the lost princess of oz-第7部分

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like　all　animals　living　in　Oz　　could　talk；　and　who



talked　with　more　shrewdness　and　wisdom　than　many　of　the



people　did。　He　said　he　was　cowardly　because　he　always



trembled　when　he　faced　danger；　but　he　had　faced　danger



many　times　and　never　refused　to　fight　when　it　was



necessary。　This　Lion　was　a　great　favorite　with　Ozma　and



always　guarded　her　throne　on　state　occasions。　He　was



also　an　old　companion　and　friend　of　the　Princess



Dorothy；　so　the　girl　was　delighted　to　have　him　join　the



party。







〃I'm　so　nervous　over　our　dear　Ozma；〃　said　the



Cowardly　Lion　in　his　deep；　rumbling　voice；　〃that　it



would　make　me　unhappy　to　remain　behind　while　you　are



trying　to　find　her。　But　do　not　get　into　any　danger；　I



beg　of　you；　for　danger　frightens　me　terribly。〃







〃We'll　not　get　into　danger　if　we　can　poss'bly　help



it；〃　promised　Dorothy；　〃but　we　shall　do　anything　to



find　Ozma；　danger　or　no　danger。〃







The　addition　of　the　Woozy　and　the　Cowardly　Lion　to



the　party　gave　Betsy　Bobbin　an　idea　and　she　ran　to　the



marble　stables　at　the　rear　of　the　palace　and　brought



out　her　mule；　Hank　by　name。　Perhaps　no　mule　you　ever



saw　was　so　lean　and　bony　and　altogether　plain　looking



as　this　Hank；　but　Betsy　loved　him　dearly　because　he　was



faithful　and　steady　and　not　nearly　so　stupid　as　most



mules　are　considered　to　be。　Betsy　had　a　saddle　for　Hank



and　declared　she　would　ride　on　his　back；　an　arrangement



approved　by　the　Wizard　because　it　left　only　four　of　the



party　to　ride　on　the　seats　of　the　Red　Wagon　　Dorothy　and



Button…Bright　and　Trot　and　himself。







An　old　sailor…man；　who　had　one　wooden　leg；　came　to



see　them　off　and　suggested　that　they　put　a　supply　of



food　and　blankets　in　the　Red　Wagon；　in　as　much　as　they



were　uncertain　how　long　they　would　be　gone。　This



sailor…man　was　called　Cap'n　Bill。　He　was　a　former



friend　and　comrade　of　Trot　and　had　encountered　many



adventures　in　company　with　the　little　girl。　I　think　he



was　sorry　he　could　not　go　with　her　on　this　trip；　but



Glinda　the　Sorceress　had　asked　Cap'n　Bill　to　remain　in



the　Emerald　City　and　take　charge　of　the　royal　palace



while　everyone　else　was　away；　and　the　one…legged　sailor



had　agreed　to　do　so。







They　loaded　the　back　end　of　the　Red　Wagon　with



everything　they　thought　they　might　need；　and　then　they



formed　a　procession　and　marched　from　the　palace　through



the　Emerald　City　to　the　great　gates　of　the　wall　that



surrounded　this　beautiful　capital　of　the　Land　of　Oz。



Crowds　of　citizens　lined　the　streets　to　see　them　pass



and　to　cheer　them　and　wish　them　success；　for　all　were



grieved　over　Ozma's　loss　and　anxious　that　she　be　found



again。







First　came　the　Cowardly　Lion；　then　the　Patchwork　Girl



riding　upon　the　Woozy；　then　Betsy　Bobbin　on　her　mule



Hank；　and　finally　the　Sawhorse　drawing　the　Red　Wagon；



in　which　were　seated　the　Wizard　and　Dorothy　and　Button…



Bright　and　Trot。　No　one　was　obliged　to　drive　the



Sawhorse；　so　there　were　no　reins　to　his　harness；　one



had　only　to　tell　him　which　way　to　go；　fast　or　slow；　and



he　understood　perfectly。







It　was　about　this　time　that　a　shaggy　little　black　dog



who　had　been　lying　asleep　in　Dorothy's　room　in　the



palace　woke　up　and　discovered　he　was　lonesome。



Everything　seemed　very　still　throughout　the　great



building　and　Toto　　that　was　the　little　dog's　name　



missed　the　customary　chatter　of　the　three　girls。　He



never　paid　much　attention　to　what　was　going　on　around



him　and；　although　he　could　speak；　he　seldom　said



anything；　so　the　little　dog　didn't　know　about　Ozma's



loss　or　that　everyone　had　gone　in　search　of　her。　But　he



liked　to　be　with　people；　and　especially　with　his　own



mistress；　Dorothy；　and　having　yawned　and　stretched



himself　and　found　the　door　of　the　room　ajar　he　trotted



out　into　the　corridor　and　went　down　the　stately　marble



stairs　to　the　hall　of　the　palace；　where　he　met　Jellia



Jamb。







〃Where's　Dorothy？〃　asked　Toto。







〃She's　gone　to　the　Winkie　Country；〃　answered　the



maid。







〃When？〃







〃A　little　while　ago；〃　replied　Jellia。







Toto　turned　and　trotted　out　into　the　palace　garden



and　down　the　long　driveway　until　he　came　to　the　streets



of　the　Emerald　City。　Here　he　paused　to　listen　and；



hearing　sounds　of　cheering；　he　ran　swiftly　along　until



he　came　in　sight　of　the　Red　Wagon　and　the　Woozy　and　the



Lion　and　the　Mule　and　all　the　others。　Being　a　wise



little　dog；　he　decided　not　to　show　himself　to　Dorothy



just　then；　lest　he　be　sent　back　home；　but　he　never　lost



sight　of　the　party　of　travelers；　all　of　whom　were　so



eager　to　get　ahead　that　they　never　thought　to　look



behind　them。







When　they　came　to　the　gates　in　the　city　wall　the



Guardian　of　the　Gates　came　out　to　throw　wide　the　golden



portals　and　let　them　pass　through。







〃Did　any　strange　person　come　in　or　out　of　the　city　on



the　night　before　last；　when　Ozma　was　stolen？〃　asked



Dorothy。







〃No；　indeed；　Princess；〃　answered　the　Guardian　of　the



Gates。







〃Of　course　not；〃　said　the　Wizard。　〃Anyone　clever



enough　to　steal　all　the　things　we　have　lost　would　not



mind　the　barrier　of　a　wall　like　this；　in　the　least。　I



think　the　thief　must　have　flown　through　the　air；　for



otherwise　he　could　not　have　stolen　from　Ozma's　royal



palace　and　Glinda's　far…away　castle　in　the　same　night。



Moreover；　as　there　are　no　airships　in　Oz　and　no　way　for



airships　from　the　outside　world　to　get　into　this



country；　I　believe　the　thief　must　have　flown　from　place



to　place　by　means　of　magic　arts　which　neither　Glinda



nor　I　understand。〃







On　they　went；　and　before　the　gates　closed　behind　them



Toto　managed　to　dodge　through　them。　The　country



surrounding　the　Emerald　City　was　thickly　settled　and



for　a　while　our　friends　rode　over　nicely　paved　roads



which　wound　through　a　fertile　country　dotted　with



beautiful　houses；　all　built　in　the　quaint　Oz　fashion。



In　the　course　of　a　few　hours；　however；　they　had　left



the　tilled　fields　and　entered　the　Country　of　the



Winkies；　which　occupies　a　quarter　of　all　the　territory



in　the　Land　of　Oz　but　is　not　so　well　known　as　many



other　parts　of　Ozma's　fairyland。　Long　before　night　the



travelers　had　crossed　the　Winkie　River　near　to　the



Scarecrow's　Tower　（which　was　now　vacant）　and　had



entered　the　Rolling　Prairie　where　few　people　live。　They



asked　everyone　they　met　for　news　of　Ozma；　but　none　in



this　district　had　seen　her　or　even　knew　that　she　had



been　stolen。　And　by　nightfall　they　had　passed　all　the



farmhouses　and　were　obliged　to　stop　and　ask　for　shelter



at　the　hut　of　a　lonely　shepherd。　When　they　halted；　Toto



was　not　far　behind。　The　little　dog　halted；　too；　and



stealing　softly　around　the　party　he　hid　himself　behind



the　hut。







The　shepherd　was　a　kindly　old　man　and　treated　the



travelers　with　much　courtesy。　He　slept　out　of　doors；



that　night；　giving　up　his　hut　to　the　three　girls；　who



made　their　beds　on　the　floor　with　the　blankets　they　had



brought　in　the　Red　Wagon。　The　Wizard　and　Button…Bright



also　slept　out　of　doors；　and　so　did　the　Cowardly　Lion



and　Hank　the　Mule。　But　Scraps　and　the　Sawhorse　did　not



sleep　at　all　and　the　Woozy　could　stay　awake　for　a　month



at　a　time；　if　he　wished　to；　so　these　three　sat　in　a



little　group　by　themselves　and　talked　together　all



through　the　night。







In　the　darkness　the　Cowardly　Lion　felt　a　shaggy



little　form　nestling　beside　his　own；　and　he　said



sleepily：







〃Where　did　you　come　from；　Toto？〃







〃From　home；〃　said　the　dog。　〃If　you　roll　over；　roll



the　other　way；　so　you　won't　smash　me。〃







〃Does　Dorothy　know　you　are　here？〃　asked　the　Lion。







〃I　believe　not；〃　admitted　Toto；　and　he　added；　a



little　anxiously：　〃Do　you　think；　friend　Lion；　we　are



now　far　enough　from　the　Emerald　City　for　me　to　risk



showing　myself？　Or　will　Dorothy　send　me　back　because　I



wasn't　invited？〃







〃Only　Dorothy　can　answer　that　question；〃　said　the



Lion。　〃For　my　part；　Toto；　I　consider　this　affair　none



of　my　business；　so　you　must　act　as　you　think　best。〃







Then　the　huge　beast　went　to　sleep　again　and　Toto



snuggled　closer　to　his　warm；　hairy　body　and　also　slept。



He　was　a　wise　little　dog；　in　his　way；　and　didn't　intend



to　worry　when　there　was　something　much　better　to　do。







In　the　morning　the　Wizard　built　a　fire；　over　which



the　girls　cooked　a　very　good　breakfast。







Suddenly　Dorothy　discovered　Toto　sitting　quietly



before　the　fire　and　the　little　girl　exclaimed：







〃Goodness　me；　Toto！　Where　did　you　come　from？〃







〃From　the　place　you　cruelly　left　me；〃　replied



the　dog　in　a　reproachful　tone。







〃I　forgot　all　about　you；〃　admitted　Dorothy；　〃and　if　I



hadn't　I'd　prob'ly　left　you　with　Jellia　Jamb；　seeing



this　isn't　a　pleasure　trip　but　stric'ly　business。　But；



now　that　you're　here；　Toto；　I　s'pose　you'll　have　to



stay　with　us；　unless　you'd　rather　go　back　home　again。



We　may　get　ourselves　into　trouble；　before　we're　done；



Toto。〃







〃Never　mind　that；〃　said　Toto；　wagging　his　tail。　〃I'm



hungry；　Dorothy。〃







〃Breakfas'll　soon　be　ready　and　then　you　shall　have



your　share；〃　promised　his　little　mistress；　who　was



really　glad　to　have　her　dog　with　her。　She　and　Toto　had



traveled　together　before；　and　she　knew　he　was　a　good



and　faithful　comrade。







When　the　food