the lost princess of oz-第30部分

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And　there　she　met　a　still　greater　concourse；　for　all



the　inhabitants　of　the　Emerald　City　turned　out　to



welcome　her　return　and　several　bands　played　gay　music



and　all　the　houses　were　decorated　with　flags　and



bunting　and　never　before　were　the　people　so　joyous　and



happy　as　at　this　moment　when　they　welcomed　home　their



girl　Ruler。　For　she　had　been　lost　and　was　now　found



again；　and　surely　that　was　cause　for　rejoicing。







Glinda　was　at　the　royal　palace　to　meet　the　returning



party　and　the　good　Sorceress　was　indeed　glad　to　have



her　Great　Book　of　Records　returned　to　her；　as　well　as



all　the　precious　collection　of　magic　instruments　and



elixirs　and　chemicals　that　had　been　stolen　from　her



castle。　Cap'n　Bill　and　the　Wizard　at　once　hung　the



Magic　Picture　upon　the　wall　of　Ozma's　boudoir　and　the



Wizard　was　so　light…hearted　that　he　did　several　tricks



with　the　tools　in　his　black　bag　to　amuse　his　companions



and　prove　that　once　again　he　was　a　powerful　wizard。







For　a　whole　week　there　was　feasting　and　merriment　and



all　sorts　of　joyous　festivities　at　the　palace；　in　honor



of　Ozma's　safe　return。　The　Lavender　Bear　and　the　little



Pink　Bear　received　much　attention　and　were　honored　by



all；　much　to　the　Bear　King's　satisfaction。　The　Frogman



speedily　became　a　favorite　at　the　Emerald　City　and　the



Shaggy　Man　and　Tik…Tok　and　Jack　Pumpkinhead；　who　had



now　returned　from　their　search；　were　very　polite　to　the



big　frog　and　made　him　feel　quite　at　home。　Even　the



Cookie　Cook；　because　she　was　a　stranger　and　Ozma's



guest；　was　shown　as　much　deference　as　if　she　had　been　a



queen。







〃All　the　same；　Your　Majesty；〃　said　Cayke　to　Ozma；　day



after　day；　with　tiresome　repetition；　〃I　hope　you　will



soon　find　my　jeweled　dishpan；　for　never　can　I　be　quite



happy　without　it。〃



















Chapter　Twenty…Six







Dorothy　Forgives











The　gray　dove　which　had　once　been　Ugu　the　Shoemaker　sat



on　its　tree　in　the　far　Quadling　Country　and　moped；



chirping　dismally　and　brooding　over　its　misfortunes。



After　a　time　the　Scarecrow　and　the　Tin　Woodman　came



along　and　sat　beneath　the　tree；　paying　no　heed　to　the



mutterings　of　the　gray　dove。







The　Tin　Woodman　took　a　small　oilcan　from　his　tin



pocket　and　carefully　oiled　his　tin　joints　with　it。



While　he　was　thus　engaged　the　Scarecrow　remarked：







〃I　feel　much　better；　dear　comrade；　since　we　found



that　heap　of　nice　dean　straw　and　you　stuffed　me　anew



with　it〃







〃And　I　feel　much　better　now　that　my　joints　are



oiled；〃　returned　the　Tin　Woodman；　with　a　sigh　of



pleasure。　〃You　and　I；　friend　Scarecrow；　are　much　more



easily　cared　for　than　those　clumsy　meat　people；　who



spend　half　their　time　dressing　in　fine　clothes　and　who



must　live　in　splendid　dwellings　in　order　to　be



contented　and　happy。　You　and　I　do　not　eat；　and　so　we



are　spared　the　dreadful　bother　of　getting　three　meals　a



day。　Nor　do　we　waste　half　our　lives　in　sleep；　a



condition　that　causes　the　meat　people　to　lose　al＇



consciousness　and　become　as　thoughtless　and　helpless　as



logs　of　wood。〃







〃You　speak　truly；〃　responded　the　Scarecrow；　tucking



some　wisps　of　straw　into　his　breast　with　his　padded



fingers。　〃I　often　feel　sorry　for　the　meat　people；　many



of　whom　are　my　friends。　Even　the　beasts　are　happier



than　they；　for　they　require　less　to　make　them　content。



And　the　birds　are　the　luckiest　creatures　of　all；　for



they　can　fly　swiftly　where　they　will　and　find　a　home　at



any　place　they　care　to　perch；　their　food　consists　of



seeds　and　grains　they　gather　from　the　fields　and　their



drink　is　a　sip　of　water　from　some　running　brook。　If　I



could　not　be　a　Scarecrow　or　a　Tin　Woodman　　my　next



choice　would　be　to　live　as　a　bird　does。〃







The　gray　dove　had　listened　carefully　to　this　speech



and　seemed　to　find　comfort　in　it；　for　it　hushed　its



moaning。　And　just　then　the　Tin　Woodman　discovered



Cayke's　dishpan；　which　was　on　the　ground　quite　near　to



him。







〃Here　is　a　rather　pretty　utensil；〃　he　said；　taking　it



in　his　tin　hands　to　examine　it；　〃but　I　would　not　care



to　own　it。　Whoever　fashioned　it　of　gold　and　covered　it



with　diamonds　did　not　add　to　its　usefulness；　nor　do　I



consider　it　as　beautiful　as　the　bright　dishpans　of　tin



one　usually　sees。　No　yellow　color　is　ever　so　handsome



as　the　silver　sheen　of　tin；〃　and　he　turned　to　look　at



his　tin　legs　and　body　with　approval。







〃I　cannot　quite　agree　with　you　there；〃　replied　the



Scarecrow。　〃My　straw　stuffing　has　a　light　yellow　color；



and　it　is　not　only　pretty　to　look　at　but　it　crunkles



most　delightfully　when　I　move。〃







〃Let　us　admit　that　all　colors　are　good　in　their



proper　places；〃　said　the　Tin　Woodman；　who　was　too　kind…



hearted　to　quarrel；　〃but　you　must　agree　with　me　that　a



dishpan　that　is　yellow　is　unnatural。　What　shall　we　do



with　this　one；　which　we；　have　just　found？〃







〃Let　us　carry　it　back　to　the　Emerald　City；〃　suggested



the　Scarecrow。　〃Some　of　our　friends　might　like　to　have



it　for　a　foot…bath；　and　in　using　it　that　way　its　golden



color　and　sparkling　ornaments　would　not　injure　its



usefulness。〃







So　they　went　away　and　took　the　jeweled　dishpan　with



them。　And；　after　wandering　through　the　country　for　a



day　or　so　longer；　they　learned　the　news　that　Ozma　had



been　found。　Therefore　they　straightaway　returned　to　the



Emerald　City　and　presented　the　dishpan　to　Princess　Ozma



as　a　token　of　their　joy　that　she　had　been　restored　to



them。







Ozma　promptly　gave　the　diamond…studded　gold　dishpan



to　Cayke　the　Cookie　Cook；　who　was　so　delighted　at



regaining　her　lost　treasure　that　she　danced　up　and　down



in　glee　and　then　threw　her　skinny　arms　around　Ozma's



neck　and　kissed　her　gratefully。　Cayke's　mission　was　now



successfully　accomplished；　but　she　was　having　such　a



good　time　at　the　Emerald　City　that　she　seemed　in　no



hurry　to　go　back　to　the　Country　of　the　Yips。







It　was　several　weeks　after　the　dishpan　had　been



restored　to　the　Cookie　Cook　when　one　day；　as　Dorothy



was　seated　in　the　royal　gardens　with　Trot　and　Betsy



beside　her；　a　gray　dove　came　flying　down　and　alighted



at　the　girl's　feet。







〃I　am　Ugu　the　Shoemaker；〃　said　the　dove　in　a　soft；



mourning　voice；　〃and　I　have　come　to　ask　you　to　forgive



me　for　the　great　wrong　I　did　in　stealing　Ozma　and　the



magic　that　belonged　to　her　and　to　others。〃







〃Are　you　sorry；　then？〃　asked　Dorothy；　looking　hard　at



the　bird。







〃I　am　very　sorry；〃　declared　Ugu。　〃I've　been　thinking



over　my　misdeeds　for　a　long　time；　for　doves　have　little



else　to　do　but　think；　and　I'm　surprised　that　I　was　such



a　wicked　man　and　had　so　little　regard　for　the　rights　of



others。　I　am　now　convinced　that　even　had　I　succeeded　in



making　myself　ruler　of　all　Oz　I　should　not　have　been



happy；　for　many　days　of　quiet　thought　have　shown　me



that　only　those　things　one　acquires　honestly　are　able



to　render　one　content。〃







〃I　guess　that's　so；〃　said　Trot。







〃Anyhow；〃　said　Betsy；　〃the　bad　man　seems　truly　sorry；



and　if　he　has　now　become　a　good　and　honest　man　we　ought



to　forgive　him。〃







〃I　fear　I　cannot　become　a　good　man　again；〃　said　Ugu；



〃for　the　transformation　I　am　under　will　always　keep　me



in　the　form　of　a　dove。　But；　with　the　kind　forgiveness



of　my　former　enemies；　I　hope　to　become　a　very　good



dove；　and　highly　respected。〃







〃Wait　here　till　I　run　for　my　Magic　Belt；〃　said



Dorothy；　〃and　I'll　transform　you　back　to　your　reg'lar



shape　in　a　jiffy。〃







〃No　don't　do　that！〃　pleaded　the　dove；　fluttering　its



wings　in　an　excited　way。　〃I　only　want　your　forgiveness；



I　don't　want　to　be　a　man　again。　As　Ugu　the　Shoemaker　I



was　skinny　and　old　and　unlovely；　as　a　dove　I　am　quite



pretty　to　look　at。　As　a　man　I　was　ambitious　and　cruel；



while　as　a　dove　I　can　be　content　with　my　lot　and　happy



in　my　simple　life。　I　have　learned　to　love　the　free　and



independent　life　of　a　bird　and　I'd　rather　not　change



back。〃







〃Just　as　you　like；　Ugu；〃　said　Dorothy；　resuming　her



seat。　〃Perhaps　you　are　right；　for　you're　cert'nly　a



better　dove　than　you　were　a　man；　and　if　you　should　ever



backslide；　an'　feel　wicked　again；　you　couldn't　do　much



harm　as　a　gray　dove。〃







〃Then　you　forgive　me　for　all　the　trouble　I　caused



you？〃　he　asked　earnestly。







〃Of　course；　anyone　who's　sorry　just　has　to　be



forgiven。〃







〃Thank　you；〃　said　the　gray　dove；　and　flew　away　again。



























End