登陆注册
15468500000006

第6章 Chapter Three Roundabout(2)

After I have found Nimmie Amee and she has managed to control her joy at our reunion, I shall take her to the Emerald City and introduce her to Ozma and Dorothy, and to Betsy Bobbin and Tiny Trot, and all our other friends; but, if I remember rightly, poor Nimmie Amee has a sharp tongue when angry, and she may be a trifle angry with me, at first, because I have been so long in coming to her."

"I can understand that," said Woot gravely. "But how can we get to that part of the Munchkin Country where you once lived without passing through the Emerald City?"

"Why, that is easy," the Tin Man assured him.

"I have a map of Oz in my pocket," persisted the boy, "and it shows that the Winkie Country, where we now are, is at the west of Oz, and the Munchkin Country at the east, while directly between them lies the Emerald City."

"True enough; but we shall go toward the north, first of all, into the Gillikin Country, and so pass around the Emerald City," explained the Tin Woodman.

"That may prove a dangerous journey," replied the boy. "I used to live in one of the top corners of the Gillikin Country, near to Oogaboo, and I have been told that in this northland country are many people whom it is not pleasant to meet. I was very careful to avoid them during my journey south."

"A Wanderer should have no fear," observed the Scarecrow, who was wobbling along in a funny, haphazard manner, but keeping pace with his friends.

"Fear does not make one a coward," returned Woot, growing a little red in the face, "but I believe it is more easy to avoid danger than to overcome it. The safest way is the best way, even for one who is brave and determined."

"Do not worry, for we shall not go far to the north," said the Emperor. "My one idea is to avoid the Emerald City without going out of our way more than is necessary. Once around the Emerald City we will turn south into the Munchkin Country, where the Scarecrow and I are well acquainted and have many friends."

"I have traveled some in the Gillikin Country," remarked the Scarecrow, "and while I must say I have met some strange people there at times, I have never yet been harmed by them."

"Well, it's all the same to me," said Woot, with assumed carelessness. "Dangers, when they cannot be avoided, are often quite interesting, and I am willing to go wherever you two venture to go."

So they left the path they had been following and began to travel toward the northeast, and all that day they were in the pleasant Winkie Country, and all the people they met saluted the Emperor with great respect and wished him good luck on his journey. At night they stopped at a house where they were well entertained and where Woot was given a comfortable bed to sleep in.

"Were the Scarecrow and I alone," said the Tin Woodman, "we would travel by night as well as by day; but with a meat person in our party, we must halt at night to permit him to rest."

"Meat tires, after a day's travel," added the Scarecrow, "while straw and tin never tire at all.

Which proves," said he, "that we are somewhat superior to people made in the common way."

Woot could not deny that he was tired, and he slept soundly until morning, when he was given a good breakfast, smoking hot.

"You two miss a great deal by not eating," he said to his companions.

"It is true," responded the Scarecrow. "We miss suffering from hunger, when food cannot be had, and we miss a stomachache, now and then."

As he said this, the Scarecrow glanced at the Tin Woodman, who nodded his assent.

All that second day they traveled steadily, entertaining one another the while with stories of adventures they had formerly met and listening to the Scarecrow recite poetry. He had learned a great many poems from Professor Wogglebug and loved to repeat them whenever anybody would listen to him. Of course Woot and the Tin Woodman now listened, because they could not do otherwise -- unless they rudely ran away from their stuffed comrade. One of the Scarecrow's recitations was like this:

"What sound is so sweet As the straw from the wheat When it crunkles so tender and low?

It is yellow and bright, So it gives me delight To crunkle wherever I go.

"Sweet, fresh, golden Straw!

There is surely no flaw In a stuffing so clean and compact.

It creaks when I walk, And it thrills when I talk, And its fragrance is fine, for a fact.

"To cut me don't hurt, For I've no blood to squirt, And I therefore can suffer no pain;

The straw that I use Doesn't lump up or bruise, Though it's pounded again and again!

"I know it is said That my beautiful head Has brains of mixed wheat-straw and bran, But my thoughts are so good I'd not change, if I could, For the brains of a common meat man.

"Content with my lot, I'm glad that I'm not Like others I meet day by day;

If my insides get musty, Or mussed-up, or dusty, I get newly stuffed right away."

同类推荐
热门推荐
  • 花颜似玉

    花颜似玉

    什么?她重生了?还是拥有异能的无敌美少女?好好,就让偶来肩负使命吧!可是路遇美男,靠,收了,看本小姐致命一击!
  • 冥路鬼事

    冥路鬼事

    女友无故失踪,秦川通过一本女友的笔记踏上了寻找的旅程,可迎接他的却是一连串诡异的遭遇:充满谜团的荒冢;危机四伏的群山;令人毛骨悚然的鬼怪和一些本该死去却又真实存在的人们。随着探寻一步步的深入,他发现女友的失踪和身边每个人的出现并非偶然,他们好像都与七十年前的一个秘密有关,接踵而至的真相和一系列的尔虞我诈让秦川发现,自己或许就是那把打开所有秘密的钥匙。
  • 自恋的春天

    自恋的春天

    自恋也就罢了,自恋能自恋到这份儿上也是没sei了~依照滕迅的原话——那叫‘将梦想照进现实’。不论自恋是她过分自信,亦或是保护自己的躯壳,她都用自己的努力拥有属于自己自恋的春天。快来加入我们的‘诱捕男神计划’自恋小分队,下一个收获幸福的就是你!其实,它不只是一部简单的校园青春文,只是因为,一切都是从这里开始的……
  • 以武虐仙

    以武虐仙

    他年少之时因丹田有损,无奈不能用丹田修炼,然而修仙成道本是世间修炼者的根本,但是这世上有九成的修仙者,都是通过内修成仙,虽有外修成仙的例子。但外修成仙说是万中无一都不为过。然而上天只给他这一条路走,但纵然千难万阻他也要以武虐仙,成霸一方传奇。
  • 创神翎

    创神翎

    本作纯YY啊啊啊啊啊啊啊啊啊啊啊啊啊啊如有雷同,纯属巧合
  • 斩天断轮回

    斩天断轮回

    这是最后的时代,力量的种子赋予人们战斗的力量,为了挣脱自己的命运,他们会做出怎样的斗争,请看斩天断轮回!
  • 武逆九界

    武逆九界

    经历千年,竞只是一场梦吗。醒来后我谁能体会到我的孤独,那只能霸天下,踩人才来消除我的孤独。天下为棋局,世人如棋子。等我累了,额~就放了你们吧。
  • 嗜血三公主的复仇计划

    嗜血三公主的复仇计划

    她们曾经窝在自己父母的怀里撒娇,现在无论多大的风暴也要自己一个人去扛。她们以性命起誓必定让那些人得到应有的报应,她们的回归注定掀起一阵风暴。而当她们遇上他们并擦出爱情的火花时,她们的计划又该如何进行?
  • 蛊虫

    蛊虫

    一个盗墓者的自述:虫洞中遇见尸蛊虫,叹为观止
  • Zanoni

    Zanoni

    本书为公版书,为不受著作权法限制的作家、艺术家及其它人士发布的作品,供广大读者阅读交流。