glinda of oz- 第14部分

〃No；　dear。　Did　you　discover　the　three　fishes？〃



〃Not　yet。　But　there　isn't　anything　better　for　me　to

do；　Ozma；　so　I　guess　I'll　go　back　and　watch　again。〃









Chapter　Thirteen



The　Alarm　Bell







Glinda；　the　Good；　in　her　palace　in　the　Quadling

Country；　had　many　things　to　occupy　her　mind；　for　not

only　did　she　look　after　the　weaving　and　embroidery　of

her　bevy　of　maids；　and　assist　all　those　who　came　to　her

to　implore　her　help　　beasts　and　birds　as　well　as

people　　but　she　was　a　close　student　of　the　arts　of

sorcery　and　spent　much　time　in　her　Magical　Laboratory；

where　she　strove　to　find　a　remedy　for　every　evil　and　to

perfect　her　skill　in　magic。



Nevertheless；　she　did　not　forget　to　look　in　the　Great

Book　of　Records　each　day　to　see　if　any　mention　was　made

of　the　visit　of　Ozma　and　Dorothy　to　the　Enchanted

Mountain　of　the　Flatheads　and　the　Magic　Isle　of　the

Skeezers。　The　Records　told　her　that　Ozma　had　arrived　at

the　mountain；　that　she　had　escaped；　with　her　companion；

and　gone　to　the　island　of　the　Skeezers；　and　that　Queen

Coo…ee…oh　had　submerged　the　island　so　that　it　was

entirely　under　water。　Then　came　the　statement　that　the

Flatheads　had　come　to　the　lake　to　poison　the　fishes　and

that　their　Supreme　Dictator　had　transformed　Queen　Coo…

ee…oh　into　a　swan。



No　other　details　were　given　in　the　Great　Book　and　so

Glinda　did　not　know　that　since　Coo…ee…oh　had　forgotten

her　magic　none　of　the　Skeezers　knew　how　to　raise　the

island　to　the　surface　again。　So　Glinda　was　not　worried

about　Ozma　and　Dorothy　until　one　morning；　while　she　sat

with　her　maids；　there　came　a　sudden　clang　of　the

great　alarm　bell。　This　was　so　unusual　that　every　maid

gave　a　start　and　even　the　Sorceress　for　a　moment　could

not　think　what　the　alarm　meant。



Then　she　remembered　the　ring　she　had　given　Dorothy

when　she　left　the　palace　to　start　on　her　venture。　In

giving　the　ring　Glinda　had　warned　the　little　girl　not

to　use　its　magic　powers　unless　she　and　Ozma　were　in

real　danger；　but　then　she　was　to　turn　it　on　her　finger

once　to　the　right　and　once　to　the　left　and　Glinda's

alarm　bell　would　ring。



So　the　Sorceress　now　knew　that　danger　threatened　her

beloved　Ruler　and　Princess　Dorothy；　and　she　hurried　to

her　magic　room　to　seek　information　as　to　what　sort　of

danger　it　was。　The　answer　to　her　question　was　not　very

satisfactory；　for　it　was　only：　〃Ozma　and　Dorothy　are

prisoners　in　the　great　Dome　of　the　Isle　of　the

Skeezers；　and　the　Dome　is　under　the　water　of　the　lake。〃



〃Hasn't　Ozma　the　power　to　raise　the　island　to　the

surface？〃　inquired　Glinda。



〃No；〃　was　the　reply；　and　the　Record　refused　to　say

more　except　that　Queen　Coo…ee…oh；　who　alone　could

command　the　island　to　rise；　had　been　transformed　by　the

Flathead　Su…dic　into　a　Diamond　Swan。



Then　Glinda　consulted　the　past　records　of　the

Skeezers　in　the　Great　Book。　After　diligent　search　she

discovered　that　Coo…ee…oh　was　a　powerful　sorceress　who

had　gained　most　of　her　power　by　treacherously

transforming　the　Adepts　of　Magic；　who　were　visiting

her；　into　three　fishes　　gold；　silver　and　bronze　

after　which　she　had　them　cast　into　the　lake。



Glinda　reflected　earnestly　on　this　information　and

decided　that　someone　must　go　to　Ozma's　assistance。

While　there　was　no　great　need　of　haste；　because　Ozma

and　Dorothy　could　live　in　a　submerged　dome　a　long　time；

it　was　evident　they　could　not　get　out　until　someone　was

able　to　raise　the　island。



The　Sorceress　looked　through　all　her　recipes　and

books　of　sorcery；　but　could　find　no　magic　that　would

raise　a　sunken　island。　Such　a　thing　had　never　before

been　required　in　sorcery。　Then　Glinda　made　a　little

island；　covered　by　a　glass　dome；　and　sunk　it　in　a　pond

near　her　castle；　and　experimented　in　magical　ways　to

bring　it　to　the　surface。　She　made　several　such

experiments；　but　all　were　failures。　It　seemed　a　simple

thing　to　do；　yet　she　could　not　do　it。



Nevertheless；　the　wise　Sorceress　did　not　despair　of

finding　a　way　to　liberate　her　friends。　Finally　she

concluded　that　the　best　thing　to　do　was　to　go　to　the

Skeezer　country　and　examine　the　lake。　While　there　she

was　more　likely　to　discover　a　solution　to　the　problem

that　bothered　her；　and　to　work　out　a　plan　for　the

rescue　of　Ozma　and　Dorothy。



So　Glinda　summoned　her　storks　and　her　aerial　chariot；

and　telling　her　maids　she　was　going　on　a　journey　and

might　not　soon　return；　she　entered　the　chariot　and　was

carried　swiftly　to　the　Emerald　City。



In　Princess　Ozma's　palace　the　Scarecrow　was　now

acting　as　Ruler　of　the　Land　of　Oz。　There　wasn't　much

for　him　to　do；　because　all　the　affairs　of　state　moved

so　smoothly；　but　he　was　there　in　case　anything

unforeseen　should　happen。



Glinda　found　the　Scarecrow　playing　croquet　with　Trot

and　Betsy　Bobbin；　two　little　girls　who　lived　at　the

palace　under　Ozma's　protection　and　were　great　friends

of　Dorothy　and　much　loved　by　all　the　Oz　people。



〃Something's　happened！〃　cried　Trot；　as　the　chariot　of

the　Sorceress　descended　near　them。　〃Glinda　never　comes

here　'cept　something's　gone　wrong。〃



〃I　hope　no　harm　has　come　to　Ozma；　or　Dorothy；〃　said

Betsy　anxiously；　as　the　lovely　Sorceress　stepped　down

from　her　chariot。



Glinda　approached　the　Scarecrow　and　told　him　of　the

dilemma　of　Ozma　and　Dorothy　and　she　added：　〃We　must

save　them；　somehow；　Scarecrow。〃



〃Of　course；〃　replied　the　Scarecrow；　stumbling　over　a

wicket　and　falling　flat　on　his　painted　face。



The　girls　picked　him　up　and　patted　his　straw　stuffing

into　shape；　and　he　continued；　as　if　nothing　had

occurred：　〃But　you'll　have　to　tell　me　what　to　do；　for　I

never　have　raised　a　sunken　island　in　all　my　life。〃



〃We　must　have　a　Council　of　State　as　soon　as

possible；〃　proposed　the　Sorceress。　〃Please　send

messengers　to　summon　all　of　Ozma's　counsellors　to　this

palace。　Then　we　can　decide　what　is　best　to　be　done。〃



The　Scarecrow　lost　no　time　in　doing　this。　Fortunately

most　of　the　royal　counsellors　were　in　the　Emerald　City

or　near　to　it；　so　they　all　met　in　the　throne　room　of

the　palace　that　same　evening。









Chapter　Fourteen



Ozma's　Counsellors







No　Ruler　ever　had　such　a　queer　assortment　of　advisers

as　the　Princess　Ozma　had　gathered　about　her　throne。

Indeed；　in　no　other　country　could　such　amazing　people

exist。　But　Ozma　loved　them　for　their　peculiarities　and

could　trust　every　one　of　them。



First　there　was　the　Tin　Woodman。　Every　bit　of　him　was

tin；　brightly　polished。　All　his　joints　were　kept　well

oiled　and　moved　smoothly。　He　carried　a　gleaming　axe　to

prove　he　was　a　woodman；　but　seldom　had　cause　to　use　it

because　he　lived　in　a　magnificent　tin　castle　in　the

Winkie　Country　of　Oz　and　was　the　Emperor　of　all　the

Winkies。　The　Tin　Woodman's　name　was　Nick　Chopper。　He

had　a　very　good　mind；　but　his　heart　was　not　of　much

account；　so　he　was　very　careful　to　do　nothing　unkind　or

to　hurt　anyone's　feelings。



Another　counsellor　was　Scraps；　the　Patchwork　Girl　of

Oz；　who　was　made　of　a　gaudy　patchwork　quilt；　cut　into

shape　and　stuffed　with　cotton。　This　Patchwork　Girl　was

very　intelligent；　but　so　full　of　fun　and　mad　pranks

that　a　lot　of　more　stupid　folks　thought　she　must　be

crazy。　Scraps　was　jolly　under　all　conditions；　however

grave　they　might　be；　but　her　laughter　and　good　spirits

were　of　value　in　cheering　others　and　in　her　seemingly

careless　remarks　much　wisdom　could　often　be　found。



Then　there　was　the　Shaggy　Man　　shaggy　from　head　to

foot；　hair　and　whiskers；　clothes　and　shoes　　but　very

kind　and　gentle　and　one　of　Ozma's　most　loyal

supporters。



Tik…Tok　was　there；　a　copper　man　with　machinery　inside

him；　so　cleverly　constructed　that　he　moved；　spoke　and

thought　by　three　separate　clock…works。　Tik…Tok　was　very

reliable　because　he　always　did　exactly　what　he　was

wound　up　to　do；　but　his　machinery　was　liable　to　run

down　at　times　and　then　he　was　quite　helpless　until

wound　up　again。



A　different　sort　of　person　was　Jack　Pumpkinhead；　one

of　Ozma's　oldest　friends　and　her　companion　on　many

adventures。　Jack's　body　was　very　crude　and　awkward；

being　formed　of　limbs　of　trees　of　different　sizes；

jointed　with　wooden　pegs。　But　it　was　a　substantial　body

and　not　likely　to　break　or　wear　out；　and　when　it　was

dressed　the　clothes　covered　much　of　its　roughness。　The

head　of　Jack　Pumpkinhead　was；　as　you　have　guessed；　a

ripe　pumpkin；　with　the　eyes；　nose　and　mouth　carved　upon

one　side。　The　pumpkin　was　stuck　on　Jack's　wooden　neck

and　was　liable　to　get　turned　sidewise　or　backward　and

then　he　would　have　to　straighten　it　with　his　wooden

hands。



The　worst　thing　about　this　sort　of　a　head　was　that　it

did　not　keep　well　and　was　sure　to　spoil　sooner　or

later。　So　Jack's　main　business　was　to　grow　a　field　of

fine　pumpkins　each　year；　and　always　before　his　old　head

spoiled　he　would　select　a　fresh　pumpkin　from　the　field

and　carve　the　features　on　it　very　neatly；　and　have　it

ready