the lost princess of oz-第6部分

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〃Ozma　wouldn't　go　away　willingly；　without　letting　us



know　about　it；〃　asserted　Dorothy；　〃and　she　wouldn't



steal　Glinda's　Great　Book　of　Records；　or　the　Wizard's



magic；　'cause　she　could　get　them　any　time；　just　asking



for　'em。　I'm　sure　some　wicked　person　has　done　all



this。〃







〃Someone　in　the　Land　of　Oz？〃　asked　Trot。







〃Of　course。　No　one　could　get　across　the　Deadly



Desert；　you　know；　and　no　one　but　an　Oz　person　could



know　about　the　Magic　Picture　and　the　Book　of　Records



and　the　Wizard's　magic；　or　where　they　were　kept；　and　so



be　able　to　steal　the　whole　outfit　before　we　could　stop



'em。　It　must　be　someone　who　lives　in　the　Land　of　Oz。〃







〃But　who…who…who？〃　asked　Scraps。　〃That's　the



question。　Who？〃







〃If　we　knew；〃　replied　Dorothy；　severely；　〃we　wouldn't



be　standing　here；　doing　nothing。〃







Just　then　two　boys　entered　the　courtyard　and



approached　the　group　of　girls。　One　boy　was　dressed　in



the　fantastic　Munchkin　costume　　a　blue　jacket　and



knickerbockers；　blue　leather　shoes　and　a　blue　hat　with



a　high　peak　and　tiny　silver　bells　dangling　from　its　rim



　and　this　was　Ojo　the　Lucky；　who　had　once　come　from



the　Munchkin　Country　of　Oz　and　now　lived　in　the　Emerald



City。　The　other　boy　was　an　American；　from　Philadelphia；



and　had　lately　found　his　way　to　Oz　in　the　company　of



Trot　and　Cap'n　Bill。　His　name　was　Button…Bright；　that



is；　everyone　called　him　by　that　name；　and　knew　no



other。







Button…Bright　was　not　quite　as　big　as　the　Munchkin



boy；　but　he　wore　the　same　kind　of　clothes；　only　they



were　of　different　colors。　As　the　two　came　up　to　the



girls；　arm　in　arm；　Button…Bright　remarked：







〃Hello；　Dorothy。　They　say　Ozma　is　lost。〃







〃Who　says　so？〃　she　asked。







〃Ev'rybody's　talking　about　it；　in　the　City；〃　he



replied。







〃I　wonder　how　the　people　found　it　out？〃　Dorothy



asked。







〃I　know；〃　said　Ojo。　〃Jellia　Jamb　told　them。　She　has



been　asking　everywhere　if　anyone　has　seen　Ozma。〃







〃That's　too　bad；〃　observed　Dorothy；　frowning。







〃Why？〃　asked　Button…Bright。







〃There　wasn't　any　use　making　all　our　people　unhappy；



till　we　were　dead　certain　that　Ozma　can't　be　found。〃







〃Pshaw；〃　said　Button…Bright；　〃It's　nothing　to　get



lost。　I've　been　lost　lots　of　times。〃







〃That's　true；〃　admitted　Trot；　who　knew　that　the　boy



had　a　habit　of　getting　lost　and　then　finding　himself



again；　〃but　it's　diff'rent　with　Ozma。　She's　the　Ruler



of　all　this　big　fairyland　and　we're　'fraid　that　the



reason　she's　lost　is　because　somebody　has　stolen　her



away。〃







〃Only　wicked　people　steal；〃　said　Ojo。　〃Do　you　know　of



any　wicked　people　in　Oz；　Dorothy？〃







〃No；〃　she　replied。







〃They're　here；　though；〃　cried　Scraps；　dancing　up　to



them　and　then　circling　around　the　group。　Ozma's　stolen；



someone　in　Oz　stole　her；　only　wicked　people　steal；　so



someone　in　Oz　is　wicked！〃







There　was　no　denying　the　truth　of　this　statement。　The



faces　of　all　of　them　were　now　solemn　and　sorrowful。







〃One　thing　is　sure；〃　said　Button…Bright；　after　a



time；　〃if　Ozma　has　been　stolen；　someone　ought　to　find



her　and　punish　the　thief。〃







〃There　may　be　a　lot　of　thieves；〃　suggested　Trot



gravely；　〃and　in　this　fairy　country　they　don　t　seem　to



have　any　soldiers　or　policemen。〃







〃There　is　one　soldier；〃　claimed　Dorothy。　〃He　has



green　whiskers　and　a　gun　and　is　a　Major…General；　but　no



one　is　afraid　of　either　his　gun　or　his　whiskers；　'cause



he's　so　tender…hearted　that　he　wouldn't　hurt　a　fly。〃







〃Well；　a　soldier's　a　soldier；〃　said　Betsy；　〃and



perhaps　he'd　hurt　a　wicked　thief　if　he　wouldn't　hurt　a



fly。　Where　is　he？〃







〃He　went　fishing　about　two　months　ago　and　hasn't　come



back　yet；〃　explained　Button…Bright。







〃Then　I　can't　see　that　he　will　be　of　much　use　to　us



in　this　trouble；〃　sighed　little　Trot。　〃But　p'raps　Ozma；



who　is　a　fairy；　can　get　away　from　the　thieves　without



any　help　from　anybody。〃







〃She　might　be　able　to；〃　admitted　Dorothy；



reflectively；　〃but　if　she　had　the　power　to　do　that；　it



isn't　likely　she'd　have　let　herself　be　stolen。　So　the



thieves　must　have　been　even　more　powerful　in　magic　than



our　Ozma。〃







There　was　no　denying　this　argument　and；　although　they



talked　the　matter　over　all　the　rest　of　that　day；　they



were　unable　to　decide　how　Ozma　had　been　stolen　against



her　will　or　who　had　committed　the　dreadful　deed。







Toward　evening　the　Wizard　came　back；　riding　slowly



upon　the　Sawhorse　because　he　felt　discouraged　and



perplexed。　Glinda　came；　later；　in　her　aerial　chariot



drawn　by　twenty　milk…white　swans；　and　she　also　seemed



worried　and　unhappy。　More　of　Ozma's　friends　joined　them



and　that　evening　they　all　had　a　long　talk　together。







〃I　think；〃　said　Dorothy；　〃we　ought　to　start　out　right



away　in　search　of　our　dear　Ozma。　It　seems　cruel　for　us



to　live　comf'tably　in　her　Palace　while　she　is　a



pris'ner　in　the　power　of　some　wicked　enemy。〃







〃Yes；〃　agreed　Glinda　the　Sorceress；　〃someone　ought　to



search　for　her。　I　cannot　go　myself；　because　I　must　work



hard　in　order　to　create　some　new　instruments　of　sorcery



by　means　of　which　I　may　rescue　our　fair　Ruler。　But　if



you　can　find　her；　in　the　meantime；　and　let　me　know　who



has　stolen　her；　it　will　enable　me　to　rescue　her　much



more　quickly。〃







〃Then　we'll　start　to…morrow　morning；〃　decided



Dorothy。　〃Betsy　and　Trot　and　I　won't　waste　another



minute。〃







〃I'm　not　sure　you　girls　will　make　good　detectives；〃



remarked　the　Wizard；　〃but　I'll　go　with　you；　to　protect



you　from　harm　and　to　give　you　my　advice。　All　my



wizardry；　alas；　is　stolen；　so　I　am　now　really　no　more　a



wizard　than　any　of　you；　but　I　will　try　to　protect　you



if　any　enemies　you　may　meet。〃







〃What　harm　could　happen　to　us　in　Oz？〃　inquired　Trot。







〃What　harm　happened　to　Ozma？〃　returned　the　Wizard。



〃If　there　is　an　Evil　Power　abroad　in　our　fairyland；



which　is　able　to　steal　not　only　Ozma　and　her　Magic



Picture；　but　Glinda's　Book　of　Records　and　all　her



magic；　and　my　black　bag　containing　all　my　tricks　of



wizardry；　then　that　Evil　Power　may　yet　cause　us



considerable　injury。　Ozma　is　a　fairy；　and　so　is　Glinda；



so　no　power　can　kill　or　destroy　them；　but　you　girls　are



all　mortals；　and　so　are　Button…Bright　and　I；　so　we　must



watch　out　for　ourselves。〃







〃Nothing　can　kill　me；〃　said　Ojo；　the　Munchkin　boy。







〃That　is　true；〃　replied　the　Sorceress；　〃and　I　think



it　may　be　well　to　divide　the　searchers　into　several



parties；　that　they　may　cover　all　the　land　of　Oz　more



quickly。　So　I　will　send　Ojo　and　Unc　Nunkie　and　Dr。　Pipt



into　the　Munchkin　Country；　which　they　are　well



acquainted　with；　and　I　will　send　the　Scarecrow　and　the



Tin　Woodman　into　the　Quadling　Country；　for　they　are



fearless　and　brave　and　never　tire；　and　to　the　Gillikin



Country；　where　many　dangers　lurk；　I　will　send　the



Shaggy　Man　and　his　brother；　with　Tik…Tok　and　Jack



Pumpkinhead。　Dorothy　may　make　up　her　own　party　and



travel　into　the　Winkie　Country。　All　of　you　must



inquire　everywhere　for　Ozma　and　try　to　discover　where



she　is　hidden。〃







They　thought　this　a　very　wise　plan　and　adopted　it



without　question。　In　Ozma's　absence　Glinda　the　Good　was



the　most　important　person　in　Oz　and　all　were　glad　to



serve　under　her　direction。



















Chapter　Six







The　Search　Party











Next　morning；　as　soon　as　the　sun　was　up；　Glinda　flew



back　to　her　castle；　stopping　on　the　way　to　instruct　the



Scarecrow　and　the　Tin　Woodman；　who　were　at　that　time



staying　at　the　college　of　Professor　H。　M。　Wogglebug；　T。



E。；　and　taking　a　course　of　his　Patent　Educational



Pills。　On　hearing　of　Ozma's　loss　they　started　at　once



for　the　Quadling　Country　to　search　for　her。







As　soon　as　Glinda　had　left　the　Emerald　City；　Tik…Tok



and　the　Shaggy　Man　and　Jack　Pumpkinhead；　who　had　been



present　at　the　conference；　began　their　journey　into　the



Gillikin　Country；　and　an　hour　later　Ojo　and　Unc　Nunkie



joined　Dr。　Pipt　and　together　they　traveled　toward　the



Munchkin　Country。　When　all　these　searchers　were　gone；



Dorothy　and　the　Wizard　completed　their　own



preparations。







The　Wizard　hitched　the　Sawhorse　to　the　Red　Wagon；



which　would　seat　four　very　comfortably。　He　wanted



Dorothy；　Betsy；　Trot　and　the　Patchwork　Girl　to　ride　in



the　wagon；　but　Scraps　came　up　to　them　mounted　upon　the



Woozy；　and　the　Woozy　said　he　would　like　to　join　the



party。　Now　this　Woozy　was　a　most　peculiar　animal；



having　a　square　head；　square　body；　square　legs　and



square　tail。　His　skin　was　very　tough　and　hard；



resembling　leather；　and　while　his　movements　were



somewhat　clumsy　the　beast　could　travel　with　remarkable



swiftness。　His　square　eyes　were　mild　and　gentle　in



expression　and　he　was　not　especially　foolish。　The　Woozy



and　the　Patchwork　Girl　were　great　friends　and　so　the



Wizard　agreed　to　let　the　Woozy　go　with　them。







Another　great　beast　now　appeared　and　asked　to　go



along。　This　was　none　other　than　the　famous　Cowardly



Lion；　one　of　the　most　interesting　creatures　in　all　Oz。



No　lion　that　roamed　the　jungles　or　plains　could　compare



in　size　or　intelligence　with　this　Cowardly　Lion；　who　



like　all　animals　living　in　Oz　　could　talk；　and　who



talked　with　more　shre