友情提示:如果本网页打开太慢或显示不完整,请尝试鼠标右键“刷新”本网页!阅读过程发现任何错误请告诉我们,谢谢!! 报告错误
九色书籍 返回本书目录 我的书架 我的书签 TXT全本下载 进入书吧 加入书签

the patchwork girl of oz-第8章

按键盘上方向键 ← 或 → 可快速上下翻页,按键盘上的 Enter 键可回到本书目录页,按键盘上方向键 ↑ 可回到本页顶部!
————未阅读完?加入书签已便下次继续阅读!






that the path down the mountainside led into the



open Munchkin Country; where large numbers of



people dwelt。 Scraps was quite new and not



supposed to know anything of the Land of Oz; while



the Glass Cat admitted she had never wandered very



far away from the Magician's house。 There was only



one path before them; at the beginning; so they



could not miss their way; and for a time they



walked through the thick forest in silent thought;



each one impressed with the importance of the



adventure they had undertaken。







Suddenly the Patchwork Girl laughed。 It was



funny to see her laugh; because her cheeks



wrinkled up; her nose tipped; her silver button



eyes twinkled and her mouth curled at the



corners in a comical way。







〃Has something pleased you?〃 asked Ojo; who was



feeling solemn and joyless through thinking upon



his uncle's sad fate。







〃Yes;〃 she answered。 〃Your world pleases me; for



it's a queer world; and life in it is queerer



still。 Here am I; made from an old bedquilt and



intended to be a slave to Margolotte; rendered



free as air by an accident that none of you could



foresee。 I am enjoying life and seeing the world;



while the woman who made me is standing helpless



as a block of wood。 If that isn't funny enough to



laugh at; I don't know what is。〃







〃You're not seeing much of the world yet;



my poor; innocent Scraps;〃 remarked the Cat。



〃The world doesn't consist wholly of the trees



that are on all sides of us。〃







〃But they're part of it; and aren't they pretty



trees?〃 returned Scraps; bobbing her head until



her brown yarn curls fluttered in the breeze。



〃Growing between them I can see lovely ferns



and wild…flowers; and soft green mosses。 If the



rest of your world is half as beautiful I shall be



glad I'm alive。〃







〃I don't know what the rest of the world is



like; I'm sure;〃 said the cat; 〃but I mean to



find out。〃







〃I have never been out of the forest;〃 Ojo



added; 〃but to me the trees are gloomy and sad



and the wild…flowers seem lonesome。 It must be



nicer where there are no trees and there is room



for lots of people to live together。〃







〃I wonder if any of the people we shall meet



will be as splendid as I am;〃 said the Patchwork



Girl。 〃All I have seen; so far; have pale;



colorless skins and clothes as blue as the country



they live in; while I am of many gorgeous colors



face and body and clothes。 That is why I am bright



and contented; Ojo; while you are blue and sad。〃







〃I think I made a mistake in giving you so many



sorts of brains;〃 observed the boy。 〃Perhaps; as



the Magician said; you have an over…dose; and they



may not agree with you。〃







〃What had you to do with my brains?〃 asked



Scraps。







〃A lot;〃 replied Ojo。 〃Old Margolotte meant



to give you only a fewjust enough to keep



you goingbut when she wasn't looking I added



a good many more; of the best kinds I could



find in the Magician's cupboard。〃







〃Thanks;〃 said the girl; dancing along the



path ahead of Ojo and then dancing back to his



side。 〃If a few brains are good; many brains



must be better。〃







〃But they ought to be evenly balanced;〃 said the



boy; 〃and I had no time to be careful。 From the



way you're acting; I guess the dose was badly



mixed。〃







〃Scraps hasn't enough brains to hurt her; so



don't worry;〃 remarked the cat; which was trotting



along in a very dainty and graceful manner。 〃The



only brains worth considering are mine; which are



pink。 You can see 'em work。〃







After walking a long time they came to a little



brook that trickled across the path; and here Ojo



sat down to rest and eat something from his



basket。 He found that the Magician had given him



part of a loaf of bread and a slice of cheese。 He



broke off some of the bread and was surprised to



find the loaf just as large as it was before。 It



was the same way with the cheese: however much he



broke off from the slice; it remained exactly the



same size。







〃Ah;〃 said he; nodding wisely; 〃that's magic。



Dr。 Pipt has enchanted the bread and the cheese;



so it will last me all through my journey; however



much I eat。〃







〃Why do you put those things into your mouth?〃



asked Scraps; gazing at him in astonishment。 〃Do



you need more stuffing? Then why don't you use



cotton; such as I am stuffed with?〃







〃I don't need that kind;〃 said Ojo。







〃But a mouth is to talk with; isn't it?〃







〃It is also to eat with;〃 replied the boy。 〃If I



didn't put food into my mouth; and eat it; I would



get hungry and starve。







〃Ah; I didn't know that;〃 she said。 〃Give me



some。〃







Ojo handed her a bit of the bread and she put it



in her mouth。







〃What next?〃 she asked; scarcely able to speak。







〃Chew it and swallow it;〃 said the boy。







Scraps tried that。 Her pearl teeth were unable



to chew the bread and beyond her mouth there was



no opening。 Being unable to swallow she threw away



the bread and laughed。







〃I must get hungry and starve; for I can't eat;〃



she said。







〃Neither can I;〃 announced the cat; 〃but I'm



not fool enough to try。 Can't you understand



that you and I are superior people and not made



like these poor humans?〃







〃Why should I understand that; or anything



else?〃 asked the girl。 〃Don't bother my head by



asking conundrums; I beg of you。 Just let me



discover myself in my own way。〃







With this she began amusing herself by leaping



across the brook and hack again。







〃Be careful; or you'll fall in the water;〃



warned Ojo。







〃Never mind。〃







〃You'd better。 If you get wet you'll be soggy



and can't walk。 Your colors might run; too;〃



he said。







〃Don't my colors run whenever I run?〃 she asked。







〃Not in the way I mean。 If they get wet; the



reds and greens and yellows and purples of your



patches might run into each other and become



just a blurno color at all; you know。〃







〃Then;〃 said the Patchwork Girl; 〃I'll be



careful; for if I spoiled my splendid colors I



would cease to be beautiful。〃







〃Pah!〃 sneered the Glass Cat; 〃such colors are



not beautiful; they're ugly; and in bad taste。



Please notice that my body has no color at all。



I'm transparent; except for my exquisite red heart



and my lovely pink brainsyou can see 'em work。〃







〃Shoo…shoo…shoo!〃 cried Scraps; dancing



around and laughing。 〃And your horrid green eyes;



Miss Bungle! You can't see your eyes; but we can;



and I notice you're very proud of what little



color you have。 Shoo; Miss Bungle; shoo…shoo…shoo!



If you were all colors and many colors; as I am;



you'd be too stuck up for anything。〃 She leaped



over the cat and back again; and the startled



Bungle crept close to a tree to escape her。 This



made Scraps laugh more heartily than ever; and she



said:











〃Whoop…tedoodle…doo!



The cat has lost her shoe。



Her tootsie's bare; but she don't care;



So what's the odds to you?〃















〃Dear me; Ojo;〃 said the cat; 〃don't you think



the creature is a little bit crazy?〃







〃It may be;〃 he answered; with a puzzled look。







〃If she continues her insults I'll scratch off



her suspender…button eyes;〃 declared the cat。







〃Don't quarrel; please;〃 pleaded the boy; rising



to resume the journey。 〃Let us be good comrades



and as happy and cheerful as possible; for we are



likely to meet with plenty of trouble on our way。〃







It was nearly sundown when they came to the edge



of the forest and saw spread out before them a



delightful landscape。 There were broad blue fields



stretching for miles over the valley; which was



dotted everywhere with pretty; blue domed houses;



none of which; however; was very near to the place



where they stood。 Just at the point where the path



left the forest stood a tiny house covered with



leaves from the trees; and before this stood a



Munchkin man with an axe in his hand。 He seemed



very much surprised when Ojo and Scraps and the



Glass Cat came out of the woods; but as the



Patchwork Girl approached nearer he sat down upon



a bench and laughed so hard that he could not



speak for a long time。







This man w
返回目录 上一页 下一页 回到顶部 0 0
未阅读完?加入书签已便下次继续阅读!
温馨提示: 温看小说的同时发表评论,说出自己的看法和其它小伙伴们分享也不错哦!发表书评还可以获得积分和经验奖励,认真写原创书评 被采纳为精评可以获得大量金币、积分和经验奖励哦!