669小说网

chater ne the icture the bedr（第1页）

THEREwasaboycalledEustaceClarenceScrubb，andhealmostdeservedit．HisparentscalledhimEustaceClarenceandmasterscalledhimScrubb．Ican’ttellyouhowhisfriendsspoketohim，forhehadnone．Hedidn’tcallhisFatherandMother“Father”and“Mother”，butHaroldandAlberta．Theywereveryup-to-dateandadvancedpeople．Theywerevegetarians，non-smokersandteetotallersandworeaspecialkindofunderclothes．Intheirhousetherewasverylittlefurnitureandveryfewclothesonbedsandthewindowswerealwaysopen．

EustaceClarencelikedanimals，especiallybeetles，iftheyweredeadandpinnedonacard．Helikedbooksiftheywerebooksofinformationandhadpicturesofgrainelevatorsoroffatforeignchildrendoingexercisesinmodelschools．

EustaceClarencedislikedhiscousinsthefourPevensies，Peter，Susan，EdmundandLucy．ButhewasquitegladwhenheheardthatEdmundandLucywerecomingtostay．Fordeepdown　insidehimhelikedbossingandbullying；and，thoughhewasapunylittlepersonwhocouldn’thavestoodupeventoLucy，letaloneEdmund，inafight，heknewthattherearedozensofwaystogivepeopleabadtimeifyouareinyourownhomeandtheyareonlyvisitors．

EdmundandLucydidnotatallwanttocomeandstaywithUncleHaroldandAuntAlberta．Butitreallycouldn’tbehelped．FatherhadgotajoblecturinginAmericaforsixteenweeksthatsummer，andMotherwastogowithhimbecauseshehadn’thadarealholidayfortenyears．PeterwasworkingveryhardforanexamandhewastospendtheholidaysbeingcoachedbyoldProfessorKirkeinwhosehousethesefourchildrenhadhadwonderfuladventureslongagointhewaryears．Ifhehadstillbeeninthathousehewouldhavehadthemalltostay．Buthehadsomehowbecomepoorsincetheolddaysandwaslivinginasmallcottagewithonlyonebedroomtospare．ItwouldhavecosttoomuchmoneytotaketheotherthreealltoAmerica，andSusanhadgone。

Grown-upsthoughthertheprettyoneofthefamilyandshewasnogoodatschoolwork（thoughotherwiseveryoldforherage）andMothersaidshe“wouldgetfarmoreoutofatriptoAmericathantheyoungsters”．EdmundandLucytriednottogrudgeSusanherluck，butitwasdreadfulhavingtospendthesummerholidaysattheirAunt’s．“Butit’sfarworseforme，”saidEdmund，“becauseyou’llatleasthavearoomofyourownandIshallhavetoshareabedroomwiththatrecordstinker，Eustace．”

ThestorybeginsonanafternoonwhenEdmundandLucywerestealingafewpreciousminutesalonetogether．AndofcoursetheyweretalkingaboutNarnia，whichwasthenameoftheirownprivateandsecretcountry．Mostofus，Isuppose，haveasecretcountrybutformostofusitisonlyanimaginarycountry．EdmundandLucywereluckierthanotherpeopleinthatrespect．Theirsecretcountrywasreal．Theyhadalreadyvisitedittwice；notinagameoradreambutinreality．TheyhadgotthereofcoursebyMagic，whichistheonlywayofgettingtoNarnia．Andapromise，orverynearlyapromise，hadbeenmadetheminNarniaitselfthattheywouldsomedaygetback．Youmayimaginethattheytalkedaboutitagooddeal，whentheygotthechance．

TheywereinLucy’sroom，sittingontheedgeofherbedandlookingatapictureontheoppositewall．Itwastheonlypictureinthehousethattheyliked．AuntAlbertadidn’tlikeitatall（thatwaswhyitwasputawayinalittlebackroomupstairs），butshecouldn’tgetridofitbecauseithadbeenaweddingpresentfromsomeoneshedidnotwanttooffend．

Itwasapictureofaship—ashipsailingstraighttowardsyou．Herprowwasgildedandshapedliketheheadofadragonwithwide-openmouth．Shehadonlyonemastandonelarge，squaresailwhichwasarichpurple．Thesidesoftheship—whatyoucouldseeofthemwherethegildedwingsofthedragonended—weregreen．Shehadjustrunuptothetopofonegloriousbluewave，andthenearerslopeofthatwavecamedowntowardsyou，withstreaksandbubblesonit．Shewasobviouslyrunningfastbeforeagaywind，listingoveralittleonherportside．（Bytheway，ifyouaregoingtoreadthisstoryatall，andifyoudon’tknowalready，youhadbettergetitintoyourheadthattheleftofashipwhenyouarelookingahead，isport，andtherightisstarboard．）Allthesunlightfellonherfromthatside，andthewateronthatsidewasfullofgreensandpurples．Ontheother，itwasdarkerbluefromtheshadowoftheship．

“Thequestionis，”saidEdmund，“whetheritdoesn’tmakethingsworse，lookingataNarnianshipwhenyoucan’tgetthere．”

“Evenlookingisbetterthannothing，”saidLucy．“AndsheissuchaveryNarnianship．”

“Stillplayingyouroldgame？”saidEustaceClarence，whohadbeenlisteningoutsidethedoorandnowcamegrinningintotheroom。Lastyear，whenhehadbeenstayingwiththePevensies，hehadmanagedtohearthemalltalkingofNarniaandhelovedteasingthemaboutit．Hethoughtofcoursethattheyweremakingitallup；andashewasfartoostupidtomakeanythinguphimself，hedidnotapproveofthat．

“You’renotwantedhere，”saidEdmundcurtly．

“I’mtryingtothinkofalimerick，”saidEustace．“Somethinglikethis：

“SomekidswhoplayedgamesaboutNarniaGotgraduallybalmierandbalmier—”

“WellNarniaandbalmierdon’trhyme，tobeginwith，”saidLucy。

“It’sanassonance，”saidEustace．

“Don’taskhimwhatanassy-thingummyis，”saidEdmund．“He’sonlylongingtobeasked．Saynothingandperhapshe’llgoaway．”

Mostboys，onmeetingareceptionlikethis，wouldeitherhaveclearedoutorflaredup．Eustacedidneither．Hejusthungaboutgrinning，andpresentlybegantalkingagain．

“Doyoulikethatpicture？”heasked．

“Forheaven’ssakedon’tlethimgetstartedaboutArtandallthat，”saidEdmundhurriedly，butLucy，whowasverytruthful，hadalreadysaid，“Yes，Ido．Ilikeitverymuch．”

“It’sarottenpicture，”saidEustace．

“Youwon’tseeitifyoustepoutside，”saidEdmund．

“Whydoyoulikeit？”saidEustacetoLucy．

“Well，foronething，”saidLucy，“Ilikeitbecausetheshiplooksasifitwasreallymoving．Andthewaterlooksasifitwasreallywet．Andthewaveslookasiftheywerereallygoingupanddown．”

OfcourseEustaceknewlotsofanswerstothis，buthedidn’tsayanything．Thereasonwasthatatthatverymomenthelookedatthewavesandsawthattheydidlookverymuchindeedasiftheyweregoingupanddown．Hehadonlyoncebeeninaship（andthenonlyasfarastheIsleofWight）andhadbeenhorriblyseasick．Thelookofthewavesinthepicturemadehimfeelsickagain．Heturnedrathergreenandtriedanotherlook．Andthenallthreechildrenwerestaringwithopenmouths．

Whattheywereseeingmaybehardtobelievewhenyoureaditinprint，butitwasalmostashardtobelievewhenyousawithappening．Thethingsinthepictureweremoving．Itdidn’tlookatalllikeacinemaeither；thecoloursweretoorealandcleanand　out-of-doorsforthat．Downwenttheprowoftheshipintothewaveandupwentagreatshockofspray．Andthenupwentthewavebehindher，andhersternandherdeckbecamevisibleforthefirsttime，andthendisappearedasthenextwavecametomeetherandherbowswentupagain．AtthesamemomentanexercisebookwhichhadbeenlyingbesideEdmundonthebedflapped，roseandsailedthroughtheairtothewallbehindhim，andLucyfeltallherhairwhippingroundherfaceasitdoesonawindyday。Andthiswasawindyday；butthewindwasblowingoutofthepicturetowardsthem．Andsuddenlywiththewindcamethenoises—theswishingofwavesandtheslapofwateragainsttheship’ssidesandthecreakingandtheover—allhighsteadyroarofairandwater。Butitwasthesmell，thewild，brinysmell，whichreallyconvincedLucythatshewasnotdreaming．

“Stopit，”cameEustace’svoice，squeakywithfrightandbadtemper．“It’ssomesillytrickyoutwoareplaying．Stopit．I’lltellAlberta—Ow！”

Theothertwoweremuchmoreaccustomedtoadventures，but，justexactlyasEustaceClarencesaid“Ow，”theybothsaid“Ow”too．Thereasonwasthatagreatcold，saltsplashhadbrokenrightoutoftheframeandtheywerebreathlessfromthesmackofit，besidesbeingwetthrough．

“I’llsmashtherottenthing，”criedEustace；andthenseveralthingshappenedatthesametime．Eustacerushedtowardsthepicture．Edmund，whoknewsomethingaboutmagic，sprangafterhim，warninghimtolookoutandnottobeafool．Lucygrabbedathimfromtheothersideandwasdraggedforward．Andbythistimeeithertheyhadgrownmuchsmallerorthepicturehadgrownbigger．Eustacejumpedtotrytopullitoffthewallandfoundhimselfstandingontheframe；infrontofhimwasnotglassbutrealsea，andwindandwavesrushinguptotheframeastheymighttoarock．Helosthisheadandclutchedattheothertwowhohadjumpedupbesidehim．Therewasasecondofstrugglingandshouting，andjustastheythoughttheyhadgottheirbalanceagreatbluerollersurgeduproundthem，sweptthemofftheirfeet，anddrewthemdownintothesea．Eustace’sdespairingcrysuddenlyendedasthewatergotintohismouth．

Lucythankedherstarsthatshehadworkedhardatherswimminglastsummerterm．Itistruethatshewouldhavegotonmuchbetterifshehadusedaslowerstroke，andalsothatthewaterfeltagreatdealcolderthanithadlookedwhileitwasonlyapicture。Still，shekeptherheadandkickedhershoesoff，aseveryoneoughttodowhofallsintodeepwaterintheirclothes．Sheevenkepthermouthshutandhereyesopen．Theywerestillquiteneartheship；shesawitsgreensidetoweringhighabovethem，andpeoplelookingatherfromthedeck．Then，asonemighthaveexpected，Eustaceclutchedatherinapanicanddowntheybothwent．