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the patchwork girl of oz-第23章

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or going from one place or another。 All these



seemed  happy…faced;  pleasant  people;  who



nodded graciously to the strangers as they



Passed; and exchanged words of greeting。







At last they reached the great gateway; just



as the sun was setting and adding its red glow



to the glitter of the emeralds on the green walls



and spires。 Somewhere inside the city a band



could be heard playing sweet music; a soft;



subdued hum; as of many voices; reached their



ears; from the neighboring yards came the low



mooing of cows waiting to be milked。







They were almost at the gate when the golden



bars slid back and a tall soldier stepped out and



faced them。 Ojo thought he had never seen so



tall a man before。 The soldier wore a handsome



green and gold uniform; with a tall hat in which



was a waving plume; and he had a belt thickly



encrusted with jewels。 But the most peculiar



thing about him was his long green beard;



which fell far below his waist and perhaps



made him seem taller than he really was。







〃Halt!〃 said the Soldier with the Green



Whiskers; not in a stern voice but rather in a



friendly tone。







They halted before he spoke and stood looking at



him。







〃Good evening; Colonel;〃 said the Shaggy



Man。 〃What's the news since I left? Anything



important?〃







〃Billina has hatched out thirteen new chickens;〃



replied the Soldier with the Green Whiskers; 〃and



they're the cutest little fluffy yellow balls you



ever saw。 The Yellow Hen is mighty proud of those



children; I can tell you。〃







〃She has a right to be;〃 agreed the Shaggy



Man。 〃Let me see; that's about seven thousand



chicks she has hatched out; isn't it; General?〃







〃That; at least;〃 was the reply。 〃You will have



to visit Billina and congratulate her。〃







〃It will give me pleasure to do that;〃 said the



Shaggy Man。 〃But you will observe that I have



brought some strangers home with me。 I am



going to take them to see Dorothy。〃







〃One moment; please;〃 said the soldier; barring



their way as they started to enter the gate。 〃I am



on duty; and I have orders to execute。 Is anyone



in your party named Ojo the Unlucky?〃







〃Why; that's me!〃 cried Ojo; astonished at



hearing his name on the lips of a stranger。







The Soldier with the Green Whiskers nodded。 〃I



thought so;〃 said he; 〃and I am sorry to announce



that it is my painful duty to arrest you。〃







〃Arrest me!〃 exclaimed the boy。 〃What for?〃







〃I haven't looked to see;〃 answered the soldier。



Then he drew a paper from his breast pocket and



glanced at it。 〃Oh; yes; you are to be arrested



for willfully breaking one of the Laws of Oz。〃







〃Breaking a law!〃 said Scraps。 〃Nonsense;



Soldier; you're joking。〃







〃Not this time;〃 returned the soldier; with a



sigh。 〃My dear child what are you; a rummage sale



or a guess…me quick?in me you be hold the Body



Guard of our gracious Ruler; Princess Ozma; as



well as the Royal Army of Oz and the Police Force



of the Emerald City。〃







〃And only one man!〃 exclaimed the Patchwork Girl。







〃Only one; and plenty enough。 In my official



positions I've had nothing to do for a good many



yearsso long that I began to fear I was



absolutely uselessuntil today。 An hour ago I was



called to the presence of her Highness; Ozma of



Oz; and told to arrest a boy named Ojo the



Unlucky; who was journeying from the Munchkin



Country to the Emerald City and would arrive in a



short time。 This command so astonished me that I



nearly fainted; for it is the first time anyone



has merited arrest since I can remember。 You are



rightly named Ojo the Unlucky。 my poor boy; since



you have broken a Law of Oz。







〃But you are wrong;〃 said Scraps。 〃Ozma is



wrongyou are all wrongfor Ojo has broken no



Law。〃







〃Then he will soon be free again;〃 replied the



Soldier with the Green Whiskers。 〃Anyone accused



of crime is given a fair trial by our Ruler and



has every chance to prove his innocence。 But just



now Ozma's orders must be obeyed。〃







With this he took from his pocket a pair of



handcuffs made of gold and set with rubies and



diamonds; and these he snapped over Ojo's wrists。



















Chapter Fifteen







Ozma's Prisoner











The boy was so bewildered by this calamity that he



made no resistance at all。 He knew very well he



was guilty; but it surprised him that Ozma also



knew it。 He wondered how she had found out so soon



that he had picked the six…leaved clover。 He



handed his basket to Scraps and said:







〃Keep that; until I get out of prison。 If I



never get out; take it to the Crooked Magician; to



whom it belongs。〃







The Shaggy Man had been gazing earnestly in the



boy's face; uncertain whether to defend him or



not; but something he read in Ojo's expression



made him draw back and refuse to interfere to save



him。 The Shaggy Man was greatly surprised and



grieved; but he knew that Ozma never made mistakes



and so Ojo must really have broken the Law of Oz。







The Soldier with the Green Whiskers now led them



all through the gate and into a little room built



in the wall。 Here sat a jolly little man; richly



dressed in green and having around his neck a



heavy gold chain to which a number of great golden



keys were attached。 This was the Guardian of the



Gate and at the moment they entered his room he



was playing a tune upon a mouth…organ。







〃Listen!〃 he said; holding up his hand for



silence。 〃I've just composed a tune called 'The



Speckled Alligator。' It's in patch…time; which is



much superior to rag…time; and I've composed it in



honor of the Patchwork Girl; who has just



arrived。〃







〃How did you know I had arrived?〃 asked Scraps;



much interested。







〃It's my business to know who's coming; for I'm



the Guardian of the Gate。 Keep quiet while I play



you 'The Speckled Alligator。'〃







It wasn't a very bad tune; nor a very good one;



but all listened respectfully while he shut his



eyes and swayed his head from side to side and



blew the notes from the little instrument。 When it



was all over the Soldier with the Green Whiskers



said:







〃Guardian; I have here a prisoner。〃







〃Good gracious! A prisoner?〃 cried the little



man; jumping up from his chair。 〃Which one? Not



the Shaggy Man?〃







〃No; this boy。〃







〃Ah; I hope his fault is as small as himself;〃



said the Guardian of the Gate。 〃But what can he



have done; and what made him do it?〃







〃Can't say;〃 replied the soldier。 〃All I know



is that he has broken the Law。〃







〃But no one ever does that!〃







〃Then he must be innocent; and soon will be



released。 I hope you are right; Guardian。 Just now



I am ordered to take him to prison。 Get me a



prisoner's robe from your Official Wardrobe。〃







The Guardian unlocked a closet and took



from it a white robe; which the soldier threw



over Ojo。 It covered him from head to foot; but



had two holes just in front of his eyes; so he



could see where to go。 In this attire the boy



presented a very quaint appearance。







As the Guardian unlocked a gate leading



from his room into the streets of the Emerald



City; the Shaggy Man said to Scraps:







〃I think I shall take you directly to Dorothy;



as the Scarecrow advised; and the Glass Cat



and the Woozy may come with us。 Ojo must



go to prison with the Soldier with the Green



Whiskers; but he will he well treated and you



need not worry about him。〃







〃What will they do with him?〃 asked Scraps。







〃That I cannot tell。 Since I came to the Land of



Oz no one has ever been arrested or imprisoned



until Ojo broke the Law。〃







〃Seems to me that girl Ruler of yours is making



a big fuss over nothing;〃 remarked Scraps; tossing



her yarn hair out of her eyes with a jerk of her



patched head。 〃I don't know what Ojo has done; but



it couldn't be anything very; bad; for you and I



were with him all the time。〃







The Shaggy Man made no reply to this speech and



presently the Patchwork Girl forgot all about Ojo



in her admiration of the wonderful city she had



entered。







They soon separated from the Munchkin boy; who



was
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