the scarecrow of oz- 第24部分

The　Ork　called　his　followers　together　and　spoke　a　few



words　to　them　in　a　low　tone。　A　moment　after　they　rose



into　the　air　　so　suddenly　that　the　Scarecrow；　who　was



very　light　in　weight；　was　blown　quite　out　of　his　throne



and　into　the　arms　of　Pon；　who　replaced　him　carefully　upon



his　seat。　There　was　an　eddy　of　dust　and　ashes；　too；　and



the　grasshopper　only　saved　himself　from　being　whirled



into　the　crowd　of　people　by　jumping　into　a　tree；　from



where　a　series　of　hops　soon　brought　him　back　to　Trot's



shoulder　again。　The　Orks　were　quite　out　of　sight　by　this



time；　so　the　Scarecrow　made　a　speech　to　the　people　and



presented　Gloria　to　them；　whom　they　knew　well　already



and　were　fond　of。　But　not　all　of　them　knew　of　her　frozen



heart；　and　when　the　Scarecrow　related　the　story　of　the



Wicked　Witch's　misdeeds；　which　had　been　encouraged　and



paid　for　by　Krewl　and　Googly…Goo；　the　people　were　very



indignant。







Meantime　the　fifty　Orks　had　scattered　all　over　Jinx



land；　which　is　not　a　very　big　country；　and　their　sharp



eyes　were　peering　into　every　valley　and　grove　and　gully。



Finally　one　of　them　spied　a　pair　of　heels　sticking　out



from　underneath　some　bushes；　and　with　a　shrill　whistle　to



warn　his　comrades　that　the　witch　was　found　the　Ork　flew



down　and　dragged　old　Blinkie　from　her　hiding…place。　Then



two　or　three　of　the　Orks　seized　the　clothing　of　the



wicked　woman　in　their　strong　claws　and；　lifting　her　high



in　the　air；　where　she　struggled　and　screamed　to　no　avail；



they　flew　with　her　straight　to　the　royal　castle　and　set



her　down　before　the　throne　of　the　Scarecrow。







〃Good！〃　exclaimed　the　straw　man；　nodding　his　stuffed



head　with　satisfaction。　〃Now　we　can　proceed　to　business。



Mistress　Witch；　I　am　obliged　to　request；　gently　but



firmly；　that　you　undo　all　the　wrongs　you　have　done　by



means　of　your　witchcraft。〃







〃Pah！〃　cried　old　Blinkie　in　a　scornful　voice。　〃I　defy



you　all！　By　my　magic　powers　I　can　turn　you　all　into　pigs；



rooting　in　the　mud；　and　I'll　do　it　if　you　are　not



careful。〃







〃I　think　you　are　mistaken　about　that；〃　said　the



Scarecrow；　and　rising　from　his　throne　he　walked　with



wobbling　steps　to　the　side　of　the　Wicked　Witch。　〃Before　I



left　the　Land　of　Oz；　Glinda　the　Royal　Sorceress　gave　me　a



box；　which　I　was　not　to　open　except　in　an　emergency。　But



I　feel　pretty　sure　that　this　occasion　is　an　emergency；



don't　you；　Trot？〃　he　asked；　turning　toward　the　little



girl。







〃Why；　we've　got　to　do　something；〃　replied　Trot



seriously。　〃Things　seem　in　an　awful　muddle　here；　jus'



now；　and　they'll　be　worse　if　we　don't　stop　this　witch



from　doing　more　harm　to　people。〃







〃That　is　my　idea；　exactly；〃　said　the　Scarecrow；　and



taking　a　small　box　from　his　pocket　he　opened　the　cover



and　tossed　the　contents　toward　Blinkie。







The　old　woman　shrank　back；　pale　and　trembling；　as　a



fine　white　dust　settled　all　about　her。　Under　its



influence　she　seemed　to　the　eyes　of　all　observers　to



shrivel　and　grow　smaller。







〃Oh；　dear　…　oh；　dear！〃　she　wailed；　wringing　her　hands



in　fear。　〃Haven't　you　the　antidote；　Scarecrow？　Didn't　the



great　Sorceress　give　you　another　box？〃







〃She　did；〃　answered　the　Scarecrow。







〃Then　give　it　me　　quick！〃　pleaded　the　witch。　〃Give　it



me　　and　I'll　do　anything　you　ask　me　to！〃







〃You　will　do　what　I　ask　first；〃　declared　the　Scarecrow；



firmly。







The　witch　was　shriveling　and　growing　smaller　every



moment。







〃Be　quick；　then！〃　she　cried。　〃Tell　me　what　I　must　do



and　let　me　do　it；　or　it　will　be　too　late。〃







〃You　made　Trot's　friend；　Cap'n　Bill；　a　grasshopper。　I



command　you　to　give　him　back　his　proper　form　again；〃　said



the　Scarecrow。







〃Where　is　he？　Where's　the　grasshopper？　Quick　　quick！〃



she　screamed。







Cap'n　Bill；　who　had　been　deeply　interested　in　this



conversation；　gave　a　great　leap　from　Trot's　shoulder　and



landed　on　that　of　the　Scarecrow。　Blinkie　saw　him　alight



and　at　once　began　to　make　magic　passes　and　to　mumble



magic　incantations。　She　was　in　a　desperate　hurry；　knowing



that　she　had　no　time　to　waste；　and　the　grasshopper　was　so



suddenly　transformed　into　the　old　sailor…man；　Cap'n　Bill；



that　he　had　no　opportunity　to　jump　off　the　Scarecrow's



shoulder；　so　his　great　weight　bore　the　stuffed　Scarecrow



to　the　ground。　No　harm　was　done；　however；　and　the　straw



man　got　up　and　brushed　the　dust　from　his　clothes　while



Trot　delightedly　embraced　Cap'n　Bill。







〃The　other　box！　Quick！　Give　me　the　other　box；〃　begged



Blinkie；　who　had　now　shrunk　to　half　her　former　size。







〃Not　yet；〃　said　the　Scarecrow。　〃You　must　first　melt



Princess　Gloria's　frozen　heart。〃







〃I　can't；　it's　an　awful　job　to　do　that！　I　can't；〃



asserted　the　witch；　in　an　agony　of　fear　　for　still　she



was　growing　smaller。







〃You　must！〃　declared　the　Scarecrow；　firmly。







The　witch　cast　a　shrewd　look　at　him　and　saw　that　he



meant　it；　so　she　began　dancing　around　Gloria　in　a　frantic



manner。　The　Princess　looked　coldly　on；　as　if　not　at　all



interested　in　the　proceedings；　while　Blinkie　tore　a



handful　of　hair　from　her　own　head　and　ripped　a　strip　of



cloth　from　the　bottom　of　her　gown。　Then　the　witch　sank



upon　her　knees；　took　a　purple　powder　from　her　black　bag



and　sprinkled　it　over　the　hair　and　cloth。







〃I　hate　to　do　it　　I　　hate　to　do　it！〃　she　wailed；　〃for



there　is　no　more　of　this　magic　compound　in　all　the　world。



But　I　must　sacrifice　it　to　save　my　own　life。　A　match！



Give　me　a　match；　quick！〃　and　panting　from　lack　of　breath



she　gazed　imploringly　from　one　to　another。







Cap'n　Bill　was　the　only　one　who　had　a　match；　but　he



lost　no　time　in　handing　it　to　Blinkie；　who　quickly　set



fire　to　the　hair　and　the　cloth　and　the　purple　powder。　At



once　a　purple　cloud　enveloped　Gloria；　and　this　gradually



turned　to　a　rosy　pink　color　brilliant　and　quite



transparent。　Through　the　rosy　cloud　they　could　all　see



the　beautiful　Princess；　standing　proud　and　erect。　Then



her　heart　became　visible；　at　first　frosted　with　ice　but



slowly　growing　brighter　and　warmer　until　all　the　frost



had　disappeared　and　it　was　beating　as　softly　and



regularly　as　any　other　heart。　And　now　the　cloud　dispersed



and　disclosed　Gloria；　her　face　suffused　with　joy；　smiling



tenderly　upon　the　friends　who　were　grouped　about　her。







Poor　Pon　stepped　forward　　timidly；　fearing　a　repulse；



but　with　pleading　eyes　and　arms　fondly　outstretched



toward　his　former　sweetheart　　and　the　Princess　saw　him



and　her　sweet　face　lighted　with　a　radiant　smile。　Without



an　instant's　hesitation　she　threw　herself　into　Pon's　arms



and　this　reunion　of　two　loving　hearts　was　so　affecting



that　the　people　turned　away　and　lowered　their　eyes　so　as



not　to　mar　the　sacred　joy　of　the　faithful　lovers。







But　Blinkie's　small　voice　was　shouting　to　the　Scarecrow



for　help。







〃The　antidote！〃　she　screamed。　〃Give　me　the　other　box　



quick！〃







The　Scarecrow　looked　at　the　witch　with　his　quaint；



painted　eyes　and　saw　that　she　was　now　no　taller　than　his



knee。　So　he　took　from　his　pocket　the　second　box　and



scattered　its　contents　on　Blinkie。　She　ceased　to　grow　any



smaller；　but　she　could　never　regain　her　former　size；　and



this　the　wicked　old　woman　well　knew。







She　did　not　know；　however；　that　the　second　powder　had



destroyed　all　her　power　to　work　magic；　and　seeking　to　be



revenged　upon　the　Scarecrow　and　his　friends　she　at　once



began　to　mumble　a　charm　so　terrible　in　its　effect　that　it



would　have　destroyed　half　the　population　of　Jinxland　



had　it　worked。　But　it　did　not　work　at　all；　to　the



amazement　of　old　Blinkie。　And　by　this　time　the　Scarecrow



noticed　what　the　little　witch　was　trying　to　do；　and　said



to　her：







〃Go　home；　Blinkie；　and　behave　yourself。　You　are　no



longer　a　witch；　but　an　ordinary　old　woman；　and　since　you



are　powerless　to　do　more　evil　I　advise　you　to　try　to　do



some　good　in　the　world。　Believe　me；　it　is　more　fun　to



accomplish　a　good　act　than　an　evil　one；　as　you　will



discover　when　once　you　have　tried　it。〃







But　Blinkie　was　at　that　moment　filled　with　grief　and



chagrin　at　losing　her　magic　powers。　She　started　away



toward　her　home；　sobbing　and　bewailing　her　fate；　and　not



one　who　saw　her　go　was　at　all　sorry　for　her。



















Chapter　Twenty







Queen　Gloria











Next　morning　the　Scarecrow　called　upon　all　the



courtiers　and　the　people　to　assemble　in　the　throne　room



of　the　castle；　where　there　was　room　enough　for　all　that



were　able　to　attend。　They　found　the　straw　man　seated　upon



the　velvet　cushions　of　the　throne；　with　the　King's



glittering　crown　still　upon　his　stuffed　head。　On　one　side



of　the　throne；　in　a　lower　chair；　sat　Gloria；　looking



radiantly　beautiful　and　fresh　as　a　new…blown　rose。　On　the



other　side　sat　Pon；　the　gardener's　boy；　still　dressed　in



his　old　smock　frock　and　looking　sad　and　solemn；　for　Pon



could　not　make　himself　believe　that　so　splendid　a



Princess　would　condescend　to　love　him　when　she　had　come



to　her　own　and　was　seated　upon　a　throne。　Trot　and　Cap'n



Bill　sat　at　the　feet　of　the　Scarecrow　and　were　much



interested　in　the　proceedings。　Button…Bright　had　lost



himself　before　breakfast；　but　came　into　the　throne　room



before　the　ceremonies　were　over。　Back　of　the　throne　stood



a　row　of　t