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chater elve eter firt battle（第1页）

WHILEthedwarfandtheWhiteWitchweresayingthis，milesawaytheBeaversandthechildrenwerewalkingonhourafterhourintowhatseemedadeliciousdream．Longagotheyhadleftthecoatsbehindthem．Andbynowtheyhadevenstoppedsayingtooneanother，“Look！there’sakingfisher，”or“Isay，bluebells！”or“Whatwasthatlovelysmell？”or“Justlistentothatthrush！”Theywalkedoninsilencedrinkingitallin，passingthroughpatchesofwarmsunlightintocool，greenthicketsandoutagainintowidemossygladeswheretallelmsraisedtheleafyrooffaroverhead，andthenintodensemassesoffloweringcurrantandamonghawthornbusheswherethesweetsmellwasalmostoverpowering．

TheyhadbeenjustassurprisedasEdmundwhentheysawthewintervanishingandthewholewoodpassinginafewhoursorsofromJanuarytoMay．Theyhadn’tevenknownforcertain（astheWitchdid）thatthiswaswhatwouldhappenwhenAslancametoNarnia．Buttheyallknewthatitwasherspellswhichhadproducedtheendlesswinter；andthereforetheyallknewwhenthismagicspringbeganthatsomethinghadgonewrong，andbadlywrong，withtheWitch’sschemes．AndafterthethawhadbeengoingonforsometimetheyallrealizedthattheWitchwouldnolongerbeabletousehersledge．Afterthattheydidn’thurrysomuchandtheyallowedthemselvesmorerestsandlongerones．Theywereprettytiredbynowofcourse；butnotwhatI’dcallbitterlytired-onlyslowandfeelingverydreamyandquietinsideasonedoeswhenoneiscomingtotheendofalongdayintheopen．Susanhadaslightblisterononeheel．

Theyhadleftthecourseofthebigriversometimeago；foronehadtoturnalittletotheright（thatmeantalittletothesouth）toreachtheplaceoftheStoneTable．Evenifthishadnotbeentheirwaytheycouldn’thavekepttotherivervalleyoncethethawbegan，forwithallthatmeltingsnowtheriverwassooninflood-awonderful，roaring，thunderingyellowflood-andtheirpathwouldhavebeenunderwater．

Andnowthesungotlowandthelightgotredderandtheshadowsgotlongerandtheflowersbegantothinkaboutclosing．

“Notlongnow，”saidMr。Beaver，andbeganleadingthemuphillacrosssomeverydeep，springymoss（itfeltniceundertheirtiredfeet）inaplacewhereonlytalltreesgrew，verywideapart．Theclimb，comingattheendofthelongday，madethemallpantandblow．AndjustasLucywaswonderingwhethershecouldreallygettothetopwithoutanotherlongrest，suddenlytheywereatthetop．Andthisiswhattheysaw．

Theywereonagreenopenspacefromwhichyoucouldlookdownontheforestspreadingasfarasonecouldseeineverydirection-exceptrightahead．There，fartotheEast，wassomethingtwinklingandmoving．“Bygum！”whisperedPetertoSusan，“thesea！”Intheverymiddleofthisopenhill-topwastheStoneTable．Itwasagreatgrimslabofgreystonesupportedonfouruprightstones．Itlookedveryold；anditwascutalloverwithstrangelinesandfiguresthatmightbethelettersofanunknownlanguage．Theygaveyouacuriousfeelingwhenyoulookedatthem．Thenextthingtheysawwasapavilionpitchedononesideoftheopenplace．Awonderfulpavilionitwas-andespeciallynowwhenthelightofthesettingsunfelluponit-withsidesofwhatlookedlikeyellowsilkandcordsofcrimsonandtent-pegsofivory；andhighaboveitonapoleabannerwhichborearedrampantlionflutteringinthebreezewhichwasblowingintheirfacesfromthefar-offsea．Whiletheywerelookingatthistheyheardasoundofmusicontheirright；andturninginthatdirectiontheysawwhattheyhadcometosee．

Aslanstoodinthecentreofacrowdofcreatureswhohadgroupedthemselvesroundhimintheshapeofahalf-moon．TherewereTree-WomenthereandWell-Women（DryadsandNaiadsastheyusedtobecalledinourworld）whohadstringedinstruments；itwastheywhohadmadethemusic．Therewerefourgreatcentaurs．ThehorsepartofthemwaslikehugeEnglishfarmhorses，andthemanpartwaslikesternbutbeautifulgiants。Therewasalsoaunicorn，andabullwiththeheadofaman，andapelican，andaneagle，andagreatDog．AndnexttoAslanstoodtwoleopardsofwhomonecarriedhiscrownandtheotherhisstandard．

ButasforAslanhimself，theBeaversandthechildrendidn’tknowwhattodoorsaywhentheysawhim．PeoplewhohavenotbeeninNarniasometimesthinkthatathingcannotbegoodandterribleatthesametime．Ifthechildrenhadeverthoughtso，theywerecuredofitnow．ForwhentheytriedtolookatAslan’sfacetheyjustcaughtaglimpseofthegoldenmaneandthegreat，royal，solemn，overwhelmingeyes；andthentheyfoundtheycouldn’tlookathimandwentalltrembly．

“Goon，”whisperedMr。Beaver．

“No，”whisperedPeter，“youfirst．”

“No，SonsofAdambeforeanimals，”whisperedMr。Beaverbackagain．

“Susan，”whisperedPeter，“Whataboutyou？Ladiesfirst．”

“No，you’retheeldest，”whisperedSusan．Andofcoursethelongertheywentondoingthisthemoreawkwardtheyfelt．ThenatlastPeterrealizedthatitwasuptohim．Hedrewhisswordandraisedittothesaluteandhastilysayingtotheothers“Comeon。Pullyourselvestogether，”headvancedtotheLionandsaid：

“Wehavecome-Aslan．”

“Welcome，Peter，SonofAdam，”saidAslan．“Welcome，SusanandLucy，DaughtersofEve．WelcomeHe-BeaverandShe-Beaver．”

Hisvoicewasdeepandrichandsomehowtookthefidgetsoutofthem．Theynowfeltgladandquietanditdidn’tseemawkwardtothemtostandandsaynothing．

“Butwhereisthefourth？”askedAslan．

“HehastriedtobetraythemandjoinedtheWhiteWitch，OAslan，”saidMr。Beaver．AndthensomethingmadePetersay，

“Thatwaspartlymyfault，Aslan．IwasangrywithhimandIthinkthathelpedhimtogowrong．”

AndAslansaidnothingeithertoexcusePeterortoblamehimbutmerelystoodlookingathimwithhisgreatunchangingeyes．Anditseemedtoallofthemthattherewasnothingtobesaid．

“Please-Aslan，”saidLucy，“cananythingbedonetosaveEdmund？”

“Allshallbedone，”saidAslan．“Butitmaybeharderthanyouthink．”Andthenhewassilentagainforsometime．UptothatmomentLucyhadbeenthinkinghowroyalandstrongandpeacefulhisfacelooked；nowitsuddenlycameintoherheadthathelookedsadaswell．Butnextminutethatexpressionwasquitegone．TheLionshookhismaneandclappedhispawstogether（“Terriblepaws，”thoughtLucy，“ifhedidn’tknowhowtovelvetthem！”）andsaid，

“Meanwhile，letthefeastbeprepared．Ladies，taketheseDaughtersofEvetothepavilionandministertothem．”

WhenthegirlshadgoneAslanlaidhispaw-andthoughitwasvelveteditwasveryheavy-onPeter’sshoulderandsaid，“Come，SonofAdam，andIwillshowyouafar-offsightofthecastlewhereyouaretobeKing．”

AndPeterwithhisswordstilldrawninhishandwentwiththeLiontotheeasternedgeofthehilltop．Thereabeautifulsightmettheireyes．Thesunwassettingbehindtheirbacks．Thatmeantthatthewholecountrybelowthemlayintheeveninglight-forestandhillsandvalleysand，windingawaylikeasilversnake，thelowerpartofthegreatriver．Andbeyondallthis，milesaway，wasthesea，andbeyondtheseathesky，fullofcloudswhichwerejustturningrosecolourwiththereflectionofthesunset．ButjustwherethelandofNarniametthesea-infact，atthemouthofthegreatriver-therewassomethingonalittlehill，shining．ItwasshiningbecauseitwasacastleandofcoursethesunlightwasreflectedfromallthewindowswhichlookedtowardsPeterandthesunset；buttoPeteritlookedlikeagreatstarrestingontheseashore．

“That，OMan，”saidAslan，“isCairParavelofthefourthrones，inoneofwhichyoumustsitasKing．Ishowittoyoubecauseyouarethefirst-bornandyouwillbeHighKingoveralltherest．”

AndoncemorePetersaidnothing，foratthatmomentastrangenoisewokethesilencesuddenly．Itwaslikeabugle，butricher．

“Itisyoursister’shorn，”saidAslantoPeterinalowvoice；solowastobealmostapurr，ifitisnotdisrespectfultothinkofaLionpurring．

ForamomentPeterdidnotunderstand．Then，whenhesawalltheothercreaturesstartforwardandheardAslansaywithawaveofhispaw，“Back！LetthePrincewinhisspurs，”hedidunderstand，andsetoffrunningashardashecouldtothepavilion。Andtherehesawadreadfulsight．

TheNaiadsandDryadswerescatteringineverydirection。Lucywasrunningtowardshimasfastashershortlegswouldcarryherandherfacewasaswhiteaspaper．ThenhesawSusanmakeadashforatree，andswingherselfup，followedbyahugegreybeast．AtfirstPeterthoughtitwasabear．ThenhesawthatitlookedlikeanAlsatian，thoughitwasfartoobigtobeadog．Thenherealizedthatitwasawolf-awolfstandingonitshindlegs，withitsfrontpawsagainstthetree-trunk，snappingandsnarling．Allthehaironitsbackstooduponend．Susanhadnotbeenabletogethigherthanthesecondbigbranch．Oneofherlegshungdownsothatherfootwasonlyaninchortwoabovethesnappingteeth．Peterwonderedwhyshedidnotgethigheroratleasttakeabettergrip；thenherealizedthatshewasjustgoingtofaintandthatifshefaintedshewouldfalloff．

Peterdidnotfeelverybrave；indeed，hefelthewasgoingtobesick．Butthatmadenodifferencetowhathehadtodo．Herushedstraightuptothemonsterandaimedaslashofhisswordatitsside．ThatstrokeneverreachedtheWolf．Quickaslightningitturnedround，itseyesflaming，anditsmouthwideopeninahowlofanger．Ifithadnotbeensoangrythatitsimplyhadtohowlitwouldhavegothimbythethroatatonce．Asitwas-thoughallthishappenedtooquicklyforPetertothinkatall-hehadjusttimetoduckdownandplungehissword，ashardashecould，betweenthebrute’sforelegsintoitsheart．Thencameahorrible，confusedmomentlikesomethinginanightmare．HewastuggingandpullingandtheWolfseemedneitheralivenordead，anditsbaredteethknockedagainsthisforehead，andeverythingwasbloodandheatandhair．Amomentlaterhefoundthatthemonsterlaydeadandhehaddrawnhisswordoutofitandwasstraighteninghisbackandrubbingthesweatoffhisfaceandoutofhiseyes．Hefelttiredallover．