the scarecrow of oz-第23部分

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



surrender　yourself　my　prisoner。〃







〃Why　should　I　do　that？　〃　inquired　the　King；　much



astonished　at　the　straw　man's　audacity。







〃Because　I've　decided　you　are　too　cruel　a　King　to　rule



so　beautiful　a　country。　You　must　remember　that　Jinxland



is　a　part　of　Oz；　and　therefore　you　owe　allegiance　to　Ozma



of　Oz；　whose　friend　and　servant　I　am。〃







Now；　when　he　heard　this；　King　Krewl　was　much　disturbed



in　mind；　for　he　knew　the　Scarecrow　spoke　the　truth。　But



no　one　had　ever　before　come　to　Jinxland　from　the　Land　of



Oz　and　the　King　did　not　intend　to　be　put　out　of　his



throne　if　he　could　help　it。　Therefore　he　gave　a　harsh；



wicked　laugh　of　derision　and　said：







〃I'm　busy；　now。　Stand　out　of　my　way；　Scarecrow；　and



I'll　talk　with　you　by　and　by。〃







But　the　Scarecrow　turned　to　the　assembled　courtiers　and



people　and　called　in　a　loud　voice：







〃I　hereby　declare；　in　the　name　of　Ozma　of　Oz；　that　this



man　is　no　longer　ruler　of　Jinxland。　From　this　moment



Princess　Gloria　is　your　rightful　Queen；　and　I　ask　all　of



you　to　be　loyal　to　her　and　to　obey　her　commands。〃







The　people　looked　fearfully　at　the　King；　whom　they　all



hated　in　their　hearts；　but　likewise　feared。　Krewl　was　now



in　a　terrible　rage　and　he　raised　his　golden　sceptre　and



struck　the　Scarecrow　so　heavy　a　blow　that　he　fell　to　the



floor。







But　he　was　up　again；　in　an　instant；　and　with　Pon's



riding…whip　he　switched　the　King　so　hard　that　the　wicked



monarch　roared　with　pain　as　much　as　with　rage；　calling　on



his　soldiers　to　capture　the　Scarecrow。







They　tried　to　do　that；　and　thrust　their　lances　and



swords　into　the　straw　body；　but　without　doing　any　damage



except　to　make　holes　in　the　Scarecrow's　clothes。　However；



they　were　many　against　one　and　finally　old　Googly…Goo



brought　a　rope　which　he　wound　around　the　Scarecrow；



binding　his　legs　together　and　his　arms　to　his　sides；　and



after　that　the　fight　was　over。







The　King　stormed　and　danced　around　in　a　dreadful　fury；



for　he　had　never　been　so　switched　since　he　was　a　boy　



and　perhaps　not　then。　He　ordered　the　Scarecrow　thrust



into　the　castle　prison；　which　was　no　task　at　all　because



one　man　could　carry　him　easily；　bound。　as　he　was。







Even　after　the　prisoner　was　removed　the　King　could　not



control　his　anger。　He　tried　to　figure　out　some　way　to　be



revenged　upon　the　straw　man；　but　could　think　of　nothing



that　could　hurt　him。　At　last；　when　the　terrified　people



and　the　frightened　courtiers　had　all　slunk　away；　old



Googly…Goo　approached　the　king　with　a　malicious　grin　upon



his　face。







〃I'll　tell　you　what　to　do；〃　said　he。　〃Build　a　big



bonfire　and　burn　the　Scarecrow　up；　and　that　will　be　the



end　of　him。〃







The　King　was　so　delighted　with　this　suggestion　that　he



hugged　old　Googly…Goo　in　his　joy







〃Of　course！〃　he　cried。　〃The　very　thing。　Why　did　I　not



think　of　it　myself？〃







So　he　summoned　his　soldiers　and　retainers　and　bade　them



prepare　a　great　bonfire　in　an　open　space　in　the　castle



park。　Also　he　sent　word　to　all　his　people　to　assemble　and



witness　the　destruction　of　the　Scarecrow　who　had　dared　to



defy　his　power。　Before　long　a　vast　throng　gathered　in　the



park　and　the　servants　had　heaped　up　enough　fuel　to　make　a



fire　that　might　be　seen　for　miles　away　　even　in　the



daytime。







When　all　was　prepared；　the　King　had　his　throne　brought



out　for　him　to　sit　upon　and　enjoy　the　spectacle；　and　then



he　sent　his　soldiers　to　fetch　the　Scarecrow。







Now　the　one　thing　in　all　the　world　that　the　straw　man



really　feared　was　fire。　He　knew　he　would　burn　very　easily



and　that　his　ashes　wouldn't　amount　to　much　afterward。　It



wouldn't　hurt　him　to　be　destroyed　in　such　a　manner；　but



he　realized　that　many　people　in　the　Land　of　Oz；　and



especially　Dorothy　and　the　Royal　Ozma；　would　feel　sad　if



they　learned　that　their　old　friend　the　Scarecrow　was　no



longer　in　existence。







In　spite　of　this；　the　straw　man　was　brave　and　faced　his



fiery　fate　like　a　hero。　When　they　marched　him　out　before



the　concourse　of　people　he　turned　to　the　King　with　great



calmness　and　said：







〃This　wicked　deed　will　cost　you　your　throne；　as　well　as



much　suffering；　for　my　friends　will　avenge　my



destruction。〃







〃Your　friends　are　not　here；　nor　will　they　know　what　I



have　done　to　you；　when　you　are　gone　and　can…not　tell



them；〃　answered　the　King　in　a　scornful　voice。







Then　he　ordered　the　Scarecrow　bound　to　a　stout　stake



that　he　had　had　driven　into　the　ground；　and　the　materials



for　the　fire　were　heaped　all　around　him。　When　this　had



been　done；　the　King's　brass　band　struck　up　a　lively　tune



and　old　Googly…Goo　came　forward　with　a　lighted　match　and



set　fire　to　the　pile。







At　once　the　flames　shot　up　and　crept　closer　and　closer



toward　the　Scarecrow。　The　King　and　all　his　people　were　so



intent　upon　this　terrible　spectacle　that　none　of　them



noticed　how　the　sky　grew　suddenly　dark。　Perhaps　they



thought　that　the　loud　buzzing　sound　　like　the　noise　of



a　dozen　moving　railway　trains　　came　from　the　blazing



fagots；　that　the　rush　of　wind　was　merely　a　breeze。　But



suddenly　down　swept　a　flock　of　Orks；　half　a　hundred　of



them　at　the　least；　and　the　powerful　currents　of　air



caused　by　their　revolving　tails　sent　the　bonfire



scattering　in　every　direction；　so　that　not　one　burning



brand　ever　touched　the　Scarecrow。







But　that　was　not　the　only　effect　of　this　sudden



tornado。　King　Krewl　was　blown　out　of　his　throne　and　went



tumbling　heels　over　head　until　he　landed　with　a　bump



against　the　stone　wall　of　his　own　castle；　and　before　he



could　rise　a　big　Ork　sat　upon　him　and　held　him　pressed



flat　to　the　ground。　Old　Googly…Goo　shot　up　into　the　air



like　a　rocket　and　landed　on　a　tree；　where　he　hung　by　the



middle　on　a　high　limb；　kicking　the　air　with　his　feet　and



clawing　the　air　with　his　hands；　and　howling　for　mercy



like　the　coward　he　was。







The　people　pressed　back　until　they　were　jammed　close



together；　while　all　the　soldiers　were　knocked　over　and



sent　sprawling　to　the　earth。　The　excitement　was　great　for



a　few　minutes；　and　every　frightened　inhabitant　of



Jinxland　looked　with　awe　and　amazement　at　the　great　Orks



whose　descent　had　served　to　rescue　the　Scarecrow　and



conquer　King　Krewl　at　one　and　the　same　time。







The　Ork；　who　was　the　leader　of　the　band；　soon　had　the



Scarecrow　free　of　his　bonds。　Then　he　said：　〃Well；　we　were



just　in　time　to　save　you；　which　is　better　than　being　a



minute　too　late。　You　are　now　the　master　here；　and　we　are



determined　to　see　your　orders　obeyed。〃







With　this　the　Ork　picked　up　Krewl's　golden　crown；　which



had　fallen　off　his　head；　and　placed　it　upon　the　head　of



the　Scarecrow；　who　in　his　awkward　way　then　shuffled　over



to　the　throne　and　sat　down　in　it。







Seeing　this；　a　rousing　cheer　broke　from　the　crowd　of



people；　who　tossed　their　hats　and　waved　their



handkerchiefs　and　hailed　the　Scarecrow　as　their　King。　The



soldiers　joined　the　people　in　the　cheering；　for　now　they



fully　realized　that　their　hated　master　was　conquered　and



it　would　be　wise　to　show　their　good　will　to　the



conqueror。　Some　of　them　bound　Krewl　with　ropes　and



dragged　him　forward；　dumping　his　body　on　the　ground



before　the　Scarecrow's　throne。　Googly…Goo　struggled　until



he　finally　slid　off　the　limb　of　the　tree　and　came



tumbling　to　the　ground。　He　then　tried　to　sneak　away　and



escape；　but　the　soldiers　seized　and　bound　him　beside



Krewl。







〃The　tables　are　turned；〃　said　the　Scarecrow；　swelling



out　his　chest　until　the　straw　within　it　crackled



pleasantly；　for　he　was　highly　pleased；　〃but　it　was　you



and　your　people　who　did　it；　friend　Ork；　and　from　this



time　you　may　count　me　your　humble　servant。〃



















Chapter　Nineteen







The　Conquest　of　the　Witch







Now　as　soon　as　the　conquest　of　King　Krewl　had　taken



place；　one　of　the　Orks　had　been　dispatched　to　Pon's　house



with　the　joyful　news。　At　once　Gloria　and　Pon　and　Trot　and



Button…Bright　hastened　toward　the　castle。　They　were



somewhat　surprised　by　the　sight　that　met　their　eyes；　for



there　was　the　Scarecrow；　crowned　King；　and　all　the　people



kneeling　humbly　before　him。　So　they　likewise　bowed　low　to



the　new　ruler　and　then　stood　beside　the　throne。　Cap'n



Bill；　as　the　gray　grasshopper；　was　still　perched　upon



Trot's　shoulder；　but　now　he　hopped　to　the　shoulder　of　the



Scarecrow　and　whispered　into　the　painted　ear：







〃I　thought　Gloria　was　to　be　Queen　of　Jinxland。〃







The　Scarecrow　shook　his　head。







〃Not　yet；〃　he　answered。　〃No　Queen　with　a　frozen　heart



is　fit　to　rule　any　country。〃　Then　he　turned　to　his　new



friend；　the　Ork；　who　was　strutting　about；　very　proud　of



what　he　had　done；　and　said：　〃Do　you　suppose　you；　or　your



followers；　could　find　old　Blinkie　the　Witch？〃







〃Where　is　she？〃　asked　the　Ork。







〃Somewhere　in　Jinxland；　I'm　sure。〃







〃Then；〃　said　the　Ork；　〃we　shall　certainly　be　able　to



find　her。〃







〃It　will　give　me　great　pleasure；〃　declared　the



Scarecrow。　〃When　you　have　found　her；　bring　her　here　to



me。　and　I　will　then　decide　what　to　do　with　her。〃







The　Ork　called　his　followers　together　and　spoke　a　few



words　to　them　in　a　low　tone。　A　moment　af