the scarecrow of oz-第20部分

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came　to　the　grove　she　passed　through　it　and　continued　on。







Pon　and　Trot　had　reached　a　place　less　than　half　a　mile



from　the　witch's　house　when　they　saw　Gloria　walking



toward　them。　The　Princess　moved　with　great　dignity　and



with　no　show　of　haste　whatever；　holding　her　head　high　and



looking　neither　to　right　nor　left。







Pon　rushed　forward；　holding　out　his　arms　as　if　to



embrace　her　and　calling　her　sweet　names。　But　Gloria　gazed



upon　him　coldly　and　repelled　him　with　a　haughty　gesture。



At　this　the　poor　gardener's　boy　sank　upon　his　knees　and



hid　his　face　in　his　arms；　weeping　bitter　tears；　but　the



Princess　was　not　at　all　moved　by　his　distress。　Passing



him　by；　she　drew　her　skirts　aside；　as　if　unwilling　they



should　touch　him；　and　then　she　walked　up　the　path　a　way



and　hesitated；　as　if　uncertain　where　to　go　next。







Trot　was　grieved　by　Pon's　sobs　and　indignant　because



Gloria　treated　him　so　badly。　But　she　remembered　why。







〃I　guess　your　heart　is　frozen；　all　right；〃　she　said　to



the　Princess。　Gloria　nodded　gravely；　in　reply；　and　then



turned　her　back　upon　the　little　girl。　〃Can't　you　like



even　me？〃　asked　Trot；　half　pleadingly。







〃No；〃　said　Gloria。







〃Your　voice　sounds　like　a　refrig'rator；〃　sighed　the



little　girl。　〃I'm　awful　sorry　for　you；　'cause　you　were



sweet　an'　nice　to　me　before　this　happened。　You　can't　help



it；　of　course；　but　it's　a　dreadful　thing；　jus'　the　same。〃







〃My　heart　is　frozen　to　all　mortal　loves；〃　announced



Gloria；　calmly。　〃I　do　not　love　even　myself。〃







〃That's　too　bad；〃　said　Trot；　〃for；　if　you　can't　love



anybody；　you　can't　expect　anybody　to　love　you。〃







〃I　do！〃　cried　Pon。　〃I　shall　always　love　her。〃







〃Well；　you're　just　a　gardener's　boy；〃　replied　Trot；



〃and　I　didn't　think　you　'mounted　to　much；　from　the　first。



I　can　love　the　old　Princess　Gloria；　with　a　warm　heart　an'



nice　manners；　but　this　one　gives　me　the　shivers。〃







〃It's　her　icy　heart；　that's　all；〃　said　Pon。







〃That's　enough；〃　insisted　Trot。　〃Seeing　her　heart　isn't



big　enough　to　skate　on；　I　can't　see　that　she's　of　any　use



to　anyone。　For　my　part；　I'm　goin'　to　try　to　find　Button…



Bright　an'　Cap'n　Bill。〃







〃I　will　go　with　you；〃　decided　Pon。　〃It　is　evident　that



Gloria　no　longer　loves　me　and　that　her　heart　is　frozen



too　stiff　for　me　to　melt　it　with　my　own　love；　therefore　I



may　as　well　help　you　to　find　your　friends。〃







As　Trot　started　off；　Pon　cast　one　more　imploring　look



at　the　Princess；　who　returned　it　with　a　chilly　stare。　So



he　followed　after　the　little　girl。







As　for　the　Princess；　she　hesitated　a　moment　and　then



turned　in　the　same　direction　the　others　had　taken；　but



going　far　more　slowly。　Soon　she　heard　footsteps　pattering



behind　her；　and　up　came　Googly…Goo。　a　little　out　of



breath　with　running。







〃Stop；　Gloria！〃　he　cried。　〃I　have　come　to　take　you　back



to　my　mansion；　where　we　are　to　be　married。〃







She　looked　at　him　wonderingly　a　moment；　then　tossed　her



head　disdainfully　and　walked　on。　But　Googly…Goo　kept



beside　her。







〃What　does　this　mean？〃　he　demanded。　〃Haven't　you



discovered　that　you　no　longer　love　that　gardener's　boy；



who　stood　in　my　way？〃







〃Yes；　I　have　discovered　it；〃　she　replied。　〃My　heart　is



frozen　to　all　mortal　loves。　I　cannot　love　you；　or　Pon；　or



the　cruel　King　my　uncle；　or　even　myself。　Go　your　way；



Googly…Goo；　for　I　will　wed　no　one　at　all。〃







He　stopped　in　dismay　when　he　heard　this；　but　in　another



minute　he　exclaimed　angrily：







〃You　must　wed　me；　Princess　Gloria；　whether　you　want　to



or　not！　I　paid　to　have　your　heart　frozen；　I　also　paid　the



King　to　permit　our　marriage。　If　you　now　refuse　me　it　will



mean　that　I　have　been　robbed　　robbed　　robbed　of　my



precious　money　and　jewels！〃







He　almost　wept　with　despair；　but　she　laughed　a　cold；



bitter　laugh　and　passed　on。　Googly…Goo　caught　at　her　arm；



as　if　to　restrain　her；　but　she　whirled　and　dealt　him　a



blow　that　sent　him　reeling　into　a　ditch　beside　the　path。



Here　he　lay　for　a　long　time；　half　covered　by　muddy　water；



dazed　with　surprise。







Finally　the　old　courtier　arose；　dripping；　and　climbed



from　the　ditch。　The　Princess　had　gone；　so；　muttering



threats　of　vengeance　upon　her；　upon　the　King　and　upon



Blinkie；　old　Googly…Goo　hobbled　back　to　his　mansion　to



have　the　mud　removed　from　his　costly　velvet　clothes。



















Chapter　Fifteen







Trot　Meets　the　Scarecrow











Trot　and　Pon　covered　many　leagues　of　ground；　searching



through　forests；　in　fields　and　in　many　of　the　little



villages　of　Jinxland；　but　could　find　no　trace　of　either



Cap'n　Bill　or　Button…Bright。　Finally　they　paused　beside　a



cornfield　and　sat　upon　a　stile　to　rest。　Pon　took　some



apples　from　his　pocket　and　gave　one　to　Trot。　Then　he



began　eating　another　himself；　for　this　was　their　time　for



luncheon。　When　his　apple　was　finished　Pon　tossed　the　core



into　the　field。







〃Tchuk…tchuk！〃　said　a　strange　voice。　〃what　do　you　mean



by　hitting　me　in　the　eye　with　an　apple…core？〃







Then　rose　up　the　form　of　the　Scarecrow；　who　had　hidden



himself　in　the　cornfield　while　he　examined　Pon　and　Trot



and　decided　whether　they　were　worthy　to　be　helped。







〃Excuse　me；〃　said　Pon。　〃I　didn't　know　you　were　there。〃







〃How　did　you　happen　to　be　there；　anyhow？〃　asked　Trot。







The　Scarecrow　came　forward　with　awkward　steps　and　stood



beside　them。







〃Ah；　you　are　the　gardener's　boy；〃　he　said　to　Pon。　Then



he　turned　to　Trot。　〃And　you　are　the　little　girl　who　came



to　Jinxland　riding　on　a　big　bird；　and　who　has　had　the



misfortune　to　lose　her　friend；　Cap'n　Bill；　and　her　chum；



Button…Bright。〃







〃Why；　how　did　you　know　all　that？〃　she　inquired。







〃I　know　a　lot　of　things；〃　replied　the　Scarecrow；



winking　at　her　comically。　〃My　brains　are　the　Carefully…



Assorted；　Double…Distilled；　High…Efficiency　sort　that　the



Wizard　of　Oz　makes。　He　admits；　himself；　that　my　brains



are　the　best　he　ever　manufactured。〃







〃I　think　I've　heard　of　you；〃　said　Trot　slowly；　as　she



looked　the　Scarecrow　over　with　much　interest；　〃but　you



used　to　live　in　the　Land　of　Oz。〃







〃Oh；　I　do　now；〃　he　replied　cheerfully。　〃I've　just　come



over　the　mountains　from　the　Quadling　Country　to　see　if　I



can　be　of　any　help　to　you。〃







〃Who；　me？〃　asked　Pon。







〃No；　the　strangers　from　the　big　world。　It　seems　they



need　looking　after。〃







〃I'm　doing　that　myself；〃　said　Pon；　a　little



ungraciously。　〃If　you　will　pardon　me　for　saying　so；　I



don't　see　how　a　Scarecrow　with　painted　eyes　can　look



after　anyone。〃







〃If　you　don't　see　that；　you　are　more　blind　than　the



Scarecrow；〃　asserted　Trot。　〃He's　a　fairy　man；　Pon；　and



comes　from　the　fairyland　of　Oz；　so　he　can　do　'most



anything。　I　hope；〃　she　added；　turning　to　the　Scarecrow；



〃you　can　find　Cap'n　Bill　for　me。〃







〃I　will　try；　anyhow；〃　he　promised。　〃But　who　is　that　old



woman　who　is　running　toward　us　and　shaking　her　stick　at



us？〃







Trot　and　Pon　turned　around　and　both　uttered　an



exclamation　of　fear。　The　next　instant　they　took　to　their



heels　and　ran　fast　up　the　path。　For　it　was　old　Blinkie；



the　Wicked　Witch；　who　had　at　last　traced　them　to　this



place。　Her　anger　was　so　great　that　she　was　determined　not



to　abandon　the　chase　of　Pon　and　Trot　until　she　had　caught



and　punished　them。　The　Scarecrow　understood　at　once　that



the　old　woman　meant　harm　to　his　new　friends；　so　as　she



drew　near　he　stepped　before　her。　His　appearance　was　so



sudden　and　unexpected　that　Blinkie　ran　into　him　and



toppled　him　over；　but　she　tripped　on　his　straw　body　and



went　rolling　in　the　path　beside　him。







The　Scarecrow　sat　up　and　said：　〃I　beg　your　pardon！〃　but



she　whacked　him　with　her　stick　and　knocked　him　flat



again。　Then；　furious　with　rage；　the　old　witch　sprang　upon



her　victim　and　began　pulling　the　straw　out　of　his　body。



The　poor　Scarecrow　was　helpless　to　resist　and　in　a　few



moments　all　that　was　left　of　him　was　an　empty　suit　of



clothes　and　a　heap　of　straw　beside　it。　Fortunately；



Blinkie　did　not　harm　his　head；　for　it　rolled　into　a



little　hollow　and　escaped　her　notice。　Fearing　that　Pon



and　Trot　would　escape　her；　she　quickly　resumed　the　chase



and　disappeared　over　the　brow　of　a　hill；　following　the



direction　in　which　she　had　seen　them　go。







Only　a　short　time　elapsed　before　a　gray　grasshopper



with　a　wooden　leg　came　hopping　along　and　lit　directly　on



the　upturned　face　of　the　Scarecrow's　head。







〃Pardon　me；　but　you　are　resting　yourself　upon　my　nose；〃



remarked　the　Scarecrow







〃Oh！　are　you　alive？〃　asked　the　grasshopper。







〃That　is　a　question　I　have　never　been　able　to　decide；〃



said　the　Scarecrow's　head。　〃When　my　body　is　properly



stuffed　I　have　animation　and　can　move　around　as　well　as



any　live　person。　The　brains　in　the　head　you　are　now



occupying　as　a　throne；　are　of　very　superior　quality　and



do　a　lot　of　very　clever　thinking。　But　whether　that　is



being　alive；　or　not；　I　cannot　prove　to　you；　for　one　who



lives　is　liable　to　death；　while　I　am　only　liable　to



destruction。〃







〃Seems　to　me；〃　said　the　grasshopper；　rubbing　his　nose



with　his　front　legs；　〃that　in　your　case　it　doesn't　matter



　unless　you're　destroyed　already。〃







〃I　am　not；　a