the wonderful wizard of oz- 第17部分

throne；　that　you　may　converse　with　me。〃　　Indeed；　the　Voice　seemed

just　then　to　come　straight　from　the　throne　itself；　so　they　walked

toward　it　and　stood　in　a　row　while　Dorothy　said：



　　　　〃We　have　come　to　claim　our　promise；　O　Oz。〃



　　　　〃What　promise？〃　asked　Oz。



　　　　〃You　promised　to　send　me　back　to　Kansas　when　the　Wicked　Witch

was　destroyed；〃　said　the　girl。



　　　　〃And　you　promised　to　give　me　brains；〃　said　the　Scarecrow。



　　　　〃And　you　promised　to　give　me　a　heart；〃　said　the　Tin　Woodman。



　　　　〃And　you　promised　to　give　me　courage；〃　said　the　Cowardly　Lion。



　　　　〃Is　the　Wicked　Witch　really　destroyed？〃　asked　the　Voice；

and　Dorothy　thought　it　trembled　a　little。



　　　　〃Yes；〃　she　answered；　〃I　melted　her　with　a　bucket　of　water。〃



　　　　〃Dear　me；〃　said　the　Voice；　〃how　sudden！　　Well；　come　to　me

tomorrow；　for　I　must　have　time　to　think　it　over。〃



　　　　〃You've　had　plenty　of　time　already；〃　said　the　Tin　Woodman　angrily。



　　　　〃We　shan't　wait　a　day　longer；〃　said　the　Scarecrow。



　　　　〃You　must　keep　your　promises　to　us！〃　exclaimed　Dorothy。



　　　　The　Lion　thought　it　might　be　as　well　to　frighten　the　Wizard；

so　he　gave　a　large；　loud　roar；　which　was　so　fierce　and　dreadful

that　Toto　jumped　away　from　him　in　alarm　and　tipped　over　the　screen

that　stood　in　a　corner。　　As　it　fell　with　a　crash　they　looked

that　way；　and　the　next　moment　all　of　them　were　filled　with　wonder。

For　they　saw；　standing　in　just　the　spot　the　screen　had　hidden；

a　little　old　man；　with　a　bald　head　and　a　wrinkled　face；　who　seemed

to　be　as　much　surprised　as　they　were。　　The　Tin　Woodman；　raising

his　axe；　rushed　toward　the　little　man　and　cried　out；　〃Who　are　you？〃



　　　　〃I　am　Oz；　the　Great　and　Terrible；〃　said　the　little　man；　in　a

trembling　voice。　　〃But　don't　strike　meplease　don'tand　I'll

do　anything　you　want　me　to。〃



　　　　Our　friends　looked　at　him　in　surprise　and　dismay。



　　　　〃I　thought　Oz　was　a　great　Head；〃　said　Dorothy。



　　　　〃And　I　thought　Oz　was　a　lovely　Lady；〃　said　the　Scarecrow。



　　　　〃And　I　thought　Oz　was　a　terrible　Beast；〃　said　the　Tin　Woodman。



　　　　〃And　I　thought　Oz　was　a　Ball　of　Fire；〃　exclaimed　the　Lion。



　　　　〃No；　you　are　all　wrong；〃　said　the　little　man　meekly。　　〃I　have

been　making　believe。〃



　　　　〃Making　believe！〃　cried　Dorothy。　　〃Are　you　not　a　Great　Wizard？〃



　　　　〃Hush；　my　dear；〃　he　said。　　〃Don't　speak　so　loud；　or　you　will　be

overheardand　I　should　be　ruined。　　I'm　supposed　to　be　a　Great　Wizard。〃



　　　　〃And　aren't　you？〃　she　asked。



　　　　〃Not　a　bit　of　it；　my　dear；　I'm　just　a　common　man。〃



　　　　〃You're　more　than　that；〃　said　the　Scarecrow；　in　a　grieved　tone；

〃you're　a　humbug。〃



　　　　〃Exactly　so！〃　declared　the　little　man；　rubbing　his　hands

together　as　if　it　pleased　him。　　〃I　am　a　humbug。〃



　　　　〃But　this　is　terrible；〃　said　the　Tin　Woodman。　　〃How　shall　I

ever　get　my　heart？〃



　　　　〃Or　I　my　courage？〃　asked　the　Lion。



　　　　〃Or　I　my　brains？〃　wailed　the　Scarecrow；　wiping　the　tears　from

his　eyes　with　his　coat　sleeve。



　　　　〃My　dear　friends；〃　said　Oz；　〃I　pray　you　not　to　speak　of　these

little　things。　　Think　of　me；　and　the　terrible　trouble　I'm　in　at

being　found　out。〃



　　　　〃Doesn't　anyone　else　know　you're　a　humbug？〃　asked　Dorothy。



　　　　〃No　one　knows　it　but　you　fourand　myself；〃　replied　Oz。　　〃I

have　fooled　everyone　so　long　that　I　thought　I　should　never　be

found　out。　　It　was　a　great　mistake　my　ever　letting　you　into　the

Throne　Room。　　Usually　I　will　not　see　even　my　subjects；　and　so　they

believe　I　am　something　terrible。〃



　　　　〃But；　I　don't　understand；〃　said　Dorothy；　in　bewilderment。

〃How　was　it　that　you　appeared　to　me　as　a　great　Head？〃



　　　　〃That　was　one　of　my　tricks；〃　answered　Oz。　　〃Step　this　way；

please；　and　I　will　tell　you　all　about　it。〃



　　　　He　led　the　way　to　a　small　chamber　in　the　rear　of　the　Throne

Room；　and　they　all　followed　him。　　He　pointed　to　one　corner；　in

which　lay　the　great　Head；　made　out　of　many　thicknesses　of　paper；

and　with　a　carefully　painted　face。



　　　　〃This　I　hung　from　the　ceiling　by　a　wire；〃　said　Oz。　　〃I　stood

behind　the　screen　and　pulled　a　thread；　to　make　the　eyes　move　and

the　mouth　open。〃



　　　　〃But　how　about　the　voice？〃　she　inquired。



　　　　〃Oh；　I　am　a　ventriloquist；〃　said　the　little　man。　　〃I　can　throw

the　sound　of　my　voice　wherever　I　wish；　so　that　you　thought　it　was

coming　out　of　the　Head。　　Here　are　the　other　things　I　used　to

deceive　you。〃　　He　showed　the　Scarecrow　the　dress　and　the　mask　he

had　worn　when　he　seemed　to　be　the　lovely　Lady。　　And　the　Tin

Woodman　saw　that　his　terrible　Beast　was　nothing　but　a　lot　of

skins；　sewn　together；　with　slats　to　keep　their　sides　out。　　As　for

the　Ball　of　Fire；　the　false　Wizard　had　hung　that　also　from　the

ceiling。　　It　was　really　a　ball　of　cotton；　but　when　oil　was　poured

upon　it　the　ball　burned　fiercely。



　　　　〃Really；〃　said　the　Scarecrow；　〃you　ought　to　be　ashamed　of

yourself　for　being　such　a　humbug。〃



　　　　〃I　amI　certainly　am；〃　answered　the　little　man　sorrowfully；

〃but　it　was　the　only　thing　I　could　do。　　Sit　down；　please；　there

are　plenty　of　chairs；　and　I　will　tell　you　my　story。〃



　　　　So　they　sat　down　and　listened　while　he　told　the　following　tale。



　　　　〃I　was　born　in　Omaha〃



　　　　〃Why；　that　isn't　very　far　from　Kansas！〃　cried　Dorothy。



　　　　〃No；　but　it's　farther　from　here；〃　he　said；　shaking　his　head　at

her　sadly。　　〃When　I　grew　up　I　became　a　ventriloquist；　and　at　that

I　was　very　well　trained　by　a　great　master。　　I　can　imitate　any　kind

of　a　bird　or　beast。〃　　Here　he　mewed　so　like　a　kitten　that　Toto

pricked　up　his　ears　and　looked　everywhere　to　see　where　she　was。

〃After　a　time；〃　continued　Oz；　〃I　tired　of　that；　and　became　a

balloonist。〃



　　　　〃What　is　that？〃　asked　Dorothy。



　　　　〃A　man　who　goes　up　in　a　balloon　on　circus　day；　so　as　to　draw　a

crowd　of　people　together　and　get　them　to　pay　to　see　the　circus；〃

he　explained。



　　　　〃Oh；〃　she　said；　〃I　know。〃



　　　　〃Well；　one　day　I　went　up　in　a　balloon　and　the　ropes　got

twisted；　so　that　I　couldn't　come　down　again。　　It　went　way　up　above

the　clouds；　so　far　that　a　current　of　air　struck　it　and　carried　it

many；　many　miles　away。　　For　a　day　and　a　night　I　traveled　through

the　air；　and　on　the　morning　of　the　second　day　I　awoke　and　found

the　balloon　floating　over　a　strange　and　beautiful　country。



　　　　〃It　came　down　gradually；　and　I　was　not　hurt　a　bit。　　But　I

found　myself　in　the　midst　of　a　strange　people；　who；　seeing　me　come

from　the　clouds；　thought　I　was　a　great　Wizard。　　Of　course　I　let

them　think　so；　because　they　were　afraid　of　me；　and　promised　to　do

anything　I　wished　them　to。



　　　　〃Just　to　amuse　myself；　and　keep　the　good　people　busy；　I

ordered　them　to　build　this　City；　and　my　Palace；　and　they　did　it

all　willingly　and　well。　　Then　I　thought；　as　the　country　was　so

green　and　beautiful；　I　would　call　it　the　Emerald　City；　and　to　make

the　name　fit　better　I　put　green　spectacles　on　all　the　people；　so

that　everything　they　saw　was　green。〃



　　　　〃But　isn't　everything　here　green？〃　asked　Dorothy。



　　　　〃No　more　than　in　any　other　city；〃　replied　Oz；　〃but　when　you

wear　green　spectacles；　why　of　course　everything　you　see　looks

green　to　you。　　The　Emerald　City　was　built　a　great　many　years　ago；

for　I　was　a　young　man　when　the　balloon　brought　me　here；　and　I　am　a

very　old　man　now。　　But　my　people　have　worn　green　glasses　on　their

eyes　so　long　that　most　of　them　think　it　really　is　an　Emerald　City；

and　it　certainly　is　a　beautiful　place；　abounding　in　jewels　and

precious　metals；　and　every　good　thing　that　is　needed　to　make

one　happy。　　I　have　been　good　to　the　people；　and　they　like　me；

but　ever　since　this　Palace　was　built；　I　have　shut　myself　up

and　would　not　see　any　of　them。



　　　　〃One　of　my　greatest　fears　was　the　Witches；　for　while　I　had　no

magical　powers　at　all　I　soon　found　out　that　the　Witches　were

really　able　to　do　wonderful　things。　　There　were　four　of　them　in

this　country；　and　they　ruled　the　people　who　live　in　the　North　and

South　and　East　and　West。　　Fortunately；　the　Witches　of　the　North

and　South　were　good；　and　I　knew　they　would　do　me　no　harm；　but　the

Witches　of　the　East　and　West　were　terribly　wicked；　and　had　they

not　thought　I　was　more　powerful　than　they　themselves；　they　would

surely　have　destroyed　me。　　As　it　was；　I　lived　in　deadly　fear　of

them　for　many　years；　so　you　can　imagine　how　pleased　I　was　when

I　heard　your　house　had　fallen　on　the　Wicked　Witch　of　the　East。

When　you　came　to　me；　I　was　willing　to　promise　anything　if　you

would　only　do　away　with　the　other　Witch；　but；　now　that　you　have

melted　her；　I　am　ashamed　to　say　that　I　cannot　keep　my　promises。〃



　　　　〃I　think　you　are　a　very　bad　man；〃　said　Dorothy。



　　　　〃Oh；　no；　my　dear；　I'm　really　a　very　good　man；　but　I'm　a　very

bad　Wizard；　I　must　admit。〃



　　　　〃Can't　you　give　me　brains？〃　asked　the　Scarecrow。



　　　　〃You　don't　need　them。　　You　are　learning　something　every　day。

A　baby　has　brains；　but　it　doesn't　know　much。　　Experience　is　the

only　thing　that　brings　knowledge；　and　the　longer　you　are　on　earth

the　more　experience　you　are　sure　to　get。〃



　　　　〃That　may　all　be　true；〃　said　the　Scarecrow；　〃but　I　shall　be

very　unhappy　unless　you　give　me　brains。〃



　　　　The　false　Wizard　looked　at　him　carefully。



　　　　〃Well；〃　he　said　with　a　sigh；　〃I'm　not　much　of　a　magician；

as　I　said；　but　if　you　will　come　to　me　tomorrow　morning；　I　will

stuff　your　head　with　brains。　　I　cannot　tell　you　how　to　use　them；

however；　you　must　find　that　out　for　yourself。〃



　　　　〃Oh；　thank　youthank　you！〃　cried　the　Scarecrow。　　〃I'll　find

a　way　to　use　them；　never　fear！〃



　　　　〃But　how　about　my　courage？〃　asked　the　Lion　anxiously。



　　　　〃You　have　plenty　of　courage；　I　am　sure；〃　answered　Oz。　　〃All　you　need

is　confidence　in　yourself。　　There　is　no　living　thing　that　is　not　afraid

when　it　faces　danger。　　The　True　courage　is　in　facing　danger　when　you　are

afraid；　and　that　kind　of　courage　you　have　in　plenty。〃



　　　　〃Perhaps　I　have；　but　I'm　scared　just　the　same；