童话故事《绿野仙踪》英文原版Chapter08

ChapterVIII

TheDeadlyPoppyField

Ourlittlepartyoftravelersawakenedthenextmorningrefreshedandfullofhope,andDorothybreakfastedlikeaprincessoffpeachesandplumsfromthetreesbesidetheriver.Behindthemwasthedarkforesttheyhadpassedsafelythrough,althoughtheyhadsufferedmanydiscouragements;butbeforethemwasalovely,sunnycountrythatseemedtobeckonthemontotheEmeraldCity.

Tobesure,thebroadrivernowcutthemofffromthisbeautifulland.Buttheraftwasnearlydone,andaftertheTinWoodmanhadcutafewmorelogsandfastenedthemtogetherwithwoodenpins,theywerereadytostart.DorothysatdowninthemiddleoftheraftandheldTotoinherarms.WhentheCowardlyLionsteppedupontheraftittippedbadly,forhewasbigandheavy;buttheScarecrowandtheTinWoodmanstoodupontheotherendtosteadyit,andtheyhadlongpolesintheirhandstopushtheraftthroughthewater.

Theygotalongquitewellatfirst,butwhentheyreachedthemiddleoftherivertheswiftcurrentswepttheraftdownstream,fartherandfartherawayfromtheroadofyellowbrick.Andthewatergrewsodeepthatthelongpoleswouldnottouchthebottom.

“Thisisbad,”saidtheTinWoodman,“forifwecannotgettothelandweshallbecarriedintothecountryoftheWickedWitchoftheWest,andshewillenchantusandmakeusherslaves.”

“AndthenIshouldgetnobrains,”saidtheScarecrow.

“AndIshouldgetnocourage,”saidtheCowardlyLion.

“AndIshouldgetnoheart,”saidtheTinWoodman.

“AndIshouldnevergetbacktoKansas,”saidDorothy.

“WemustcertainlygettotheEmeraldCityifwecan,”theScarecrowcontinued,andhepushedsohardonhislongpolethatitstuckfastinthemudatthebottomoftheriver.Then,beforehecouldpullitoutagain—orletgo—theraftwassweptaway,andthepoorScarecrowwasleftclingingtothepoleinthemiddleoftheriver.

“Good-bye!”hecalledafterthem,andtheywereverysorrytoleavehim.Indeed,theTinWoodmanbegantocry,butfortunatelyrememberedthathemightrust,andsodriedhistearsonDorothy’sapron.

OfcoursethiswasabadthingfortheScarecrow.

“IamnowworseoffthanwhenIfirstmetDorothy,”hethought.“Then,Iwasstuckonapoleinacornfield,whereIcouldmake-believescarethecrows,atanyrate.ButsurelythereisnouseforaScarecrowstuckonapoleinthemiddleofariver.IamafraidIshallneverhaveanybrains,afterall!”

Downthestreamtheraftfloated,andthepoorScarecrowwasleftfarbehind.ThentheLionsaid:

“Somethingmustbedonetosaveus.IthinkIcanswimtotheshoreandpulltheraftafterme,ifyouwillonlyholdfasttothetipofmytail.”

Sohesprangintothewater,andtheTinWoodmancaughtfastholdofhistail.ThentheLionbegantoswimwithallhismighttowardtheshore.Itwashardwork,althoughhewassobig;butbyandbytheyweredrawnoutofthecurrent,andthenDorothytooktheTinWoodman’slongpoleandhelpedpushtherafttotheland.

Theywerealltiredoutwhentheyreachedtheshoreatlastandsteppedoffupontheprettygreengrass,andtheyalsoknewthatthestreamhadcarriedthemalongwaypasttheroadofyellowbrickthatledtotheEmeraldCity.

“Whatshallwedonow?”askedtheTinWoodman,astheLionlaydownonthegrasstoletthesundryhim.

“Wemustgetbacktotheroad,insomeway,”saidDorothy.

“Thebestplanwillbetowalkalongtheriverbankuntilwecometotheroadagain,”remarkedtheLion.

So,whentheywererested,Dorothypickedupherbasketandtheystartedalongthegrassybank,totheroadfromwhichtheriverhadcarriedthem.Itwasalovelycountry,withplentyofflowersandfruittreesandsunshinetocheerthem,andhadtheynotfeltsosorryforthepoorScarecrow,theycouldhavebeenveryhappy.

Theywalkedalongasfastastheycould,Dorothyonlystoppingoncetopickabeautifulflower;andafteratimetheTinWoodmancriedout:“Look!”

ThentheyalllookedattheriverandsawtheScarecrowpercheduponhispoleinthemiddleofthewater,lookingverylonelyandsad.

“Whatcanwedotosavehim?”askedDorothy.

TheLionandtheWoodmanbothshooktheirheads,fortheydidnotknow.SotheysatdownuponthebankandgazedwistfullyattheScarecrowuntilaStorkflewby,who,uponseeingthem,stoppedtorestatthewater’sedge.

“Whoareyouandwhereareyougoing?”askedtheStork.

“IamDorothy,”answeredthegirl,“andthesearemyfriends,theTinWoodmanandtheCowardlyLion;andwearegoingtotheEmeraldCity.”

“Thisisn’ttheroad,”saidtheStork,asshetwistedherlongneckandlookedsharplyatthequeerparty.

“Iknowit,”returnedDorothy,“butwehavelosttheScarecrow,andarewonderinghowweshallgethimagain.”

“Whereishe?”askedtheStork.

“Overthereintheriver,”answeredthelittlegirl.

“Ifhewasn’tsobigandheavyIwouldgethimforyou,”remarkedtheStork.

“Heisn’theavyabit,”saidDorothyeagerly,“forheisstuffedwithstraw;andifyouwillbringhimbacktous,weshallthankyoueverandeversomuch.”

“Well,I’lltry,”saidtheStork,“butifIfindheistooheavytocarryIshallhavetodrophimintheriveragain.”

SothebigbirdflewintotheairandoverthewatertillshecametowheretheScarecrowwaspercheduponhispole.ThentheStorkwithhergreatclawsgrabbedtheScarecrowbythearmandcarriedhimupintotheairandbacktothebank,whereDorothyandtheLionandtheTinWoodmanandTotoweresitting.

WhentheScarecrowfoundhimselfamonghisfriendsagain,hewassohappythathehuggedthemall,eventheLionandToto;andastheywalkedalonghesang“Tol-de-ri-de-oh!”ateverystep,hefeltsogay.

“IwasafraidIshouldhavetostayintheriverforever,”hesaid,“butthekindStorksavedme,andifIevergetanybrainsIshallfindtheStorkagainanddohersomekindnessinreturn.”

“That’sallright,”saidtheStork,whowasflyingalongbesidethem.“Ialwaysliketohelpanyoneintrouble.ButImustgonow,formybabiesarewaitinginthenestforme.IhopeyouwillfindtheEmeraldCityandthatOzwillhelpyou.”

“Thankyou,”repliedDorothy,andthenthekindStorkflewintotheairandwassoonoutofsight.

Theywalkedalonglisteningtothesingingofthebrightlycoloredbirdsandlookingatthelovelyflowerswhichnowbecamesothickthatthegroundwascarpetedwiththem.Therewerebigyellowandwhiteandblueandpurpleblossoms,besidesgreatclustersofscarletpoppies,whichweresobrilliantincolortheyalmostdazzledDorothy’seyes.

“Aren’ttheybeautiful?”thegirlasked,asshebreathedinthespicyscentofthebrightflowers.

“Isupposeso,”answeredtheScarecrow.“WhenIhavebrains,Ishallprobablylikethembetter.”

“IfIonlyhadaheart,Ishouldlovethem,”addedtheTinWoodman.

“Ialwaysdidlikeflowers,”saidtheLion.“Theyseemsohelplessandfrail.Buttherearenoneintheforestsobrightasthese.”

Theynowcameuponmoreandmoreofthebigscarletpoppies,andfewerandfeweroftheotherflowers;andsoontheyfoundthemselvesinthemidstofagreatmeadowofpoppies.Nowitiswellknownthatwhentherearemanyoftheseflowerstogethertheirodorissopowerfulthatanyonewhobreathesitfallsasleep,andifthesleeperisnotcarriedawayfromthescentoftheflowers,hesleepsonandonforever.ButDorothydidnotknowthis,norcouldshegetawayfromthebrightredflowersthatwereeverywhereabout;sopresentlyhereyesgrewheavyandshefeltshemustsitdowntorestandtosleep.

ButtheTinWoodmanwouldnotletherdothis.

“Wemusthurryandgetbacktotheroadofyellowbrickbeforedark,”hesaid;andtheScarecrowagreedwithhim.SotheykeptwalkinguntilDorothycouldstandnolonger.Hereyesclosedinspiteofherselfandsheforgotwhereshewasandfellamongthepoppies,fastasleep.

“Whatshallwedo?”askedtheTinWoodman.

“Ifweleaveherhereshewilldie,”saidtheLion.“Thesmelloftheflowersiskillingusall.Imyselfcanscarcelykeepmyeyesopen,andthedogisasleepalready.”

Itwastrue;Totohadfallendownbesidehislittlemistress.ButtheScarecrowandtheTinWoodman,notbeingmadeofflesh,werenottroubledbythescentoftheflowers.

“Runfast,”saidtheScarecrowtotheLion,“andgetoutofthisdeadlyflowerbedassoonasyoucan.Wewillbringthelittlegirlwithus,butifyoushouldfallasleepyouaretoobigtobecarried.”

SotheLionarousedhimselfandboundedforwardasfastashecouldgo.Inamomenthewasoutofsight.

“Letusmakeachairwithourhandsandcarryher,”saidtheScarecrow.SotheypickedupTotoandputthedoginDorothy’slap,andthentheymadeachairwiththeirhandsfortheseatandtheirarmsforthearmsandcarriedthesleepinggirlbetweenthemthroughtheflowers.

Onandontheywalked,anditseemedthatthegreatcarpetofdeadlyflowersthatsurroundedthemwouldneverend.Theyfollowedthebendoftheriver,andatlastcameupontheirfriendtheLion,lyingfastasleepamongthepoppies.Theflowershadbeentoostrongforthehugebeastandhehadgivenupatlast,andfallenonlyashortdistancefromtheendofthepoppybed,wherethesweetgrassspreadinbeautifulgreenfieldsbeforethem.

“Wecandonothingforhim,”saidtheTinWoodman,sadly;“forheismuchtooheavytolift.Wemustleavehimheretosleeponforever,andperhapshewilldreamthathehasfoundcourageatlast.”

“I’msorry,”saidtheScarecrow.“TheLionwasaverygoodcomradeforonesocowardly.Butletusgoon.”

Theycarriedthesleepinggirltoaprettyspotbesidetheriver,farenoughfromthepoppyfieldtopreventherbreathinganymoreofthepoisonoftheflowers,andheretheylaidhergentlyonthesoftgrassandwaitedforthefreshbreezetowakenher.

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