"Jack's all right, and works fine!" he said to himself, panting with the unusual exertion6. But just then he discovered the man's left arm had fallen off in the journey so he went back to find it, and afterward7, by whittling8 a new and stouter9 pin for the shoulder-joint, he repaired the injury so successfully that the arm was stronger than before. Tip also noticed that Jack's pumpkin10 head had twisted around until it faced his back; but this was easily remedied. When, at last, the man was set up facing the turn in the path where old Mombi was to appear, he looked natural enough to be a fair imitation of a Gillikin farmer,—and unnatural11 enough to startle anyone that came on him unawares.
As it was yet too early in the day to expect the old woman to return home, Tip went down into the valley below the farm-house and began to gather nuts from the trees that grew there.
However, old Mombi returned earlier than usual. She had met a crooked12 wizard who resided in a lonely cave in the mountains, and had traded several important secrets of magic with him. Having in this way secured three new recipes, four magical powders and a selection of herbs of wonderful power and potency13, she hobbled home as fast as she could, in order to test her new sorceries.
So intent was Mombi on the treasures she had gained that when she turned the bend in the road and caught a glimpse of the man, she merely nodded and said:
"Good evening, sir."
But, a moment after, noting that the person did not move or reply, she cast a shrewd glance into his face and discovered his pumpkin head elaborately carved by Tip's jack-knife.
"Heh!" ejaculated Mombi, giving a sort of grunt14; "that rascally15 boy has been playing tricks again! Very good! ve—ry good! I'll beat him black-and-blue for trying to scare me in this fashion!"
Angrily she raised her stick to smash in the grinning pumpkin head of the dummy16; but a sudden thought made her pause, the uplifted stick left motionless in the air.
"Why, here is a good chance to try my new powder!" said she, eagerly. "And then I can tell whether that crooked wizard has fairly traded secrets, or whether he has fooled me as wickedly as I fooled him."
So she set down her basket and began fumbling17 in it for one of the precious powders she had obtained.
While Mombi was thus occupied Tip strolled back, with his pockets full of nuts, and discovered the old woman standing18 beside his man and apparently19 not the least bit frightened by it.
At first he was generally disappointed; but the next moment he became curious to know what Mombi was going to do. So he hid behind a hedge, where he could see without being seen, and prepared to watch.
After some search the woman drew from her basket an old pepper-box, upon the faded label of which the wizard had written with a lead-pencil:
"Powder of Life."
"Ah—here it is!" she cried, joyfully21. "And now let us see if it is potent22. The stingy wizard didn't give me much of it, but I guess there's enough for two or three doses."
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Tip was much surprised when he overheard this speech. Then he saw old Mombi raise her arm and sprinkle the powder from the box over the pumpkin head of his man Jack. She did this in the same way one would pepper a baked potato, and the powder sifted23 down from Jack's head and scattered24 over the red shirt and pink waistcoat and purple trousers Tip had dressed him in, and a portion even fell upon the patched and worn shoes.
Then, putting the pepper-box back into the basket, Mombi lifted her left hand, with its little finger pointed20 upward, and said:
"Weaugh!"
Then she lifted her right hand, with the thumb pointed upward, and said:
"Teaugh!"
Then she lifted both hands, with all the fingers and thumbs spread out, and cried:
"Peaugh!"
Jack Pumpkinhead stepped back a pace, at this, and said in a reproachful voice:
"Don't yell like that! Do you think I'm deaf?"
Old Mombi danced around him, frantic25 with delight.
"He lives!" she screamed: "He lives! he lives!"
Then she threw her stick into the air and caught it as it came down; and she hugged herself with both arms, and tried to do a step of a jig26; and all the time she repeated, rapturously:
"He lives!—he lives!—he lives!"
Now you may well suppose that Tip observed all this with amazement27.
At first he was so frightened and horrified28 that he wanted to run away, but his legs trembled and shook so badly that he couldn't. Then it struck him as a very funny thing for Jack to come to life, especially as the expression on his pumpkin face was so droll29 and comical it excited laughter on the instant. So, recovering from his first fear, Tip began to laugh; and the merry peals31 reached old Mombi's ears and made her hobble quickly to the hedge, where she seized Tip's collar and dragged him back to where she had left her basket and the pumpkinheaded man.
"You naughty, sneaking32, wicked boy!" she exclaimed, furiously: "I'll teach you to spy out my secrets and to make fun of me!"
"I wasn't making fun of you," protested Tip. "I was laughing at old Pumpkinhead! Look at him! Isn't he a picture, though?"
"I hope you are not reflecting on my personal appearance," said Jack; and it was so funny to hear his grave voice, while his face continued to wear its jolly smile, that Tip again burst into a peal30 of laughter.
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Even Mombi was not without a curious interest in the man her magic had brought to life; for, after staring at him intently, she presently asked:
"What do you know?"
"Well, that is hard to tell," replied Jack. "For although I feel that I know a tremendous lot, I am not yet aware how much there is in the world to find out about. It will take me a little time to discover whether I am very wise or very foolish."
"To be sure," said Mombi, thoughtfully.
"But what are you going to do with him, now he is alive?" asked Tip, wondering.
"I must think it over," answered Mombi. "But we must get home at once, for it is growing dark. Help the Pumpkinhead to walk."
"Never mind me," said Jack; "I can walk as well as you can. Haven't I got legs and feet, and aren't they jointed33?"
"Are they?" asked the woman, turning to Tip.
"Of course they are; I made 'em myself," returned the boy, with pride.
So they started for the house, but when they reached the farm yard old Mombi led the pumpkin man to the cow stable and shut him up in an empty stall, fastening the door securely on the outside.
"I've got to attend to you, first," she said, nodding her head at Tip.
Hearing this, the boy became uneasy; for he knew Mombi had a bad and revengeful heart, and would not hesitate to do any evil thing.
They entered the house. It was a round, domeshaped structure, as are nearly all the farm houses in the Land of Oz.
Mombi bade the boy light a candle, while she put her basket in a cupboard and hung her cloak on a peg34. Tip obeyed quickly, for he was afraid of her.
After the candle had been lighted Mombi ordered him to build a fire in the hearth35, and while Tip was thus engaged the old woman ate her supper. When the flames began to crackle the boy came to her and asked a share of the bread and cheese; but Mombi refused him.
"I'm hungry!" said Tip, in a sulky tone.
"You won't be hungry long," replied Mombi, with a grim look.
The boy didn't like this speech, for it sounded like a threat; but he happened to remember he had nuts in his pocket, so he cracked some of those and ate them while the woman rose, shook the crumbs36 from her apron37, and hung above the fire a small black kettle.
Then she measured out equal parts of milk and vinegar and poured them into the kettle. Next she produced several packets of herbs and powders and began adding a portion of each to the contents of the kettle. Occasionally she would draw near the candle and read from a yellow paper the recipe of the mess she was concocting38.
As Tip watched her his uneasiness increased.
"What is that for?" he asked.
"For you," returned Mombi, briefly39.
Tip wriggled40 around upon his stool and stared awhile at the kettle, which was beginning to bubble. Then he would glance at the stern and wrinkled features of the witch and wish he were any place but in that dim and smoky kitchen, where even the shadows cast by the candle upon the wall were enough to give one the horrors. So an hour passed away, during which the silence was only broken by the bubbling of the pot and the hissing41 of the flames.
Finally, Tip spoke42 again.
"Have I got to drink that stuff?" he asked, nodding toward the pot.
"Yes," said Mombi.
"What'll it do to me?" asked Tip.
"If it's properly made," replied Mombi, "it will change or transform you into a marble statue."
Tip groaned43, and wiped the perspiration44 from his forehead with his sleeve.
"I don't want to be a marble statue!" he protested.
image037
"That doesn't matter I want you to be one," said the old woman, looking at him severely45.
"What use'll I be then?" asked Tip. "There won't be any one to work for you."
"I'll make the Pumpkinhead work for me," said Mombi.
Again Tip groaned.
"Why don't you change me into a goat, or a chicken?" he asked, anxiously. "You can't do anything with a marble statue."
"Oh, yes, I can," returned Mombi. "I'm going to plant a flower garden, next Spring, and I'll put you in the middle of it, for an ornament46. I wonder I haven't thought of that before; you've been a bother to me for years."
At this terrible speech Tip felt the beads47 of perspiration starting all over his body, but he sat still and shivered and looked anxiously at the kettle.
"Perhaps it won't work," he mutttered, in a voice that sounded weak and discouraged.
"Oh, I think it will," answered Mombi, cheerfully. "I seldom make a mistake."
Again there was a period of silence a silence so long and gloomy that when Mombi finally lifted the kettle from the fire it was close to midnight.
"You cannot drink it until it has become quite cold," announced the old witch for in spite of the law she had acknowledged practising witchcraft48. "We must both go to bed now, and at daybreak I will call you and at once complete your transformation49 into a marble statue."
With this she hobbled into her room, bearing the steaming kettle with her, and Tip heard her close and lock the door.
The boy did not go to bed, as he had been commanded to do, but still sat glaring at the embers of the dying fire.
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收听单词发音
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1
decided
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| adj.决定了的，坚决的；明显的，明确的 | |
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jack
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| n.插座，千斤顶，男人；v.抬起，提醒，扛举；n.（Jake）杰克 | |
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joints
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| 接头( joint的名词复数 )； 关节； 公共场所（尤指价格低廉的饮食和娱乐场所） （非正式）； 一块烤肉 （英式英语） | |
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accomplished
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| adj.有才艺的；有造诣的；达到了的 | |
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mischief
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| n.损害，伤害，危害；恶作剧，捣蛋，胡闹 | |
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6
exertion
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| n.尽力，努力 | |
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7
afterward
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| adv.后来；以后 | |
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8
whittling
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| v.切，削（木头），使逐渐变小( whittle的现在分词 ) | |
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9
stouter
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| 粗壮的( stout的比较级 )； 结实的； 坚固的； 坚定的 | |
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10
pumpkin
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| n.南瓜 | |
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11
unnatural
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| adj.不自然的；反常的 | |
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12
crooked
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| adj.弯曲的；不诚实的，狡猾的，不正当的 | |
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13
potency
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| n. 效力，潜能 | |
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14
grunt
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| v.嘟哝；作呼噜声；n.呼噜声，嘟哝 | |
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15
rascally
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| adj. 无赖的，恶棍的 adv. 无赖地，卑鄙地 | |
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16
dummy
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| n.假的东西；(哄婴儿的)橡皮奶头 | |
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17
fumbling
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| n. 摸索,漏接 v. 摸索,摸弄,笨拙的处理 | |
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18
standing
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| n.持续，地位；adj.永久的，不动的，直立的，不流动的 | |
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19
apparently
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| adv.显然地；表面上，似乎 | |
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20
pointed
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| adj.尖的，直截了当的 | |
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21
joyfully
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| adv. 喜悦地, 高兴地 | |
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22
potent
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| adj.强有力的，有权势的；有效力的 | |
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23
sifted
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| v.筛( sift的过去式和过去分词 )；筛滤；细查；详审 | |
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24
scattered
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| adj.分散的，稀疏的；散步的；疏疏落落的 | |
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25
frantic
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| adj.狂乱的，错乱的，激昂的 | |
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26
jig
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| n.快步舞（曲）；v.上下晃动；用夹具辅助加工；蹦蹦跳跳 | |
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27
amazement
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| n.惊奇，惊讶 | |
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28
horrified
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| a.(表现出)恐惧的 | |
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29
droll
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| adj.古怪的，好笑的 | |
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30
peal
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| n.钟声；v.鸣响 | |
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31
peals
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| n.（声音大而持续或重复的）洪亮的响声( peal的名词复数 )；隆隆声；洪亮的钟声；钟乐v.（使）（钟等）鸣响，（雷等）发出隆隆声( peal的第三人称单数 ) | |
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32
sneaking
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| a.秘密的，不公开的 | |
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33
jointed
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| 有接缝的 | |
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34
peg
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| n.木栓，木钉；vt.用木钉钉，用短桩固定 | |
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35
hearth
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| n.壁炉炉床，壁炉地面 | |
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36
crumbs
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| int. (表示惊讶)哎呀 n. 碎屑 名词crumb的复数形式 | |
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37
apron
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| n.围裙；工作裙 | |
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38
concocting
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| v.将（尤指通常不相配合的）成分混合成某物( concoct的现在分词 )；调制；编造；捏造 | |
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39
briefly
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| adv.简单地，简短地 | |
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40
wriggled
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| v.扭动，蠕动，蜿蜒行进( wriggle的过去式和过去分词 )；（使身体某一部位）扭动；耍滑不做，逃避（应做的事等） | |
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41
hissing
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| n. 发嘶嘶声, 蔑视 动词hiss的现在分词形式 | |
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42
spoke
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| n.（车轮的）辐条；轮辐；破坏某人的计划；阻挠某人的行动 v.讲，谈（speak的过去式）；说；演说；从某种观点来说 | |
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43
groaned
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| v.呻吟( groan的过去式和过去分词 )；发牢骚；抱怨；受苦 | |
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44
perspiration
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| n.汗水；出汗 | |
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45
severely
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| adv.严格地；严厉地；非常恶劣地 | |
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46
ornament
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| v.装饰，美化；n.装饰，装饰物 | |
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47
beads
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| n.（空心）小珠子( bead的名词复数 )；水珠；珠子项链 | |
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48
witchcraft
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| n.魔法，巫术 | |
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49
transformation
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| n.变化；改造；转变 | |
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