章节正文
found that all his comrades had mysteriously
disappeared. But where could they have gone to? The
broad plain was all about him and there were neither
trees nor bushes that could hide even a rabbit, nor any
hole for one to fall into. Yet there he stood, alone.
Surprise had caused him to halt, and with a
thoughtful and puzzled expression on his face he looked
down at his feet. It startled him anew to discover that
he had no feet. He reached out his hands, but he could
not see them. He could feel his hands and arms and
body; he stamped his feet on the grass and knew they
were there, but in some strange way they had become
invisible.
While Woot stood, wondering, a crash of metal sounded
in his ears and he heard two heavy bodies tumble to the
earth just beside him.
"Good gracious!" exclaimed the voice of the Tin
Woodman.
"Mercy me!" cried the voice of the Tin Soldier.
"Why didn't you look where you were going?" asked the
Tin Woodman reproachfully.
"I did, but I couldn't see you," said the Tin
Soldier. "Something has happened to my tin eyes. I
can't see you, even now, nor can I see anyone else!"
"It's the same way with me," admitted the Tin
Woodman.
Woot couldn't see either of them, although he heard
them plainly, and just then something smashed against
him unexpectedly and knocked him over; but it was only
the straw-stuffed body of the Scarecrow that fell upon
him and while he could not see the Scarecrow he managed
to push him off and rose to his feet just as Polychrome
whirled against him and made him tumble again.
Sitting upon the ground, the boy asked:
"Can you see us, Poly?"
"No, indeed," answered the Rainbow's Daughter; "we've
all become invisible."
"How did it happen, do you suppose?" inquired the
Scarecrow, lying where he had fallen.
"We have met with no enemy," answered Poly-chrome,
"so it must be that this part of the country has the
magic quality of making people invisible --even fairies
falling under the charm. We can see the grass, and the
flowers, and the stretch of plain before us, and we can
still see Mount Munch in the distance; but we cannot
see ourselves or one another."
"Well, what are we to do about it?" demanded Woot.
"I think this magic affects only a small part of the
plain," replied Polychrome; "perhaps there is only a
streak of the country where an enchantment makes people
become invisible. So, if we get together and hold
hands, we can travel toward Mount Munch until the
enchanted streak is passed."
"All right," said Woot, jumping up, "give me your
hand, Polychrome. Where are you?"
"Here," she answered. "Whistle, Woot, and keep
whistling until I come to you."
So Woot whistled, and resently" target="_blank" title="ad.不久；目前">presently Polychrome found him
and grasped his hand.
"Someone must help me up," said the Scarecrow, lying
near them; so they found the straw man and sat him upon
his feet, after which he held fast to Polychrome's
other hand.
Nick Chopper and the Tin Soldier had managed to
scramble up without assistance, but it was awkward for
them and the Tin Woodman said:
"I don't seem to stand straight, somehow. But my
joints all work, so I guess I can walk."
Guided by his voice, they reached his side, where
Woot grasped his tin fingers so they might keep
together.
The Tin Soldier was standing near by and the
Scarecrow soon touched him and took hold of his arm.
"I hope you're not wobbly," said the straw man,
"for if two of us walk unsteadily we will be sure
to fall."
"I'm not wobbly," the Tin Soldier assured him, "but
I'm certain that one of my legs is shorter than the
other. I can't see it, to tell what's gone wrong, but
I'll limp on with the rest of you until we are out of
this enchanted territory."
They now formed a line, holding hands, and turning
their faces toward Mount Munch resumed their journey.
They had not gone far, however, when a terrible growl
saluted their ears. The sound seemed to come from a
place just in front of them, so they halted abruptly
and remained silent, listening with all their ears.
"I smell straw!" cried a hoarse, harsh voice, with
more growls and snarls. "I smell straw, and I'm a
Hip-po-gy-raf who loves straw and eats all he can find.
I want to eat this straw! Where is it? Where is it?"
The Scarecrow, hearing this, trembled but kept
silent. All the others were silent, too, hoping that
the invisible beast would be unable to find them. But
the creature sniffed the odor of the straw and drew
nearer and nearer to them until he reached the Tin
Woodman, on one end of the line. It was a big beast and
it smelled of the Tin Woodman and grated two rows of
enormous teeth against the Emperor's tin body.
"Bah! that's not straw," said the harsh voice, and
the beast advanced along the line to Woot.
"Meat! Pooh, you're no good! I can't eat meat,"
grumbled the beast, and passed on to Polychrome.
"Sweetmeats and perfume -- cobwebs and dew! Nothing
to eat in a fairy like you," said the creature.
Now, the Scarecrow was next to Polychrome in the
line, and he realized if the beast devoured his straw
he would be helpless for a long time, because the last
farmhouse was far behind them and only grass covered
the vast expanse of plain. So in his fright he let go
of Polychrome's hand and put the hand of the Tin
Soldier in that of the Rainbow's Daughter. Then he
slipped back of the line and went to the other end,
where he silently seized the Tin Woodman's hand.
Meantime, the beast had smelled the Tin Soldier and
found he was the last of the line.
"That's funny!" growled the Hip-po-gy-raf; "I can
smell straw, but I can't find it. Well, it's here,
somewhere, and I must hunt around until I do find it,
for I'm hungry."
His voice was now at the left of them, so they
started on, hoping to avoid him, and traveled as fast
as they could in the direction of Mount Munch.
"I don't like this invisible country," said Woot with
a shudder. "We can't tell how many dreadful, invisible
beasts are roaming around us, or what danger we'll come
to next."
"Quit thinking about danger, please," said the
Scarecrow, warningly.
"Why?" asked the boy.
"If you think of some dreadful thing, it's liable to
happen, but if you don't think of it, and no one else
thinks of it, it just can't happen. Do you see?"
"No," answered Woot. "I won't be able to see much of
anything until we escape from this enchantment."
But they got out of the invisible strip of country
as suddenly as they had entered it, and the instant
they got out they stopped short, for just before them
was a deep ditch, running at right angles as far as
their eyes could see and stopping all further progress
toward Mount Munch.
"It's not so very wide," said Woot, "but I'm sure
none of us can jump across it."
Polychrome began to laugh, and the Scarecrow said:
"What's the matter?"
"Look at the tin men!" she said, with another burst
of merry laughter.
Woot and the Scarecrow looked, and the tin men looked
at themselves.
"It was the collision," said the Tin Woodman
regretfully. "I knew something was wrong with me, and
now I can see that my side is dented in so that I lean
over toward the left. It was the Soldier's fault; he
shouldn't have been so careless."
"It is your fault that my right leg is bent, making
it shorter than the other, so that I limp badly,"
retorted the Soldier. "You shouldn't have stood where I
was walking."
"You shouldn't have walked where I was standing,"
replied the Tin Woodman.
It was almost a quarrel, so Polychrome said
soothingly:
"Never mind, friends; as soon as we have time I am
sure we can straighten the Soldier's leg and get the
dent out of the Woodman's body. The Scarecrow needs
patting into shape, too, for he had a bad tumble, but
our first task is to get over this ditch."
"Yes, the ditch is the most important thing, just
now," added Woot
They were standing in a row, looking hard at the
unexpected barrier, when a fierce growl from behind
them made them all turn quickly. Out of the invisible
country marched a huge beast with a thick, leathery
skin and a surprisingly long neck. The head on the top
of this neck was broad and flat and the eyes and mouth
were very big and the nose and ears very small. When
the head was drawn down toward the beast's shoulders,
the neck was all wrinkles, but the head could shoot up
very high indeed, if the creature wished it to.
"Dear me!" exclaimed the Scarecrow, "this must be the
Hip-po-gy-raf."
"Quite right," said the beast; "and you're the straw
which I'm to eat for my dinner. Oh, how I love straw! I
hope you don't resent my affectionate appetite?"
With its four great legs it advanced straight toward
the Scarecrow, but the Tin Woodman and the Tin Soldier
both sprang in front of their friend and flourished
their weapons.
"Keep off!" said the Tin Woodman, warningly, or I'll
chop you with my axe."
"Keep off!" said the Tin Soldier, "or I'll cut you
with my sword."
"Would you really do that?" asked the Hip-po-gy-raf,
in a disappointed voice.
"We would," they both replied, and the Tin Woodman
added: "The Scarecrow is our friend, and he would be
useless without his straw stuffing. So, as we are
comrades, faithful and true, we will defend our
friend's stuffing against all enemies."
The Hip-po-gy-raf sat down and looked at them
sorrowfully.
disappeared. But where could they have gone to? The
broad plain was all about him and there were neither
trees nor bushes that could hide even a rabbit, nor any
hole for one to fall into. Yet there he stood, alone.
Surprise had caused him to halt, and with a
thoughtful and puzzled expression on his face he looked
down at his feet. It startled him anew to discover that
he had no feet. He reached out his hands, but he could
not see them. He could feel his hands and arms and
body; he stamped his feet on the grass and knew they
were there, but in some strange way they had become
invisible.
While Woot stood, wondering, a crash of metal sounded
in his ears and he heard two heavy bodies tumble to the
earth just beside him.
"Good gracious!" exclaimed the voice of the Tin
Woodman.
"Mercy me!" cried the voice of the Tin Soldier.
"Why didn't you look where you were going?" asked the
Tin Woodman reproachfully.
"I did, but I couldn't see you," said the Tin
Soldier. "Something has happened to my tin eyes. I
can't see you, even now, nor can I see anyone else!"
"It's the same way with me," admitted the Tin
Woodman.
Woot couldn't see either of them, although he heard
them plainly, and just then something smashed against
him unexpectedly and knocked him over; but it was only
the straw-stuffed body of the Scarecrow that fell upon
him and while he could not see the Scarecrow he managed
to push him off and rose to his feet just as Polychrome
whirled against him and made him tumble again.
Sitting upon the ground, the boy asked:
"Can you see us, Poly?"
"No, indeed," answered the Rainbow's Daughter; "we've
all become invisible."
"How did it happen, do you suppose?" inquired the
Scarecrow, lying where he had fallen.
"We have met with no enemy," answered Poly-chrome,
"so it must be that this part of the country has the
magic quality of making people invisible --even fairies
falling under the charm. We can see the grass, and the
flowers, and the stretch of plain before us, and we can
still see Mount Munch in the distance; but we cannot
see ourselves or one another."
"Well, what are we to do about it?" demanded Woot.
"I think this magic affects only a small part of the
plain," replied Polychrome; "perhaps there is only a
streak of the country where an enchantment makes people
become invisible. So, if we get together and hold
hands, we can travel toward Mount Munch until the
enchanted streak is passed."
"All right," said Woot, jumping up, "give me your
hand, Polychrome. Where are you?"
"Here," she answered. "Whistle, Woot, and keep
whistling until I come to you."
So Woot whistled, and resently" target="_blank" title="ad.不久；目前">presently Polychrome found him
and grasped his hand.
"Someone must help me up," said the Scarecrow, lying
near them; so they found the straw man and sat him upon
his feet, after which he held fast to Polychrome's
other hand.
Nick Chopper and the Tin Soldier had managed to
scramble up without assistance, but it was awkward for
them and the Tin Woodman said:
"I don't seem to stand straight, somehow. But my
joints all work, so I guess I can walk."
Guided by his voice, they reached his side, where
Woot grasped his tin fingers so they might keep
together.
The Tin Soldier was standing near by and the
Scarecrow soon touched him and took hold of his arm.
"I hope you're not wobbly," said the straw man,
"for if two of us walk unsteadily we will be sure
to fall."
"I'm not wobbly," the Tin Soldier assured him, "but
I'm certain that one of my legs is shorter than the
other. I can't see it, to tell what's gone wrong, but
I'll limp on with the rest of you until we are out of
this enchanted territory."
They now formed a line, holding hands, and turning
their faces toward Mount Munch resumed their journey.
They had not gone far, however, when a terrible growl
saluted their ears. The sound seemed to come from a
place just in front of them, so they halted abruptly
and remained silent, listening with all their ears.
"I smell straw!" cried a hoarse, harsh voice, with
more growls and snarls. "I smell straw, and I'm a
Hip-po-gy-raf who loves straw and eats all he can find.
I want to eat this straw! Where is it? Where is it?"
The Scarecrow, hearing this, trembled but kept
silent. All the others were silent, too, hoping that
the invisible beast would be unable to find them. But
the creature sniffed the odor of the straw and drew
nearer and nearer to them until he reached the Tin
Woodman, on one end of the line. It was a big beast and
it smelled of the Tin Woodman and grated two rows of
enormous teeth against the Emperor's tin body.
"Bah! that's not straw," said the harsh voice, and
the beast advanced along the line to Woot.
"Meat! Pooh, you're no good! I can't eat meat,"
grumbled the beast, and passed on to Polychrome.
"Sweetmeats and perfume -- cobwebs and dew! Nothing
to eat in a fairy like you," said the creature.
Now, the Scarecrow was next to Polychrome in the
line, and he realized if the beast devoured his straw
he would be helpless for a long time, because the last
farmhouse was far behind them and only grass covered
the vast expanse of plain. So in his fright he let go
of Polychrome's hand and put the hand of the Tin
Soldier in that of the Rainbow's Daughter. Then he
slipped back of the line and went to the other end,
where he silently seized the Tin Woodman's hand.
Meantime, the beast had smelled the Tin Soldier and
found he was the last of the line.
"That's funny!" growled the Hip-po-gy-raf; "I can
smell straw, but I can't find it. Well, it's here,
somewhere, and I must hunt around until I do find it,
for I'm hungry."
His voice was now at the left of them, so they
started on, hoping to avoid him, and traveled as fast
as they could in the direction of Mount Munch.
"I don't like this invisible country," said Woot with
a shudder. "We can't tell how many dreadful, invisible
beasts are roaming around us, or what danger we'll come
to next."
"Quit thinking about danger, please," said the
Scarecrow, warningly.
"Why?" asked the boy.
"If you think of some dreadful thing, it's liable to
happen, but if you don't think of it, and no one else
thinks of it, it just can't happen. Do you see?"
"No," answered Woot. "I won't be able to see much of
anything until we escape from this enchantment."
But they got out of the invisible strip of country
as suddenly as they had entered it, and the instant
they got out they stopped short, for just before them
was a deep ditch, running at right angles as far as
their eyes could see and stopping all further progress
toward Mount Munch.
"It's not so very wide," said Woot, "but I'm sure
none of us can jump across it."
Polychrome began to laugh, and the Scarecrow said:
"What's the matter?"
"Look at the tin men!" she said, with another burst
of merry laughter.
Woot and the Scarecrow looked, and the tin men looked
at themselves.
"It was the collision," said the Tin Woodman
regretfully. "I knew something was wrong with me, and
now I can see that my side is dented in so that I lean
over toward the left. It was the Soldier's fault; he
shouldn't have been so careless."
"It is your fault that my right leg is bent, making
it shorter than the other, so that I limp badly,"
retorted the Soldier. "You shouldn't have stood where I
was walking."
"You shouldn't have walked where I was standing,"
replied the Tin Woodman.
It was almost a quarrel, so Polychrome said
soothingly:
"Never mind, friends; as soon as we have time I am
sure we can straighten the Soldier's leg and get the
dent out of the Woodman's body. The Scarecrow needs
patting into shape, too, for he had a bad tumble, but
our first task is to get over this ditch."
"Yes, the ditch is the most important thing, just
now," added Woot
They were standing in a row, looking hard at the
unexpected barrier, when a fierce growl from behind
them made them all turn quickly. Out of the invisible
country marched a huge beast with a thick, leathery
skin and a surprisingly long neck. The head on the top
of this neck was broad and flat and the eyes and mouth
were very big and the nose and ears very small. When
the head was drawn down toward the beast's shoulders,
the neck was all wrinkles, but the head could shoot up
very high indeed, if the creature wished it to.
"Dear me!" exclaimed the Scarecrow, "this must be the
Hip-po-gy-raf."
"Quite right," said the beast; "and you're the straw
which I'm to eat for my dinner. Oh, how I love straw! I
hope you don't resent my affectionate appetite?"
With its four great legs it advanced straight toward
the Scarecrow, but the Tin Woodman and the Tin Soldier
both sprang in front of their friend and flourished
their weapons.
"Keep off!" said the Tin Woodman, warningly, or I'll
chop you with my axe."
"Keep off!" said the Tin Soldier, "or I'll cut you
with my sword."
"Would you really do that?" asked the Hip-po-gy-raf,
in a disappointed voice.
"We would," they both replied, and the Tin Woodman
added: "The Scarecrow is our friend, and he would be
useless without his straw stuffing. So, as we are
comrades, faithful and true, we will defend our
friend's stuffing against all enemies."
The Hip-po-gy-raf sat down and looked at them
sorrowfully.
- rabbit [´ræbit]
n.兔子，野兔 (初中英语单词) - plainly [´pleinli] ad.平坦地；简单地 (初中英语单词)
- invisible [in´vizəbəl] a.看不见的；无形的 (初中英语单词)
- presently [´prezəntli] ad.不久；目前 (初中英语单词)
- assistance [ə´sistəns] n.协作；援助；帮助 (初中英语单词)
- standing [´stændiŋ] n.持续 a.直立的 (初中英语单词)
- unable [ʌn´eibəl] a.不能的；无能为力的 (初中英语单词)
- advanced [əd´vɑ:nst] a.先进的；高级的 (初中英语单词)
- perfume [´pə:fju:m, pə´fju:m] n.香味 vt.使发香 (初中英语单词)
- helpless [´helpləs] a.无助的，无依靠的 (初中英语单词)
- fright [frait] n.惊吓；恐怖；怪人 (初中英语单词)
- silently [´sailəntli] ad.寂静地；沉默地 (初中英语单词)
- dreadful [´dredful] a.可怕的；讨厌的 (初中英语单词)
- running [´rʌniŋ] a.奔跑的；流动的 (初中英语单词)
- fierce [fiəs] a.残忍的；强烈的 (初中英语单词)
- sprang [spræŋ] spring 的过去式 (初中英语单词)
- faithful [´feiθfəl] a.忠实的；可靠的 (初中英语单词)
- streak [stri:k] n.纹理 v.用线条(条纹) (高中英语单词)
- awkward [´ɔ:kwəd] a.笨拙的；为难的 (高中英语单词)
- hearing [´hiəriŋ] n.听力；听证会；审讯 (高中英语单词)
- shudder [´ʃʌdə] n.&vi.震颤；发抖 (高中英语单词)
- liable [´laiəbəl] a.易于...的；有责任的 (高中英语单词)
- straighten [´streitn] v.弄直；矫正；整理 (高中英语单词)
- barrier [´bæriə] n.栅栏；屏障；障碍 (高中英语单词)
- resent [ri´zent] vt.不满于；怨恨；忿恨 (高中英语单词)
- affectionate [ə´fekʃənit] a.亲爱的 (高中英语单词)
- unexpectedly [´ʌniks´pektidli] ad.意外地；突然地 (英语四级单词)
- enchantment [in´tʃɑ:ntmənt] n.迷惑；妖术；魅力 (英语四级单词)
- hoarse [hɔ:s] a.嘶哑的；嗓门粗哑的 (英语四级单词)
- traveled [´trævəld] a.见面广的；旅客多的 (英语四级单词)
- woodman [´wudmən] n.伐木工 (英语六级单词)
- assured [ə´ʃuəd] a.确实的 n.被保险人 (英语六级单词)
- holding [´həuldiŋ] n.保持，固定，存储 (英语六级单词)
- expanse [ik´spæns] n.广阔；宽阔的区域 (英语六级单词)
- surprisingly [sə´praiziŋli] ad.惊人地；意外地 (英语六级单词)
文章标签:名著
章节正文
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