the scarecrow of oz-第15部分

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reply。







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



continued　Cap'n　Bill；　attempting　to　enter　the　doorway。



But　a　soldier　barred　his　way　with　a　lance。







〃Who　are　you；　what　are　your　names；　and　where



do　you　come　from？〃　demanded　the　soldier。







〃You　wouldn't　know　if　we　told　you；〃　returned　the



sailor；　〃seein'　as　we're　strangers　in　a　strange　land。〃







〃Oh；　if　you　are　strangers　you　will　be　permitted　to



enter；〃　said　the　soldier；　lowering　his　lance。　〃His



Majesty　is　very　fond　of　strangers。〃







〃Do　many　strangers　come　here？〃　asked　Trot。







〃You　are　the　first　that　ever　came　to　our　country；〃　said



the　man。　〃But　his　Majesty　has　often　said　that　if



strangers　ever　arrived　in　Jinxland　he　would　see　that　they



had　a　very　exciting　time。〃







Cap'n　Bill　scratched　his　chin　thoughtfully。　He　wasn't



very　favorably　impressed　by　this　last　remark。　But　he



decided　that　as　there　was　no　way　of　escape　from　Jinxland



it　would　be　wise　to　confront　the　King　boldly　and　try　to



win　his　favor。　So　they　entered　the　castle；　escorted　by



one　of　the　soldiers。







It　was　certainly　a　fine　castle；　with　many　large　rooms；



all　beautifully　furnished。　The　passages　were　winding　and



handsomely　decorated；　and　after　following　several　of



these　the　soldier　led　them　into　an　open　court　that



occupied　the　very　center　of　the　huge　building。　It　was



surrounded　on　every　side　by　high　turreted　walls；　and



contained　beds　of　flowers；　fountains　and　walks　of　many



colored　marbles　which　were　matched　together　in　quaint



designs。　In　an　open　space　near　the　middle　of　the　court



they　saw　a　group　of　courtiers　and　their　ladies；　who



surrounded　a　lean　man　who　wore　upon　his　head　a　jeweled



crown。　His　face　was　hard　and　sullen　and　through　the　slits



of　his　half…closed　eyelids　the　eyes　glowed　like　coals　of



fire。　He　was　dressed　in　brilliant　satins　and　velvets　and



was　seated　in　a　golden　throne…chair。







This　personage　was　King　Krewl；　and　as　soon　as　Cap'n



Bill　saw　him　the　old　sailor　knew　at　once　that　he　was　not



going　to　like　the　King　of　Jinxland。







〃Hello！　who's　here？〃　said　his　Majesty；　with　a　deep



scowl。







〃Strangers；　Sire；〃　answered　the　soldier；　bowing　so　low



that　his　forehead　touched　the　marble　tiles。







〃Strangers；　eh？　Well；　well；　what　an　unexpected　visit！



Advance；　strangers；　and　give　an　account　of　yourselves。〃







The　King's　voice　was　as　harsh　as　his　features。　Trot



shuddered　a　little　but　Cap'n　Bill　calmly　replied：







〃There　ain't　much　for　us　to　say；　'cept　as　we've　arrived



to　look　over　your　country　an'　see　how　we　like　it。　Judgin'



from　the　way　you　speak；　you　don't　know　who　we　are；　or



you'd　be　jumpin'　up　to　shake　hands　an'　offer　us　seats。



Kings　usually　treat　us　pretty　well；　in　the　great　big



Outside　World　where　we　come　from；　but　in　this　little



kingdom　　which　don't　amount　to　much；　anyhow　　folks



don't　seem　to　'a'　got　much　culchure。〃







The　King　listened　with　amazement　to　this　bold　speech；



first　with　a　frown　and　then　gazing　at　the　two　children



and　the　old　sailor　with　evident　curiosity。　The　courtiers



were　dumb　with　fear；　for　no　one　had　ever　dared　speak　in



such　a　manner　to　their　self…willed；　cruel　King　before。



His　Majesty；　however；　was　somewhat　frightened；　for　cruel



people　are　always　cowards；　and　he　feared　these　mysterious



strangers　might　possess　magic　powers　that　would　destroy



him　unless　he　treated　them　well。　So　he　commanded　his



people　to　give　the　new　arrivals　seats；　and　they　obeyed



with　trembling　haste。







After　being　seated；　Cap'n　Bill　lighted　his　pipe　and



began　puffing　smoke　from　it；　a　sight　so　strange　to　them



that　it　filled　them　all　with　wonder。　Presently　the　King



asked：







〃How　did　you　penetrate　to　this　hidden　country？　Did　you



cross　the　desert　or　the　mountains？〃







〃Desert；〃　answered　Cap'n　Bill；　as　if　the　task　were　too



easy　to　be　worth　talking　about。







〃Indeed！　No　one　has　ever　been　able　to　do　that　before；〃



said　the　King。







〃Well；　it's　easy　enough；　if　you　know　how；〃　asserted



Cap'n　Bill；　so　carelessly　that　it　greatly　impressed　his



hearers。　The　King　shifted　in　his　throne　uneasily。　He　was



more　afraid　of　these　strangers　than　before。







〃Do　you　intend　to　stay　long　in　Jinxland？〃　was　his　next



anxious　question。







〃Depends　on　how　we　like　it；〃　said　Cap'n　Bill。　〃Just　now



I　might　suggest　to　your　Majesty　to　order　some　rooms　got



ready　for　us　in　your　dinky　little　castle　here。　And　a



royal　banquet；　with　some　fried　onions　an'　pickled　tripe；



would　set　easy　on　our　stomicks　an'　make　us　a　bit　happier



than　we　are　now。〃







〃Your　wishes　shall　be　attended　to；〃　said　King　Krewl；



but　his　eyes　flashed　from　between　their　slits　in　a　wicked



way　that　made　Trot　hope　the　food　wouldn't　be　poisoned。　At



the　King's　command　several　of　his　attendants　hastened



away　to　give　the　proper　orders　to　the　castle　servants　and



no　sooner　were　they　gone　than　a　skinny　old　man　entered



the　courtyard　and　bowed　before　the　King。







This　disagreeable　person　was　dressed　in　rich　velvets；



with　many　furbelows　and　laces。　He　was　covered　with　golden



chains；　finely　wrought　rings　and　jeweled　ornaments。　He



walked　with　mincing　steps　and　glared　at　all　the　courtiers



as　if　he　considered　himself　far　superior　to　any　or　all　of



them。







〃Well；　well；　your　Majesty；　what　news　　what　news？〃　he



demanded；　in　a　shrill；　cracked　voice。







The　King　gave　him　a　surly　look。







〃No　news；　Lord　Googly…Goo；　except　that　strangers　have



arrived；〃　he　said。







Googly…Goo　cast　a　contemptuous　glance　at　Cap'n　Bill　and



a　disdainful　one　at　Trot　and　Button…Bright。　Then　he　said：







〃Strangers　do　not　interest　me；　your　Majesty。　But　the



Princess　Gloria　is　very　interesting　　very　interesting；



indeed！　　What　does　she　say；　Sire？　　Will　she　marry　me？〃







〃Ask　her；〃　retorted　the　King。







〃I　have；　many　times；　and　every　time　she　has　refused。〃







〃Well？〃　said　the　King　harshly。







〃Well；〃　said　Googly…Goo　in　a　jaunty　tone；　〃a　bird



that　can　sing；　and　won't　sing；　must　be　made　to　sing。〃







〃Huh！〃　sneered　the　King。　〃That's　easy；　with　a　bird；　but



a　girl　is　harder　to　manage。〃







〃Still；〃　persisted　Googly…Goo；　〃we　must　overcome



difficulties。　The　chief　trouble　is　that　Gloria　fancies



she　loves　that　miserable　gardener's　boy；　Pon。　Suppose　we



throw　Pon　into　the　Great　Gulf；　your　Majesty？〃







〃It　would　do　you　no　good；〃　returned　the　King。　〃She



would　still　love　him。〃







〃Too　bad；　too　bad！〃　sighed　Googly…Goo。　〃I　have　laid



aside　more　than　a　bushel　of　precious　gems　each　worth　a



king's　ransom　　to　present　to　your　Majesty　on　the　day　I



wed　Gloria。〃







The　King's　eyes　sparkled；　for　he　loved　wealth　above



everything；　but　the　next　moment　he　frowned　deeply　again。







〃It　won't　help　us　to　kill　Pon；〃　he　muttered。　〃What　we



must　do　is　kill　Gloria's　love　for　Pon。〃







〃That　is　better；　if　you　can　find　a　way　to　do　it；〃



agreed　Googly…Goo。　〃Everything　would　come　right　if　you



could　kill　Gloria's　love　for　that　gardener's　boy。　Really；



Sire；　now　that　I　come　to　think　of　it；　there　must　be　fully



a　bushel　and　a　half　of　those　jewels！〃







Just　then　a　messenger　entered　the　court　to　say　that　the



banquet　was　prepared　for　the　strangers。　So　Cap'n　Bill；



Trot　and　Button…Bright　entered　the　castle　and　were　taken



to　a　room　where　a　fine　feast　was　spread　upon　the　table。







〃I　don't　like　that　Lord　Googly…Goo；〃　remarked　Trot　as



she　was　busily　eating。







〃Nor　I；〃　said　Cap'n　Bill。　〃But　from　the　talk　we　heard　I



guess　the　gardener's　boy　won't　get　the　Princess。〃







〃Perhaps　not；〃　returned　the　girl；　〃but　I　hope　old



Googly　doesn't　get　her；　either。〃







〃The　King　means　to　sell　her　for　all　those　jewels；〃



observed　Button…Bright；　his　mouth　half　full　of　cake　and



jam。







〃Poor　Princess！〃　sighed　Trot。　〃I'm　sorry　for　her；



although　I've　never　seen　her。　But　if　she　says　no　to



Googly…Goo；　and　means　it；　what　can　they　do？〃







〃Don't　let　us　worry　about　a　strange　Princess；〃　advised



Cap'n　Bill。　〃I've　a　notion　we're　not　too　safe；　ourselves；



with　this　cruel　King。〃







The　two　children　felt　the　same　way　and　all　three　were



rather　solemn　during　the　remainder　of　the　meal。







When　they　had　eaten；　the　servants　escorted　them　to



their　rooms。　Cap'n　Bill's　room　was　way　to　one　end　of　the



castle；　very　high　up；　and　Trot's　room　was　at　the　opposite



end；　rather　low　down。　As　for　Button…Bright；　they　placed



him　in　the　middle；　so　that　all　were　as　far　apart　as　they



could　possibly　be。　They　didn't　like　this　arrangement　very



well；　but　all　the　rooms　were　handsomely　furnished　and



being　guests　of　the　King　they　dared　not　complain。







After　the　strangers　had　left　the　courtyard　the　King　and



Googly…Goo　had　a　long　talk　together；　and　the　King　said：







〃I　cannot　force　Gloria　to　marry　you　just　now；　because



those　strangers　may　interfere。　I　suspect　that　the　wooden…



legged　man　possesses　great　magical　powers；　or　he　would



never　have　been　able　to　carry　himself　and　those　children



across　the　deadly　desert。〃







〃I　don't　like　him；　he　looks　dangerous；〃　answered



Googly…Goo。　〃But　perhaps　you　are　mistaken　about　his　being



a　wizard。　Why　don't　you　test　his　powers？〃







〃How？〃　asked　the　King。







〃Send　for　t