the scarecrow of oz-第14部分

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〃Not　when　she　knows　about　it；〃　he　replied。　〃But　those



birds　landed　us　in　just　the　wrong　place；　seems　to　me。



They　might　have　carried　us　right　on；　over　that　row　of



mountains；　to　the　Em'rald　City。〃







〃True　enough；〃　said　Cap'n　Bill；　〃but　they　didn't；　an'



so　we　must　make　the　best　of　Jinxland。　Let's　try　not　to　be



afraid。〃







〃Oh；　I'm　not　very　scared；〃　said　Button…Bright；　pausing



to　look　at　a　pink　rabbit　that　popped　its　head　out　of　a



hole　in　the　field　near　by。







〃Nor　am　I；〃　added　Trot。　〃Really；　Cap'n；　I'm　so　glad　to



be　anywhere　at　all　in　the　wonderful　fairyland　of　Oz　that



I　think　I'm　the　luckiest　girl　in　all　the　world。　Dorothy



lives　in　the　Em'rald　City；　you　know；　and　so　does　the



Scarecrow　and　the　Tin　Woodman　and　Tik…Tok　and　the　Shaggy



Man　　and　all　the　rest　of　'em　that　we've　heard　so　much



about　　not　to　mention　Ozma；　who　must　be　the　sweetest



and　loveliest　girl　in　all　the　world！〃







〃Take　your　time；　Trot；〃　advised　Button…Bright。　〃You



don't　have　to　say　it　all　in　one　breath；　you　know。　And　you



haven't　mentioned　half　of　the　curious　people　in　the



Em'rald　City。〃







〃That　'ere　Em'rald　City；〃　said　Cap'n　Bill　impressively；



〃happens　to　be　on　the　other　side　o'　those　mountains；　that



we're　told　no　one　is　able　to　cross。　I　don't　want　to



discourage　of　you；　Trot；　but　we're　a'most　as　much



separated　from　your　Ozma　an'　Dorothy　as　we　were　when　we



lived　in　Californy。〃







There　was　so　much　truth　in　this　statement　that　they　all



walked　on　in　silence　for　some　time。　Finally　they　reached



the　grove　of　stately　trees　that　bordered　the　grounds　of



the　King's　castle。　They　had　gone　halfway　through　it　when



the　sound　of　sobbing；　as　of　someone　in　bitter　distress；



reached　their　ears　and　caused　them　to　halt　abruptly。



















Chapter　Ten







Pon；　the　Gardener's　Boy











It　was　Button…Bright　who　first　discovered；　lying　on　his



face　beneath　a　broad　spreading　tree　near　the　pathway；　a



young　man　whose　body　shook　with　the　force　of　his　sobs。　He



was　dressed　in　a　long　brown　smock　and　had　sandals　on　his



feet；　betokening　one　in　humble　life。　His　head　was　bare



and　showed　a　shock　of　brown；　curly　hair。　Button…Bright



looked　down　on　the　young　man　and　said：







〃Who　cares；　anyhow？〃







〃I　do！〃　cried　the　young　man；　interrupting　his　sobs　to



roll　over；　face　upward；　that　he　might　see　who　had　spoken。



〃I　care；　for　my　heart　is　broken！〃







〃Can't　you　get　another　one？〃　asked　the　little　boy。







〃I　don't　want　another！〃　wailed　the　young　man。







By　this　time　Trot　and　Cap'n　Bill　arrived　at　the　spot



and　the　girl　leaned　over　and　said　in　a　sympathetic　voice：







〃Tell　us　your　troubles　and　perhaps　we　may　help　you。〃







The　youth　sat　up；　then；　and　bowed　politely。　Afterward



he　got　upon　his　feet；　but　still　kept　wringing　his　hands



as　he　tried　to　choke　down　his　sobs。　Trot　thought　he　was



very　brave　to　control　such　awful　agony　so　well。







〃My　name　is　Pon；〃　he　began。　〃I'm　the　gardener's　boy。〃







〃Then　the　gardener　of　the　King　is　your　father；　I



suppose；〃　said　Trot。







〃Not　my　father；　but　my　master；〃　was　the　reply







〃I　do　the　work　and　the　gardener　gives　the　orders。　And



it　was　not　my　fault；　in　the　least；　that　the　Princess



Gloria　fell　in　love　with　me。〃







〃Did　she；　really？〃　asked　the　little　girl。







〃I　don't　see　why；〃　remarked　Button…Bright；　staring　at



the　youth。







〃And　who　may　the　Princess　Gloria　be？〃　inquired　Cap'n



Bill。







〃She　is　the　niece　of　King　Krewl；　who　is　her　guardian。



The　Princess　lives　in　the　castle　and　is　the　loveliest　and



sweetest　maiden　in　all　Jinxland。　She　is　fond　of　flowers



and　used　to　walk　in　the　gardens　with　her　attendants。　At



such　times；　if　I　was　working　at　my　tasks；　I　used　to　cast



down　my　eyes　as　Gloria　passed　me；　but　one　day　I　glanced



up　and　found　her　gazing　at　me　with　a　very　tender　look　in



her　eyes。　The　next　day　she　dismissed　her　attendants　and；



coming　to　my　side；　began　to　talk　with　me。　She　said　I　had



touched　her　heart　as　no　other　young　man　had　ever　done。　I



kissed　her　hand。　Just　then　the　King　came　around　a　bend　in



the　walk。　He　struck　me　with　his　fist　and　kicked　me　with



his　foot。　Then　he　seized　the　arm　of　the　Princess　and



rudely　dragged　her　into　the　castle。〃







〃Wasn't　he　awful！〃　gasped　Trot　indignantly。







〃He　is　a　very　abrupt　King；〃　said　Pon；　〃so　it　was　the



least　I　could　expect。　Up　to　that　time　I　had　not　thought



of　loving　Princess　Gloria；　but　realizing　it　would　be



impolite　not　to　return　her　love；　I　did　so。　We　met　at



evening；　now　and　then；　and　she　told　me　the　King　wanted



her　to　marry　a　rich　courtier　named　Googly…Goo；　who　is　old



enough　to　be　Gloria's　father。　She　has　refused　Googly…Goo



thirty…nine　times；　but　he　still　persists　and　has　brought



many　rich　presents　to　bribe　the　King。　On　that　account



King　Krewl　has　commanded　his　niece　to　marry　the　old　man；



but　the　Princess　has　assured　me；　time　and　again；　that　she



will　wed　only　me。　This　morning　we　happened　to　meet　in　the



grape　arbor　and　as　I　was　respectfully　saluting　the　cheek



of　the　Princess；　two　of　the　King's　guards　seized　me　and



beat　me　terribly　before　the　very　eyes　of　Gloria；　whom　the



King　himself　held　back　so　she　could　not　interfere。〃







〃Why；　this　King　must　be　a　monster！〃　cried　Trot。







〃He　is　far　worse　than　that；〃　said　Pon；　mournfully。







〃But；　see　here；〃　interrupted　Cap'n　Bill；　who　had



listened　carefully　to　Pon。　〃This　King　may　not　be　so　much



to　blame；　after　all。　Kings　are　proud　folks；　because



they're　so　high　an'　mighty；　an'　it　isn't　reasonable　for　a



royal　Princess　to　marry　a　common　gardener's　boy。〃







〃It　isn't　right；〃　declared　Button…Bright。　〃A　Princess



should　marry　a　Prince。〃









〃I'm　not　a　common　gardener's　boy；〃　protested　Pon。　〃If　I



had　my　rights　I　would　be　the　King　instead　of　Krewl。　As　it



is；　I'm　a　Prince；　and　as　royal　as　any　man　in　Jinxland。〃







〃How　does　that　come？〃　asked　Cap'n　Bill。







〃My　father　used　to　be　the　King　and　Krewl　was　his　Prime



Minister。　But　one　day　while　out　hunting；　King　Phearse　



that　was　my　father's　name　　had　a　quarrel　with　Krewl　and



tapped　him　gently　on　the　nose　with　the　knuckles　of　his



closed　hand。　This　so　provoked　the　wicked　Krewl　that　he



tripped　my　father　backward；　so　that　he　fell　into　a　deep



pond。　At　once　Krewl　threw　in　a　mass　of　heavy　stones；



which　so　weighted　down　my　poor　father　that　his　body　could



not　rise　again　to　the　surface。　It　is　impossible　to　kill



anyone　in　this　land；　as　perhaps　you　know；　but　when　my



father　was　pressed　down　into　the　mud　at　the　bottom　of　the



deep　pool　and　the　stones　held　him　so　he　could　never



escape；　he　was　of　no　more　use　to　himself　or　the　world



than　if　he　had　died。　Knowing　this；　Krewl　proclaimed



himself　King；　taking　possession　of　the　royal　castle　and



driving　all　my　father's　people　out。　I　was　a　small　boy；



then；　but　when　I　grew　up　I　became　a　gardener。　I　have



served　King　Krewl　without　his　knowing　that　I　am　the　son



of　the　same　King　Phearse　whom　he　so　cruelly　made　away



with。〃







〃My；　but　that's　a　terr'bly　exciting　story！〃　said　Trot；



drawing　a　long　breath。　〃But　tell　us；　Pon；　who　was



Gloria's　father？〃







〃Oh；　he　was　the　King　before　my　father；〃　replied　Pon。



〃Father　was　Prime　Minister　for　King　Kynd；　who　was



Gloria's　father。　She　was　only　a　baby　when　King　Kynd　fell



into　the　Great　Gulf　that　lies　just　this　side　of　the



mountains　　the　same　mountains　that　separate　Jinxland



from　the　rest　of　the　Land　of　Oz。　It　is　said　the　Great



Gulf　has　no　bottom；　but；　however　that　may　be；　King　Kynd



has　never　been　seen　again　and　my　father　became　King　in



his　place。〃







〃Seems　to　me；〃　said　Trot；　〃that　if　Gloria　had　her



rights　she　would　be　Queen　of　Jinxland。〃







〃Well；　her　father　was　a　King；〃　admitted　Pon；　〃and　so



was　my　father；　so　we　are　of　equal　rank；　although　she's　a



great　lady　and　I'm　a　humble　gardener's　boy。　I　can't　see



why　we　should　not　marry　if　we　want　to　except　that　King



Krewl　won't　let　us。〃







〃It's　a　sort　of　mixed…up　mess；　taken　altogether；〃



remarked　Cap'n　Bill。　〃But　we　are　on　our　way　to　visit　King



Krewl；　and　if　we　get　a　chance；　young　man；　we'll　put　in　a



good　word　for　you。〃







〃Do；　please！〃　begged　Pon。







〃Was　it　the　flogging　you　got　that　broke　your　heart？〃



inquired　Button…Bright。







〃Why；　it　helped　to　break　it；　of　course；〃　said　Pon。







〃I'd　get　it　fixed　up；　if　I　were　you；〃　advised　the　boy；



tossing　a　pebble　at　a　chipmunk　in　a　tree。　〃You　ought　to



give　Gloria　just　as　good　a　heart　as　she　gives　you。〃







〃That's　common　sense；〃　agreed　Cap'n　Bill。　So　they　left



the　gardener's　boy　standing　beside　the　path；　and　resumed



their　journey　toward　the　castle。



















Chapter　Eleven







The　Wicked　King　and　Googly…Goo











When　our　friends　approached　the　great　doorway　of　the



castle　they　found　it　guarded　by　several　soldiers　dressed



in　splendid　uniforms。　They　were　armed　with　swords　and



lances。　Cap'n　Bill　walked　straight　up　to　them　and　asked：







〃Does　the　King　happen　to　be　at　home？〃







〃His　Magnificent　and　Glorious　Majesty；　King　Krewl；　is



at　present　inhabiting　his　Royal　Castle；〃　was　the　stiff



reply。







〃Then　I　guess　we'll　go　in　an'　say　how…d'ye…do；〃



conti