小说园

chater ix the ele that lived hidg（第1页）

NOWbeganthehappiesttimesthatCaspianhadeverknown．OnafinesummermorningwhenthedewlayonthegrasshesetoffwiththeBadgerandthetwoDwarfs，upthroughtheforesttoahighsaddleinthemountainsanddownontotheirsunnysouthernslopeswhereonelookedacrossthegreenwoldsofArchenland．

“WewillgofirsttotheThreeBulgyBears，”saidTrumpkin．

Theycameinagladetoanoldhollowoaktreecoveredwithmoss，andTrufflehuntertappedwithhispawthreetimesonthetrunkandtherewasnoanswer．Thenhetappedagainandawoollysortofvoicefrominsidesaid，“Goaway．It’snottimetogetupyet．”Butwhenhetappedthethirdtimetherewasanoiselikeasmallearthquakefrominsideandasortofdooropenedandoutcamethreebrownbears，verybulgyindeedandblinkingtheirlittleeyes．Andwheneverythinghadbeenexplainedtothem（whichtookalongtimebecausetheyweresosleepy）theysaid，justasTrufflehunterhadsaid，thatasonofAdamoughttobeKingofNarniaandallkissedCaspian—verywet，snufflykissestheywere—andofferedhimsomehoney．Caspiandidnotreallywanthoney，withoutbread，atthattimeinthemorning，buthethoughtitpolitetoaccept．Ittookhimalongtimeafterwardstogetunsticky．

AfterthattheywentontilltheycameamongtallbeechtreesandTrufflehuntercalledout，“Pattertwig！Pattertwig！Pattertwig！”andalmostatonce，boundingdownfrombranchtobranchtillhewasjustabovetheirheads，camethemostmagnificentredsquirrelthatCaspianhadeverseen．Hewasfarbiggerthantheordinarydumbsquirrelswhichhehadsometimesseeninthecastlegardens;indeedhewasnearlythesizeofaterrierandthemomentyoulookedinhisfaceyousawthathecouldtalk．Indeedthedifficultywastogethimtostoptalking，for，likeallsquirrels，hewasachatterer．HewelcomedCaspianatonceandaskedifhewouldlikeanutandCaspiansaidthanks，hewould．ButasPattertwigwentboundingawaytofetchit，TrufflehunterwhisperedinCaspian’sear，“Don’tlook．Looktheotherway．It’sverybadmannersamongsquirrelstowatchanyonegoingtohisstoreortolookasifyouwantedtoknowwhereitwas．”ThenPattertwigcamebackwiththenutandCaspianateitandafterthatPattertwigaskedifhecouldtakeanymessagestootherfriends．“ForIcangonearlyeverywherewithoutsettingfoottoground，”hesaid．TrufflehunterandtheDwarfsthoughtthisaverygoodideaandgavePattertwigmessagestoallsortsofpeoplewithqueernamestellingthemalltocometoafeastandcouncilonDancingLawnatmidnightthreenightsahead．“Andyou’dbettertellthethreeBulgiestoo，”addedTrumpkin．“Weforgottomentionittothem．”

TheirnextvisitwastotheSevenBrothersofShudderingWood．Trumpkinledthewaybacktothesaddleandthendowneastwardonthenorthernslopeofthemountainstilltheycametoaverysolemnplaceamongrocksandfirtrees．TheywentveryquietlyandpresentlyCaspiancouldfeelthegroundshakeunderhisfeetasifsomeonewerehammeringdownbelow．Trumpkinwenttoaflatstoneaboutthesizeofthetopofawater-butt，andstampedonitwithhisfoot．Afteralongpauseitwasmovedawaybysomeoneorsomethingunderneath，andtherewasadark，roundholewithagooddealofheatandsteamcomingoutofitandinthemiddleoftheholetheheadofaDwarfverylikeTrumpkinhimself．TherewasalongtalkhereandtheDwarfseemedmoresuspiciousthantheSquirrelortheBulgyBearshadbeen，butintheendthewholepartywereinvitedtocomedown．Caspianfoundhimselfdescendingadarkstairwayintotheearth，butwhenhecametothebottomhesawfirelight．Itwasthelightofafurnace．Thewholeplacewasasmithy．Asubterraneanstreamranpastononesideofit．TwoDwarfswereatthebellows，anotherwasholdingapieceofred-hotmetalontheanvilwithapairoftongs，afourthwashammeringit，andtwo，wipingtheirhornylittlehandsonagreasycloth，werecomingforwardtomeetthevisitors．IttooksometimetosatisfythemthatCaspianwasafriendandnotanenemy，butwhentheydid，theyallcried—“LonglivetheKing，”andtheirgiftswerenoble—mailshirtsandhelmetsandswordsforCaspianandTrumpkinandNikabrik．TheBadgercouldhavehadthesameifhehadliked，buthesaidhewasabeast，hewas，andifhisclawsandteethcouldnotkeephisskinwhole，itwasn’tworthkeeping．TheworkmanshipofthearmswasfarfinerthananyCaspianhadeverseen，andhegladlyacceptedtheDwarf-madeswordinsteadofhisown，whichlooked，incomparison，asfeebleasatoyandasclumsyasastick．Thesevenbrothers（whowereallRedDwarfs）promisedtocometothefeastatDancingLawn。

Alittlefartheron，inadry，rockyravinetheyreachedthecaveoffiveBlackDwarfs．TheylookedsuspiciouslyatCaspian，butintheendtheeldestofthemsaid，“IfheisagainstMiraz，we’llhavehimforKing．”Andthenextoldestsaid，“Shallwegofartherupforyou，uptothecrags？There’sanOgreortwoandaHagthatwecouldintroduceyouto，upthere．”

“Certainlynot，”saidCaspian．

“Ishouldthinknot，indeed，”saidTrufflehunter．“Wewantnoneofthatsortonourside．”Nikabrikdisagreedwiththis，butTrumpkinandtheBadgeroverruledhim．ItgaveCaspianashocktorealizethatthehorriblecreaturesoutoftheoldstories，aswellastheniceones，hadsomedescendantsinNarniastill．

“WeshouldnothaveAslanforfriendifwebroughtinthatrabble，”saidTrufflehunterastheycameawayfromthecaveoftheBlackDwarfs．

“Oh，Aslan！”saidTrumpkin，cheerilybutcontemptuously。

“Whatmattersmuchmoreisthatyouwouldn’thaveme．”

“DoyoubelieveinAslan？”saidCaspiantoNikabrik．

“I’llbelieveinanyoneoranything，”saidNikabrik，“that’llbatterthesecursedTelmarinebarbarianstopiecesordrivethemoutofNarnia．Anyoneoranything，AslanortheWhiteWitch，doyouunderstand？”

“Silence，silence，”saidTrufflehunter．“Youdonotknowwhatyouaresaying．ShewasaworseenemythanMirazandallhisrace．”

“NottoDwarfs，shewasn’t，”saidNikabrik．

Theirnextvisitwasapleasanterone．Astheycamelowerdown，themountainsopenedoutintoagreatglenorwoodedgorgewithaswiftriverrunningatthebottom．Theopenplacesneartheriver’sedgewereamassoffoxglovesandwildrosesandtheairwasbuzzingwithbees．HereTrufflehuntercalledagain，“Glenstorm！Glenstorm！”andafterapauseCaspianheardthesoundofhoofs．Itgrewloudertillthevalleytrembledandatlast，breakingandtramplingthethickets，therecameinsightthenoblestcreaturesthatCaspianhadyetseen，thegreatCentaurGlenstormandhisthreesons．Hisflankswereglossychestnutandthebeardthatcoveredhisbroadchestwasgolden-red．Hewasaprophetandastar-gazerandknewwhattheyhadcomeabout．

“LonglivetheKing，”hecried．“Iandmysonsarereadyforwar．Whenisthebattletobejoined？”

UptillnowneitherCaspiannortheothershadreallybeenthinkingofawar．Theyhadsomevagueidea，perhaps，ofanoccasionalraidonsomeHumanfarmsteadorofattackingapartyofhunters，ifitventuredtoofarintothesesouthernwilds．But，inthemain，theyhadthoughtonlyoflivingtothemselvesinwoodsandcavesandbuildingupanattemptatOldNarniainhiding．AssoonasGlenstormhadspokeneveryonefeltmuchmoreserious．

“DoyoumeanarealwartodriveMirazoutofNarnia？”askedCaspian。

“Whatelse？”saidtheCentaur．“WhyelsedoesyourMajestygocladinmailandgirtwithsword？”

“Isitpossible，Glenstorm？”saidtheBadger．

“Thetimeisripe，”saidGlenstorm．“Iwatchtheskies，Badger，foritisminetowatch，asitisyourstoremember．TarvaandAlambilhavemetinthehallsofhighheaven，andonearthasonofAdamhasoncemorearisentoruleandnamethecreatures．Thehourhasstruck．OurcouncilattheDancingLawnmustbeacouncilofwar．”HespokeinsuchavoicethatneitherCaspiannortheothershesitatedforamoment:itnowseemedtothemquitepossiblethattheymightwinawarandquitecertainthattheymustwageone．

Asitwasnowpastthemiddleoftheday，theyrestedwiththeCentaursandatesuchfoodasthecentaursprovided—cakesofoatenmeal，andapples，andherbs，andwine，andcheese．

Thenextplacetheyweretovisitwasquitenearathand，buttheyhadtogoalongwayroundinordertoavoidaregioninwhichMenlived．Itwaswellintotheafternoonbeforetheyfoundthemselvesinlevelfields，warmbetweenhedgerows．ThereTrufflehuntercalledatthemouthofalittleholeinagreenbankandoutpoppedthelastthingCaspianexpected—aTalkingMouse．Hewasofcoursebiggerthanacommonmouse，welloverafoothighwhenhestoodonhishindlegs，andwithearsnearlyaslongas（thoughbroaderthan）arabbit’s．HisnamewasReepicheepandhewasagayandmartialmouse．Heworeatinylittlerapierathissideandtwirledhislongwhiskersasiftheywereamoustache．“Therearetwelveofus，Sire，”hesaidwithadashingandgracefulbow，“andIplacealltheresourcesofmypeopleunreservedlyatyourMajesty’sdisposal．”Caspiantriedhard（andsuccessfully）nottolaugh，buthecouldn’thelpthinkingthatReepicheepandallhispeoplecouldveryeasilybeputinawashingbasketandcarriedhomeonone’sback．

ItwouldtaketoolongtomentionallthecreatureswhomCaspianmetthatday—ClodsleyShoveltheMole，thethreeHardbiters（whowerebadgerslikeTrufflehunter），CamillotheHare，andHogglestocktheHedgehog．Theyrestedatlastbesideawellattheedgeofawideandlevelcircleofgrass，borderedwithtallelmswhichnowthrewlongshadowsacrossit，forthesunwassetting，thedaisiesclosing，andtherooksflyinghometobed．HeretheysuppedonfoodtheyhadbroughtwiththemandTrumpkinlithispipe（Nikabrikwasnotasmoker）．