Chapter 7 3
Jack wasn't too pleased with the idea, but he agreed to have the Tin Woodman take off his left leg and whittle it down into the left leg of the wooden horse.The Trojan was also upset about the operation, which he called "butchery," and later said the new leg was a disgrace for a prestigious Trojan.
"I wish you would pay more attention to what you say," said the Pumpkin Man loudly. "Remember, if you're happy, you're scolding my legs."
"I can't forget it," replied the Trojan Horse, "because it's as fragile as the rest of your body."
"Vulnerable! I'm fragile!" Jack growled angrily. "Do you dare to say that I am weak?"
"Because, you're as ridiculous as a jumping doll," the Trojan sneered, rolling his knotted eyes maliciously. "You can't even keep your head straight, and you can never tell if yours is the front or the back!"
"My friends, I beg you not to quarrel!" said the Tin Woodman anxiously. "In fact, we all have faults, so we should tolerate each other's faults" "A very good suggestion," agreed the cockroach. "You must have a very good heart, my metal friend."
"Yes, I have," Nick replied happily. "My heart is the best part of me.
For now, though, let's go on a trip. "
They helped the one-legged Pumpkin Man climb onto the wooden horse and tied him to the seat with a rope so he wouldn't fall off.
So, the Scarecrow led the way, and they set off together towards the Emerald City.
old moby magic
They soon discovered that the wooden horse was lame because its new legs were too long.So they stopped again, and the Tin Woodman chopped it short with his axe, so that the wooden horse would walk more comfortably.But even so, Trojan is still not satisfied.
"I broke my leg, what a disgrace!" it growled.
"On the contrary," said the cockroach lightly, as it was following along, "you should also admit that accidents are the greatest luck. For a horse is more useful the more it breaks."
"I don't understand that," said Tip, somewhat displeased, for he had affection for both the Trojan Horse and his Jack; "but let me say, you don't take a very good joke, Old and poor."
"Yes, it's a joke," confirmed the Cockroach, "a wordplay joke, which is considered quite just among educated people."
"What does that mean?" the Pumpkin Man asked foolishly.
"It means, my friend," explained the cockroach, "that in our language many words have two meanings; and to make a double-entendre joke is to show that the person making the joke is cultured and refined. , and he is fluent in the language."
"I don't believe it," Tip said frankly, "anyone would use a pun."
"Of course not all of them," said the roach. "It requires a higher education. Are you educated, young sir?"
"No," Tip admitted.
"Then you can't comment on it. I'm fully educated myself, so I think puns can show wit. For example, if I'm on a wooden horse, it's not just an animal—it will into a carriage. Because, then, it becomes horse and cart."
Hearing this, the Scarecrow glared at it.The Tin Woodman stopped and looked at the cockroach reproachfully.At the same time, the Trojan Horse snorted in mockery, and even the Pumpkin Man couldn't help but put his hand over his mouth and smile, because the smile was carved on his face, so he couldn't frown.
But the cockroach was still strutting, as if what a brilliant opinion he had just expressed, the Scarecrow had to say: "Dear friend, I heard that some people will become overeducated, although I respect the brain very much." , no matter how they are arranged or which category they belong to, I am beginning to suspect that you may be a little out of your mind. In any case, in our society, I ask you to restrain your higher education."
"We're not very special," added the Tin Woodman, "we're all very good-hearted. If your higher education ever leaks out—" He didn't finish, and turned the gleaming The ax swung casually, and the cockroach jumped in fright, and fled to a safe place.
Everyone else moved forward silently, but the highly amplified guy, after a period of deep thought, said in a humble voice: "I must try to restrain myself."
"That's what we all wish you to do," answered the Scarecrow cheerfully, and the merriment returned to the party, and they went on their way.
When they stopped again to let Tip rest—the boy seemed to be the only one who felt tired—the Tin Woodman noticed many little round holes in the grass.
"This must be a village of gophers," he said to the Scarecrow. "Wonder if my old friend, the Gopher Queen, is around here."
"If she were, she might be of great help to us," replied the Scarecrow, and it occurred to him suddenly. "Tell her to try it, Nick dear."
Thereupon the Tin Woodman took down the silver flute which was round his neck and blew once, and at once a little squirrel came out from a nearby hole, and ran towards them without fear.Because the Tin Woodman had saved her life, the Queen Gopher knew he could be trusted.
"Hello, Your Majesty," Nick said politely to the gopher, "I think you must be in good health?"
"Lasting you, I'm in very good health," the queen replied demurely, and she sat down, revealing the little golden crown on her head. "Is there anything I can do to help old friends?"
"Yes, we need your help," answered the Scarecrow eagerly. "I beg you to let me take a dozen of your subjects to the Emerald City."
"Will they be harmed?" the queen asked hesitantly.
"I don't think so," answered the Scarecrow. "I hide them in the straw of my body and when the time comes I give them a signal to unbutton my jacket and they just rush out and run home as fast as they can. As long as they do , to help me regain my throne, which was taken away by the rebels."
"If so," said the Queen, "I will not refuse your request. I will call for my twelve most resourceful subjects as soon as you are ready."
"Now I am ready," said the Scarecrow.So he lay flat on the ground and unbuttoned his clothes to reveal the straw inside.
The queen gave a little cry, and immediately twelve handsome little gophers ran out of their holes, and stood before their ruler, to be allotted.
My travelers could not understand a word that the Queen spoke to them, for she spoke the language of the gophers; and the gophers obeyed without hesitation, and ran towards the Scarecrow one by one, Hidden in the straw of his chest.
When the twelve gophers were hidden, the Scarecrow tied the buttons, and then stood up to thank the Queen for her kindness.
"You have one more thing to do us," said the Tin Woodman, "and that is to run ahead and show us the way to the Emerald City. For some enemies are always trying to prevent us from going there."
"I'm happy to do it," said the queen. "are you ready?"
The Tin Woodman looked at Tip.
"I'm rested," said the boy. "Let's go."
So they started on again, the little gray gopher queen running fast ahead, sometimes stopping and waiting, and when they came nearer she ran fast again.
Without this capable guide, the Scarecrow and his companions would never have reached the Emerald City, for old Molby's magic had thrown many obstacles in their way.Of course, none of the obstacles are real—all are cleverly contrived hoaxes.For instance, when they came to the bank of a great and swift river, which threatened their advance, the little queen ran on with determination, and passed safely through the false flood, while our travelers followed her, without a drop of water on them. .
Suddenly, another high granite wall appeared in front of them, blocking their way.
But the Gopher went straight through it, and the others did the same, and when they had passed the wall disappeared in a cloud of mist.
Later, when they stopped to let Tip rest for a while, they saw forty roads appear under their feet, and these forty roads led in forty different directions; They turned like a big wheel, first in one direction and then in another, confusing their vision.
But the queen told them to follow her in a straight direction, and when they took a few steps, these spinning paths ceased to exist and could no longer be seen.
Moby's last trick is scarier than all the others.She set a crackling fire on the grass to stop them.The Scarecrow was so frightened for the first time that he turned his head and ran away.
"If the fire sets me on fire, I'll be finished in no time!" He trembled with terror. "It's the scariest thing that's ever happened to me."
"I want to go too!" the wooden horse yelled, turning its head and galloping away, "because my wood is so dry that it catches fire at one point."
"Is fire dangerous to pumpkins?" Jack asked fearfully.
"You'll be baked like a pie—and so will I!" replied the cockroach, crawling to the ground so that it could run faster.
The Tin Woodman was not afraid of fire at all, and he stopped those who wanted to run away, saying: "Look at the gopher!" he shouted. "The fire didn't hurt her at all. In fact, there was no fire at all. It was all fake."
Really, seeing the little queen walk safely through the fire gave a boost to the morale of the whole party, so they followed her, unscorched by the fire at all.
"It is a very curious adventure," said the Cockroach, and he was astonished, "for it overthrows the law of nature, as I have heard Professor Novital tell in school."
"Of course it is," said the Scarecrow wisely. "All magic is abnormal. That's why people fear it and avoid it. I seem to have seen the gates of the Emerald City, though, so I think we may have overcome all the magic that is holding us back Obstacle."
Indeed, the walls were clearly visible, and the Queen of the Gophers, who had so faithfully led them to their destination, came before them and bid them farewell.
"We are very grateful to Your Majesty for your kind help," said the Tin Woodman, and bowed to the lovely queen.
"I am always more than happy to be at the service of my friends," replied the Queen, and with that she dashed like a flash for her journey home.
queen's prisoner
Approaching the gates of the Emerald City, the travelers discovered that the gates were guarded by two Rebel girls who took knitting needles from their hair and threatened to stab anyone who approached them with them. .
But the Tin Woodman was not afraid.
“The worst they could do to me was scratch my beautiful nickel plating,” he said. "Besides, there is no 'worst case' scenario, because I think I can easily scare these ridiculous soldiers away. I hope you all stay close to me!"
After speaking, he swung his ax and swung left and right in circles, rushing towards the gate, and the others followed him without hesitation.
Far from expecting resistance, the girls, terrified by the gleaming axes, fled screaming into the town; The main street headed towards the palace.
"At this rate we shall soon have the honorable Majesty the Scarecrow back on the throne," said the Tin Woodman, laughing at the gatekeepers, whom he had so easily outmaneuvered.
"Thank you, friend Nick," said the Scarecrow bewildered. "Nothing can stand against your kindness and the sharpness of your axe."
As they walked through the rows of houses, through open doors, they saw men sweeping floors, cleaning tables, and washing dishes while women sat talking and laughing.
"What's going on?" asked the Scarecrow to a bearded, ugly man in an apron who was pushing a pram down the sidewalk.
"Why, we have a revolution here, my lord—you know it well enough," replied the man, "that since your escape the women have governed as they wished.
I couldn't be happier to see you decide to come back and restore order.For, housework and child-care had exhausted every man in the Emerald City. "
"Hmph!" said the Scarecrow thoughtfully. "If the job is as difficult as you say, how can women do it so easily?"
"I really don't know," the man replied with a deep sigh. "Women are probably made of pig iron."
As they walked through the streets, they encountered no resistance to stop their progress.A few women stopped chatting and looked at our friends curiously, and soon they smiled and turned away and started their chatting again.When they encountered a few rebel girls, they were neither frightened nor surprised, but simply stepped aside and did not stop them at all.
This behavior upsets the Scarecrow.
"I'm afraid we're walking into a trap," he said.
"No!" Nick Qiaobo said confidently, "These ridiculous guys have already been conquered!"
But the Scarecrow shook his head incredulously, and Tip said, "Yes, that's too easy. Still have to watch out for trouble ahead."
"I'll be careful," said the Tin Woodman.
They reached the palace unhindered, and climbed the marble steps, which had once been studded with emeralds, but which now consisted of little holes, which the rebels had ruthlessly dug away.
Until now, no rebel has come to block their way.
The Tin Woodman and his companions passed through the arched passages into the magnificent throne room, and here, as the green silk curtains fell behind them, they beheld a strange sight.
General Gyuul sits on a gleaming throne with the scarecrow's second best crown on his head and the scepter of the king in his right hand.She is eating a box of candy on her lap.The girl seemed quite at ease with her present situation.
The Scarecrow stepped forward to confront her, the Tin Woodman leaned on his axe, and the rest formed a half circle behind him.
"How dare you sit on my throne?" demanded the Scarecrow, looking sternly at the intruder.
"Don't you know that you have committed treason, and the law here is against treason?"
"The throne belongs to whoever can get it," Jill said, slowly eating her candy. "I have it now, and therefore, I am now the queen, and all who oppose me are guilty of treason, and shall be punished by the laws you just mentioned."
This idea puzzled the Scarecrow.
"What's to be done, friend Nick?" he asked the Tin Woodman, turning his head.
"Well, I have nothing to say about the law," he replied, "for the law can never be understood, and it would be foolish to try to make use of it."
"Then what shall we do?" asked the Scarecrow in a panic.
"Why don't you marry the queen? Then you both can rule," suggested the cockroach.
Jejul stared hard at the insect.
"Why didn't you give her to her mother? Where is she?" said the Pumpkin Man.
Jill frowned.
"Why don't you lock her up in a small room until she admits her mistakes and wants to learn?"
said Tip, and Jill's lips curled up angrily.
"Or give her a good beating!" the Trojan horse added.
"No," said the Tin Woodman, "we will treat the poor girl with courtesy. I will let her take all the jewels she can handle, and send her away cheerfully and satisfied."
Hearing this, Queen Geyur laughed, and then she clapped her hands three times, as if to send a signal.
"You're all very ridiculous fellows," she said, "but I've heard enough of your nonsense to bother you any more."
While the Scarecrow and his friends listened in amazement to this impertinent speech, something terrible happened.The Tin Woodman, whose ax was snatched from him by someone behind him, found himself disarmed and helpless.At the same time, there was a burst of laughter in the ears of this group of people, and when they turned their heads, they realized that they had been surrounded by the rebel army, and these girls held shining knitting needles in each hand.The whole palace seemed to be full of rebels, and the Scarecrow and his friends realized that they were prisoners.
"You see how foolish it is to oppose a woman's wisdom," said Jill triumphantly, "and this incident proves that I am better suited to rule the Emerald City than the Scarecrow. I mean no ill will to you, I assure you , but, in order to prevent you from coming to me in the future, I will give an order to destroy all of you. That is to say, except for this boy, he belongs to Old Moby, and of course he should be handed over to her. And the rest of you These people don’t belong to human beings, so it’s not a bad thing to destroy you. I’m going to chop up the bodies of the wooden horse and the pumpkin man to make firewood; this pumpkin, I’ll use it to make pies. The Tin Woodman could chop it up and feed it to the goats. As for the big cockroach..." "Highly magnified, if you like!" the insect interrupted her.
"I think I'd better ask the cook to make green turtle soup out of you," said the Queen, after some thought.
The cockroach was shaking with fright.
"Or, if that doesn't work, we can make you a Hungarian goulash with lots of spices," she added brutally.
So terrible was the plan of extermination that the prisoners looked at each other in terror.Only the Scarecrow did not lose his nerve.He stood calmly before the queen, his brows furrowed, and he was trying to think of a way to escape.
When he was thinking, he suddenly felt the straw on his chest move slightly.Immediately, his expression changed from sad to happy, and he quickly raised his hand to unbutton the clothes on his chest.
These actions of his did not avoid the eyes of the girls standing around him at all, but no one suspected what he was doing until he saw a little squirrel jump out of his chest and ran to the ground. Jumping under his feet.Another came out, and another, and another.Suddenly, from among the rebels there came a terrible scream which terrified even the boldest.The flight turned into a scurry, and the scurry caused a panic.
While the panicked mice ran about the house, the Scarecrow had time to notice the twirling skirts and galloping feet of the girls as they escaped from the palace - jostling each other and scrambling to escape.
In the initial panic, the queen simply stood behind her throne before starting to hop frantically on tiptoe.Then a mouse jumped up on the cushions, and Jill jumped over the scarecrow's head in fright, and escaped through the arc-shaped passage-she ran until the gate of the city before stopping to catch her breath.
Just like that, the palace was empty, only the Scarecrow and his friends were left. The cockroach breathed a sigh of relief and said, "Thank God, we are finally saved!"
"Yes. But only for a while," said the Tin Woodman. "I'm afraid the enemy will come back soon."
"Let me block all the entrances to the palace!" said the Scarecrow. "In this way, we have time to think about what the best way is!"
Then all the people, except the Pumpkin-Man, who was still fastened to the wooden horse, ran to the various entrances of the palace, and shut and bolted the heavy gates.Then, when they confirmed that the rebel army would not be able to break in within a few days, the adventurers once again gathered in the palace to discuss how to win the battle.
Scarecrow buys time to find a solution
"It seems to me," began the Scarecrow, when all had gathered at the palace, "that Miss Giul is quite right in calling herself queen. And if she is right, I am wrong, and we shall have right to occupy her palace."
"But you were king until she came," said the cockroach, strutting up and down with his hands in his pockets, "because I think she usurped your throne."
"Especially when we've outrun her and made her flee," the Pumpkin Man added.As he spoke, he held up his hands, and turned his face towards the Scarecrow.
"Have we really defeated her?" asked the Scarecrow calmly. "Look out the window and tell me what you see."
Tip ran to the window and looked out.
"The palace was surrounded twice by those female soldiers," he said.
"I knew it was so," answered the Scarecrow. "We were their prisoners before the rats scared them away from the palace, and we are still their prisoners now."
"My friend was right," said Nick Choppo, polishing his bosom with a piece of chamois hide. "Jiul is still the queen, and we are still her prisoners."
"But I still hope she doesn't catch us," said the Pumpkin Man, shivering with terror. "She's going to make me a pie, you know that?"
"Don't worry," said the Tin Woodman. "It's no big deal. If you're locked up here, you're going to rot someday. A good pie is better than a pile of rotting crap."
"It is true," replied the Scarecrow.
"Oh, my God!" groaned Jack. "What a wretched lot I am! My dear father, why don't you make me of tin--or straw--and I shall live forever."
"Bah!" said Tip angrily. "I made you successful, so you should be happy." Then, he mused again, "There is always a day when everything ends."
"But I want to remind you," interposed the cockroach, with a look of sorrow in its bulging round eyes, "that dreadful Queen Jill is going to make me a goulash! The only height in the wide world Enlarged, fully educated cockroach gentleman!"
"That's a very good idea, I think," agreed the Scarecrow.
"Don't you think it makes better soup?" asked the Tin Woodman, turning to his friend.
"Well, quite possibly," agreed the Scarecrow.
The cockroaches groaned.
"In my heart, I can see," he said mournfully, "the goat eating the scraps of my friend the Tin Woodman, cooking the soup I made over a fire lit by the wooden horse and the pumpkin-man's body, and ji Yule watched me boil and added fuel to the fire with my friend the scarecrow!"
The gruesome description cast shadows on everyone's faces, feeling uneasy and anxious.
"It won't happen for a while," said the Tin Woodman, with as much air of optimism as possible, "for we won't let her into the palace unless she has a way of breaking in."
"And by then, I'd probably be starving to death, as would the roaches," Tip said.
"Me," said the cockroach, "I think I can live on the pumpkin man for a while. It's not that I like pumpkins for food, but I believe they are nutritious, and besides, Jack's head is big and plump." .”
"How heartless!" cried the Tin Woodman, greatly shocked. "Can we kill each other? Let me ask, aren't we loyal friends?"
"It is clear to me that we cannot be shut up in the palace all the time," said the Scarecrow firmly. "So, let's end this sad talk and find a way to escape."
At this suggestion, all gathered eagerly round the throne, on which the Scarecrow sat.As Tip sat down on a stool, a pepper box fell out of his pocket and rolled on the floor.
"What's this?" Nick Qiaobo picked up the box and asked.
"Be careful!" the boy yelled. "That's my life powder. Don't spill it, there's not much left."
"What is Life Powder?" asked the Scarecrow as Tip put the box carefully in his pocket.
"It's a magic powder that old Moby got from a crooked wizard," the boy explained. "That's what she used to animate Jack, and I later animated the Trojan Horse with it. I guess it would animate anything if you put it on; but there's probably only enough left over for one use. "
"Then it is very valuable," said the Tin Woodman.
"Yes, it is," said the Scarecrow. "It might help us get out of trouble.
I believe I can figure it out in a few minutes, friend Tip, please get out your knife and help me get this heavy crown off my brow. "
Tip quickly cut the stitches that had sewed on the scarecrow's head, and the former king of the Emerald City removed the crown, with a sigh of relief, and hung it on a nail beside the throne.
"This is the last token of my throne," he said, "and I am glad to be rid of it. The first king of the city, his name was Pastorea, who was deprived of this crown by the great wizard, and later he Passed it on to me again. Now Miss Geyure claims it as hers, and I really hope the crown won't give her a headache." The woodcutter nodded in agreement.
"Now, I will think quietly for a while," said the Scarecrow, lying down on the throne.
The others tried to keep silent and quiet, so as not to disturb him; because everyone trusted the Scarecrow's extraordinary brain very much.
After a long holiday, the thinker sat up, looked at his friends with a very strange expression, and said.
"My brains worked really well today, and I'm proud of them. Now. Listen! If we try to escape through the gates of the palace, we'll be caught. Well, since we can't escape from the ground, then There is only one way, we must escape from the sky!"
He paused to see the reflection of his words, but his audience didn't seem to understand or believe them.
"The great wizard got away with a big balloon," he went on. "We don't know how balloons are made, but anything of any kind that can fly through the air can easily carry us away. The Tin Woodman is a skilled mechanic, and I suggest that he make one with Winged machine, and our Tip can animate this thing with his magic powder."
"Wonderful!" Nick Qiaobo exclaimed.
"What a clever mind!" said Jack.
"How clever!" said the "educated" cockroach.
"It's doable, I believe," said Tip, "if only the Tin Woodman could make it."
"I'll do my best," said Nick cheerfully, "and the truth is, I've seldom failed at what I want to do. But this thing's going to be built on top of the palace so it can get up in the air easily."
"Of course it is," said the Scarecrow.
"Then let us search for things in the palace," continued the Tin Woodman, "and take all we can find to the roof, and there I will begin my work."
"But first," said the Pumpkin-Man, "I beg you to take me off my horse, and make me walk on one leg. As I am, I am of no use to myself or anyone else."
So the Tin Woodman hacked up a mahogany table with his axe, and used it to mount one of the Pumpkin-Man's legs, which were so beautifully carved that the Pumpkin-Man was so proud of it.
"It seems strange," he said, watching the Tin Woodman at his work, "that my legs are the most delicate and strongest part of my body."
"This proves that you are extraordinary," said the Scarecrow. "I think the only people worthy of respect in this world are those who are extraordinary. Because ordinary people live and die like the leaves on a tree. no one noticed."
"That's like a philosopher's words!" cried the cockroach, helping the Tin Woodman to set Jack's feet.
"How do you feel now?" Tip asked, watching the Pumpkin Man walk up and down trying his new legs.
"Works like new," Jack replied cheerfully, "and will help you all escape."
"Then let us get to work," said the Scarecrow in a serious tone.
Happy to do anything to end their captivity, the friends split up and scoured the palace for suitable materials to make their aeronautical machines.
Freak's escape
When these adventurers meet on the roof, each brings with him some strange material of every description.
No one knew exactly what was needed, but everyone brought something.
From the fireplace in the hallway the cockroach took a strange head, with two separate antlers, which the insect carried to the roof with great effort and difficulty.This strange head looks a bit like that of an elk, but with an upturned nose, it looks handsome and has a beard like a billy goat.Why did the cockroach choose this thing? Apart from his curiosity, there was nothing else to say.
Tip, with the help of the wooden horse, moved a large sofa without a cover onto the roof.It is an old fashioned piece of furniture with a high back and armrests.It was so heavy that even though most of the weight was on the wooden horse, the boy felt himself out of breath when it was finally carried to the roof.
The Southpaw man brought a broom, and that was the first thing he saw.The Scarecrow brought a bundle of clothesline and thick rope from the yard, and as he climbed the stairs the loose rope tangled him up, and he rolled and scrambled up to the roof with the rope, if Tipp hadn't been Save him, he might have tumbled off the roof.
The Tin Woodman was last up.He had also been in the yard, where he had cut the four great leaves of the great palm tree which was the pride of all the inhabitants of the Emerald City.
"Ah, my dear Nick!" cried the Scarecrow when he saw what his friend had done. "You have committed a great crime, and anyone in the Emerald City will be punished for doing this. If I am not mistaken, Whoever cuts the leaves of the royal palm tree will be killed seven times and then imprisoned for life."
"It is no use now," answered the Tin Woodman, and threw the leaves on the roof.
"However, this may be another reason why we must flee. Now, let's see what you all found to work for me."
Everyone looked suspiciously at the mess piled up on the roof, and finally the Scarecrow shook his head and said, "Well, if friend Nick can use these junk to make something that can carry us safely away, then I will Admit he's a good technician."
At first, the Tin Woodman didn't quite believe in his own ability. It wasn't until he polished his forehead with a buckskin that he made up his mind to accept the task.
"The first thing this machine wants," he said, "is a body that can hold us all. This sofa is the largest thing we have got our hands on, and it can be used as a body. However, if this thing is a little One tilt and we'd all have to fall to the ground."
"Then why not two couches?" Tip asked. "There's another sofa just like this downstairs."
"That's a very clever suggestion," said the Tin Woodman. "You must go and bring it up at once."
So, with great difficulty, Tip and the horse brought the second sofa up to the roof; when the two sofas were brought together, side to side, the back and arms formed a protective wall just around the seat.
"Great!" exclaimed the Scarecrow. "We can sit comfortably in this comfort zone."
The two couches were tightly tied together with thick rope and clothesline, and then Nick Chobo tied the monster head aside.
"That way you can see which side is the front of the thing," he said, delighted with his idea. "Well, really, the grotesque head looks like a figurehead, if you look at it critically. These big palm fronds,—I risked my life seven times to get them , can be used to make its wings."
"Are they strong enough?" the boy asked.
"They are as strong as anything else we can find," replied the Woodman; "though they do not quite match the body of the thing, yet our present situation cannot be too demanding."
So he tied palm fronds to the sofa, two on each side.
The cockroach said very appreciatively:
"The thing is finished now, it's just a matter of bringing it to life."
"Wait a minute!" Jack said. "Aren't you going to use my broom?"
"What is it for?" asked the Scarecrow.
"Hey, you can tie it behind as a tail," replied the Pumpkin Man. "How can this thing be finished without a tail!"
“哼！”铁皮樵夫说：“我不知道尾巴有什么用处。我们又不是要复制一个动物，一条鱼或是一只鸟。我们只要这东西带我们飞上天就行了。”
“不行，等这东西活了以后，说不定它要用尾巴来掌舵呢，”稻草人说。
“因为，如果它在天上飞，就像一只鸟一样，我发现，所有的鸟都有尾巴，当飞的时候，它们用它来掌握方向。”
“好吧，”杰克说，“就用这个扫帚当尾巴吧，”他把扫帚牢牢地绑在沙发的另一头。
蒂普从兜里拿出胡椒盒。
“这东西看来太大了，”他焦急地说：“要使它们都活过来，我怕这点粉不够用。不过，我将尽量努力做到吧。”
“把大部分撒在翅膀上，”尼克?乔波说；“因为它们必须非常结实。”
“不能忘记头！”蟑螂说。
“还有尾巴！”南瓜人补充道。
“请安静点，”蒂普紧张地说，“你们得让我从从容容地来故这件事。”
他开始非常小心地把那宝贵的粉撒在那东西身上。四个翅膀都盖上了薄薄的一层；沙发也撒上了，尾巴上也有了。
“头！头！我请你别忘了头！”蟑螂激动地大叫着。
“只剩一点儿粉了，”蒂普看看盒子说道，“而且，我认为让沙发的腿活了比头活了更重要。”
“嗯，不，不是这样，”稻草人说。“每件东西都得有个头来指引方向；既然这个东西是要飞而不是走，它的腿活不活并不影很重要的。”
于是，蒂普服从了这个决定，把剩下的粉撒在怪头上。
“现在，”他说，“当我做魔法时，请保持安静！”
由于早就听过老莫比念的咒语，并且蒂普已经成功地将木马变活过，所以，现在他毫不犹豫地将那三个神秘的咒语又说了一遍，同时配上那特殊的手势。
这简直是一次重大的，给人以深刻印象的仪式。
当他刚念完咒语，那东西就全身震抖了起来，怪头也像其它动物一样尖声大叫，同时，四个翅膀开始猛烈地扇动起来。
蒂普赶紧抱住一个烟筒，否则，他就会被翅膀扇起的可怕的风刮到屋顶下面去了。稻草人由于体重太轻，整个身体都被扇到空中去，幸好蒂普抓住了他的一条腿，把他拖住了。蟑螂平平地躺在屋顶上，因而逃过去了，铁皮樵夫的身体重，使他稳住了，他伸出两条胳膊，紧紧地抱着南瓜人，这才救了他的命，木马倒翻地躺在屋顶上，四条腿朝天乱蹬着。
这时，正当他们都在挣扎着使自己恢复原状时，那东西却慢慢地从屋顶升起，朝天空飞去。
“嗨！回来！”蒂普吓得大叫起来，他一只手抓着烟筒，一只手抓着稻草人。“马上回来，我命令你！”
稻草人让把这东西的头变活而不是腿变活，看来是正确的。因为这个怪头已经飞到空中很高的地方，听到蒂普的命令，又转过头来，慢慢地转着圈，直到它看到了宫殿的屋顶。
“回来！”男孩子又一次大叫着。
怪头听从了命令，慢慢地，优美地在空中扇着它那四只翅膀，直到这东西又一次落到了屋顶上并且安然不动了。
在寒鸦的窝里
“这是我从没听说过的最新奇的经历，”怪头用一种与它那庞大的身躯一点都不相称的尖音说道，“我记得最清楚的最后一件事是我正在森林里走过，突然听到很响的一声。后来，我可能是被什么东西打死了，无疑地我的生命就该完结了。可是现在，我又活了，还有四支大翅膀和一个身体，我这个样子，我敢说，会使任何有名望的动物或家禽都因害羞而痛哭的。这一切都是为了什么呢？我是一个怪头呢还是一个神像呢？”那东西一边说，一边以一种非常可笑的样子摆动着它的胡子。
“你只是一样东西，”蒂普说，“有一个奇怪的脑袋。我们做了你，使你变活了，只是想让你把我们带到想去的地方去。”
“这就好了！”那东西说。“既然我不是一个怪头，那我就没必要保持一个怪头的尊严和独立精神了。因此，我和别的任何东西一样可以变成你们的仆人。我唯一的满足就是我的身体看来并不太结实，而我也大概不会总是当奴隶活着。”
“别那么说，我请你！”铁皮樵夫大叫着，他那颗善良的心被这番悲切的话语深深地打动了。“你今天感到不舒服吗？”
“啊，至于这一点嘛，”怪头答道，“今天是我第一天活在世上，所以，我也说不清我的感觉是好呢还是不好。”它把它的扫帚尾巴忧郁地摆了几下。
“快别这样，快别这样！”稻草人友好地说道，“尽快高兴起来吧，我们将是些好主人，我们要努力使你变得快乐些。你愿意载着我们从天上到我们想去的地方去吗？”
“当然愿意，”怪头答道。“我非常愿意在天上飞。因为，如果我在地上走，遇到我的同类时，那我会感到非常难堪的！”
“我也能体会到这一点。”铁皮樵夫同情地说。
“不过，”那东西接着说道，“当我仔细把你门看一遍后，我的主人们，看来你们也没有谁比我造的更美观一点。”
“人不可貌相，”蟑蜘认真地说。“我既是高度放大的，又是受过完全教育的。”
“真的嘛！”怪头冷淡地说道。
“而我的脑子被公认为极少见的聪明呢，”稻草人自豪地说。
“太奇怪了！”怪头说。
“虽然我是铁皮的，”樵夫说，“但是我有一颗在全世界都是最热情，最善良的心。”
“听到这一点，我很高兴，”怪头轻轻咳了一声说道。
“我的微笑，”南瓜人说，“是值得你注意的，因为它总是这个样子。”
“自始至终一个样，”蟑螂自负地说道，怪头转过头来瞪着看他。
“而我呢，”木马笨拙地说道，“唯一的特点是我受不了他的微笑。”
“遇到你们这些特别的主人们，我感到非常自豪，”怪头随便说道，“如果我也能这样全面的介绍我自己的话，那我就太满意了。”
“总有那么一天的，”稻草人说。“'了解自己'是一件最大的成就，我们比你大一点，也只是大几个月，不过现在，”他转向其余的人说道，“让我们坐上去，开始旅行吧。”
“我们上哪儿去呢？”蒂普爬进沙发的座位里，一边帮着南瓜人也坐进去，一边问道。
“在南边的国度里，由一位叫做好心的格琳达的女王统治着，我相信，她会愿意接待我们的，”稻草人一边说，一边笨拙地爬了进来。“我们去找她，向她请教吧。”
“这倒是个好主意，”尼克?乔波说道，一边帮了蟑螂一把，一边把木马推倒在褥垫座位的最后部。“我知道好心的格琳达，我相信她的确是个好朋友，”“大家都准备好了吗？”男孩问道。
“好了，”铁皮樵夫答道，说着就坐在稻草人旁边。
“那么，”蒂普对怪头说道，“就请你带着我们朝南飞吧；请别飞得太高，能躲过房子和树梢就行了，因为，飞得太高，我会头晕的。”。
“好吧，”怪头答道。
它扇动起翅膀，慢慢地朝空中飞去。这时当这一小队冒险者紧紧抓住沙发的靠背和扶手，怪头既快又稳地朝南方翱翔而去。
“从这么高的地方看景色还真不错，”当他们前进时，有教养的蟑螂说道。
“别看风景了，”稻草人说。“抓紧点，不然你会摔下去的，这东西看来抖得厉害。”
“马上就要天黑了，”蒂普发现太阳已经落到地平线了，说道。“说不定，我们要等到天亮再走。我不知道怪头是否能在夜间飞行。”
“我自己也不知道呢，”怪头平静地答道。“你知道，这对于我来说是新的经历。我习惯于用腿在陆地上飞跑。可是现在，我的腿好像都在睡觉。”
“是这样的，”蒂普说。“我们没有把它们变活。”
“我们希望你能飞，”稻草人解释道，“而不是能走。”
“我们自己会走的，”蟑螂说道。
“我开始明白我该做什么了，”怪头说，“所以，我要尽量满足你们的要求，”他静静地飞了一会。
这时，南瓜人又感到不安了。
“我不知道，在天空中飞，会不会弄坏南瓜呀，”他说。
“除非你自己不小心把它从上边掉下去，”蟑螂说。“如果那样的话，你的头就再也不是南瓜而成了一摊烂果物①了。”
“我不是让你少开这种没感情的玩笑吗？”蒂普严厉地看着蟑螂问道。
“我也一直忍着没敢多说，”昆虫答道。“可是，在我们的语言中有那么多非常好的双关语，像我这样一个受过教育的人，总是忍不住想说说它们。”
“多少受过点教育的人，几个世纪前就发现了那些双关语了，”蒂普说。
“你能肯定吗？”蟑螂带着惊讶的表情问道。
“我当然能，”男孩子说。“一只受过教育的蟑螂可能是件新东西；但是，一只蟑螂给别人的教育却是太陈旧了。”
昆虫看来被这段话感动了，所以有好半天它保持温顺的静默。
稻草人移动座位时看见在坐垫上放着蒂普扔掉的胡椒盒子，于是拿起来看看。
①这里的英文Squash是个双关语，既作南爪解，又指烂果物——译者注“扔了吧，”男孩说，“它已经全空了，留着也没用了。”
“真的空了吗？”稻草人好奇地朝盒子里边看了看。
“当然是真的空了，”蒂普说。“我把里面所有的粉粒都抖出来了。”
“不对，这盒子有两层，”稻草人说，“因为里面这层底与外面这层中间还有一寸厚。”
“让我看看，”铁皮樵夫说着从朋友手中把盒子拿了过来。“真是这样，”他把盒子看了一遍后说道，“这东西肯定有一个假底。可是，我不知道这是干什么用的？”
“你不会把它打开，看一看吗？”蒂普说，他现在也对这里面的秘密感到兴趣了。
“对呀，不过，底下这一层是拧着的，”铁皮樵夫说。“我的手指太硬了，请你试试看是否能把它打开。”
他把盒子递给蒂普，蒂普没费劲就把底拧开了。在底下这一层里放着三粒银色的药丸，在它们底下，还放着一张小心折起的纸条子。
男孩子一边把纸条拿出来，一边小心翼翼地不让那药丸掉出来。打开纸条，他们看见上面用红墨水清清楚楚地写着几行字。
“快大声声念念，”稻草人说，于是蒂普读道：“尼基迪克医生的著名的希望药丸。
“使用法：吞一丸；然后两个两个数到十七，再说出一个愿望。——这个愿望将立即实现。
“注意：保存在干燥而背阴处。”
“啊，这可真是一个非常有价值的发现呀！”稻草人说道。
“确实是这样，”蒂普严肃地答道。“这些药丸可能对我们会非常有用呢。我不知道，老莫比是否知道它们在盒子的底层里。我记得听她说，她是从那个叫尼基迪克那里拿到生命粉的。”
“他一定是个非常能干的男巫！”铁皮樵夫说，“而且，既然那些粉都成功了，我们也应该相信这些药丸。”
“可是，”稻草人问，“谁能两个两个地数到十七呢？十七是个奇数。”
“的确是这样，”蒂普很失望地回答。“没有人能两个两个地数到十七。”
“那这些药丸对我们就没什么用了，”南瓜人哭着说，“而且，这个事实使我更难受。因为我原来还希望目它使我的脑袋永远不要坏呢。”
“胡说！”稻草人高声说道。“即使我们能用这些药丸，我们也要把它用于更好的愿望上去。”
“我可看不出还有什么愿望比这更好，”可怜的杰克反驳道。“如果你也经常受到可能弄坏的威胁的话，你就可以理解我的焦虑了。”
“对于我来说，”铁皮樵夫说，“我非常同情你的处境，可是，既然我们不能两个两个地数到十七，那你也就只能得到同情了。”
这时，天已经很黑了，这些航行者们发现，在他们头顶上有一大块乌云。
怪头还在平稳地飞着，可由于某种原因，这庞大的东西颠簸得越来越厉害。
蟑螂说它晕了，蒂普也脸色发白，感到不舒服。但其他几位紧紧抓着沙发背，看来只要不被簸出去，还是经受得住的。
夜越来越黑，怪头在黑夜中继续飞呀、飞呀。旅行者们甚至相互都看不见了，一种难以忍受的沉闷空气笼罩着他们。
过了好长一段时间，蒂普经过一番深思后开口说话了。
“我们怎么能知道我们什么时候到达格琳达的宫殿呢？”他问。
“到格琳达的宫殿路远得很，”铁皮樵夫说道，“我去过那。”
“可是，我们怎么知道怪头飞得有多快呢？”男孩问。“我们一点看不见地上的东西，在天亮前，我们可能早就飞过了我们要去的地方。”
“这倒是很可能的，”稻草人也有点不安地说道。“可我看，现在我们也不能停下来，说不定我们会停到一条河里或是一个尖塔顶上，那可就更糟了。”
因此，他们只有让怪头继续飞，大翅膀有规律地扇着，耐心地等待天亮。
然而，当第一线曙光出现时，他们朝沙发外一看，只见起伏的大平原上点缀着奇特的村庄，那里的房子——不像奥茨国的圆屋顶，而是中间有个顶尖的斜屋顶。样子奇怪的动物在走动着，这个国家对于铁皮樵夫和稻草人来说，都是陌生的，他们以前都去过格琳达的领地，对那里是很熟悉的。
“我们迷路了！”稻草人悲哀地说道。“怪头肯定已经把我们带出了奥茨国，越过沙漠，来到了多萝茜告诉我们的那个可怕的外部世界了。”
“我们一定要回去，”铁皮樵夫认真地说道，“我们一定要尽快回去！”
“向回转！”蒂普对怪头喊道，“以你最决的速度向回转！”
“如果要我转弯，我就会翻倒，”怪头答道。“因为我还不习惯飞行，最好的办法是让我在一块地方停下来，然后，我转变方向再重新起飞。”
但那时，他们找不到合适的地方降落，他们又飞过一个大村庄，蟑螂认为它是一个城市；后来，他们又来到有深谷和峭壁的群山中，两山之间有一片平地。
“现在，我们可以找机会停下来了，”男孩子说道，这时，他们离山顶已经很近了。然后，他向怪头下命令：“在你见到的第一块平地上停下来！”
“好吧，”怪头答道，并在两个峭壁中间的一块平平的岩石上停了下来。
可是，由于没有经验，怪头没有正确算出它的速度；它没能完全停在岩石上，却将半个身子掉了下去，尖利的岩石边把右边的翅膀全折断了，于是就顺着峭壁翻了下去。
蒂普和他的朋友们紧紧地抓着沙发，怪头突然被一块岩石挡住，底朝天地翻了过来，——所有的人就都被翻了出去。
幸运的是，他们只摔出几步远；因为在他们底下是一个大鸟窝，是一群乌鸦在岩石洞边建的；所以，他们都没有摔伤。杰克发现他那宝贝脑袋正好躺在稻草人的软胸脯上，简直就像一个非常好的垫子；而蒂普正好掉在一堆树叶和废纸里，因而他也没有受伤，蟑螂的圆脑袋撞在木马身上，也不过只是难受了一会儿就好了。
铁皮樵夫开始吓了一大跳，后来，当他发现自己逃了出来，并且连他那美丽的镀镍都没有摔坏一点时，他立刻恢复了平时快乐的样子，转身对他的朋友们说开了。
“我们的旅行就这样突然停止了，”他说，“我们不能因为这突然的事故去责备我们的朋友怪头，因为，在这样的环境下，它是尽了最大的努力的。
可是，我们怎样才能从这个窝里逃出去呢，这个问题要由脑子比我好使的人来解决。 "
这时，他看着稻草人，稻草人正爬在窝边朝外看，在他们底下，是一个几百尺深的悬崖。在他们上面是一块由岩石尖顶着的平平的峭壁，怪头被摔坏的身体，沙发的一头还挂在上面。看来真是无法逃跑了，大家开始感到为难极了。
“这比在宫殿里当囚犯还糟，”蟑螂难过地说道。
“我真希望我们留在那里不走，”杰克呻吟着。“我怕山里的空气对南瓜不利。”
“乌鸦回来以前不会有什么问题，”木马咆哮着，它仰面躺着，四脚在空中乱蹬，想重新站起来。“乌鸦特别喜欢吃南瓜。”
“你认为这些乌鸦会到这里来吗？”杰克问，他感到更难受了。
“它们当然会来了，”蒂普说，“因为这里是它们的窝。而且，它们有成百只呢，”他接着说道，“因为你看，它们弄了多少东西到这里来了！”
真的，这窝里一半的地方堆放着一些对乌鸦并无用处的、非常奇怪的小东西，但却是乌鸦们在许多年中从人的家里偷来的。而且这个窝又安全地藏在人们到不了的地方，所以，谁也发现不了这些丢失的财富。
蟑螂在垃圾里翻寻着，因为乌鸦偷了没用的东西，也偷了有价值的东西，它用脚翻出一串美丽的钻石项链。铁皮樵夫非常喜欢它，蟑螂慷慨地送给了铁皮樵夫，还发表了一段优雅的演讲，然后，樵夫洋洋得意地把它挂在脖子上，看到大钻石在阳光下闪闪发光，他简直乐不可支。
正在这时，他们听到一片吱喳声和扇动翅膀的声音，当声音越来越近时，蒂普惊叫道：“乌鸦回来了！如果它们发现我们在这儿，它们在盛怒之下一定会把我们杀死。”
“我就怕这个！”南瓜人呻吟着。“我的未日到了！”
“我的末日也到了！”蟑螂说，“因为乌鸦是我们最大的敌人。”
其他人一点都不害怕；但稻草人立刻决定救这些可能被盛怒的乌鸦伤害的朋友们。于是，他命令蒂普把杰克的头摘下来，放在窝的底层，当这件事办完以后，他命令蟑螂躺在蒂普身边。尼克，乔波把稻草人拆散把稻草盖在蒂普和蟑螂身上。
他们刚刚干完这些，一大群乌鸦就来到了。乌鸦发现在它们的窝里有侵犯者，就气冲冲地冲了下来。
尼基迪克医生的著名的希望药丸
铁皮樵夫原来是一个温和的人，但当情况要求他战斗时，他也会像一个罗马格斗士一样勇猛。所以，当乌鸦用它们的翅膀几乎把他打倒，用它们的尖嘴和尖爪子威胁他那闪闪发光的身体时，樵夫抡起斧子，在头顶上挥舞起来。
虽然用这种方法打走不少乌鸦，可它们到底太多也太勇敢了，它们还像开始一样继续猛烈地进攻着。它们有些去啄怪头的眼睛，而怪头无能为力地挂在窝上边；好在它的眼睛是玻璃做的，所以没受什么伤害。还有一些乌鸦朝木马冲击；这牲口仍然仰面朝天躺着，不过，它用木腿踢走许多进攻者，和樵夫用斧子干的一样出色。
这些乌鸦发现自己受到这样的反抗，就又扑向稻草人的稻草，这些草在窝中间，盖着蒂普，蟑螂和杰克的南瓜头，乌鸦们开始撕扯着稻草，带着它飞走，一把一把地将它丢到下边的深谷里去。
稻草人的头惊慌地看到对它身体的这个破坏，忙向铁皮樵夫呼救；那好朋友带着新的力量又投入了战斗。他的斧子在乌鸦当中飞快地闪着光，幸好怪头在这时使劲扇动起它身体左边还剩下的两只翅膀。这些大翅膀的振动，把乌鸦们吓坏了，怪头努力使自己从它挂着的岩石上摆脱出来，终于落到窝里，受惊的乌鸦知道难以取胜，只好尖叫着飞到山那边去了。
当最后一个敌人消失了以后，蒂普从沙发底下爬出来，蟑螂也跟着出来了。
“我们终于得救了！”男孩子高兴得大叫。
“是的，我们得救了！”受过教育的昆虫答道，高兴得紧紧抱着怪头的头，“而且，我们把这一切都归功于这东西扇翅膀和樵夫的好斧子！”
“如果我得救了，就把我从这里拿出来罢！”杰克大叫着，他的头还在沙发底下；蒂普设法把南瓜拿了出来，并把它又安在脖子上。他还帮助木马站立起来，对它说道：“我们也非常感谢你的勇敢的战斗。”
“我们已经非常圆满地逃了出来，”铁皮樵夫自豪地说道。
“并不是这样！”一个沉重的声音说道。