　of　others　and　he



imagined　anyone　else　would　act　just　as　he　did　if　anyone



else　happened　to　be　as　clever　as　himself。







When　he　inhabited　his　little　shoemaking　shop　in　the



City　of　Herku　he　had　been　discontented；　for　a　shoemaker



is　not　looked　upon　with　high　respect　and　Ugu　knew　that



his　ancestors　had　been　famous　magicians　for　many



centuries　past　and　therefore　his　family　was　above　the



ordinary。　Even　his　father　practiced　magic；　when　Ugu　was



a　boy；　but　his　father　had　wandered　away　from　Herku　and



had　never　come　back　again。　So；　when　Ugu　grew　up；　he　was



forced　to　make　shoes　for　a　living；　knowing　nothing　of



the　magic　of　his　forefathers。　But　one　day；　in　searching



through　the　attic　of　his　house；　he　discovered　all　the



books　of　magical　recipes　and　many　magical　instruments



which　had　formerly　been　in　use　in　his　family。　From　that



day　he　stopped　making　shoes　and　began　to　study　magic。



Finally　he　aspired　to　become　the　greatest　magician　in



Oz；　and　for　days　and　weeks　and　months　he　thought　on　a



plan　to　render　all　the　other　sorcerers　and　wizards；　as



well　as　those　with　fairy　powers；　helpless　to　oppose



him。







From　the　books　of　his　ancestors　he　learned　the



following　facts：







（1）　　That　Ozma　of　Oz　was　the　fairy　ruler　of　the



Emerald　City　and　the　Land　of　Oz；　and　that　she　could　not



be　destroyed　by　any　magic　ever　devised。　Also；　by　means



of　her　Magic　Picture　she　would　be　able　to　discover



anyone　who　approached　her　royal　palace　with　the　idea　of



conquering　it。







（2）　　That　Glinda　the　Good　was　the　most　powerful



Sorceress　in　Oz；　among　her　other　magical　possessions



being　the　Great　Book　of　Records；　which　told　her　all



that　happened　anywhere　in　the　world。　This　Book　of



Records　was　very　dangerous　to　Ugu's　plans　and　Glinda



was　in　the　service　of　Ozma　and　would　use　her　arts　of



sorcery　to　protect　the　girl　Ruler。







（3）　　That　the　Wizard　of　Oz；　who　lived　in　Ozma's



palace；　had　been　taught　much　powerful　magic　by　Glinda



and　had　a　bag　of　magic　tools　with　which　he　might　be



able　to　conquer　the　Shoemaker。







（4）　　That　there　existed　in　Oz…in　the　Yip　Country　　a



jeweled　dishpan　made　of　gold；　which　dishpan　possessed



marvelous　powers　of　magic。　At　a　magic　word；　which　Ugu



learned　from　the　book；　the　dishpan　would　grow　large



enough　for　a　man　to　sit　inside　it。　Then；　when　he



grasped　both　the　golden　handles；　the　dishpan　would



transport　him　in　an　instant　to　any　place　he　wished　to



go　within　the　borders　of　the　Land　of　Oz。







No　one　now　living；　except　Ugu；　knew　of　the　powers　of



this　Magic　Dishpan；　so；　after　long　study；　the　shoemaker



decided　that　if　he　could　manage　to　secure　the　dishpan



he　could；　by　its　means；　rob　Ozma　and　Glinda　and　the



Wizard　of　Oz　of　all　their　magic；　thus　becoming　himself



the　most　powerful　person　in　all　the　land。







His　first　act　was　to　go　away　from　the　City　of　Herku



and　built　for　himself　the　Wicker　Castle　in　the　hills。



Here　he　carried　his　books　and　instruments　of　magic　and



here　for　a　full　year　he　diligently　practiced　all　the



magical　arts　learned　from　his　ancestors。　At　the　end　of



that　time　he　could　do　a　good　many　wonderful　things。







Then；　when　all　his　preparations　were　made；　he　set　out



for　the　Yip　Country　and　climbing　the　steep　mountain　at



night　he　entered　the　house　of　Cayke　the　Cookie　Cook　and



stole　her　diamond…studded　gold　dishpan　while　all　the



Yips　were　asleep。　Taking　his　prize　outside；　he　set　the



pan　upon　the　ground　and　uttered　the　required　magic



word。　Instantly　the　dishpan　grew　as　large　as　a　big



washtub　and　Ugu　seated　himself　in　it　and　grasped　the



two　handles。　Then　he　wished　himself　in　the　great



drawing…room　of　Glinda　the　Good。







He　was　there　in　a　flash。　First　he　took　the　Great　Book



of　Records　and　put　it　in　the　dishpan。　Then　he　went　to



Glinda's　laboratory　and　took　all　her　rare　chemical



compounds　and　her　instruments　of　sorcery；　placing　these



also　in　the　dishpan；　which　he　caused　to　grow　large



enough　to　hold　them。　Next　he　seated　himself　amongst　the



treasures　he　had　stolen　and　wished　himself　in　the　room



in　Ozma's　palace　which　the　Wizard　occupied　and　where　he



kept　his　bag　of　magic　tools。　This　bag　Ugu　added　to　his



plunder　and　then　wished　himself　in　the　apartments　of



Ozma。







Here　he　first　took　the　Magic　Picture　from　the　wall



and　then　seized　all　the　other　magical　things　which　Ozma



possessed。　Having　placed　these　in　the　dishpan　he　was