the scarecrow of oz-第26部分

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within　the　borders　of　the　most　glorious　fairyland　in　all



the　world。　This　part　of　it　is　just　a　corner　of　the



Quadling　Country；　and　the　least　interesting　portion　of



it。　It's　not　very　thickly　settled；　around　here；　I'll



admit；　but　〃







He　was　interrupted　by　a　sudden　whir　and　a　rush　of　air



as　the　four　Orks　mounted　into　the　sky。







〃Good　night！〃　called　the　shrill　voices　of　the　strange



creatures；　and　although　Trot　shouted　〃Good　night！〃　as



loudly　as　she　could；　the　little　girl　was　almost　ready　to



cry　because　the　Orks　had　not　waited　to　be　properly



thanked　for　all　their　kindness　to　her　and　to　Cap'n　Bill。







But　the　Orks　were　gone；　and　thanks　for　good　deeds　do



not　amount　to　much　except　to　prove　one's　politeness。







〃Well；　friends；〃　said　the　Scarecrow；　〃we　mustn't　stay



here　in　the　meadows　all　night；　so　let　us　find　a　pleasant



place　to　sleep。　Not　that　it　matters　to　me；　in　the　least；



for　I　never　sleep；　but　I　know　that　meat　people　like　to



shut　their　eyes　and　lie　still　during　the　dark　hours。〃







〃I'm　pretty　tired；〃　admitted　Trot；　yawning　as　she



followed　the　straw　man　along　a　tiny　path；　〃so；　if　you



don't　find　a　house　handy；　Cap'n　Bill　and　I　will　sleep



under　the　trees；　or　even　on　this　soft　grass。〃







But　a　house　was　not　very　far　off；　although　when　the



Scarecrow　stumbled　upon　it　there　was　no　light　in　it



whatever。　Cap'n　Bill　knocked　on　the　door　several　times；



and　there　being　no　response　the　Scarecrow　boldly　lifted



the　latch　and　walked　in；　followed　by　the　others。　And　no



sooner　had　they　entered　than　a　soft　light　filled　the



room。　Trot　couldn't　tell　where　it　came　from；　for　no　lamp



of　any　sort　was　visible；　but　she　did　not　waste　much　time



on　this　problem；　because　directly　in　the　center　of　the



room　stood　a　table　set　for　three；　with　lots　of　good　food



on　it　and　several　of　the　dishes　smoking　hot。







The　little　girl　and　Button…Bright　both　uttered



exclamations　of　pleasure；　but　they　looked　in　vain　for　any



cook　stove　or　fireplace；　or　for　any　person　who　might　have



prepared　for　them　this　delicious　feast。







〃It's　fairyland；〃　muttered　the　boy；　tossing　his　cap　in



a　corner　and　seating　himself　at　the　table。　〃This　supper



smells　'most　as　good　as　that　turkey…leg　I　had　in



Jinxland。　Please　pass　the　muffins；　Cap'n　Bill。〃







Trot　thought　it　was　strange　that　no　people　but



themselves　were　in　the　house；　but　on　the　wall　opposite



the　door　was　a　gold　frame　bearing　in　big　letters　the



word：







〃WELCOME。〃







So　she　had　no　further　hesitation　in　eating　of　the　food



so　mysteriously　prepared　for　them。







〃But　there　are　only　places　for　three！〃　she　exclaimed。







〃Three　are　quite　enough；〃　said　the　Scarecrow。　〃I　never



eat；　because　I　am　stuffed　full　already；　and　I　like　my



nice　clean　straw　better　than　I　do　food。〃







Trot　and　the　sailor…man　were　hungry　and　made　a　hearty



meal；　for　not　since　they　had　left　home　had　they　tasted



such　good　food。　It　was　surprising　that　Button…Bright



could　eat　so　soon　after　his　feast　in　Jinxland；　but　the



boy　always　ate　whenever　there　was　an　opportunity。　〃If　I



don't　eat　now；〃　he　said；　〃the　next　time　I'm　hungry　I'll



wish　I　had。〃







〃Really；　Cap'n；〃　remarked　Trot；　when　she　found　a　dish



of　ice…cream　appear　beside　her　plate；　〃I　b'lieve　this　is



fairyland；　sure　enough。〃







〃There's　no　doubt　of　it；　Trot；〃　he　answered　gravely







〃I've　been　here　before；〃　said　Button…Bright；　〃so　I



know。〃







After　supper　they　discovered　three　tiny　bedrooms



adjoining　the　big　living　room　of　the　house；　and　in　each



room　was　a　comfortable　white　bed　with　downy　pillows。　You



may　be　sure　that　the　tired　mortals　were　not　long　in



bidding　the　Scarecrow　good　night　and　creeping　into　their



beds；　where　they　slept　soundly　until　morning。







For　the　first　time　since　they　set　eyes　on　the　terrible



whirlpool；　Trot　and　Cap'n　Bill　were　free　from　anxiety　and



care。　Button…Bright　never　worried　about　anything。　The



Scarecrow；　not　being　able　to　sleep；　looked　out　of　the



window　and　tried　to　count　the　stars。



















Chapter　Twenty…One







Dorothy；　Betsy　and　Ozma











I　suppose　many　of　my　readers　have　read　descriptions　of



the　beautiful　and　magnificent　Emerald　City　of　Oz；　so　I



need　not　describe　it　here；　except　to　state　that　never　has



any　city　in　any　fairyland　ever　equalled　this　one　in



stately　splendor。　It　lies　almost　exactly　in　the　center



of　the　Land　of　Oz；　and　in　the　center　of　the　Emerald　City



rises　the　wall　of　glistening　emeralds　that　surrounds　the



palace　of　Ozma。　The　palace　is　almost　a　city　in　itself



and　is　inhabited　by　many　of　the　Ruler's　especial　friends



and　those　who　have　won　her　confidence　and　favor。　As　for



Ozma　herself；　there　are　no　words　in　any　dictionary　I　can



find　that　are　fitted　to　describe　this　young　girl's　beauty



of　mind　and　person。　Merely　to　see　her　is　to　love　her　for



her　charming　face　and　manners；　to　know　her　is　to　love



her　for　her　tender　sympathy；　her　generous　nature；　her



truth　and　honor。　Born　of　a　long　line　of　Fairy　Queens；



Ozma　is　as　nearly　perfect　as　any　fairy　may　be；　and　she　is



noted　for　her　wisdom　as　well　as　for　her　other　qualities。



Her　happy　subjects　adore　their　girl　Ruler　and　each　one



considers　her　a　comrade　and　protector。







At　the　time　of　which　I　write；　Ozma's　best　friend　and



most　constant　companion　was　a　little　Kansas　girl　named



Dorothy；　a　mortal　who　had　come　to　the　Land　of　Oz　in　a



very　curious　manner　and　had　been　offered　a　home　in　Ozma's



palace。　Furthermore；　Dorothy　had　been　made　a　Princess　of



Oz；　and　was　as　much　at　home　in　the　royal　palace　as　was



the　gentle　Ruler。　She　knew　almost　every　part　of　the　great



country　and　almost　all　of　its　numerous　inhabitants。　Next



to　Ozma　she　was　loved　better　than　anyone　in　all　Oz；　for



Dorothy　was　simple　and　sweet；　seldom　became　angry　and　had



such　a　friendly；　chummy　way　that　she　made　friends



where…ever　she　wandered。　It　was　she　who　first　brought　the



Scarecrow　and　the　Tin　Woodman　and　the　Cowardly　Lion　to



the　Emerald　City。　Dorothy　had　also　introduced　to　Ozma



the　Shaggy　Man　and　the　Hungry　Tiger；　as　well　as　Billina



the　Yellow　Hen；　Eureka　the　Pink　Kitten；　and　many　other



delightful　characters　and　creatures。　Coming　as　she　did



from　our　world；　Dorothy　was　much　like　many　other　girls　we



know；　so　there　were　times　when　she　was　not　so　wise　as　she



might　have　been；　and　other　times　when　she　was　obstinate



and　got　herself　into　trouble。　But　life　in　a　fairy…land



had　taught　the　little　girl　to　accept　all　sorts　of



surprising　things　as　matters…of…course；　for　while　Dorothy



was　no　fairy　　but　just　as　mortal　as　we　are　　she　had



seen　more　wonders　than　most　mortals　ever　do。







Another　little　girl　from　our　outside　world　also　lived



in　Ozma's　palace。　This　was　Betsy　Bobbin；　whose　strange



adventures　had　brought　her　to　the　Emerald　City；　where



Ozma　had　cordially　welcomed　her。　Betsy　was　a　shy　little



thing　and　could　never　get　used　to　the　marvels　that



surrounded　her；　but　she　and　Dorothy　were　firm　friends　and



thought　themselves　very　fortunate　in　being　together　in



this　delightful　country。







One　day　Dorothy　and　Betsy　were　visiting　Ozma　in　the



girl　Ruler's　private　apartment；　and　among　the　things　that



especially　interested　them　was　Ozma's　Magic　Picture；　set



in　a　handsome　frame　and　hung　upon　the　wall　of　the　room。



This　picture　was　a　magic　one　because　it　constantly



changed　its　scenes　and　showed　events　and　adventures



happening　in　all　parts　of　the　world。　Thus　it　was　really　a



〃moving　picture〃　of　life；　and　if　the　one　who　stood　before



it　wished　to　know　what　any　absent　person　was　doing；　the



picture　instantly　showed　that　person；　with　his　or　her



surroundings。







The　two　girls　were　not　wishing　to　see　anyone　in



particular；　on　this　occasion；　but　merely　enjoyed　watching



the　shifting　scenes；　some　of　which　were　exceedingly



curious　and　remarkable。　Suddenly　Dorothy　exclaimed：　〃Why；



there's　Button…Bright！〃　and　this　drew　Ozma　also　to　look



at　the　picture；　for　she　and　Dorothy　knew　the　boy　well。







〃Who　is　Button…Bright？〃　asked　Betsy；　who　had　never　met



him。







〃Why；　he's　the　little　boy　who　is　just　getting　off　the



back　of　that　strange　flying　creature；〃　exclaimed　Dorothy。



Then　she　turned　to　Ozma　and　asked：　〃What　is　that　thing；



Ozma？　A　bird？　I've　never　seen　anything　like　it　before。〃







〃It　is　an　Ork；〃　answered　Ozma；　for　they　were　watching



the　scene　where　the　Ork　and　the　three　big　birds　were



first　landing　their　passengers　in　Jinxland　after　the　long



flight　across　the　desert。　〃I　wonder；〃　added　the　girl



Ruler；　musingly；　〃why　those　strangers　dare　venture　into



that　unfortunate　country；　which　is　ruled　by　a　wicked



King。〃







〃That　girl；　and　the　one…legged　man；　seem　to　be　mortals



from　the　outside　world；〃　said　Dorothy







〃The　man　isn't　one…legged；〃　corrected　Betsy；　〃he　has



one　wooden　leg。〃







〃It's　almost　as　bad；〃　declared　Dorothy；　watching　Cap'n



Bill　stump　around。







〃They　are　three　mortal　adventurers；〃　said　Ozma；　〃and



they　seem　worthy　and　honest。　But　I　fear　they　will　be



treated　badly　in　Jinxland；　and　if　they　meet　with　any



misfortune　there　it　will　reflect　upon　me；　for　Jinxland　is



a　part　of　my　dominions。〃







〃Can't　we　help　them　in　any　way？〃　inquired　Dorothy。



〃That　seems　like　a　nice　little　gi