the scarecrow of oz-第22部分

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〃To　the　Scarecrow；〃　he　replied。







Some　of　the　courtiers　began　to　titter；　but　King　Krewl



was　greatly　annoyed。　He　sprang　up　and　began　to　beat　poor



Pon　with　the　golden　staff　he　carried。　Pon　howled　lustily



and　would　have　run　away　had　not　two　of　the　soldiers　held



him　until　his　Majesty　was　exhausted　with　punishing　the



boy。　Then　they　let　him　go　and　he　left　the　castle　and



returned　along　the　road；　sobbing　at　every　step　because



his　body　was　so　sore　and　aching。







〃Well；〃　said　the　Scarecrow；　〃did　the　King　surrender？〃







〃No；　but　he　gave　me　a　good　drubbing！〃　sobbed　poor　Pon。







Trot　was　very　sorry　for　Pon；　but　Gloria　did　not　seem



affected　in　any　way　by　her　lover's　anguish。　The



grasshopper　leaped　to　the　Scarecrow's　shoulder　and　asked



him　what　he　was　going　to　do　next。







〃Conquer；〃　was　the　reply。　〃But　I　will　go　alone；　this



time；　for　beatings　cannot　hurt　me　at　all；　nor　can　lance



thrusts　　or　sword　cuts　　or　arrow　pricks。〃







〃Why　is　that？〃　inquired　Trot。







〃Because　I　have　no　nerves；　such　as　you　meat　people



possess。　Even　grasshoppers　have　nerves；　but　straw



doesn't；　so　whatever　they　do　　except　just　one　thing　



they　cannot　injure　me。　Therefore　I　expect　to　conquer　King



Krewl　with　ease。〃







〃What　is　that　one　thing　you　excepted？〃　asked　Trot。







〃They　will　never　think　of　it；　so　never　mind。　And　now；



if　you　will　kindly　excuse　me　for　a　time；　I'll　go　over　to



the　castle　and　do　my　conquering。〃







〃You　have　no　weapons；〃　Pon　reminded　him。







〃True；〃　said　the　Scarecrow。　〃But　if　I　carried　weapons　I



might　injure　someone　　perhaps　seriously　　and　that



would　make　me　unhappy。　I　will　just　borrow　that　riding…



whip；　which　I　see　in　the　corner　of　your　hut；　if　you　don't



mind。　It　isn't　exactly　proper　to　walk　with　a　riding…whip；



but　I　trust　you　will　excuse　the　inconsistency。〃







Pon　handed　him　the　whip　and　the　Scarecrow　bowed　to　all



the　party　and　left　the　hut；　proceeding　leisurely　along



the　way　to　the　King's　castle。



















Chapter　Seventeen







The　Ork　Rescues　Button…Bright











I　must　now　tell　you　what　had　become　of　Button…Bright



since　he　wandered　away　in　the　morning　and　got　lost。　This



small　boy；　as　perhaps　you　have　discovered；　was　almost　as



destitute　of　nerves　as　the　Scarecrow。　Nothing　ever



astonished　him　much；　nothing　ever　worried　him　or　made　him



unhappy。　Good　fortune　or　bad　fortune　he　accepted　with　a



quiet　smile；　never　complaining；　whatever　happened。　This



was　one　reason　why　Button…Bright　was　a　favorite　with　all



who　knew　him　　and　perhaps　it　was　the　reason　why　he　so



often　got　into　difficulties；　or　found　himself　lost。







To…day；　as　he　wandered　here　and　there；　over　hill　and



down　dale；　he　missed　Trot　and　Cap'n　Bill；　of　whom　he　was



fond；　but　nevertheless　he　was　not　unhappy。　The　birds　sang



merrily　and　the　wildflowers　were　beautiful　and　the　breeze



had　a　fragrance　of　new…mown　hay







〃The　only　bad　thing　about　this　country　is　its　King；〃　he



reflected；　〃but　the　country　isn't　to　blame　for　that。〃







A　prairie…dog　stuck　its　round　head　out　of　a　mound　of



earth　and　looked　at　the　boy　with　bright　eyes。







〃Walk　around　my　house；　please；〃　it　said；　〃and　then　you



won't　harm　it　or　disturb　the　babies。〃







〃All　right；〃　answered　Button…Bright；　and　took　care　not



to　step　on　the　mound。　He　went　on；　whistling　merrily；



until　a　petulant　voice　cried：







〃Oh；　stop　it！　Please　stop　that　noise。　It　gets　on　my



nerves。〃







Button…Bright　saw　an　old　gray　owl　sitting　in　the　crotch



of　a　tree；　and　he　replied　with　a　laugh：　〃All　right；　old



Fussy；〃　and　stopped　whistling　until　he　had　passed　out　of



the　owl's　hearing。　At　noon　he　came　to　a　farmhouse　where



an　aged　couple　lived。　They　gave　him　a　good　dinner　and



treated　him　kindly；　but　the　man　was　deaf　and　the　woman



was　dumb；　so　they　could　answer　no　questions　to　guide　him



on　the　way　to　Pon's　house。　When　he　left　them　he　was　just



as　much　lost　as　he　had　been　before。







Every　grove　of　trees　he　saw　from　a　distance　he　visited；



for　he　remembered　that　the　King's　castle　was　near　a　grove



of　trees　and　Pon's　hut　was　near　the　King's　castle；　but



always　he　met　with　disappointment。　Finally；　passing



through　one　of　these　groves；　he　came　out　into　the　open



and　found　himself　face　to　face　with　the　Ork。







〃Hello！〃　said　Button…Bright。　〃Where　did　you　come　from？〃







〃From　Orkland；〃　was　the　reply。　〃I've　found　my　own



country；　at　last；　and　it　is　not　far　from　here；　either。　I



would　have　come　back　to　you　sooner；　to　see　how　you　are



getting　along；　had　not　my　family　and　friends　welcomed　my



return　so　royally　that　a　great　celebration　was　held　in　my



honor。　So　I　couldn't　very　well　leave　Orkland　again　until



the　excitement　was　over。〃







〃Can　you　find　your　way　back　home　again？〃　asked　the　boy。







〃Yes；　easily；　for　now　I　know　exactly　where　it　is。　But



where　are　Trot　and　Cap'n　Bill？〃







Button…Bright　related　to　the　Ork　their　adventures　since



it　had　left　them　in　Jinxland；　telling　of　Trot's　fear　that



the　King　had　done　something　wicked　to　Cap'n　Bill；　and　of



Pon's　love　for　Gloria；　and　how　Trot　and　Button…Bright　had



been　turned　out　of　the　King's　castle。　That　was　all　the



news　that　the　boy　had；　but　it　made　the　Ork　anxious　for



the　safety　of　his　friends。







〃We　must　go　to　them　at　once；　for　they　may　need　us；〃　he



said。







〃I　don't　know　where　to　go；〃　confessed　Button…Bright。



〃I'm　lost。〃







〃Well；　I　can　take　you　back　to　the　hut　of　the　gardener's



boy；〃　promised　the　Ork；　〃for　when　I　fly　high　in　the　air　I



can　look　down　and　easily　spy　the　King's　castle。　That　was



how　I　happened　to　spy　you；　just　entering　the　grove；　so　I



flew　down　and　waited　until　you　came　out。〃







〃How　can　you　carry　me？〃　asked　the　boy。







〃You'll　have　to　sit　straddle　my　shoulders　and　put　your



arms　around　my　neck。　Do　you　think　you　can　keep　from



falling　off？〃







〃I'll　try；〃　said　Button…Bright。　So　the　Ork　squatted



down　and　the　boy　took　his　seat　and　held　on　tight。　Then



the　skinny　creature's　tail　began　whirling　and　up　they



went；　far　above　all　the　tree…tops。







After　the　Ork　had　circled　around　once　or　twice；　its



sharp　eyes　located　the　towers　of　the　castle　and　away　it



flew；　straight　toward　the　place。　As　it　hovered　in　the



air；　near　by　the　castle；　Button…Bright　pointed　out　Pon's



hut；　so　they　landed　just　before　it　and　Trot　came　running



out　to　greet　them。









Gloria　was　introduced　to　the　Ork；　who　was　surprised



to　find　Cap'n　Bill　transformed　into　a　grasshopper。







〃How　do　you　like　it？〃　asked　the　creature。







〃Why；　it　worries　me　good　deal；〃　answered　Cap'n　Bill；



perched　upon　Trot's　shoulder。　〃I'm　always　afraid　o'　bein'



stepped　on；　and　I　don't　like　the　flavor　of　grass　an'



can't　seem　to　get　used　to　it。　It's　my　nature　to　eat



grass；　you　know；　but　I　begin　to　suspect　it's　an　acquired



taste。〃







〃Can　you　give　molasses？〃　asked　the　Ork。







〃I　guess　I'm　not　that　kind　of　a　grasshopper；〃　replied



Cap'n　Bill。　〃But　I　can't　say　what　I　might　do　if　I　was



squeezed　　which　I　hope　I　won't　be。〃







〃Well；〃　said　the　Ork；　〃it's　a　great　pity；　and　I'd　like



to　meet　that　cruel　King　and　his　Wicked　Witch　and　punish



them　both　severely。　You're　awfully　small；　Cap'n　Bill；　but



I　think　I　would　recognize　you　anywhere　by　your　wooden



leg。〃







Then　the　Ork　and　Button…Bright　were　told　all　about



Gloria's　frozen　heart　and　how　the　Scarecrow　had　come　from



the　Land　of　Oz　to　help　them。　The　Ork　seemed　rather



disturbed　when　it　learned　that　the　Scarecrow　had　gone



alone　to　conquer　King　Krewl。







〃I'm　afraid　he'll　make　a　fizzle　of　it；〃　said　the　skinny



creature；　〃and　there's　no　telling　what　that　terrible　King



might　do　to　the　poor　Scarecrow；　who　seems　like　a　very



interesting　person。　So　I　believe　I'll　take　a　hand　in　this



conquest　myself。〃







〃How？〃　asked　Trot。







〃Wait　and　see；〃　was　the　reply。　〃But；　first　of　all；　I



must　fly　home　again　　back　to　my　own　country　　so　if



you'll　forgive　my　leaving　you　so　soon；　I'll　be　off　at



once。　Stand　away　from　my　tail；　please；　so　that　the　wind



from　it；　when　it　revolves；　won't　knock　you　over。〃







They　gave　the　creature　plenty　of　room　and　away　it　went



like　a　flash　and　soon　disappeared　in　the　sky。







〃I　wonder；〃　said　Button…Bright；　looking　solemnly　after



the　Ork；　〃whether　he'll　ever　come　back　again。〃







〃Of　course　he　will！〃　returned　Trot。　〃The　Ork's　a　pretty



good　fellow；　and　we　can　depend　on　him。　An'　mark　my　words；



Button…Bright；　whenever　our　Ork　does　come　back；　there's



one　cruel　King　in　Jinxland　that'll　wish　he　hadn't。〃



















Chapter　Eighteen







The　Scarecrow　Meets　an　Enemy











The　Scarecrow　was　not　a　bit　afraid　of　King　Krewl。



Indeed；　he　rather　enjoyed　the　prospect　of　conquering　the



evil　King　and　putting　Gloria　on　the　throne　of　Jinxland　in



his　place。　So　he　advanced　boldly　to　the　royal　castle　and



demanded　admittance。







Seeing　that　he　was　a　stranger；　the　soldiers　allowed　him



to　enter。　He　made　his　way　straight　to　the　throne　room；



where　at　that　time　his　Majesty　was　settling　the　disputes



among　his　subjects。







〃Who　are　you？〃　demanded　the　King。







〃I'm　the　Scarecrow　of　Oz；　and　I　command　you　to