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the patchwork girl of oz-第6章

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As he spoke he went to a phonograph; which



screwed fast to a small table; and wound up



the spring of the instrument and adjusted the



big gold horn。







〃The music my servant will usually hear;〃



remarked Margolotte; 〃will be my orders to do



her work。 But I see no harm in allowing her to



listen to this unseen band while she wakens to



her first realization of life。 My orders will beat



the band; afterward。〃







The phonograph was now playing a stirring



march tune and the Magician unlocked his



cabinet and took out the gold bottle containing



the Powder of Life。







They all bent over the bench on which the



Patchwork Girl reclined。 Unc Nunkie and Margolotte



stood behind; near the windows; Ojo at one side



and the Magician in front; where he would have



freedom to sprinkle the powder。 The Glass Cat came



near; too; curious to watch the important scene。







〃All ready?〃 asked Dr。 Pipt。







〃All is ready;〃 answered his wife。







So the Magician leaned over and shook from



the bottle some grains of the wonderful Powder;



and they fell directly on the Patchwork Girl's



head and arms。



















Chapter Five







A Terrible Accident















〃It will take a few minutes for this powder to



do its work;〃 remarked the Magician; sprinkling



the body up and down with much care。







But suddenly the Patchwork Girl threw up one



arm; which knocked the bottle of powder from the



crooked man's hand and sent it flying across the



room。 Unc Nunkie and Margolotte were so startled



that they both leaped backward and bumped



together; and Unc's head joggled the shelf above



them and upset the bottle containing the Liquid of



Petrifaction。







The Magician uttered such a wild cry that Ojo



jumped away and the Patchwork Girl sprang after



him and clasped her stuffed arms around him in



terror。 The Glass Cat snarled and hid under the



table; and so it was that when the powerful Liquid



of Petrifaction was spilled it fell only upon the



wife of the Magician and the uncle of Ojo。 With



these two the charm worked promptly。 They stood



motionless and stiff as marble statues; in exactly



the positions they were in when the Liquid struck



them。







Ojo pushed the Patchwork Girl away and



ran to Unc Nunkie; filled with a terrible fear



for the only friend and protector he had ever



known。 When he grasped Unc's hand it was



cold and hard。 Even the long gray beard was



solid  marble。  The  Crooked  Magician  was



dancing around the room in a frenzy of despair;



calling upon his wife to forgive him; to speak



to him; to come to life again!







The Patchwork Girl; quickly recovering from her



fright; now came nearer and looked from one to



another of the people with deep interest。 Then she



looked at herself and laughed。 Noticing the



mirror; she stood before it and examined her



extraordinary features with amazementher button



eyes; pearl bead teeth and puffy nose。 Then;



addressing her reflection in the glass; she exclaimed:











〃Whee; but there's a gaudy dame!



Makes a paint…box blush with shame。



Razzle…dazzle; fizzle…fazzle!



Howdy…do; Miss What's…your…name?〃















She bowed; and the reflection bowed。 Then



she laughed again; long and merrily; and the



Glass Cat crept out from under the table and said:







〃I don't blame you for laughing at yourself。



Aren't you horrid?〃







〃Horrid?〃 she replied。 〃Why; I'm thoroughly



delightful。 I'm an Original; if you please; and



therefore incomparable。 Of all the comic; absurd;



rare and amusing creatures the world contains; I



must be the supreme freak。 Who but poor Margolotte



could have managed to invent such an unreasonable



being as I? But I'm gladI'm awfully glad!that



I'm just what I am; and nothing else。〃







〃Be quiet; will you?〃 cried the frantic



Magician; 〃be quiet and let me think! If I don't



think I shall go mad。〃







〃Think ahead;〃 said the Patchwork Girl; seating



herself in a chair。 〃Think all you want to。 I



don't mind。〃







〃Gee! but I'm fired playing that tune;〃 called



the phonograph; speaking through its horn in



a brazen; scratchy voice。 〃If you don't mind;



Pipt; old boy; I'll cut it out and take a rest。〃







The Magician looked gloomily at the music…



machine。







〃What dreadful luck!〃 he wailed; despondently。



〃The Powder of Life must have fallen on the



phonograph。〃







He went up to it and found that the gold bottle



that contained the precious powder had dropped



upon the stand and scattered its life…giving



grains over the machine。 The phonograph was very



much alive; and began dancing a jig with the legs



of the table to which it was attached; and this



dance so annoyed Dr。 Pipt that he kicked the thing



into a corner and pushed a bench against it; to



hold it quiet。







〃You were bad enough before;〃 said the Magician;



resentfully; 〃but a live phonograph is enough to



drive every sane person in the Land of Oz stark



crazy。〃







〃No insults; please;〃 answered the phonograph in



a surly; tone。 〃You did it; my boy; don't blame



me。 〃







〃You've bungled everything; Dr。 Pipt;〃 added



the Glass Cat; contemptuously。







〃Except me;〃 said the Patchwork Girl; jumping up



to whirl merrily around the room。







〃I think;〃 said Ojo; almost ready to cry



through grief over Unc Nunkie's sad fate; 〃it



must all be my fault; in some way。 I'm called



Ojo the Unlucky; you know。〃







〃That's nonsense; kiddie;〃 retorted the



Patchwork Girl cheerfully。 〃No one can be unlucky



who has the intelligence to direct his own



actions。 The unlucky ones are those who beg for a



chance to think; like poor Dr。 Pipt here。 What's



the row about; anyway; Mr。 Magic…maker?〃







〃The Liquid of Petrifaction has accidentally



fallen upon my dear wife and Unc Nunkie and



turned them into marble;〃 he sadly replied。







〃Well; why don't you sprinkle some of that



powder on them and bring them to life again?〃



asked the Patchwork Girl。







The Magician gave a jump。







〃Why; I hadn't thought of that!〃 he joyfully



cried; and grabbed up the golden bottle; with



which he ran to Margolotte。







Said the Patchwork Girl:











〃Higgledy; piggledy; dee…



What fools magicians be!



His head's so thick



He can't think quick;



So he takes advice from me。〃















Standing upon the bench; for he was so



crooked he could not reach the top of his wife's



head in any other way; Dr。 Pipt began shaking



the bottle。 But not a grain of powder came out。



He pulled off the cover; glanced within; and



then threw the bottle from him with a wail of



despair。







〃Gone…gone! Every bit gone;〃 he cried。



〃Wasted on that miserable phonograph when



it might have saved my dear wife!〃







Then the Magician bowed his head on his



crooked arms and began to cry。







Ojo was sorry for him。 He went up to the



sorrowful man and said softly:







〃You can make more Powder of Life; Dr。 Pipt。〃







〃Yes; but it will take me six yearssix long;



weary years of stirring four kettles with both



feet and both hands;〃 was the agonized reply。 〃Six



years! while poor Margolotte stands watching me as



a marble image。 〃







〃Can't anything else be done?〃 asked the



Patchwork Girl。







The Magician shook his head。 Then he seemed to



remember something and looked up。







〃There is one other compound that would destroy



the magic spell of the Liquid of Petrifaction and



restore my wife and Unc Nunkie to life;〃 said he。



〃It may be hard to find the things I need to make



this magic compound; but if they were found I



could do in an instant what will otherwise take



six long; weary years of stirring kettles with



both hands and both feet。〃







〃All right; let's find the things; then;〃



suggested the Patchwork Girl。 〃That seems a lot



more sensible than those stirring times with the



kettles。〃







〃That's the idea; Scraps;〃 said the Glass Cat;



approvingly。 〃I'm glad to find you have decent



brains。 Mine are exceptionally good。 You can



see em work; they're pink。〃







〃Scraps?〃 repeated the 
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