Chapter6 Jack Pumkinhead's Ride to the Emerald City

Tip washed his face at the brook, and had bread and cheese for breakfast.

We can see the description of "washing faces and having meals" here and there. I wonder if that was for the children, or just because of the author's style. I think he could skip it like "Tip who was awakened by Jack got ready to start his journey again, then said..." However, both Dorothy in the former story and Tip in this sotry often washed their faces and had meals three times a day.

Well, the Emerald City was 9 mile away. It reminded of me the mystery "The Nine Mile Walk"(Japanese title is "Nine Mile is too far to walk"). 9 miles is about 14.5 meters. Certainly, it is a little too far to walk.

However, riding on the Saw Horse, Tip expected himself to arrive there before noon.

Even though they didn't care about the mean ferryman, they felt uncomfortable having to keep wearing wet clothes and shoes. They ran with all their might to dry their clothes....and they got separated:)

Jack and the Saw Horse arrived at the gate of the Emerald City first.

Being a gatekeeper is a hard job, isn't it? Especially so in a country like Oz. They have to accept all men even if they are really very bizarre. If Jack suddenly appeared in front of you, most of you would scream!:)

However, this gatekeeper was better than I expected. Calmly and politely, he asked, "What are you, a man or a pumpkin?" Then, he went through the usual procedure and took them to the Soldier with the Green Whiskers...what a professtional!:)

Then, in the next chapter, His Majesty The Scarecrow appears!

Chapter5 The Awakening of the Saw-Horse

One of the most popular characters, the Saw Horse came to live!

I imagined he was a middile-aged man because he spoke like one in the Japanese translation. However, in the original English version, nothing is mentioned about it. He is blunt...? My English is not good to catch the nuance:(

Originally, the Saw Horse was a sawhorse that a woodman had left. Then Tip gave it life...well, in that case, did the woodman lose the ownership? Should we respect the Saw Horse's will? If so, it also seems OK that Jack followed Tip by his own will, not like Tip stole Jack. Humm...yet, Jack didn't know about the world, so...he was like a child, wasn't he? Then, it was like a kidnapping, wasn't it?;P Well, it's no problem in Oz:)

At first, the Saw Horse couldn't hear anything Tip said because he had no ears. After Tip made him ears, they were able to have a conversation. Oh, Jack had ears. He said "if my ears were bigger."

Tip was so bold that he stabbed a stick into the horse's back after he came alive. I was relieved that it seemed not to hurt the horse.

I love Ms. Takako Sato's translation, however, could the translation of Tip's line, "Don't pay any attention to it" be「気にしたもうな」? Oh, Tip, how on earth old are you?;P

Chapter4 Tip Makes an Experiment in Magic

Both vocabulary and syntax in this book seem more difficult than the ones in the first book, "The Wizard of Oz".

It is funny that Jack Pumpkinhead, who is taller than an adult, called Tip, who is a dainty boy, "father". I think it is natural that Tip feels uneasy.

Jack Pumpkinhead is innately innocent and easygoing, but sometimes he points out things sharply, doesn't he? He seems like he was obviously born in Oz. Very ozzy. He is niether too saucy, nor too modest. Eveyone can't help but love him:)

Unbelievably, Tip remembered what Mombi said and how she moved even though he saw it just once. That's amazing! Judging from the conversations with Jack, he looks smart and witty.

I'm curious how the real "sawhorse" is. Then, I googled it. Here is the result.
http://images.google.co.jp/images?q=sawhorse
Though modern ones are quite far from our "the Saw Horse", some of the images reminds me of the Saw Horse.