章节正文
"When one has made up his mind to have a meal of
delicious straw, and then finds he can't have it, it is
certainly hard luck," he said. "And what good is the
straw man to you, or to himself, when the ditch keeps
you from going any further?"
"Well, we can go back again," suggested Woot.
"True," said the Hip-po; "and if you do, you'll be as
disappointed as I am. That's some comfort, anyhow."
The travelers looked at the beast, and then they
looked across the ditch at the level plain beyond. On
the other side the grass had grown tall, and the sun
had dried it, so there was a fine crop of hay that only
needed to be cut and stacked.
"Why don't you cross over and eat hay?" the boy asked
the beast.
"I'm not fond of hay," replied the Hip-po-gy-raf;
"straw is much more delicious, to my notion, and it's
more scarce in this neighborhood, too. Also I must
confess that I can't get across the ditch, for my body
is too heavy and clumsy for me to jump the distance. I
can stretch my neck across, though, and you will notice
that I've nibbled the hay on the farther edge -- not
because I liked it, but because one must eat, and if
one can't get the sort of food he desires, he must take
what is offered or go hungry."
"Ah, I see you are a philosopher," remarked the
Scarecrow.
"No, I'm just a Hip-po-gy-raf," was the reply.
Polychrome was not afraid of the big beast. She
danced close to him and said:
"If you can stretch your neck across the ditch, why
not help us over? We can sit on your big head, one at a
time, and then you can lift us across."
"Yes; I can, it is true," answered the Hip-po; "but I
refuse to do it. Unless --" he added, and stopped
short.
"Unless what?" asked Polychrome.
"Unless you first allow me to eat the straw with
which the Scarecrow is stuffed."
"No," said the Rainbow's Daughter, "that is too high
a price to pay. Our friend's straw is nice and fresh,
for he was restuffed only a little while ago."
"I know," agreed the Hip-po-gy-raf. "That's why I
want it. If it was old, musty straw, I wouldn't care
for it."
"Please lift us across," pleaded Polychrome.
"No," replied the beast; "since you refuse my
generous offer, I can be as stubborn as you are."
After that they were all silent for a time, but then
the Scarecrow said bravely:
"Friends, let us agree to the beast's terms. Give him
my straw, and carry the rest of me with you across the
ditch. Once on the other side, the Tin Soldier can cut
some of the hay with his sharp sword, and you can stuff
me with that material until we reach a place where
there is straw. It is true I have been stuffed with
straw all my life and it will be somewhat humiliating
to be filled with common hay, but I am willing to
sacrifice my pride in a good cause. Moreover, to
abandon our errand and so deprive the great Emperor of
the Winkies -- or this noble Soldier -- of his bride,
would be equally humiliating, if not more so."
"You're a very honest and clever man!" exclaimed the
Hip-po-gy-raf, admiringly. "When I have eaten your
head, perhaps I also will become clever."
"You're not to eat my head, you know," returned the
Scarecrow hastily. "My head isn't stuffed with straw
and I cannot part with it. When one loses his head he
loses his brains."
"Very well, then; you may keep your head," said the
beast.
The Scarecrow's companions thanked him warmly for his
loyal sacrifice to their mutual good, and then he laid
down and permitted them to pull the straw from his
body. As fast as they did this, the Hip-po-gy-raf ate
up the straw, and when all was consumed Polychrome made
a neat bundle of the clothes and boots and gloves and
hat and said she would carry them, while Woot tucked
the Scarecrow's head under his arm and promised to
guard its safety.
"Now, then," said the Tin Woodman, "keep your
promise, Beast, and lift us over the ditch."
"M-m-m-mum, but that was a fine dinner!" said the
Hip-po, smacking his thick lips in satisfaction, "and
I'm as good as my word. Sit on my head, one at a time,
and I'll land you safely on the other side."
He approached close to the edge of the ditch and
squatted down. Polychrome climbed over his big body and
sat herself lightly upon the flat head, holding the
bundle of the Scarecrow's raiment in her hand. Slowly
the elastic neck stretched out until it reached the far
side of the ditch, when the beast lowered his head and
permitted the beautiful fairy to leap to the ground.
Woot made the queer journey next, and then the Tin
Soldier and the Tin Woodman went over, and all were
well pleased to have overcome this serious barrier to
their progress.
"Now, Soldier, cut the hay," said the Scarecrow's
head, which was still held by Woot the Wanderer.
"I'd like to, but I can't stoop over, with my bent
leg, without falling," replied Captain Fyter.
"What can we do about that leg, anyhow?" asked Woot,
appealing to Polychrome.
She danced around in a circle several times without
replying, and the boy feared she had not heard him; but
the Rainbow's Daughter was merely thinking upon the
problem, and presently she paused beside the Tin
Soldier and said:
"I've been taught a little fairy magic, but I've
never before been asked to mend tin legs with it, so
I'm not sure I can help you. It all depends on the good
will of my unseen fairy guardians, so I'll try, and if
I fail, you will be no worse off than you are now."
She danced around the circle again, and then laid
both hands upon the twisted tin leg and sang in her
sweet voice:
"Fairy Powers, come to my aid!
This bent leg of tin is made;
Make it straight and strong and true,
And I'll render thanks to you."
"Ah!" murmured Captain Fyter in a glad voice, as she
withdrew her hands and danced away, and they saw he was
standing straight as ever, because his leg was as
shapely and strong as it had been before his accident.
The Tin Woodman had watched Polychrome with much
interest, and he now said:
"Please take the dent out of my side, Poly, for I am
more crippled than was the Soldier."
So the Rainbow's Daughter touched his side lightly
and sang:
"Here's a dent by accident;
Such a thing was never meant.
Fairy Powers, so wondrous great,
Make our dear Tin Woodman straight!"
"Good!" cried the Emperor, again standing erect and
strutting around to show his fine figure. "Your fairy
magic may not be able to accomplish all things, sweet
Polychrome, but it works splendidly on tin. Thank you
very much."
"The hay -- the hay!" pleaded the Scarecrow's head.
"Oh, yes; the hay," said Woot. "What are you waiting
for, Captain Fyter?"
At once the Tin Soldier set to work cutting hay with
his sword and in a few minutes there was quite enough
with which to stuff the Scarecrow's body. Woot and
Polychrome did this and it was no easy task because the
hay packed together more than straw and as they had
little experience in such work their job, when
completed, left the Scarecrow's arms and legs rather
bunchy. Also there was a hump on his back which made
Woot laugh and say it reminded him of a camel, but it
was the best they could do and when the head was fastened
on to the body they asked the Scarecrow how he felt.
"A little heavy, and not quite natural," he
cheerfully replied; "but I'll get along somehow until
we reach a straw-stack. Don't laugh at me, please,
because I'm a little ashamed of myself and I don't want
to regret a good action."
They started at once in the direction of Mount Munch,
and as the Scarecrow proved very clumsy in his
movements, Woot took one of his arms and the Tin
Woodman the other and so helped their friend to walk in
a straight line.
And the Rainbow's Daughter, as before, danced ahead
of them and behind them and all around them, and they
never minded her odd ways, because to them she was like
a ray of sunshine.
Chapter Twenty
Over Night
The Land of the Munchkins is full of surprises, as our
travelers had already learned, and although Mount Munch
was constantly growing larger as they advanced toward
it, they knew it was still a long way off and were not
certain, by any means, that they had escaped all danger
or encountered their last adventure.
The plain was broad, and as far as the eye could see,
there seemed to be a level stretch of country between
them and the mountain, but toward evening they came
upon a hollow, in which stood a tiny blue Munchkin
dwelling with a garden around it and fields of grain
filling in all the rest of the hollow.
They did not discover this place until they came
close to the edge of it, and they were astonished at
the sight that greeted them because they had imagined
that this part of the plain had no inhabitants.
"It's a very small house," Woot declared. "I wonder
who lives there?"
"The way to find out is to knock on the door and
ask," replied the Tin Woodman. "Perhaps it is the home
of Nimmie Amee."
"Is she a dwarf?" asked the boy.
"No, indeed; Nimmie Amee is a full sized woman."
"Then I'm sure she couldn't live in that little house," said Woot.
"Let's go down," suggested the Scarecrow. "I'm almost
sure I can see a straw-stack in the back yard."
They descended the hollow, which was rather steep at
the sides, and soon came to the house, which was indeed
rather small. Woot knocked upon a door that was not
much higher than his waist, but got no reply. He
knocked again, but not a sound was heard.
"Smoke is coming out of the chimney," announced
delicious straw, and then finds he can't have it, it is
certainly hard luck," he said. "And what good is the
straw man to you, or to himself, when the ditch keeps
you from going any further?"
"Well, we can go back again," suggested Woot.
"True," said the Hip-po; "and if you do, you'll be as
disappointed as I am. That's some comfort, anyhow."
The travelers looked at the beast, and then they
looked across the ditch at the level plain beyond. On
the other side the grass had grown tall, and the sun
had dried it, so there was a fine crop of hay that only
needed to be cut and stacked.
"Why don't you cross over and eat hay?" the boy asked
the beast.
"I'm not fond of hay," replied the Hip-po-gy-raf;
"straw is much more delicious, to my notion, and it's
more scarce in this neighborhood, too. Also I must
confess that I can't get across the ditch, for my body
is too heavy and clumsy for me to jump the distance. I
can stretch my neck across, though, and you will notice
that I've nibbled the hay on the farther edge -- not
because I liked it, but because one must eat, and if
one can't get the sort of food he desires, he must take
what is offered or go hungry."
"Ah, I see you are a philosopher," remarked the
Scarecrow.
"No, I'm just a Hip-po-gy-raf," was the reply.
Polychrome was not afraid of the big beast. She
danced close to him and said:
"If you can stretch your neck across the ditch, why
not help us over? We can sit on your big head, one at a
time, and then you can lift us across."
"Yes; I can, it is true," answered the Hip-po; "but I
refuse to do it. Unless --" he added, and stopped
short.
"Unless what?" asked Polychrome.
"Unless you first allow me to eat the straw with
which the Scarecrow is stuffed."
"No," said the Rainbow's Daughter, "that is too high
a price to pay. Our friend's straw is nice and fresh,
for he was restuffed only a little while ago."
"I know," agreed the Hip-po-gy-raf. "That's why I
want it. If it was old, musty straw, I wouldn't care
for it."
"Please lift us across," pleaded Polychrome.
"No," replied the beast; "since you refuse my
generous offer, I can be as stubborn as you are."
After that they were all silent for a time, but then
the Scarecrow said bravely:
"Friends, let us agree to the beast's terms. Give him
my straw, and carry the rest of me with you across the
ditch. Once on the other side, the Tin Soldier can cut
some of the hay with his sharp sword, and you can stuff
me with that material until we reach a place where
there is straw. It is true I have been stuffed with
straw all my life and it will be somewhat humiliating
to be filled with common hay, but I am willing to
sacrifice my pride in a good cause. Moreover, to
abandon our errand and so deprive the great Emperor of
the Winkies -- or this noble Soldier -- of his bride,
would be equally humiliating, if not more so."
"You're a very honest and clever man!" exclaimed the
Hip-po-gy-raf, admiringly. "When I have eaten your
head, perhaps I also will become clever."
"You're not to eat my head, you know," returned the
Scarecrow hastily. "My head isn't stuffed with straw
and I cannot part with it. When one loses his head he
loses his brains."
"Very well, then; you may keep your head," said the
beast.
The Scarecrow's companions thanked him warmly for his
loyal sacrifice to their mutual good, and then he laid
down and permitted them to pull the straw from his
body. As fast as they did this, the Hip-po-gy-raf ate
up the straw, and when all was consumed Polychrome made
a neat bundle of the clothes and boots and gloves and
hat and said she would carry them, while Woot tucked
the Scarecrow's head under his arm and promised to
guard its safety.
"Now, then," said the Tin Woodman, "keep your
promise, Beast, and lift us over the ditch."
"M-m-m-mum, but that was a fine dinner!" said the
Hip-po, smacking his thick lips in satisfaction, "and
I'm as good as my word. Sit on my head, one at a time,
and I'll land you safely on the other side."
He approached close to the edge of the ditch and
squatted down. Polychrome climbed over his big body and
sat herself lightly upon the flat head, holding the
bundle of the Scarecrow's raiment in her hand. Slowly
the elastic neck stretched out until it reached the far
side of the ditch, when the beast lowered his head and
permitted the beautiful fairy to leap to the ground.
Woot made the queer journey next, and then the Tin
Soldier and the Tin Woodman went over, and all were
well pleased to have overcome this serious barrier to
their progress.
"Now, Soldier, cut the hay," said the Scarecrow's
head, which was still held by Woot the Wanderer.
"I'd like to, but I can't stoop over, with my bent
leg, without falling," replied Captain Fyter.
"What can we do about that leg, anyhow?" asked Woot,
appealing to Polychrome.
She danced around in a circle several times without
replying, and the boy feared she had not heard him; but
the Rainbow's Daughter was merely thinking upon the
problem, and presently she paused beside the Tin
Soldier and said:
"I've been taught a little fairy magic, but I've
never before been asked to mend tin legs with it, so
I'm not sure I can help you. It all depends on the good
will of my unseen fairy guardians, so I'll try, and if
I fail, you will be no worse off than you are now."
She danced around the circle again, and then laid
both hands upon the twisted tin leg and sang in her
sweet voice:
"Fairy Powers, come to my aid!
This bent leg of tin is made;
Make it straight and strong and true,
And I'll render thanks to you."
"Ah!" murmured Captain Fyter in a glad voice, as she
withdrew her hands and danced away, and they saw he was
standing straight as ever, because his leg was as
shapely and strong as it had been before his accident.
The Tin Woodman had watched Polychrome with much
interest, and he now said:
"Please take the dent out of my side, Poly, for I am
more crippled than was the Soldier."
So the Rainbow's Daughter touched his side lightly
and sang:
"Here's a dent by accident;
Such a thing was never meant.
Fairy Powers, so wondrous great,
Make our dear Tin Woodman straight!"
"Good!" cried the Emperor, again standing erect and
strutting around to show his fine figure. "Your fairy
magic may not be able to accomplish all things, sweet
Polychrome, but it works splendidly on tin. Thank you
very much."
"The hay -- the hay!" pleaded the Scarecrow's head.
"Oh, yes; the hay," said Woot. "What are you waiting
for, Captain Fyter?"
At once the Tin Soldier set to work cutting hay with
his sword and in a few minutes there was quite enough
with which to stuff the Scarecrow's body. Woot and
Polychrome did this and it was no easy task because the
hay packed together more than straw and as they had
little experience in such work their job, when
completed, left the Scarecrow's arms and legs rather
bunchy. Also there was a hump on his back which made
Woot laugh and say it reminded him of a camel, but it
was the best they could do and when the head was fastened
on to the body they asked the Scarecrow how he felt.
"A little heavy, and not quite natural," he
cheerfully replied; "but I'll get along somehow until
we reach a straw-stack. Don't laugh at me, please,
because I'm a little ashamed of myself and I don't want
to regret a good action."
They started at once in the direction of Mount Munch,
and as the Scarecrow proved very clumsy in his
movements, Woot took one of his arms and the Tin
Woodman the other and so helped their friend to walk in
a straight line.
And the Rainbow's Daughter, as before, danced ahead
of them and behind them and all around them, and they
never minded her odd ways, because to them she was like
a ray of sunshine.
Chapter Twenty
Over Night
The Land of the Munchkins is full of surprises, as our
travelers had already learned, and although Mount Munch
was constantly growing larger as they advanced toward
it, they knew it was still a long way off and were not
certain, by any means, that they had escaped all danger
or encountered their last adventure.
The plain was broad, and as far as the eye could see,
there seemed to be a level stretch of country between
them and the mountain, but toward evening they came
upon a hollow, in which stood a tiny blue Munchkin
dwelling with a garden around it and fields of grain
filling in all the rest of the hollow.
They did not discover this place until they came
close to the edge of it, and they were astonished at
the sight that greeted them because they had imagined
that this part of the plain had no inhabitants.
"It's a very small house," Woot declared. "I wonder
who lives there?"
"The way to find out is to knock on the door and
ask," replied the Tin Woodman. "Perhaps it is the home
of Nimmie Amee."
"Is she a dwarf?" asked the boy.
"No, indeed; Nimmie Amee is a full sized woman."
"Then I'm sure she couldn't live in that little house," said Woot.
"Let's go down," suggested the Scarecrow. "I'm almost
sure I can see a straw-stack in the back yard."
They descended the hollow, which was rather steep at
the sides, and soon came to the house, which was indeed
rather small. Woot knocked upon a door that was not
much higher than his waist, but got no reply. He
knocked again, but not a sound was heard.
"Smoke is coming out of the chimney," announced
- delicious [di´liʃəs]
a.美味的，可口的 (初中英语单词) - scarce [skeəs, skers] a.缺乏的；稀有的 (初中英语单词)
- neighborhood [´neibəhud] n.邻居；邻近；附近 (初中英语单词)
- willing [´wiliŋ] a.情愿的，乐意的 (初中英语单词)
- moreover [mɔ:´rəuvə] ad.再者，此外，而且 (初中英语单词)
- errand [´erənd] n.差使，使命 (初中英语单词)
- emperor [´empərə] n.皇帝 (初中英语单词)
- equally [´i:kwəli] ad.相等地；平等地 (初中英语单词)
- hastily [´heistili] ad.急速地；草率地 (初中英语单词)
- bundle [´bʌndl] n.包，捆；包袱(裹) (初中英语单词)
- satisfaction [,sætis´fækʃən] n.满意；满足 (初中英语单词)
- safely [´seifli] ad.安全地；平安地 (初中英语单词)
- lightly [´laitli] ad.轻微地，稍微 (初中英语单词)
- overcome [,əuvə´kʌm] vt.战胜，克服 (初中英语单词)
- circle [´sə:kəl] n.圆圈 v.环绕；盘旋 (初中英语单词)
- presently [´prezəntli] ad.不久；目前 (初中英语单词)
- standing [´stændiŋ] n.持续 a.直立的 (初中英语单词)
- ashamed [ə´ʃeimd] a.惭愧；不好意思 (初中英语单词)
- constantly [´kɔnstəntli] ad.经常地；不断地 (初中英语单词)
- advanced [əd´vɑ:nst] a.先进的；高级的 (初中英语单词)
- clumsy [´klʌmzi] a.笨拙的；粗俗的 (高中英语单词)
- stubborn [´stʌbən] a.顽固的；坚持的 (高中英语单词)
- deprive [di´praiv] vt.剥夺，使丧失 (高中英语单词)
- mutual [´mju:tʃuəl] a.相互的；共同的 (高中英语单词)
- elastic [i´læstik] a.灵活的 n.橡皮带 (高中英语单词)
- barrier [´bæriə] n.栅栏；屏障；障碍 (高中英语单词)
- unseen [,ʌn´si:n] a.未看见的 (高中英语单词)
- learned [´lə:nid] a.有学问的，博学的 (高中英语单词)
- raiment [´reimənt] n.衣饰 (英语四级单词)
- wondrous [´wʌndrəs] a.极好的 ad.惊人地 (英语四级单词)
- woodman [´wudmən] n.伐木工 (英语六级单词)
- holding [´həuldiŋ] n.保持，固定，存储 (英语六级单词)
- splendidly [´splendidli] ad.光彩夺目地；辉煌地 (英语六级单词)
- minded [´maindid] a.有...心的 (英语六级单词)
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章节正文
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