小说园

chater ne what cy aw（第1页）

SUSANandthetwoboyswerebitterlytiredwithrowingbeforetheyroundedthelastheadlandandbeganthefinalpullupGlasswateritself，andLucy’sheadachedfromthelonghoursofsunandtheglareonthewater．EvenTrumpkinlongedforthevoyagetobeover．Theseatonwhichhesattosteerhadbeenmadeformen，notDwarfs，andhisfeetdidnotreachthefloor-boards;andeveryoneknowshowuncomfortablethatisevenfortenminutes。Andastheyallgrewmoretired，theirspiritsfell。UptillnowthechildrenhadonlybeenthinkingofhowtogettoCaspian．Nowtheywonderedwhattheywoulddowhentheyfoundhim，andhowahandfulofDwarfsandwoodlandcreaturescoulddefeatanarmyofgrown-upHumans．

TwilightwascomingonastheyrowedslowlyupthewindingsofGlasswaterCreek-atwilightwhichdeepenedasthebanksdrewclosertogetherandtheoverhangingtreesbeganalmosttomeetoverhead．Itwasveryquietinhereasthesoundoftheseadiedawaybehindthem;theycouldevenhearthetrickleofthelittlestreamsthatpoureddownfromtheforestintoGlasswater．

Theywentashoreatlast，fartootiredtoattemptlightingafire;andevenasupperofapples（thoughmostofthemfeltthattheyneverwantedtoseeanappleagain）seemedbetterthantryingtocatchorshootanything．Afteralittlesilentmunchingtheyallhuddleddowntogetherinthemossanddeadleavesbetweenfourlargebeechtrees．

EveryoneexceptLucywenttosleepatonce．Lucy，beingfarlesstired，foundithardtogetcomfortable．Also，shehadforgottentillnowthatallDwarfssnore．Sheknewthatoneofthebestwaysofgettingtosleepistostoptrying，sosheopenedhereyes．ThroughagapinthebrackenandbranchesshecouldjustseeapatchofwaterintheCreekandtheskyaboveit．Then，withathrillofmemory，shesawagain，afterallthoseyears，thebrightNarnianstars．Shehadonceknownthembetterthanthestarsofourownworld，becauseasaQueeninNarniashehadgonetobedmuchlaterthanasachildinEngland．Andtheretheywere—atleast，threeofthesummerconstellationscouldbeseenfromwhereshelay:theShip，theHammer，andtheLeopard．“DearoldLeopard，”shemurmuredhappilytoherself．

Insteadofgettingdrowsiershewasgettingmoreawake—withanodd，night-time，dreamishkindofwakefulness．TheCreekwasgrowingbrighter．Sheknewnowthatthenmoonwasonit，thoughshecouldn’tseethemoon．Andnowshebegantofeelthatthewholeforestwascomingawakelikeherself．Hardlyknowingwhyshedidit，shegotupquicklyandwalkedalittledistanceawayfromtheirbivouac．

“Thisislovely，”saidLucytoherself．Itwascoolandfresh，delicioussmellswerefloatingeverywhere．Somewhereclosebysheheardthetwitterofanightingalebeginningtosing，thenstopping，thenbeginningagain．Itwasalittlelighterahead．Shewenttowardsthelightandcametoaplacewheretherewerefewertrees，andwholepatchesorpoolsofmoonlight，butthemoonlightandtheshadowssomixedthatyoucouldhardlybesurewhereanythingwasorwhatitwas．Atthesamemomentthenightingale，satisfiedatlastwithhistuningup，burstintofullsong．

Lucy’seyesbegantogrowaccustomedtothelight，andshesawthetreesthatwerenearesthermoredistinctly．AgreatlongingfortheolddayswhenthetreescouldtalkinNarniacameoverher．Sheknewexactlyhoweachofthesetreeswouldtalkifonlyshecouldwakethem，andwhatsortofhumanformitwouldputon．Shelookedatasilverbirch:itwouldhaveasoft，showeryvoiceandwouldlooklikeaslendergirl，withhairblownallaboutherface，andfondofdancing．Shelookedattheoak:hewouldbeawizened，butheartyoldmanwithafrizzledbeardandwartsonhisfaceandhands，andhairgrowingoutofthewarts．Shelookedatthebeechunderwhichshewasstanding．Ah！—shewouldbethebestofall．Shewouldbeagraciousgoddess，smoothandstately，theladyofthewood。

“Oh，Trees，Trees，Trees，”saidLucy（thoughshehadnotbeenintendingtospeakatall）．“Oh，Trees，wake，wake，wake．Don’tyourememberit？Don’tyourememberme？DryadsandHamadryads，comeout，cometome．”

Thoughtherewasnotabreathofwindtheyallstirredabouther．Therustlingnoiseoftheleaveswasalmostlikewords．Thenightingalestoppedsingingasiftolistentoit．Lucyfeltthatatanymomentshewouldbegintounderstandwhatthetreesweretryingtosay．Butthemomentdidnotcome．Therustlingdiedaway．Thenightingaleresumeditssong．Eveninthemoonlightthewoodlookedmoreordinaryagain．YetLucyhadthefeeling（asyousometimeshavewhenyouaretryingtorememberanameoradateandalmostgetit，butitvanishesbeforeyoureallydo）thatshehadjustmissedsomething:asifshehadspokentothetreesasplitsecondtoosoonorasplitsecondtoolate，orusedalltherightwordsexceptone，orputinonewordthatwasjustwrong．

Quitesuddenlyshebegantofeeltired．Shewentbacktothebivouac，snuggleddownbetweenSusanandPeter，andwasasleepinafewminutes．

Itwasacoldandcheerlesswakingforthemallnextmorning，withagreytwilightinthewood（forthesunhadnotyetrisen）andeverythingdampanddirty．

“Apples，heigh-ho，”saidTrumpkinwitharuefulgrin．“Imustsayyouancientkingsandqueensdon’toverfeedyourcourtiers！”

Theystoodupandshookthemselvesandlookedabout．Thetreeswerethickandtheycouldseenomorethanafewyardsinanydirection．

“IsupposeyourMajestiesknowthewayallright？”saidtheDwarf。

“Idon’t，”saidSusan．“I’veneverseenthesewoodsinmylifebefore．InfactIthoughtallalongthatweoughttohavegonebytheriver．”

“ThenIthinkyoumighthavesaidsoatthetime，”answeredPeter，withpardonablesharpness．

“Oh，don’ttakeanynoticeofher，”saidEdmund．“Shealwaysisawetblanket．You’vegotthatpocketcompassofyours，Peter，haven’tyou？Well，then，we’reasrightasrain。We’veonlygottokeepongoingnorthwest—crossthatlittleriver，thewhat-do-you-call-it？—theRush—”

“Iknow，”saidPeter．“TheonethatjoinsthebigriverattheFordsofBeruna，orBeruna’sBridge，astheD．L．F．callsit．”

“That’sright．Crossitandstrikeuphill，andwe’llbeattheStoneTable（Aslan’sHow，Imean）byeightornineo’clock．IhopeKingCaspianwillgiveusagoodbreakfast！”

“Ihopeyou’reright，”saidSusan．“Ican’trememberallthatatall．”

“That’stheworstofgirls，”saidEdmundtoPeterandtheDwarf．“Theynevercarryamapintheirheads．”

“That’sbecauseourheadshavesomethinginsidethem，”saidLucy。

Atfirstthingsseemedtobegoingprettywell．Theyeventhoughttheyhadstruckanoldpath;butifyouknowanythingaboutwoods，youwillknowthatoneisalwaysfindingimaginarypaths．Theydisappearafteraboutfiveminutesandthenyouthinkyouhavefoundanother（andhopeitisnotanotherbutmoreofthesameone）anditalsodisappears，andafteryouhavebeenwellluredoutofyourrightdirectionyourealizethatnoneofthemwerepatsatall．TheboysandtheDwarf，however，wereusedtowoodsandwerenottakeninformorethanafewseconds．

Theyhadploddedonforabouthalfanhour（threeofthemverystifffromyesterday’srowing）whenTrumpkinsuddenlywhispered，“Stop．”Theyallstopped．“there’ssomethingfollowingus，”hesaidinalowvoice．“Orrather，somethingkeepingupwithus:overthereontheleft．”Theyallstoodstill，listeningandstaringtilltheirearsandeyesached．“YouandI’dbettereachhaveanarrowonthestring，”saidSusantoTrumpkin．TheDwarfnodded，andwhenbothbowswerereadyforactionthepartywentonagain．

Theywentafewdozenyardsthroughfairlyopenwoodland，keepingasharplook-out．Thentheycametoaplacewheretheundergrowththickenedandtheyhadtopassnearertoit．Justastheywerepassingtheplace，therecameasuddensomethingthatsnarledandflashed，risingoutfromthebreakingtwigslikeathunderbolt．Lucywasknockeddownandwinded，hearingthetwangofabowstringasshefell．Whenshewasabletotakenoticeofthingsagain，shesawagreatgrim-lookinggreybearlyingdeadwithTrumpkin’sarrowinitsside．

“TheD．L．F．beatyouinthatshootingmatch，Su，”saidPeter，withaslightlyforcedsmile．Evenhehadbeenshakenbythisadventure．

“I—Ileftittoolate，”saidSusan，inanembarrassedvoice．“Iwassoafraiditmightbe，youknow—oneofourkindofbears，atalkingbear．”Shehatedkillingthings．

“That’sthetroubleofit，”saidTrumpkin，“whenmostofthebeastshavegoneenemyandgonedumb，buttherearestillsomeoftheotherkindleft．Youneverknow，andyoudaren’twaittosee．”

“PooroldBruin，”saidSusan．“Youdon’tthinkhewas？”

“Nothe，”saidtheDwarf．“IsawthefaceandIheardthesnarl．HeonlywantedLittleGirlforhisbreakfast．Andtalkingofbreakfast，Ididn’twanttodiscourageyourMajestieswhenyousaidyouhopedKingCaspianwouldgiveyouagoodone:butmeat’spreciousscarceincamp．Andthere’sgoodeatingonabear。Itwouldbeashametoleavethecarcasswithouttakingabit，anditwon’tdelayusmorethanhalfanhour．Idaresayyoutwoyoungsters—Kings，Ishouldsay—knowhowtoskinabear？”

“Let’sgoandsitdownafairwayoff，”saidSusantoLucy．“Iknowwhatahorridmessybusinessthatwillbe．”Lucyshudderedandnodded．Whentheyhadsatdownshesaid:“Suchahorribleideahascomeintomyhead，Su．”

“What’sthat？”

“Wouldn’titbedreadfulifsomedayinourownworld，athome，menstartedgoingwildinside，liketheanimalshere，andstilllookedlikemen，sothatyou’dneverknowwhichwerewhich？”