小说园

chater fur the dwarf tell f rce caian（第2页）

CaspianfeltsurethathewouldhatethenewTutor，buywhenthenewTutorarrivedaboutaweeklaterheturnsouttobethesortofpersonitisalmostimpossiblenottolike．Hewasthesmallest，andalsothefattest，manCaspianhadeverseen．Hehadalong，silvery，pointedbeardwhichcamedowntohiswaist，andhisface，whichwasbrownandcoveredwithwrinkles，lookedverywise，veryugly，andverykind．Hisvoicewasgraveandhiseyesweremerrysothat，untilyougottoknowhimreallywell，itwashardtoknowwhenhewasjokingandwhenhewasserious．HisnamewasDoctorCornelius．

OfallhislessonswithDoctorCorneliustheonethatCaspianlikedbestwasHistory．Uptillnow，exceptforNurse’sstories，hehadknownnothingabouttheHistoryofNarnia，andhewasverysurprisedtolearnthattheroyalfamilywerenewcomersinthecountry。

“ItwasyourHighness’sancestor，CaspiantheFirst，”saidDoctorCornelius，“whofirstconqueredNarniaandmadeithiskingdom．Itwashewhobroughtallyournationintothecountry．YouarenotnativeNarniansatall．YouareallTelmarines—thatis，youallcamefromtheLandofTelmar，farbeyondtheWesternMountains．ThatiswhyCaspiantheFirstiscalledCaspiantheConqueror．”

“Please，Doctor，”askedCaspianoneday，“wholivedinNarniabeforeweallcamehereoutofTelmar？”

“Nomen—orveryfew—livedinNarniabeforetheTelmarinestookit，”saidDoctorCornelius．

“Thenwhodidmygreat-great-grandcestersconquer？”

“Whom，notwho，yourHighness，”saidDoctorCornelius．“PerhapsitistimetoturnfromHistorytoGrammar．”

“Ohplease，notyet！”saidCaspian．

“Imean，wasn’tthereabattle？WhyishecalledCaspiantheConqueroriftherewasnobodytofightwithhim？”

“IsaidtherewereveryfewmeninNarnia，”saidtheDoctor，lookingatthelittleboyverystrangelythroughhisgreatspectacles．

ForamomentCaspianwaspuzzledandthensuddenlyhisheartgavealeap．“Doyoumean，”hegasped，“thattherewereotherthings？Doyoumeanitwaslikeinthestories？Werethere-？”

“Hush！”saidDoctorCornelius，layinghisheadveryclosetoCaspian’s．“Notawordmore．Don’tyouknowyourNursewassentawayfortellingyouaboutOldNarnia？TheKingdoesn’tlikeit．Ifhefoundmetellingyousecrets，you’dbewhippedandIshouldhavemyheadcutoff．”

“Butwhy？”askedCaspian．

“1tishightimeweturnedtoGrammarnow，”saidDoctorCorneliusinaloudvoice．“WillyourRoyalHighnessbepleasedtoopenPulverulentusSiccusatthefourthpageofhisGrammaticalgardenortheArbourofAccidencepleasantlieopen’dtoTenderWits？”

Afterthatitwasallnounsandverbstilllunchtime，butIdon’tthinkCaspianlearnedmuch．Hewastooexcited．HefeltsurethatDoctorCorneliuswouldnothavesaidsomuchunlesshemeanttotellhimmoresoonerorlater．

Inthishewasnotdisappointed．AfewdayslaterhisTutorsaid，“TonightIamgoingtogiveyoualessoninAstronomy．Atdeadofnighttwonobleplanets，TarvaandAlambil，willpasswithinonedegreeofeachother．Suchaconjunctionhasnotoccurredfortwohundredyears，andyourHighnesswillnotlivetoseeitagain．Itwillbebestifyougotobedalittleearlierthanusual．Whenthetimeoftheconjunctiondrawsnear，Iwillcomeandwakeyou．”

Thisdidn’tseemtohaveanythingtodowithOldNarnia，whichwaswhatCaspianreallywantedtohearabout，butgettingupinthemiddleofthenightisalwaysinterestingandhewasmoderatelypleased．Whenhewenttobedthatnight，hethoughtatfirstthathewouldnotbeabletosleep;buthesoondroppedoffanditseemedonlyafewminutesbeforehefeltsomeonegentlyshakinghim．

Hesatupinbedandsawthattheroomwasfullofmoonlight．

DoctorCornelius，muffledinahoodedrobeandholdingasmalllampinhishand，stoodbythebedside．

Caspianrememberedatoncewhattheyweregoingtodo．Hegotupandputonsomeclothes．AthoughitwasasummernighthefeltcolderthanhehadexpectedandwasquitegladwhentheDoctorwrappedhiminarobelikehisownandgavehimapairofwarm，softbuskinsforhisfeet．Amomentlater，bothmuffledsothattheycouldhardlybeseeninthedarkcorridors，andbothshodsothattheymadealmostnonoise，masterandpupillefttheroom．

CaspianfollowedtheDoctorthroughmanypassagesandupseveralstaircases，andatlast，throughalittledoorinaturret，theycameoutupontheleads．Ononesidewerethebattlements，ontheotherasteeproof;belowthem，allshadowyandshimmery，thecastlegardens;abovethem，starsandmoon．Presentlytheycametoanotherdoor，whichledintothegreatcentraltowerofthewholecastle:DoctorCorneliusunlockeditandtheybegantoclimbthedarkwindingstairofthetower．Caspianwasbecomingexcited;hehadneverbeenallowedupthisstairbefore．

Itwaslongandsteep，butwhentheycameoutontheroofofthetowerandCaspianhadgothisbreath，hefeltthatithadbeenwellworthit．Awayonhisrighthecouldsee，ratherindistinctly，theWesternMountains．OnhisleftwasthegleamoftheGreatRiver，andeverythingwassoquietthathecouldhearthesoundofthewaterfallatBeaversdam，amileaway．Therewasnodifficultyinpickingoutthetwostarstheyhadcometosee．Theyhungratherlowinthesouthernsky，almostasbrightastwolittlemoonsandveryclosetogether．