the lost princess of oz- 第3部分

although　the　space　they　occupy　is　not　great　in　extent



the　wee　country　is　all　their　own。　The　Yips　had　never　



up　to　the　time　this　story　begins　　left　their　broad



tableland　to　go　down　into　the　Land　of　Oz；　nor　had　the



Oz　people　ever　climbed　up　to　the　country　of　the　Yips。







Living　all　alone　as　they　did；　the　Yips　had　queer　ways



and　notions　of　their　own　and　did　not　resemble　any　other



people　of　the　Land　of　Oz。　Their　houses　were　scattered



all　over　the　flat　surface；　not　like　a　city；　grouped



together；　but　set　wherever　their　owners'　fancy



dictated；　with　fields　here；　trees　there；　and　odd　little



paths　connecting　the　houses　one　with　another。







It　was　here；　on　the　morning　when　Ozma　so　strangely



disappeared　from　the　Emerald　City；　that　Cayke　the



Cookie　Cook　discovered　that　her　diamond…studded　gold



dishpan　had　been　stolen；　and　she　raised　such　a　hue…and…



cry　over　her　loss　and　wailed　and　shrieked　so　loudly



that　many　of　the　Yips　gathered　around　her　house　to



inquire　what　was　the　matter。







It　was　a　serious　thing；　in　any　part　of　the　Land　of



Oz；　to　accuse　one　of　stealing；　so　when　the　Yips　heard



Cayke　the　Cookie　Cook　declare　that　her　jeweled　dishpan



had　been　stolen　they　were　both　humiliated　and　disturbed



and　forced　Cayke　to　go　with　them　to　the　Frogman　to　see



what　could　be　done　about　it。







I　do　not　suppose　you　have　ever　before　heard　of　the



Frogman；　for　like　all　other　dwellers　on　that　tableland



he　had　never　been　away　from　it；　nor　had　anyone　come　up



there　to　see　him。　The　Frogman　was；　in　truth；　descended



from　the　common　frogs　of　Oz；　and　when　he　was　first　born



he　lived　in　a　pool　in　the　Winkie　Country　and　was　much



like　any　other　frog。　Being　of　an　adventurous　nature；



however；　he　soon　hopped　out　of　his　pool　and　began　to



travel；　when　a　big　bird　came　along　and　seized　him　in



its　beak　and　started　to　fly　away　with　him　to　its　nest。



When　high　in　the　air　the　frog　wriggled　so　frantically



that　he　got　loose　and　fell　down…down…down　into　a　small



hidden　pool　on　the　tableland　of　the　Yips。　Now　this



pool；　it　seems；　was　unknown　to　the　Yips　because　it　was



surrounded　by　thick　bushes　and　was　not　near　to　any



dwelling；　and　it　proved　to　be　an　enchanted　pool；　for



the　frog　grew　very　fast　and　very　big；　feeding　on　the



magic　skosh　which　is　found　nowhere　else　on　earth　except



in　that　one　pool。　And　the　skosh　not　only　made　the　frog



very　big；　so　that　when　he　stood　on　his　hind　legs　he　was



tall　as　any　Yip　in　the　country；　but　it　made　him



unusually　intelligent；　so　that　he　soon　knew　more　than



the　Yips　did　and　was　able　to　reason　and　to　argue　very



well　indeed。







No　one　could　expect　a　frog　with　these　talents　to



remain　in　a　hidden　pool；　so　he　finally　got　out　of　it



and　mingled　with　the　people　of　the　tableland；　who　were



amazed　at　his　appearance　and　greatly　impressed　by　his



learning。　They　had　never　seen　a　frog　before　and　the



frog　had　never　seen　a　Yip　before；　but　as　there　were



plenty　of　Yips　and　only　one　frog；　the　frog　became　the



most　important。　He　did　not　hop　any　more；　but　stood



upright　on　his　hind　legs　and　dressed　himself　in　fine



clothes　and　sat　in　chairs　and　did　all　the　things　that



people　do；　so　he　soon　came　to　be　called　the　Frogman；



and　that　is　the　only　name　he　has　ever　had。







After　some　years　had　passed　the　people　came　to　regard



the　Frogman　as　their　adviser　in　all　matters　that



puzzled　them。　They　brought　all　their　difficulties　to



him　and　when　he　did　not　know　anything　he　pretended　to



know　it；　which　seemed　to　answer　just　as　well。　Indeed；



the　Yips　thought　the　Frogman　was　much　wiser　than　he



really　was；　and　he　allowed　them　to　think　so；　being　very



proud　of　his　position　of　authority。







There　was　another　pool　on　the　tableland；　which　was



not　enchanted　but　contained　good　clear　water　and　was



located　close　to　the　dwellings。　Here　the　people　built



the　Frogman　a　house　of　his　own；　close　to　the　edge　of



the　pool；　so　that　he　could　take　a　bath　or　a　swim



whenever　he　wished。　He　usually　swam　in　the　pool　in　the



early　morning；　before　anyone　else　was　up；　and　during



the　day　he　dressed　himself　in　his　beautiful　clothes　and



sat　in　his　house　and　received　the　visits　of　all　the



Yips　who　came　to　him　to　ask　his　advice。







The　Frogman's　usual　costume　consisted　of　knee…



breeches　made　of　yellow　satin　plush；　with　trimmings　of



gold　braid　and　jeweled　knee…buckles；　a　white　satin　vest



with　silver　buttons　in　which　were　set　solitaire　rubies；



a　swallow…tailed　coat　of　bright　yellow；　green　stockings



and　red　leather　shoes　turned　up　at　the　toes　and　having



diamond　buckles。　He　wore；　when　he　walked　out；　a　purple



silk　hat　and　carried　a　gold…headed　cane。　Over　his　eyes



he　wore　great　spectacles　with　gold　rims；　not　because



his　eyes　were　bad　but　because　the　spectacles　made　him



look　wise；　and　so　distinguished　and　gorgeous　was　his



appearance　that　all　the　Yips　were　very　proud　of　him。







There　was　no　King　or　Queen　in　the　Yip　Country；　so　the



simple　inhabitants　naturally　came　to　look　upon　the



Frogman　as　their　leader　as　well　as　their　counselor　in



all　times　of　emergency。　In　his　heart　the　big　frog　knew



he　was　no　wiser　than　the　Yips；　but　for　a　frog　to　know



as　much　as　a　person　was　quite　remarkable；　and　the



Frogman　was　shrewd　enough　to　make　the　people　believe　he



was　far　more　wise　than　he　really　was。　They　never



suspected　he　was　a　humbug；　but　listened　to　his　words



with　great　respect　and　did　just　what　he　advised　them



to　do。







Now；　when　Cayke　the　Cookie　Cook　raised　such　an　outcry



over　the　theft　of　her　diamond…studded　dishpan；　the



first　thought　of　the　people　was　to　take　her　to　the



Frogman　and　inform　him　of　the　loss；　thinking　that　of



course　he　could　tell　her　where　to　find　it。







He　listened　to　the　story　with　his　big　eyes　wide　open



behind　his　spectacles；　and　said　in　his　deep；　croaking



voice：







〃If　the　dishpan　is　stolen；　somebody　must　have　taken



it。〃







〃But　who？〃　asked　Cayke；　anxiously。　〃Who　is　the



thief？〃







〃The　one　who　took　the　dishpan；　of　course；　replied　the



Frogman；　and　hearing　this　all　the　Yips　nodded　their



heads　gravely　and　said　to　one　another：







〃It　is　absolutely　true！〃







〃But　I　want　my　dishpan！〃　cried　Cayke。







〃No　one　can　blame　you　for　that　wish；〃　remarked　the



Frogman。







〃Then　tell　me　where　I　may　find　it；〃　she　urged。







The　look　the　Frogman　gave　her　was　a　very　wise　look



and　he　rose　from　his　chair　and　strutted　up　and　down　the



room　with　his　hands　under　his　coat…tails；　in　a　very



pompous　and　imposing　manner。　This　was　the　first　time　so



difficult　a　matter　had　been　brought　to　him　and　he



wanted　time　to　think。　It　would　never　do　to　let　them



suspect　his　ignorance　and　so　he　thought　very；　very　hard



how　best　to　answer　the　woman　without　betraying　himself。







〃I　beg　to　inform　you；〃　said　he；　〃that　nothing　in　the



Yip　Country　has　ever　been　stolen　before。〃







〃We　know　that；　already；〃　answered　Cayke　the　Cookie



Cook；　impatiently。







〃Therefore；〃　continued　the　Frogman；　〃this　theft



becomes　a　very　important　matter。〃







〃Well；　where　is　my　dishpan？〃　demanded　the　woman。







〃It　is　lost；　but　it　must　be　found。　Unfortunately；　we



have　no　policemen　or　detectives　to　unravel　the　mystery；



so　we　must　employ　other　means　to　regain　the　lost



article。　Cayke　must　first　write　a　Proclamation　and　tack



it　to　the　door　of　her　house；　and　the　Proclamation　must



read　that　whoever　stole　the　jeweled　dishpan　must　return



it　at　once。〃







〃But　suppose　no　one　returns　it；〃　suggested　Cayke。







〃Then；〃　said　the　Frogman；　〃that　very　fact　will　be



proof　that　no　one　has　stolen　it。〃







Cayke　was　not　satisfied；　but　the　other　Yips　seemed　to



approve　the　plan　highly。　They　all　advised　her　to　do　as



the　Frogman　had　told　her　to；　so　she　posted　the　sign　on



her　door　and　waited　patiently　for　someone　to　return　the



dishpan　　which　no　one　ever　did。







Again　she　went；　accompanied　by　a　group　of　her



neighbors；　to　the　Frogman；　who　by　this　time　had　given



the　matter　considerable　thought。　Said　he　to　Cayke：







〃I　am　now　convinced　that　no　Yip　has　taken　your



dishpan；　and；　since　it　is　gone　from　the　Yip　Country；　I



suspect　that　some　stranger　came　from　the　world　down



below　us；　in　the　darkness　of　night　when　all　of　us　were



asleep；　and　took　away　your　treasure。　There　can　be　no



other　explanation　of　its　disappearance。　So；　if　you　wish



to　recover　that　golden；　diamond…studded　dish…pan；　you



must　go　into　the　lower　world　after　it。〃







This　was　indeed　a　startling　proposition。　Cayke　and



her　friends　went　to　the　edge　of　the　fiat　tableland　and



looked　down　the　steep　hillside　to　the　plains　below。　It



was　so　far　to　the　bottom　of　the　hill　that　nothing　there



could　be　seen　very　distinctly　and　it　seemed　to　the　Yips



very　venturesome；　if　not　dangerous；　to　go　so　far　from



home　into　an　unknown　land。







However；　Cayke　wanted　her　dishpan　very　badly；　so　she



turned　to　her　friends　and　asked：







〃Who　will　go　with　me？〃







No　one　answered　this　question；　but　after　a　period　of



silence　one　of　the　Yips　said：







〃We　know　what　is　here；　on　the　top　of　this　flat　hill；



and　it　seems　to　us　a　very　pleasant　place；　but　what　is



down　below　we　do　not　know。　The　chances　are　it　is　not　so



pleasant；　so　we　had　best　stay　where　we　are。