章节正文
The Sawhorse was almost as curious as its rider.
It had been rudely made, in the beginning, to saw
logs upon, so that its body was a short length of
a log, and its legs were stout branches fitted
into four holes made in the body. The tail was
formed by a small branch that had been left on the
log, while the head was a gnarled bump on one end
of the body. Two knots of wood formed the eyes,
and the mouth was a gash chopped in the log. When
the Sawhorse first came to life it had no ears at
all, and so could not hear; but the boy who then
owned him had whittled two ears out of bark and
stuck them in the head, after which the Sawhorse
heard very distinctly.
This queer wooden horse was a great favorite
with Princess Ozma, who had caused the bottoms of
its legs to be shod with plates of gold, so the
wood would not wear away. Its saddle was made of
cloth-of-gold richly encrusted with precious gems.
It had never worn a bridle.
As the Scarecrow came in sight of the party of
travelers, he reined in his wooden steed and
dismounted, greeting the Shaggy Man with a smiling
nod. Then he turned to stare at the Patchwork Girl
in wonder, while she in turn stared at him.
"Shags," he whispered, drawing the Shaggy Man
aside, "pat me into shape, there's a good fellow!"
While his friend punched and patted the
Scarecrow's body, to smooth out the humps, Scraps
turned to Ojo and whispered: "Roll me out, please;
I've sagged down dreadfully from walking so much
and men like to see a stately figure."
She then fell upon the ground and the boy rolled
her back and forth like a rolling-pin, until the
cotton had filled all the spaces in her patchwork
covering and the body had lengthened to its
fullest extent. Scraps and the Scarecrow both
finished their hasty toilets at the same time, and
again they faced each other.
"Allow me, Miss Patchwork," said the Shaggy Man,
"to present my friend, the Right Royal Scarecrow
of Oz. Scarecrow, this is Miss Scraps Patches;
Scraps, this is the Scarecrow. Scarecrow--Scraps;
Scraps--Scarecrow."
They both bowed with much dignity.
"Forgive me for staring so rudely," said the
Scarecrow, "but you are the most beautiful sight
my eyes have ever beheld."
"That is a high compliment from one who is
himself so beautiful," murmured Scraps, casting
down her suspender-button eyes by lowering her
head. "But, tell me, good sir, are you not a
trifle lumpy?"
"Yes, of course; that's my straw, you know.
It bunches up, sometimes, in spite of all my
efforts to keep it even. Doesn't your straw ever
bunch?"
"Oh, I'm stuffed with cotton," said Scraps.
"It never bunches, but it's inclined to pack down
and make me sag."
"But cotton is a high-grade stuffing. I may say
it is even more stylish, not to say aristocratic,
than straw," said the Scarecrow politely. "Still,
it is but proper that one so entrancingly lovely
should have the best stuffing there is going. I--
er--I'm so glad I've met you, Miss Scraps!
Introduce us again, Shaggy."
"Once is enough," replied the Shaggy Man,
laughing at his friend's enthusiasm.
"Then tell me where you found her, and--Dear me,
what a queer cat! What are you made of--gelatine?"
"Pure glass," answered the cat, proud to have
attracted the Scarecrow's attention. "I am much
more beautiful than the Patchwork Girl. I'm
transparent, and Scraps isn't; I've pink brains--
you can see 'em work; and I've a ruby heart,
finely polished, while Scraps hasn't any heart at
all."
"No more have I," said the Scarecrow, shaking
hands with Scraps, as if to congratulate her on
the fact. "I've a friend, the Tin Woodman, who has
a heart, but I find I get along pretty well
without one. And so--Well, well! here's a little
Munchkin boy, too. Shake hands, my little man. How
are you?"
Ojo placed his hand in the flabby stuffed glove
that served the Scarecrow for a hand, and the
Scarecrow pressed it so cordially that the straw
in his glove crackled.
Meantime, the Woozy had approached the Sawhorse
and begun to sniff at it. The Sawhorse resented
this familiarity and with a sudden kick pounded
the Woozy squarely on its Lead with one gold-shod
foot.
"Take that, you monster!" it cried angrily.
The Woozy never even winked.
"To be sure," he said; "I'll take anything I
have to. But don't make me angry, you wooden
beast, or my eyes will flash fire and burn you
up."
The Sawhorse rolled its knot eyes wickedly
and kicked again, but the Woozy trotted away
and said to the Scarecrow:
"What a sweet disposition that creature has!
I advise you to chop it up for kindling-wood
and use me to ride upon. My back is flat and
you can't fall off."
"I think the trouble is that you haven't been
properly introduced," said the Scarecrow,
regarding the Woozy with much wonder, for he had
never seen such a queer animal before.
"The Sawhorse is the favorite steed of Princess
Ozma, the Ruler of the Land of Oz, and he lives in
a stable decorated with pearls and emeralds, at
the rear of the royal palace. He is swift as the
wind, untiring, and is kind to his friends. All
the people of Oz respect the Sawhorse highly, and
when I visit Ozma she sometimes allows me to ride
him--as I am doing to-day. Now you know what an
important personage the Sawhorse is, and if some
one--perhaps your-self--will tell me your name,
your rank and station, and your history, it will
give me pleasure to relate them to the Sawhorse.
This will lead to mutual respect and friendship."
The Woozy was somewhat abashed by this speech
and did not know how to reply. But Ojo said:
"This square beast is called the Woozy, and he
isn't of much importance except that he has three
hairs growing on the tip of his tail."
The Scarecrow looked and saw that this was true.
"But," said he, in a puzzled way, "what makes
those three hairs important? The Shaggy Man has
thousands of hairs, but no one has ever accused
him of being important."
So Ojo related the sad story of Unc Nunkie's
transformation into a marblestatue, and told how
he had set out to find the things the Crooked
Magician wanted, in order to make a charm that
would restore his uncle to life. One of the
requirements was three hairs from a Woozy's tail,
but not being able to pull out the hairs they had
been obliged to take the Woozy with them.
The Scarecrow looked grave as he listened and he
shook his head several times, as if in
disapproval.
"We must see Ozma about this matter," he
said. "That Crooked Magician is breaking the
Law by practicing magic without a license, and
I'm not sure Ozma will allow him to restore your
uncle to life."
"Already I have warned the boy of that,"
declared the Shaggy Man.
At this Ojo began to cry. "I want my Unc
Nunkie!" he exclaimed. "I know how he can be
restored to life, and I'm going to do it--Ozma or
no Ozma! What right has this girl Ruler to keep my
Unc Nunkie a statue forever?"
"Don't worry about that just now," advised
the Scarecrow. "Go on to the Emerald City,
and when you reach it have the Shaggy Man
take you to see Dorothy. Tell her your story and
I'm sure she will help you. Dorothy is Ozma's
best friend, and if you can win her to your side
your uncle is pretty safe to live again." Then he
turned to the Woozy and said: "I'm afraid you
are not important enough to be introduced to
the Sawhorse, after all."
"I'm a better beast than he is," retorted the
Woozy, indignantly. "My eyes can flash fire, and
his can't."
"Is this true?" inquired the Scarecrow, turning
to the Munchkin boy.
"Yes," said Ojo, and told how the Woozy had
set fire to the fence.
"Have you any other accomplishments?"
asked the Scarecrow.
"I have a most terrible growl--that is,
sometimes," said the Woozy, as Scraps laughed
merrily and the Shaggy Man smiled. But the Patch-
work Girl's laugh made the Scarecrow forget all
about the Woozy. He said to her:
"What an admirable young lady you are, and
what jolly good company! We must be better
acquainted, for never before have I met a girl
with such exquisite coloring or such natural,
artless manners."
"No wonder they call you the Wise Scarecrow,"
replied Scraps.
"When you arrive at the Emerald City I will see
you again," continued the Scarecrow. "Just now I
am going to call upon an old friend--an ordinary
young lady named Jinjur--who has Promised to
repaint my left ear for me. You may have noticed
that the paint on my left ear has peeled off and
faded, which affects my hearing on that side.
Jinjur always fixes me up when I get weather-
worn."
"When do you expect to return to the Emerald
City?" asked the Shaggy Man.
"I'll be there this evening, for I'm anxious
to have a long talk with Miss Scraps. How is it,
It had been rudely made, in the beginning, to saw
logs upon, so that its body was a short length of
a log, and its legs were stout branches fitted
into four holes made in the body. The tail was
formed by a small branch that had been left on the
log, while the head was a gnarled bump on one end
of the body. Two knots of wood formed the eyes,
and the mouth was a gash chopped in the log. When
the Sawhorse first came to life it had no ears at
all, and so could not hear; but the boy who then
owned him had whittled two ears out of bark and
stuck them in the head, after which the Sawhorse
heard very distinctly.
This queer wooden horse was a great favorite
with Princess Ozma, who had caused the bottoms of
its legs to be shod with plates of gold, so the
wood would not wear away. Its saddle was made of
cloth-of-gold richly encrusted with precious gems.
It had never worn a bridle.
As the Scarecrow came in sight of the party of
travelers, he reined in his wooden steed and
dismounted, greeting the Shaggy Man with a smiling
nod. Then he turned to stare at the Patchwork Girl
in wonder, while she in turn stared at him.
"Shags," he whispered, drawing the Shaggy Man
aside, "pat me into shape, there's a good fellow!"
While his friend punched and patted the
Scarecrow's body, to smooth out the humps, Scraps
turned to Ojo and whispered: "Roll me out, please;
I've sagged down dreadfully from walking so much
and men like to see a stately figure."
She then fell upon the ground and the boy rolled
her back and forth like a rolling-pin, until the
cotton had filled all the spaces in her patchwork
covering and the body had lengthened to its
fullest extent. Scraps and the Scarecrow both
finished their hasty toilets at the same time, and
again they faced each other.
"Allow me, Miss Patchwork," said the Shaggy Man,
"to present my friend, the Right Royal Scarecrow
of Oz. Scarecrow, this is Miss Scraps Patches;
Scraps, this is the Scarecrow. Scarecrow--Scraps;
Scraps--Scarecrow."
They both bowed with much dignity.
"Forgive me for staring so rudely," said the
Scarecrow, "but you are the most beautiful sight
my eyes have ever beheld."
"That is a high compliment from one who is
himself so beautiful," murmured Scraps, casting
down her suspender-button eyes by lowering her
head. "But, tell me, good sir, are you not a
trifle lumpy?"
"Yes, of course; that's my straw, you know.
It bunches up, sometimes, in spite of all my
efforts to keep it even. Doesn't your straw ever
bunch?"
"Oh, I'm stuffed with cotton," said Scraps.
"It never bunches, but it's inclined to pack down
and make me sag."
"But cotton is a high-grade stuffing. I may say
it is even more stylish, not to say aristocratic,
than straw," said the Scarecrow politely. "Still,
it is but proper that one so entrancingly lovely
should have the best stuffing there is going. I--
er--I'm so glad I've met you, Miss Scraps!
Introduce us again, Shaggy."
"Once is enough," replied the Shaggy Man,
laughing at his friend's enthusiasm.
"Then tell me where you found her, and--Dear me,
what a queer cat! What are you made of--gelatine?"
"Pure glass," answered the cat, proud to have
attracted the Scarecrow's attention. "I am much
more beautiful than the Patchwork Girl. I'm
transparent, and Scraps isn't; I've pink brains--
you can see 'em work; and I've a ruby heart,
finely polished, while Scraps hasn't any heart at
all."
"No more have I," said the Scarecrow, shaking
hands with Scraps, as if to congratulate her on
the fact. "I've a friend, the Tin Woodman, who has
a heart, but I find I get along pretty well
without one. And so--Well, well! here's a little
Munchkin boy, too. Shake hands, my little man. How
are you?"
Ojo placed his hand in the flabby stuffed glove
that served the Scarecrow for a hand, and the
Scarecrow pressed it so cordially that the straw
in his glove crackled.
Meantime, the Woozy had approached the Sawhorse
and begun to sniff at it. The Sawhorse resented
this familiarity and with a sudden kick pounded
the Woozy squarely on its Lead with one gold-shod
foot.
"Take that, you monster!" it cried angrily.
The Woozy never even winked.
"To be sure," he said; "I'll take anything I
have to. But don't make me angry, you wooden
beast, or my eyes will flash fire and burn you
up."
The Sawhorse rolled its knot eyes wickedly
and kicked again, but the Woozy trotted away
and said to the Scarecrow:
"What a sweet disposition that creature has!
I advise you to chop it up for kindling-wood
and use me to ride upon. My back is flat and
you can't fall off."
"I think the trouble is that you haven't been
properly introduced," said the Scarecrow,
regarding the Woozy with much wonder, for he had
never seen such a queer animal before.
"The Sawhorse is the favorite steed of Princess
Ozma, the Ruler of the Land of Oz, and he lives in
a stable decorated with pearls and emeralds, at
the rear of the royal palace. He is swift as the
wind, untiring, and is kind to his friends. All
the people of Oz respect the Sawhorse highly, and
when I visit Ozma she sometimes allows me to ride
him--as I am doing to-day. Now you know what an
important personage the Sawhorse is, and if some
one--perhaps your-self--will tell me your name,
your rank and station, and your history, it will
give me pleasure to relate them to the Sawhorse.
This will lead to mutual respect and friendship."
The Woozy was somewhat abashed by this speech
and did not know how to reply. But Ojo said:
"This square beast is called the Woozy, and he
isn't of much importance except that he has three
hairs growing on the tip of his tail."
The Scarecrow looked and saw that this was true.
"But," said he, in a puzzled way, "what makes
those three hairs important? The Shaggy Man has
thousands of hairs, but no one has ever accused
him of being important."
So Ojo related the sad story of Unc Nunkie's
transformation into a marblestatue, and told how
he had set out to find the things the Crooked
Magician wanted, in order to make a charm that
would restore his uncle to life. One of the
requirements was three hairs from a Woozy's tail,
but not being able to pull out the hairs they had
been obliged to take the Woozy with them.
The Scarecrow looked grave as he listened and he
shook his head several times, as if in
disapproval.
"We must see Ozma about this matter," he
said. "That Crooked Magician is breaking the
Law by practicing magic without a license, and
I'm not sure Ozma will allow him to restore your
uncle to life."
"Already I have warned the boy of that,"
declared the Shaggy Man.
At this Ojo began to cry. "I want my Unc
Nunkie!" he exclaimed. "I know how he can be
restored to life, and I'm going to do it--Ozma or
no Ozma! What right has this girl Ruler to keep my
Unc Nunkie a statue forever?"
"Don't worry about that just now," advised
the Scarecrow. "Go on to the Emerald City,
and when you reach it have the Shaggy Man
take you to see Dorothy. Tell her your story and
I'm sure she will help you. Dorothy is Ozma's
best friend, and if you can win her to your side
your uncle is pretty safe to live again." Then he
turned to the Woozy and said: "I'm afraid you
are not important enough to be introduced to
the Sawhorse, after all."
"I'm a better beast than he is," retorted the
Woozy, indignantly. "My eyes can flash fire, and
his can't."
"Is this true?" inquired the Scarecrow, turning
to the Munchkin boy.
"Yes," said Ojo, and told how the Woozy had
set fire to the fence.
"Have you any other accomplishments?"
asked the Scarecrow.
"I have a most terrible growl--that is,
sometimes," said the Woozy, as Scraps laughed
merrily and the Shaggy Man smiled. But the Patch-
work Girl's laugh made the Scarecrow forget all
about the Woozy. He said to her:
"What an admirable young lady you are, and
what jolly good company! We must be better
acquainted, for never before have I met a girl
with such exquisite coloring or such natural,
artless manners."
"No wonder they call you the Wise Scarecrow,"
replied Scraps.
"When you arrive at the Emerald City I will see
you again," continued the Scarecrow. "Just now I
am going to call upon an old friend--an ordinary
young lady named Jinjur--who has Promised to
repaint my left ear for me. You may have noticed
that the paint on my left ear has peeled off and
faded, which affects my hearing on that side.
Jinjur always fixes me up when I get weather-
worn."
"When do you expect to return to the Emerald
City?" asked the Shaggy Man.
"I'll be there this evening, for I'm anxious
to have a long talk with Miss Scraps. How is it,
- beginning [bi´giniŋ]
n.开始，开端；起源 (初中英语单词) - wooden [´wudn] a.木制的；呆板的 (初中英语单词)
- princess [,prin´ses] n.公主；王妃；亲王夫人 (初中英语单词)
- saddle [´sædl] n.鞍子 v.装鞍(于) (初中英语单词)
- dreadfully [dredfuli] ad.可怕地；糟透地 (初中英语单词)
- extent [ik´stent] n.长度；程度；范围 (初中英语单词)
- disposition [,dispə´ziʃən] n.安排；性情；倾向 (初中英语单词)
- advise [əd´vaiz] vt.忠告；建议；通知 (初中英语单词)
- stable [´steibəl] n.马棚 a.稳固的 (初中英语单词)
- relate [ri´leit] v.阐明；使联系；涉及 (初中英语单词)
- marble [´mɑ:bəl] n.大理石 a.大理石的 (初中英语单词)
- statue [´stætʃu:] n.塑像，雕像 (初中英语单词)
- restore [ri´stɔ:] vt.(使)恢复；修复 (初中英语单词)
- stately [´steitli] a.庄严的，雄伟的 (高中英语单词)
- compliment [´kɔmplimənt] n.敬意 vt.赞美；祝贺 (高中英语单词)
- politely [pə´laitli] ad.温和地；文雅地 (高中英语单词)
- congratulate [kən´grætjuleit] vt.祝贺 (高中英语单词)
- mutual [´mju:tʃuəl] a.相互的；共同的 (高中英语单词)
- related [ri´leitid] a.叙述的；有联系的 (高中英语单词)
- crooked [´krukid] a.弯曲的；畸形的 (高中英语单词)
- magician [mə´dʒiʃən] n.魔法师；妖道；术士 (高中英语单词)
- admirable [´ædmərəbəl] a.极佳的，值得赞美的 (高中英语单词)
- exquisite [ik´skwizit] a.精巧的；敏锐的 (高中英语单词)
- hearing [´hiəriŋ] n.听力；听证会；审讯 (高中英语单词)
- richly [´ritʃli] ad.富裕地；浓厚地 (英语四级单词)
- shaggy [´ʃægi] a.蓬乱的；多粗毛的 (英语四级单词)
- drawing [´drɔ:iŋ] n.画图；制图；图样 (英语四级单词)
- cordially [´kɔ:djəli] ad.热诚地；亲切地 (英语四级单词)
- squarely [´skwɛəli] ad.成方形地；正直地 (英语四级单词)
- personage [´pə:sənidʒ] n.名流；人物，角色 (英语四级单词)
- emerald [´emərəld] n.纯绿宝石；翠绿色 (英语四级单词)
- rudely [´ru:dli] ad.粗鲁地；粗略地 (英语六级单词)
- woodman [´wudmən] n.伐木工 (英语六级单词)
- familiarity [fə,mili´æriti] n.熟悉；新近；随便 (英语六级单词)
- indignantly [in´dignəntli] ad.愤慨地，义愤地 (英语六级单词)
文章标签:名著
章节正文
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