第7章 THE JOURNEY TO THE GREAT OZ 通向伟大奥兹的旅程

They were obliged to camp out that night under a large tree in the forest, for there were no houses near. The tree made a good, thick covering to protect them from the dew, and the Tin Woodman chopped a great pile of wood with his axe and Dorothy built a splendid fire that warmed her and made her feel less lonely. She and Toto ate the last of their bread, and now she did not know what they would do for breakfast.

“If you wish,”said the Lion, “I will go into the forest and kill a deer for you. You can roast it by the fire, since your tastes are so peculiar that you prefer cooked food, and then you will have a very good breakfast.”

“Don't! Please don't,”begged the Tin Woodman. “I should certainly weep if you killed a poor deer, and then my jaws would rust again.”

But the Lion went away into the forest and found his own supper, and no one ever knew what it was, for he didn't mention it. And the Scarecrow found a tree full of nuts and filled Dorothy's basket with them, so that she would not be hungry for a long time. She thought this was very kind and thoughtful of the Scarecrow, but she laughed heartily at the awkward way in which the poor creature picked up the nuts. His padded hands were so clumsy and the nuts were so small that he dropped almost as many as he put in the basket. But the Scarecrow did not mind how long it took him to fill the basket, for it enabled him to keep away from the fire, as he feared a spark might get into his straw and burn him up. So he kept a good distance away from the flames, and only came near to cover Dorothy with dry leaves when she lay down to sleep. These kept her very snug and warm, and she slept soundly until morning.

When it was daylight, the girl bathed her face in a little rippling brook, and soon after they all started toward the Emerald City.

This was to be an eventful day for the travelers. They had hardly been walking an hour when they saw before them a great ditch that crossed the road and divided the forest as far as they could see on either side. It was a very wide ditch, and when they crept up to the edge and looked into it they could see it was also very deep, and there were many big, jagged rocks at the bottom. The sides were so steep that none of them could climb down, and for a moment it seemed that their journey must end.

“What shall we do?”asked Dorothy despairingly.

“I haven't the faintest idea,”said the Tin Woodman, and the Lion shook his shaggy mane and looked thoughtful.

But the Scarecrow said, “We cannot fly, that is certain. Neither can we climb down into this great ditch. Therefore, if we cannot jump over it, we must stop where we are.”

“I think I could jump over it,”said the Cowardly Lion, after measuring the distance carefully in his mind.

“Then we are all right,”answered the Scarecrow, “for you can carry us all over on your back, one at a time.”

“Well, I'll try it,”said the Lion. “Who will go first?”

“I will,”declared the Scarecrow, “for, if you found that you could not jump over the gulf, Dorothy would be killed, or the Tin Woodman badly dented on the rocks below. But if I am on your back it will not matter so much, for the fall would not hurt me at all.”

“I am terribly afraid of falling, myself,”said the Cowardly Lion, “but I suppose there is nothing to do but try it. So get on my back and we will make the attempt.”

The Scarecrow sat upon the Lion's back, and the big beast walked to the edge of the gulf and crouched down.

“Why don't you run and jump?”asked the Scarecrow.

“Because that isn't the way we Lions do these things,”he replied. Then giving a great spring, he shot through the air and landed safely on the other side. They were all greatly pleased to see how easily he did it, and after the Scarecrow had got down from his back the Lion sprang across the ditch again.

Dorothy thought she would go next; so she took Toto in her arms and climbed on the Lion's back, holding tightly to his mane with one hand. The next moment it seemed as if she were flying through the air; and then, before she had time to think about it, she was safe on the other side. The Lion went back a third time and got the Tin Woodman, and then they all sat down for a few moments to give the beast a chance to rest, for his great leaps had made his breath short, and he panted like a big dog that has been running too long.

They found the forest very thick on this side, and it looked dark and gloomy. After the Lion had rested they started along the road of yellow brick, silently wondering, each in his own mind, if ever they would come to the end of the woods and reach the bright sunshine again. To add to their discomfort, they soon heard strange noises in the depths of the forest, and the Lion whispered to them that it was in this part of the country that the Kalidahs lived.

“What are the Kalidahs?”asked the girl.

“They are monstrous beasts with bodies like bears and heads like tigers,”replied the Lion, “and with claws so long and sharp that they could tear me in two as easily as I could kill Toto. I'm terribly afraid of the Kalidahs.”

“I'm not surprised that you are,”returned Dorothy. “They must be dreadful beasts.”

The Lion was about to reply when suddenly they came to another gulf across the road. But this one was so broad and deep that the Lion knew at once he could not leap across it.

So they sat down to consider what they should do, and after serious thought the Scarecrow said: “Here is a great tree, standing close to the ditch. If the Tin Woodman can chop it down, so that it will fall to the other side, we can walk across it easily.”

“That is a first-rate idea,”said the Lion. “One would almost suspect you had brains in your head, instead of straw.”

The Woodman set to work at once, and so sharp was his axe that the tree was soon chopped nearly through. Then the Lion put his strong front legs against the tree and pushed with all his might, and slowly the big tree tipped and fell with a crash across the ditch, with its top branches on the other side.

They had just started to cross this queer bridge when a sharp growl made them all look up, and to their horror they saw running toward them two great beasts with bodies like bears and heads like tigers.

“They are the Kalidahs!”said the Cowardly Lion, beginning to tremble.

“Quick!”cried the Scarecrow. “Let us cross over.”

So Dorothy went first, holding Toto in her arms, the Tin Woodman followed, and the Scarecrow came next. The Lion, although he was certainly afraid, turned to face the Kalidahs, and then he gave so loud and terrible a roar that Dorothy screamed and the Scarecrow fell over backward, while even the fierce beasts stopped short and looked at him in surprise.

But, seeing they were bigger than the Lion, and remembering that there were two of them and only one of him, the Kalidahs again rushed forward, and the Lion crossed over the tree and turned to see what they would do next. Without stopping an instant the fierce beasts also began to cross the tree.

And the Lion said to Dorothy: “We are lost, for they will surely tear us to pieces with their sharp claws. But stand close behind me, and I will fight them as long as I am alive.”

“Wait a minute!”called the Scarecrow. He had been thinking what was best to be done, and now he asked the Woodman to chop away the end of the tree that rested on their side of the ditch. The Tin Woodman began to use his axe at once, and, just as the two Kalidahs were nearly across, the tree fell with a crash into the gulf, carrying the ugly, snarling brutes with it, and both were dashed to pieces on the sharp rocks at the bottom.

“Well,”said the Cowardly Lion, drawing a long breath of relief, “I see we are going to live a little while longer, and I am glad of it, for it must be a very uncomfortable thing not to be alive. Those creatures frightened me so badly that my heart is beating yet.”

“Ah,”said the Tin Woodman sadly, “I wish I had a heart to beat.”

This adventure made the travelers more anxious than ever to get out of the forest, and they walked so fast that Dorothy became tired, and had to ride on the Lion's back. To their great joy the trees became thinner the farther they advanced, and in the afternoon they suddenly came upon a broad river, flowing swiftly just before them. On the other side of the water they could see the road of yellow brick running through a beautiful country, with green meadows dotted with bright flowers and all the road bordered with trees hanging full of delicious fruits. They were greatly pleased to see this delightful country before them.

“How shall we cross the river?”asked Dorothy.

“That is easily done,”replied the Scarecrow. “The Tin Woodman must build us a raft, so we can float to the other side.”

So the Woodman took his axe and began to chop down small trees to make a raft, and while he was busy at this the Scarecrow found on the riverbank a tree full of fine fruit. This pleased Dorothy, who had eaten nothing but nuts all day, and she made a hearty meal of the ripe fruit.

But it takes time to make a raft, even when one is as industrious and untiring as the Tin Woodman, and when night came the work was not done. So they found a cozy place under the trees where they slept well until the morning; and Dorothy dreamed of the Emerald City, and of the good Wizard Oz, who would soon send her back to her own home again.

那天夜里，他们只好露宿在森林里的一棵大树下，因为附近没有房子。那棵树枝繁叶茂，使他们免遭夜露。铁皮樵夫用斧头砍了一大堆木柴，多萝西点起了一堆旺火，温暖自己，这使她不再寂寞。她和透透吃着最后剩下的面包，现在她不知道明天早饭吃什么东西了。

“如果你们愿意，”狮子说，“我就走进森林，为你们捕杀一只鹿。你们可以在火边烤着吃，因为你们的胃口非常奇特，喜欢吃熟食，这样你们就会有一顿非常丰盛的早饭了。”

“不要！请不要，”铁皮樵夫恳求说，“如果你杀死一只可怜的鹿，我肯定就会流泪，这样我的下巴又要生锈了。”

可是，狮子还是离开，跑进了森林，找到了自己的晚饭，没有人知道是什么，因为它没有说起。稻草人发现一棵长满坚果的树，就摘下来装满了多萝西的篮子，这样她就会好长时间不挨饿了。多萝西认为稻草人这样做非常善良和周到，但看到可怜的家伙笨手笨脚摘坚果的样子，她不由得笑出了声。他那填塞稻草的手非常笨拙，坚果又这么小，所以掉在地上的和放进篮子里的差不多一样多。可是，稻草人不介意放满一篮坚果要花多长时间，因为这能使他离开那堆火。他害怕一个火星有可能会钻进他的稻草里，把他烧成灰烬。所以，他远远地离开那些火焰，只有在多萝西躺下睡觉时，才走近她身边，用干树叶遮盖她。这些树叶使她非常温暖舒适，一直酣睡到了第二天早晨。

天亮时，小女孩在一条潺潺流动的小溪里洗了洗脸。随后，他们便很快动身向翡翠城走去。

对这几个旅行者来说，这是多事的一天。他们走了还不到一个小时，就看到前面有一条大壕沟横在路上，把他们能看到的森林一分为二。这是一条很宽的壕沟。当他们走到沟边看时，只见沟很深，那里有好多锯齿状的巨石。沟两边都很陡，他们谁也无法爬下去。所以，看上去他们的旅程好像必须到此为止了。

“我们怎么办？”多萝西绝望地问道。

“我一点儿也不知道。”铁皮樵夫说。狮子摇着蓬松散乱的鬃毛，好像在想什么。

可是，稻草人说：“我们无法飞，这是肯定的。我们也无法爬进这个大壕沟。所以，如果不能跳过去，我们就得停在这里。”

“我想我能跳过去。”胆小狮在心里仔细估量了一下沟宽后说。

“那我们就没问题了，”稻草人回答说，“因为你可以把我们都背过去，一次背一个。”

“好，我试试看吧，”狮子说，“谁愿意第一个过去？”

“我愿意，”稻草人声明说，“因为如果你发现你不能跳过这个深沟，多萝西就会被摔死，或者铁皮樵夫会在下面的那些岩石上跌出严重的凹痕。可是，如果我骑在你背上，就不要紧了，因为摔下去根本伤害不了我。”

“我自己也很怕掉下去，”胆小狮说，“可是，我想，除了尝试，没有别的办法。所以，骑上我的背，我们做一下尝试。”

稻草人坐在狮子的背上。这头大兽走到深沟边，蹲了下来。

“为什么你不跑着跳过去呢？”稻草人问。

“因为那不是我们狮子做这些事的方式。”它回答说。随后，它纵身一跃，飕的一声跃过空中，安全地落在了对岸。看到它这样容易地跃过去，他们都大为高兴。当稻草人从狮子的背上下来后，狮子又跃到了沟那边。

多萝西想第二个过去。于是，她怀抱着透透，爬上狮子的背，一只手紧紧地拽住它的鬃毛。紧接着，她仿佛在飞过空中。随后，她还没来得及想，就平安到达了对岸。狮子第三次跃回去，背过来铁皮樵夫。接着，他们都坐下来歇了一会儿，给狮子一个休息的机会，因为几次大跳使它呼吸短促，它气喘得像一只跑得太久的大狗。

他们发现这边的森林非常茂密，看上去又黑又暗。狮子休息过后，他们沿着黄砖路出发，各自默默地想着他们会不会走到森林尽头，并到达明媚的阳光地。更让他们不舒服的是，不久他们听到从森林深处传来奇异的声音。狮子低声对他们说，这里是卡利达斯住的地方。

“卡利达斯是什么？”小女孩问。

“它们是头像老虎、身体像熊的怪兽，”狮子回答说，“而且长着又长又尖的爪子，它们能像我杀死透透一样毫不费力地把我一撕两半。我非常害怕卡利达斯。”

“你害怕，我并不奇怪，”多萝西回答说，“它们一定是可怕的野兽。”

狮子正要回答，这时他们突然走到了另一条横在路上的壕沟边。可是，这条壕沟又宽又深，狮子马上知道它也跃不过去。

于是，他们坐下来商量该怎么办。认真思考过后，稻草人说：“这里有一棵大树，耸立在壕沟边。如果铁皮樵夫能砍倒大树，它会倒向另一边，这样我们就能轻而易举地走过去。”

“这主意真棒，”狮子说，“几乎人人都会以为你的头里有脑子，而不是稻草。”

铁皮樵夫马上开始动手，他的斧头锋利，那棵树很快就要被砍断了。于是，狮子把有力的前腿抵住树干，用尽全力推。随后，大树慢慢倾斜，咕咚一声横过壕沟，树枝落在了壕沟的另一边。

他们正要跨过这座奇异的桥时，突然一声刺耳的咆哮使他们都抬起头来，让他们惊骇的是，两只头像老虎、身体像熊的大兽朝他们奔来。

“它们是卡利达斯！”说着，胆小狮开始哆嗦起来。

“快！”稻草人喊道。“让我们跨过去。”

于是，多萝西怀抱透透第一个先走，铁皮樵夫跟在后面，稻草人尾随其后。狮子肯定害怕，但它还是转身面对卡利达斯，发出了一声吼叫。那声音洪亮可怕，多萝西吓得尖叫，稻草人向后跌倒，这时连凶猛的卡利达斯也突然停步，吃惊地看着狮子。

可是，卡利达斯看出自己比狮子个大，而且想起它们是两个，而狮子只有一个，便又冲向前去。狮子跨过树，转过身，想看看它们下面怎么办。凶猛的野兽毫不停留，也开始跨过那棵树。

狮子对多萝西说：“我们都要没命了，因为它们肯定会用利爪把我们撕得粉碎。不过，你要紧站在我后面，只要我活着，就会和它们搏斗。”

“等一下！”稻草人喊道。它一直在想最好的办法。随后，他马上请铁皮樵夫砍掉靠在他们壕沟这边的树梢。铁皮樵夫马上挥起了斧头，正当两只卡利达斯快冲过来时，这棵树掉进了壕沟里，发出一声巨响，那两只丑陋咆哮的野兽也掉进了沟里，而且都跌在沟底的利石上，被撞得粉身碎骨。

“好了，”胆小狮长长地吸了口气安慰说，“我看我们又会再活一阵子了，我对此感到高兴，因为不能活肯定是一件非常令人不快的事儿。那些野兽吓死我了，我的心还在咚咚直跳。”

“啊，”铁皮人伤心地说，“我真想有一颗跳动的心。”

这次历险使这些旅行者比以前更加迫切地想走出森林。他们走得很快，多萝西渐渐疲倦，只好骑在狮子的背上。让他们大为高兴的是，他们越向前走，树木越稀。下午，他们突然看到一条宽阔的大河在前面急速流淌。他们望见在河对岸有一条黄砖路穿过一块美丽的田野。只见那里碧草如茵，鲜花点点，路两边全是果实累累的树木。看到眼前这片可爱的田野，他们都心花怒放。

“我们怎么过河呢？”多萝西问。

“那很容易做到，”稻草人回答说。“铁皮樵夫必须为我们造一只木筏，这样我们就能漂浮到对岸。”

于是，铁皮樵夫拿起斧头，砍倒了一些小树，做成一只木筏。当铁皮樵夫正在忙活时，稻草人发现河岸上有一棵树上结满了鲜果。这让多萝西非常开心，因为她整天只能吃到坚果，于是她就美美地吃了一顿熟透的鲜果。

可是，做木筏需要花费时间，即使像铁皮樵夫那样勤勤恳恳、不知疲倦地工作，黑夜来临时，还是没有完工。所以，他们在树下找了一个舒适的地方，一直在那里熟睡到第二天早晨。多萝西梦见了翡翠城，还梦见了好心的魔法师奥兹，他要马上把她送回到她自己的家。