The Marvelous Land of Oztby L. Frank Baum

Chapter 16. The Scarecrow Takes Time to Think

"It seems to me," began the Scarecrow, when all were again assembled [q'sembld] (собрались) in the throne room, "that the girl Jinjur is quite right in claiming [kleImIN] (притязании) to be Queen. And if she is right, then I am wrong, and we have no business to be occupying ['PkjupaIIN] (захватывать) her palace."

"But you were the King until she came," said the Woggle-Bug, strutting ['strAtIN] (важно прохаживаясь) up and down with his hands in his pockets ['pPkIts] (карманах); "so it appears [q'pIqz] (кажется) to me that she is the interloper ['Intqlqupq] (человек, вмешивающийся в чужие дела) instead of you."

"Especially as we have just conquered (победили) her and put her to flight," added the Pumpkinhead, as he raised [reIzd] (поднял) his hands to turn his face toward the Scarecrow.

"Have we really conquered her?" asked the Scarecrow, quietly ['kwaIqtli] (тихо). "Look out of the window, and tell me what you see."

Tip ran to the window and looked out.

"The palace is surrounded (окружен) by a double ['dAbl] (двойным) row [rqu] (рядом) of girl soldiers," he announced.

"I thought so," returned the Scarecrow. "We are as truly ['trHlI] (на самом деле) their prisoners ['prIz(q)nqz] (пленные) as we were before the mice frightened them from the palace."

"My friend is right," said Nick Chopper, who had been polishing ['pPlISIN] (полировал) his breast [brest] (грудь) with a bit [bIt] (кусочком) of chamois-leather ['Sxmi 'leDq] (замши). "Jinjur is still the Queen, and we are her prisoners ['prIz(q)nqz] (пленные)."

"But I hope she cannot get at us," exclaimed the Pumpkinhead, with a shiver ['SIvq] (дрожью) of fear. "She threatened to make tarts [tQ:ts] (пироги) of me, you know."

"Don't worry ['wArI] (беспокойся)," said the Tin Woodman. "It cannot matter greatly. If you stay [steI] (останешься) shut up here you will spoil in time, anyway ['enIweI] (в любом случае). A good tart [tRt] (пирог) is far more admirable ['xdm(q)rqb(q)l] (лучше) than a decayed [dI'keId] (разложившися) intellect ['Intqlekt]."

"Very true," agreed the Scarecrow.

"Oh, dear!" moaned [mqund] (простонал) Jack; "what an unhappy [An'hxpi] (несчастный) lot [lPt] (удел) is mine! Why, dear father, did you not make me out of tin -- or even out of straw -- so that I would keep indefinitely [In'defInItli] (вечно)."

"Shucks [SAks] (ерунда)!" returned Tip, indignantly [In'dIgnqntli] (возмущенно). "You ought to be glad that I made you at all." Then he added, reflectively [rI'flektIvli] (задумчиво), "everything has to come to an end, some time."

"But I beg to remind ['rImaInd] (напомнить) you," broke [brquk] in (перебил) the Woggle-Bug, who had a distressed [dIs'trest] (страдальческий) look in his bulging ['bAlGIN] (навыкате), round eyes, "that this terrible Queen Jinjur suggested making a goulash ['gu:lxS] of me -- Me! the only Highly Magnified and Thoroughly Educated Woggle-Bug in the wide, wide world!"

"I think it was a brilliant ['brIljqnt] (блестящая) idea," remarked the Scarecrow, approvingly [q'prHvINli]] (одобрительно).

"Don't you imagine [I'mxGIn] (считаешь) he would make a better soup [su:p]?" asked the Tin Woodman, turning toward his friend.

"Well, perhaps," acknowledged [qk'nPlIGd] (признал) the Scarecrow.

The Woggle-Bug groaned ['grqund] (простонал).

"I can see, in my mind's eye [aI] (мысленным взглядом)," said he, mournfully ['mLnfqli] (мрачно), "the goats [gquts] (козлы) eating small pieces of my dear comrade ['kPmrId] (товарища), the Tin Woodman, while my soup [su:p] is being cooked [kukt] (варится) on a bonfire ['bPn"faIq] (костре) built of the Saw-Horse and Jack Pumpkinhead's body, and Queen Jinjur watches ['wPCIz] (смотрит, как) me boil [bOIl] (варюсь) while she feeds [fJdz] (поддерживает) the flames [fleImz] (огонь) with my friend the Scarecrow!"

This morbid ['mLbId] (ужасная) picture ['pIkCq] (картина) cast a gloom [glHm] (уныние) over the entire party, making them restless ['restlqs] (неспокойными) and anxious.

"It can't happen for some time," said the Tin Woodman, trying to speak cheerfully (весело); "for we shall be able to keep Jinjur out of the palace until she manages ['mxnIGIz] (удастся) to break [breIk] down (взломать) the doors."

"And in the meantime ['mJntaIm] (тем временем) I am liable (скорее всего) to starve [stQ:v] to death (умру с голоду), and so is the WoggleBug," announced Tip.

"As for me," said the Woggle-Bug, "I think that I could live for some time on Jack Pumpkinhead. Not that I prefer pumpkins for food [fu:d] (еды); but I believe they are somewhat nutritious [nju:'trISqs] (питательные), and Jack's head is large and plump [plAmp] (пухлая)."

"How heartless ['hRtlqs] (бессердечно)!" exclaimed the Tin Woodman, greatly shocked [SPkt]. "Are we cannibals ['kxnIb(q)lz], let me ask? Or are we faithful ['feITf(q)l] (верные) friends?"

"I see very clearly ['klIqlI] (ясно) that we cannot stay [steI] (оставаться) shut up in this palace," said the Scarecrow, with decision [dI'sIZqn] (решительно). "So let us end this mournful ['mO:nf(q)l] (мрачный) talk [tLk] (разговор) and try to discover a means to escape (сбежать)."

At this suggestion [sq'GesCqn] (предложение) they all gathered ['gxDqd] (собрались) eagerly ['Jgqli] (с нетерпение) around the throne, wherein [weqr'In] (там, где) was seated ['sJtId] (сидел) the Scarecrow, and as Tip sat down upon a stool [stHl] (табурет) there fell from his pocket a pepper-box (перечница), which rolled upon the floor.

"What is this?" asked Nick Chopper, picking ['pIkIN] up (поднимая) the box.

"Be careful!" cried the boy. "That's my Powder of Life. Don't spill [spIl] (просыпь) it, for it is nearly ['nIqli] (почти) gone."

"And what is the Powder of Life?" enquired the Scarecrow, as Tip replaced [rI'pleIst] (положил обратно) the box carefully in his pocket.

"It's some magical stuff old Mombi got from a crooked [krukt] (горбатого) sorcerer ['sLsqrq] (колдуна)," explained the boy. "She brought Jack to life with it, and afterward I used it to bring the Saw-Horse to life. I guess [ges] (думаю) it will make anything live that is sprinkled ['sprINk(q)ld] (посыпан) with it; but there's only about one dose [dqus] left."

"Then it is very precious," said the Tin Woodman.

"Indeed it is," agreed the Scarecrow. "It may prove our best means of escape from our difficulties ['dIfIkqltiz] (затруднительного положения). I believe I will think for a few minutes ['mInIts]; so I will thank you, friend Tip, to get out your knife and rip [rIp] (отпороть) this heavy crown from my forehead."

Tip soon cut the stitches ['stICIz] (стежки) that had fastened the crown to the Scarecrow's head, and the former ['fLmq] (бывший) monarch of the Emerald City removed [rI'mHvd] (снял) it with a sigh of relief [rI'li:f] (облегчения) and hung it on a peg [peg] (колышек, вешалка) beside the throne.

"That is my last memento [mI'mentqu] (напоминание) of royalty ['rOIqltI] (королевской власти)" said he; "and I'm glad to get rid [rId] (избавиться) of it. The former ['fLmq] (бывший) King of this City, who was named [neImd] (назывался) Pastoria, lost the crown to the Wonderful Wizard, who passed it on to me. Now the girl Jinjur claims [kleImz] (притязает на) it, and I sincerely [sIn'sIqli] (искренне) hope it will not give her a headache ['hedeIk] (головную боль)."

"A kindly ['kaIndlI] (добрая) thought, which I greatly admire [qd'maIq] (восхищаюсь)," said the Tin Woodman, nodding approvingly [q'prHvINli] (одобрительно).

"And now I will indulge [In'dAlG] (позволю себе) in a quiet think," continued the Scarecrow, lying back in the throne.

The others remained as silent ['saIlqnt] (молчаливые) and still as possible, so as not to disturb [dIs'tE:b] (беспокоить) him; for all had great confidence ['kPnfIdqns] (уверенность) in the extraordinary [Ik'strLd(q)n(q)ri] (необычайные) brains of the Scarecrow.

And, after what seemed a very long time indeed to the anxious watchers ['wPCqz] (наблюдателям), the thinker ['TINkq] (мыслитель) sat up, looked upon his friends with his most whimsical ['wImzIkql] (загадочным) expression, and said:

"My brains work beautifully ['bjHtqf(q)li] (прекрасно) today [tq'deI] (сегодня). I'm quite proud of them. Now, listen! If we attempt [q'tempt] (попытаемся) to escape through the doors of the palace we shall surely be captured. And, as we can't escape through the ground, there is only one other thing to be done. We must escape through the air!"

He paused [pLzd] (замолчал) to note the effect [I'fekt] of these words; but all his hearers ['hIqrqz] (слушатели) seemed puzzled and unconvinced ['Ankqn'vInst] (сомневающиеся).

"The Wonderful Wizard escaped in a balloon," he continued. "We don't know how to make a balloon, of course; but any sort of thing that can fly through the air can carry us easily. So I suggest [sq'Gest] (предлагаю) that my friend the Tin Woodman, who is a skillful ['skIlf(q)l] (искусный) mechanic [mI'kxnIk], shall build [bIld] (построит) some sort of a machine [mq'Si:n], with good strong wings, to carry us; and our friend Tip can then bring the Thing to life with his magical powder."

"Bravo ['brR'vqu]!" cried Nick Chopper.

"What splendid ['splendId] (замечательные) brains!" murmured ['mE:mqd] (пробормотал) Jack.

"Really quite clever!" said the Educated Woggle-Bug.

"I believe it can be done," declared Tip; "that is, if the Tin Woodman is equal ['i:kwql] (способен) to making the Thing."

"I'll do my best," said Nick, cheerily ['CIqrIli] (весело); "and, as a matter of fact, I do not often fail [feIl] (терплю неудачи) in what I attempt [q'tempt] (делаю). But the Thing will have to be built on the roof of the palace, so it can rise [raIz] (подняться) comfortably ['kAmftqb(q)li, 'kAmfqt-] (беспрепятственно) into the air."

"To be sure," said the Scarecrow.

"Then let us search through the palace," continued the Tin Woodman, "and carry all the material [mq'tI(q)rIql] we can find to the roof, where I will begin  my work."

"First, however," said the Pumpkinhead, "I beg you will release [rI'lJs] (избавите) me from this horse, and make me another leg to walk with. For in my present [preznt] (теперешнем) condition I am of no use to myself or to anyone else."

So the Tin Woodman knocked [nPkt] (разрубил) a mahogany [mq'hPgqnI] (из красного дерева) center-table to pieces with his axe and fitted one of the legs, which was beautifully ['bjHtqf(q)li] (красиво) carved, on to the body of Jack Pumpkinhead, who was very proud of the acquisition ["xkwI'zISqn] (приобретением).

"It seems strange," said he, as he watched [wPCt] (наблюдал за тем, как) the Tin Woodman work, "that my left leg should be the most elegant ['elIgqnt] and substantial [sqb'stxnSql] (прочная) part of me."

"That proves [prHvz] (подтверждает) you are unusual," returned the Scarecrow. "and I am convinced [kqn'vInst] (убежден) that the only people worthy ['wE:DI] (достойные) of consideration [kqn"sIdq'reISqn] (внимания) in this world are the unusual ones. For the common ['kPmqn] (обычные) folks [fquks] (люди) are like the leaves of a tree, and live and die [daI] (умирают) unnoticed ['An'nqutIst] (незамеченными)."

"Spoken ['spqukqn] (сказано) like a philosopher [fI'lPsqfq]!" cried the Woggle-Bug, as he assisted [q'sIstId] (помогал) the Tin Woodman to set Jack upon his feet.

"How do you feel [fJl] (чувствуешь себя) now?" asked Tip, watching ['wPCIN] (наблюдая за тем, как) the Pumpkinhead stump [stAmp] (ковылял) around to try his new leg."

As good as new" answered Jack, joyfully ['GOIf(q)li] (радостно), "and quite ready to assist [q'sIst] (помогать) you all to escape."

"Then let us get to work," said the Scarecrow, in a business-like tone.

So, glad to be doing anything that might lead [lJd] (привести) to the end of their captivity [kxp'tIvItI] (плена), the friends separated ['sepqreItId] (разделились) to wander ['wPndq] (побродить) over the palace in search of fitting ['fItIN] (доходящего) material [mq'tI(q)rIql] to use in the construction [kqn'strAkS(q)n] (строительстве) of their aerial ['eqrIql] (воздушной) machine [mq'Si:n].

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