小说园

chater ne the ind（第2页）

“Mineareinmycoat-pocket，thereonthebeach，”saidPeter．“That’llbetwolunchesamongfour．Thisisn’tgoingtobesuchfun．”

“Atpresent，”saidLucy，“Iwantsomethingtodrinkmorethansomethingtoeat．”

Everyoneelsenowfeltthirsty，asoneusuallyisafterwadinginsaltwaterunderahotsun．

“It’slikebeingshipwrecked，”remarkedEdmund．“Inthebookstheyalwaysfindspringsofclear，freshwaterontheisland．We’dbettergoandlookforthem．”

“Doesthatmeanwehavetogobackintoallthatthickwood？”saidSusan．

“Notabitofit，”saidPeter．“Iftherearestreamsthey’reboundtocomedowntothesea，andifwewalkalongthebeachwe’reboundtocometothem．”

Theyallnowwadedbackandwentfirstacrossthesmooth，wetsandandthenuptothedry，crumblysandthatstickstoone’stoes，andbeganputtingontheirshoesandsocks．EdmundandLucywantedtoleavethembehindanddotheirexploringwithbarefeet，butSusansaidthiswouldbeamadthingtodo．“Wemightneverfindthemagain，”shepointedout，“andweshallwantthemifwe’restillherewhennightcomesanditbeginstobecold．”

Whentheyweredressedagaintheysetoutalongtheshorewiththeseaontheirlefthandandthewoodontheirright．Exceptforanoccasionalseagullitwasaveryquietplace．Thewoodwassothickandtangledthattheycouldhardlyseeintoitatall;andnothinginitmoved-notabird，notevenaninsect．

Shellsandseaweedandanemones，ortinycrabsinrock-pools，areallverywell，butyousoongettiredofthemifyouarethirsty．Thechildren’sfeet，afterthechangefromthecoolwater，felthotandheavy．SusanandLucyhadraincoatstocarry．Edmundhadputdownhiscoatonthestationseatjustbeforethemagicovertookthem，andheandPetertookitinturnstocarryPeter’sgreat-coat．

Presentlytheshorebegantocurveroundtotheright．Aboutquarterofanhourlater，aftertheyhadcrossedarockyridgewhichranoutintoapoint，itmadequiteasharpturn．Theirbackswerenowtothepartoftheseawhichhadmetthemwhentheyfirstcameoutofthewood，andnow，lookingahead，theycouldseeacrossthewateranothershore，thicklywoodedliketheonetheywereexploring．

“Iwonder，isthatanislandordowejoinontoitpresently？”saidLucy。

“Don’tknow，”saidPeterandtheyallploddedoninsilence．

Theshorethattheywerewalkingondrewnearerandnearertotheoppositeshore，andastheycameroundeachpromontorythechildrenexpectedtofindtheplacewherethetwojoined．Butinthistheyweredisappointed．Theycametosomerockswhichtheyhadtoclimbandfromthetoptheycouldseeafairwayaheadand-“Ohbother！”saidEdmund，“it’snogood．Weshan’tbeabletogettothoseotherwoodsatall．We’reonanisland！”

Itwastrue．Atthispointthechannelbetweenthemandtheoppositecoastwasonlyaboutthirtyorfortyyardswide;buttheycouldnowseethatthiswasitsnarrowestplace．Afterthat，theirowncoastbentroundtotherightagainandtheycouldseeopenseabetweenitandthemainland．Itwasobviousthattheyhadalreadycomemuchmorethanhalfwayroundtheisland．

“Look！”saidLucysuddenly．“What’sthat？”Shepointedtoalong，silvery，snake-likethingthatlayacrossthebeach．

“Astream！Astream！”shoutedtheothers，and，tiredastheywere，theylostnotimeinclatteringdowntherocksandracingtothefreshwater．Theyknewthatthestreamwouldbebettertodrinkfartherup，awayfromthebeach，sotheywentatoncetothespotwhereitcameoutofthewood．Thetreeswereasthickasever，butthestreamhadmadeitselfadeepcoursebetweenhighmossybankssothatbystoopingyoucouldfollowitupinasortoftunnelofleaves．Theydroppedontheirkneesbythefirstbrown，dimplypoolanddrankanddrank，anddippedtheirfacesinthewater，andthendippedtheirarmsinuptotheelbow．

“Now，”saidEdmund，“whataboutthosesandwiches？”

“Oh，hadn’twebetterhavethem？”saidSusan．“Wemayneedthemfarworselateron．”

“Idowish，”saidLucy，“nowthatwe’renotthirsty，wecouldgoonfeelingasnot-hungryaswedidwhenwewerethirsty．”

“Butwhataboutthosesandwiches？”repeatedEdmund．

“there’snogoodsavingthemtilltheygobad．You’vegottorememberit’sagooddealhotterherethaninEnglandandwe’vebeencarryingthemaboutinpocketsforhours．”Sotheygotoutthetwopacketsanddividedthemintofourportions，andnobodyhadquiteenough，butitwasagreatdealbetterthannothing．Thentheytalkedabouttheirplansforthenextmeal．Lucywantedtogobacktotheseaandcatchshrimps，untilsomeonepointedoutthattheyhadnonets．Edmundsaidtheymustgathergulls’eggsfromtherocks，butwhentheycametothinkofittheycouldn’trememberhavingseenanygulls’eggsandwouldn’tbeabletocookthemiftheyfoundany．Peterthoughttohimselfthatunlesstheyhadsomestrokeoflucktheywouldsoonbegladtoeateggsraw，buthedidn’tseeanypointinsayingthisoutloud．Susansaiditwasapitytheyhadeatenthesandwichessosoon．Oneortwotempersverynearlygotlostatthisstage．FinallyEdmundsaid:

“Lookhere．There’sonlyonethingtobedone．Wemustexplorethewood．Hermitsandknights-errantandpeoplelikethatalwaysmanagetolivesomehowifthey’reinaforest．Theyfindrootsandberriesandthings．”