the lost princess of oz- 第4部分

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



pleasant；　so　we　had　best　stay　where　we　are。







〃It　may　be　a　far　better　country　than　this　is；〃



suggested　the　Cookie　Cook。







〃Maybe；　maybe；〃　responded　another　Yip；　〃but　why　take



chances？　Contentment　with　one's　lot　is　true　wisdom。



Perhaps；　in　some　other　country；　there　are　better



cookies　than　you　cook；　but　as　we　have　always　eaten　your



cookies；　and　liked　them　　except　when　they　are　burned



on　the　bottom　　we　do　not　long　for　any　better　ones。〃







Cayke　might　have　agreed　to　this　argument　had　she　not



been　so　anxious　to　find　her　precious　dishpan；　but　now



she　exclaimed　impatiently：







〃You　are　cowards　　all　of　you！　If　none　of　you　are



willing　to　explore　with　me　the　great　world　beyond　this



small　hill；　I　will　surely　go　alone。〃







〃That　is　a　wise　resolve；〃　declared　the　Yips；　much



relieved。　〃It　is　your　dishpan　that　is　lost；　not　ours；



and；　if　you　are　willing　to　risk　your　life　and　liberty



to　regain　it；　no　one　can　deny　you　the　privilege。〃







While　they　were　thus　conversing　the　Frogman　joined



them　and　looked　down　at　the　Plain　with　his　big　eyes　and



seemed　unusually　thoughtful。　In　fact；　the　Frogman　was



thinking　that　he'd　like　to　see　more　of　the　world。　Here



in　the　Yip　Country　he　had　become　the　most　important



creature　of　them　all　and　his　importance　was　getting　to



be　a　little　tame。　It　would　be　nice　to　have　other　people



defer　to　him　and　ask　his　advice　and　there　seemed　no



reason；　so　far　as　he　could　see；　why　his　fame　should　not



spread　throughout　all　Oz。







He　knew　nothing　of　the　rest　of　the　world；　but　it　was



reasonable　to　believe　that　there　were　more　people



beyond　the　mountain　where　he　now　lived　than　there　were



Yips；　and　if　he　went　among　them　he　could　surprise　them



with　his　display　of　wisdom　and　make　them　bow　down　to



him　as　the　Yips　did。　In　other　words；　the　Frogman　was



ambitious　to　become　still　greater　than　he　was；　which



was　impossible　if　he　always　remained　upon　this



mountain。　He　wanted　others　to　see　his　gorgeous　clothes



and　listen　to　his　solemn　sayings；　and　here　was　an



excuse　for　him　to　get　away　from　the　Yip　Country。　So　he



said　to　Cayke　the　Cookie　Cook：







〃I　will　go　with　you；　my　good　woman；〃　which　greatly



Pleased　Cayke　because　she　felt　the　Frogman　could　be　of



much　assistance　to　her　in　her　search。







But　now；　since　the　mighty　Frogman　had　decided　to



undertake　the　journey；　several　of　the　Yips　who　were



young　and　daring　at　once　made　up　their　minds　to　go



along；　so　the　next　morning　after　breakfast　the　Frogman



and　Cayke　the　Cookie　Cook　and　nine　of　the　Yips　started



to　slide　down　the　side　of　the　mountain。　The　bramble



bushes　and　cactus　plants　were　very　prickly　and



uncomfortable　to　the　touch；　so　the　Frogman　commanded



the　Yips　to　go　first　and　break　a　path；　so　that　when　he



followed　them　he　would　not　tear　his　splendid　clothes。



Cayke；　too；　was　wearing　her　best　dress；　and　was



likewise　afraid　of　the　thorns　and　prickers；　so　she　kept



behind　the　Frogman。







They　made　rather　slow　progress　and　night　overtook



them　before　they　were　halfway　down　the　mountain　side；



so　they　found　a　cave　in　which　they　sought　shelter　until



morning。　Cayke　had　brought　along　a　basket　full　of　her



famous　cookies；　so　they　all　had　plenty　to　eat。







On　the　second　day　the　Yips　began　to　wish　they　had　not



embarked　on　this　adventure。　They　grumbled　a　good　deal



at　having　to　cut　away　the　thorns　to　make　the　path　for



the　Frogman　and　the　Cookie　Cook；　for　their　own　clothing



suffered　many　tears；　while　Cayke　and　the　Frogman



traveled　safely　and　in　comfort。







〃If　it　is　true　that　anyone　came　to　our　country　to



steal　your　diamond　dishpan；〃　said　one　of　the　Yips　to



Cayke；　〃it　must　have　been　a　bird；　for　no　person　in　the



form　of　a　man；　woman　or　child　could　have　climbed



through　these　bushes　and　back　again。〃







〃And；　allowing　he　could　have　done　so；〃　said　another



Yip；　〃the　diamond…studded　gold　dishpan　would　not　have



repair　him　for　his　troubles　and　his　tribulations。〃







〃For　my　part；〃　remarked　a　third　Yip；　〃I　would　rather



go　back　home　and　dig　and　polish　some　more　diamonds；　and



mine　some　more　gold；　and　make　you　another　dishpan；　than



be　scratched　from　bead　to　heel　by　these　dreadful



bushes。　Even　now；　if　my　mother　saw　me；　she　would　not



know　I　am　her　son。〃







Gayke　paid　no　heed　to　these　mutterings；　nor　did　the



Frogman。　Although　their　journey　was　slow　it　was　being



made　easy　for　them　by　the　Yips；　so　they　had　nothing　to



complain　of　and　no　desire　to　turn　back。







Quite　near　to　the　bottom　of　the　great　hill　they　came



upon　a　deep　gulf；　the　sides　of　which　were　as　smooth　as



glass。　The　gulf　extended　a　long　distance　　as　far　as



they　could　see；　in　either　direction　　and　although　it



was　not　very　wide　it　was　far　too　wide　for　the　Yips　to



leap　across　it。　And；　should　they　fall　into　it；　it　was



likely　they　might　never　get　out　again。







〃Here　our　journey　ends；〃　said　the　Yips。　〃We　must　go



back　again。〃







Cayke　the　Cookie　Cook　began　to　weep。







〃I　shall　never　find　my　pretty　dishpan　again　　and　my



heart　will　be　broken！〃　she　sobbed。







The　Frogman　went　to　the　edge　of　the　gulf　and　with　his



eye　carefully　measured　the　distance　to　the　other　side。







〃Being　a　frog；〃　said　he；　〃I　can　leap；　as　all　frogs



do；　and；　being　so　big　and　strong；　I　am　sure　I　can　leap



across　this　gulf　with　ease。　But　the　rest　of　you；　not



being　frogs；　must　return　the　way　you　came。







〃We　will　do　that　with　pleasure；〃　cried　the　Yips　and



at　once　they　turned　and　began　to　climb　up　the　steep



mountain；　feeling　they　had　had　quite　enough　of　this



unsatisfactory　adventure。　Cayke　the　Cookie　Cook　did　not



go　with　them；　however。　She　sat　on　a　rock　and　wept　and



wailed　and　was　very　miserable。







〃Well；〃　said　the　Frogman　to　her；　〃I　will　now　bid　you



good…bye。　If　I　find　your　diamond　decorated　gold　dishpan



I　will　promise　to　see　that　it　is　safely　returned　to



you。〃







〃But　I　prefer　to　find　it　myself！〃　she　said。　〃See



here；　Frogman；　why　can't　you　carry　me　across　the　gulf



when　you　leap　it？　You　are　big　and　strong；　while　I　am



small　and　thin。〃







The　Frogman　gravely　thought　over　this　suggestion。　It



was　a　fact　that　Cayke　the　Cookie　Cook　was　not　a　heavy



person。　Perhaps　he　could　leap　the　gulf　with　her　on　his



back。







〃If　you　are　willing　to　risk　a　fall；〃　said　he；　〃I　will



make　the　attempt。〃







At　once　she　sprang　up　and　grabbed　him　around　his　neck



with　both　her　arms。　That　is；　she　grabbed　him　where　his



neck　ought　to　be；　for　the　Frogman　had　no　neck　at　all。



Then　he　squatted　down；　as　frogs　do　when　they　leap；　and



with　his　powerful　rear　legs　he　made　a　tremendous　jump。







Over　the　gulf　he　sailed；　with　the　Cookie　Cook　on　his



back；　and　he　had　leaped　so　bard　　to　make　sure　of　not



falling　in　that　he　sailed　over　a　lot　of　bramble…bushes



that　grew　on　the　other　side　and　landed　in　a　clear　space



which　was　so　far　beyond　the　gulf　that　when　they　looked



back　they　could　not　see　it　at　all。







Cayke　now　got　off　the　Frogman's　back　and　he　stood



erect　again　and　carefully　brushed　the　dust　from　his



velvet　coat　and　rearranged　his　white　satin　necktie。







〃I　had　no　idea　I　could　leap　so　far；〃　he　said



wonderingly。　〃leaping　is　one　more　accomplishment　I　can



now　add　to　the　long　list　of　deeds　I　am　able　to



perform。〃







〃You　are　certainly　fine　at　leap…frog；〃　said　the



Cookie　Cook；　admiringly；　〃but；　as　you　say；　you　are



wonderful　in　many　ways。　If　we　meet　with　any　people　down



here　I　am　sure　they　will　consider　you　the　greatest　and



grandest　of　all　living　creatures。〃







〃Yes；〃　he　replied；　〃I　shall　probably　astonish



strangers；　because　they　have　never　before　had　the



pleasure　of　seeing　me。　Also　they　will　marvel　at　my



great　learning。　Every　time　I　open　my　mouth；　Cayke；　I　am



liable　to　say　something　important。







〃That　is　true；〃　she　agreed；　〃and　it　is　fortunate　your



mouth　is　so　very　wide　and　opens　so　far；　for　otherwise



all　the　wisdom　might　not　be　able　to　get　out　of　it。〃







〃Perhaps　nature　made　it　wide　for　that　very　reason；



said　the　Frogman。　〃But　come；　let　us　now　go　on；　for　it



is　getting　late　and　we　must　find　some　sort　of　shelter



before　night　overtakes　us。〃



















Chapter　Four







Among　the　Winkies











The　settled　parts　of　the　Winkie　Country　are　full　of



happy　and　contented　people　who　are　ruled　by　a　tin



Emperor　named　Nick　Chopper；　who　in　turn　is　a　subject　of



the　beautiful　girl　Ruler；　Ozma　of　Oz。　But　not　all　of



the　Winkie　Country　is　fully　settled。　At　the　east；　which



part　lies　nearest　the　Emerald　City；　there　are　beautiful



farmhouses　and　roads；　but　as　you　travel　west　you　first



come　to　a　branch　of　the　Winkie　River；　beyond　which



there　is　a　rough　country　where　few　people　live；　and



some　of　these　are　quite　unknown　to　the　rest　of　the



world。　After　passing　through　this　rude　section　of



territory；　which　no　one　ever　visits；　you　would　come　to



still　another　branch　of　the　Winkie　River；　after



crossing　which　you　would　find　another　well　settled　part



of　the　Winkie　Country；　extending　westward　quite　to　the



Deadly　Desert　that　surrounds　all　the　Land　of　Oz　and



separates　that　favored　fairyland　from　the　more　common



outside　world。　The　Winkie