the scarecrow of oz-第8部分

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〃You'll　have　to　make　sev'ral　mouthfuls　of　it；　I　guess；〃



said　Trot；　and　that　is　what　the　Ork　did。　He　pecked　at　the



soft；　ripe　fruit　with　his　bill　and　ate　it　up　very



quickly；　because　it　was　good。







Even　before　he　had　finished　the　berry　they　could　see



the　Ork　begin　to　grow。　In　a　few　minutes　he　had　regained



his　natural　size　and　was　strutting　before　them；　quite



delighted　with　his　transformation。







〃Well；　well！　What　do　you　think　of　me　now？〃　he　asked



proudly。







〃You　are　very　skinny　and　remarkably　ugly；〃　declared



Pessim。







〃You　are　a　poor　judge　of　Orks；〃　was　the　reply。　〃Anyone



can　see　that　I'm　much　handsomer　than　those　dreadful



things　called　birds；　which　are　all　fluff　and　feathers。〃







〃Their　feathers　make　soft　beds；〃　asserted　Pessim。



〃And　my　skin　would　make　excellent　drumheads；〃　retorted



the　Ork。　〃Nevertheless；　a　plucked　bird　or　a　skinned　Ork



would　be　of　no　value　to　himself；　so　we　needn't　brag　of



our　usefulness　after　we　are　dead。　But　for　the　sake　of



argument；　friend　Pessim；　I'd　like　to　know　what　good　you



would　be；　were　you　not　alive？〃







〃Never　mind　that；〃　said　Cap'n　Bill。　〃He　isn't　much　good



as　he　is。〃







〃I　am　King　of　this　Island；　allow　me　to　say；　and　you're



intruding　on　my　property；〃　declared　the　little　man；



scowling　upon　them。　〃If　you　don't　like　me　and　I'm　sure



you　don't；　for　no　one　else　does　　why　don't　you　go　away



and　leave　me　to　myself？〃







〃Well；　the　Ork　can　fly；　but　we　can't；〃　explained　Trot；



in　answer。　〃We　don't　want　to　stay　here　a　bit；　but　I　don't



see　how　we　can　get　away。〃







〃You　can　go　back　into　the　hole　you　came　from。〃







Cap'n　Bill　shook　his　head；　Trot　shuddered　at　the



thought；　the　Ork　laughed　aloud。







〃You　may　be　King　here；〃　the　creature　said　to　Pessim；



〃but　we　intend　to　run　this　island　to　suit　ourselves；　for



we　are　three　and　you　are　one；　and　the　balance　of　power



lies　with　us。〃







The　little　man　made　no　reply　to　this；　although　as　they



walked　back　to　the　shed　his　face　wore　its　fiercest　scowl。



Cap'n　Bill　gathered　a　lot　of　leaves　and；　assisted　by



Trot；　prepared　two　nice　beds　in　opposite　corners　of　the



shed。　Pessim　slept　in　a　hammock　which　he　swung　between



two　trees。







They　required　no　dishes；　as　all　their　food　consisted　of



fruits　and　nuts　picked　from　the　trees；　they　made　no　fire；



for　the　weather　was　warm　and　there　was　nothing　to　cook；



the　shed　had　no　furniture　other　than　the　rude　stool　which



the　little　man　was　accustomed　to　sit　upon。　He　called　it



his　〃throne〃　and　they　let　him　keep　it。







So　they　lived　upon　the　island　for　three　days；　and



rested　and　ate　to　their　hearts'　content。　Still；　they　were



not　at　all　happy　in　this　life　because　of　Pessim。　He



continually　found　fault　with　them；　and　all　that　they　did；



and　all　their　surroundings。　He　could　see　nothing　good　or



admirable　in　all　the　world　and　Trot　soon　came　to



understand　why　the　little　man's　former　neighbors　had



brought　him　to　this　island　and　left　him　there；　all　alone；



so　he　could　not　annoy　anyone。　It　was　their　misfortune



that　they　had　been　led　to　this　place　by　their　adventures；



for　often　they　would　have　preferred　the　company　of　a　wild



beast　to　that　of　Pessim。







On　the　fourth　day　a　happy　thought　came　to　the　Ork。　They



had　all　been　racking　their　brains　for　a　possible　way　to



leave　the　island；　and　discussing　this　or　that　method；



without　finding　a　plan　that　was　practical。　Cap'n　Bill　had



said　he　could　make　a　raft　of　the　trees；　big　enough　to



float　them　all；　but　he　had　no　tools　except　those　two



pocketknives　and　it　was　not　possible　to　chop　down　tree



with　such　small　blades。







〃And　s'pose　we　got　afloat　on　the　ocean；〃　said　Trot；



〃where　would　we　drift　to；　and　how　long　would　it　take　us



to　get　there？〃







Cap'n　Bill　was　forced　to　admit　he　didn't　know。　The　Ork



could　fly　away　from　the　island　any　time　it　wished　to；　but



the　queer　creature　was　loyal　to　his　new　friends　and



refused　to　leave　them　in　such　a　lonely；　forsaken　place。







It　was　when　Trot　urged　him　to　go；　on　this　fourth



morning；　that　the　Ork　had　his　happy　thought。







〃I　will　go；〃　said　he；　〃if　you　two　will　agree　to　ride



upon　my　back。〃







〃We　are　too　heavy；　you　might　drop　us；〃　objected



Cap'n　Bill。







〃Yes；　you　are　rather　heavy　for　a　long　journey；〃



acknowledged　the　Ork；　〃but　you　might　eat　of　those



lavender　berries　and　become　so　small　that　I　could　carry



you　with　ease。〃







This　quaint　suggestion　startled　Trot　and　she　looked



gravely　at　the　speaker　while　she　considered　it；　but　Cap'n



Bill　gave　a　scornful　snort　and　asked：







〃What　would　become　of　us　afterward？　We　wouldn't　be　much



good　if　we　were　some　two　or　three　inches　high。　No；　Mr。



Ork；　I'd　rather　stay　here；　as　I　am；　than　be　a　hop…o'…my…



thumb　somewhere　else。〃







〃Why　couldn't　you　take　some　of　the　dark　purple　berries



along　with　you；　to　eat　after　we　had　reached　our



destination？〃　inquired　the　Ork。　〃Then　you　could　grow　big



again　whenever　you　pleased。〃







Trot　clapped　her　hands　with　delight。







〃That's　it！〃　she　exclaimed。　〃Let's　do　it；　Cap'n　Bill。〃







The　old　sailor　did　not　like　the　idea　at　first；　but　he



thought　it　over　carefully　and　the　more　he　thought　the



better　it　seemed。







〃How　could　you　manage　to　carry　us；　if　we　were　so



small？〃　he　asked。







〃I　could　put　you　in　a　paper　bag；　and　tie　the　bag　around



my　neck。〃







〃But　we　haven't　a　paper　bag；〃　objected　Trot。







The　Ork　looked　at　her。







〃There's　your　sunbonnet；〃　it　said　presently；　〃which　is



hollow　in　the　middle　and　has　two　strings　that　you　could



tie　around　my　neck。〃







Trot　took　off　her　sunbonnet　and　regarded　it　critically。



Yes；　it　might　easily　hold　both　her　and　Cap'n　Bill；　after



they　had　eaten　the　lavender　berries　and　been　reduced　in



size。　She　tied　the　strings　around　the　Ork's　neck　and　the



sunbonnet　made　a　bag　in　which　two　tiny　people　might　ride



without　danger　of　falling　out。　So　she　said：







〃I　b'lieve　we'll　do　it　that　way；　Cap'n。〃







Cap'n　Bill　groaned　but　could　make　no　logical



objection　except　that　the　plan　seemed　to　him　quite



dangerous　　and　dangerous　in　more　ways　than　one。







〃I　think　so；　myself；〃　said　Trot　soberly。　〃But　nobody



can　stay　alive　without　getting　into　danger　sometimes；　and



danger　doesn't　mean　getting　hurt；　Cap'n；　it　only　means　we



might　get　hurt。　So　I　guess　we'll　have　to　take　the　risk。〃







〃Let's　go　and　find　the　berries；〃　said　the　Ork。







They　said　nothing　to　Pessim；　who　was　sitting　on　his



stool　and　scowling　dismally　as　he　stared　at　the　ocean；



but　started　at　once　to　seek　the　trees　that　bore　the　magic



fruits。　The　Ork　remembered　very　well　where　the　lavender



berries　grew　and　led　his　companions　quickly　to　the　spot。







Cap'n　Bill　gathered　two　berries　and　placed　them



carefully　in　his　pocket。　Then　they　went　around　to　the



east　side　of　the　island　and　found　the　tree　that　bore　the



dark　purple　berries。







〃I　guess　I'll　take　four　of　these；〃　said　the　sailor…man；



so　in　case　one　doesn't　make　us　grow　big　we　can　eat



another。〃







〃Better　take　six；〃　advised　the　Ork。　〃It's　well　to



be　on　the　safe　side；　and　I'm　sure　these　trees　grow



nowhere　else　in　all　the　world。〃







So　Cap'n　Bill　gathered　six　of　the　purple　berries　and



with　their　precious　fruit　they　returned　to　the　shed　to



big　good…bye　to　Pessim。　Perhaps　they　would　not　have



granted　the　surly　little　man　this　courtesy　had　they　not



wished　to　use　him　to　tie　the　sunbonnet　around　the　Ork's



neck。







When　Pessim　learned　they　were　about　to　leave　him　he　at



first　looked　greatly　pleased；　but　he　suddenly　recollected



that　nothing　ought　to　please　him　and　so　began　to　grumble



about　being　left　alone。







〃We　knew　it　wouldn't　suit　you；〃　remarked　Cap'n　Bill。



〃It　didn't　suit　you　to　have　us　here；　and　it　won't　suit



you　to　have　us　go　away。〃







〃That　is　quite　true；〃　admitted　Pessim。　〃I　haven't　been



suited　since　I　can　remember；　so　it　doesn't　matter　to　me



in　the　least　whether　you　go　or　stay。〃







He　was　interested　in　their　experiment；　however；　and



willingly　agreed　to　assist；　although　he　prophesied



they　would　fall　out　of　the　sunbonnet　on　their　way　and



be　either　drowned　in　the　ocean　or　crushed　upon　some



rocky　shore。　This　uncheerful　prospect　did　not　daunt



Trot；　but　it　made　Cap'n　Bill　quite　nervous。







〃I　will　eat　my　berry　first；〃　said　Trot；　as　she　placed



her　sunbonnet　on　the　ground；　in　such　manner　that　they



could　get　into　it。







Then　she　ate　the　lavender　berry　and　in　a　few　seconds



became　so　small　that　Cap'n　Bill　picked　her　up　gently　with



his　thumb　and　one　finger　and　placed　her　in　the　middle　of



the　sunbonnet。　Then　he　placed　beside　her　the　six　purple



berries　　each　one　being　about　as　big　as　the　tiny　Trot's



head　　and　all　preparations　being　now　made　the　old



sailor　ate　his　lavender　berry　and　became　very　small　



wooden　leg　and　all！







Cap'n　Bill　stumbled　sadly　in　trying　to　climb　over　the



edge　of　the　sunbonnet　and　pitched　in　beside　Trot



headfirst；　which　caused　the　unhappy　Pessim　to　laugh　with



glee。　Then　the　King　of　the　Island　picked　up　the　sunbonnet



　so　rudely　that　he　shook　its　occupants　like　peas　in　a



pod　　and　tied　it；　by　means　of　its　strings；　securely



aroun