小说园

chater eight the hue f harfang（第1页）

“Goon，Pole，doyourstuff，”whisperedScrubb。

Jillfoundthathermouthwassodrythatshecouldn’tspeakaword。ShenoddedsavagelyatScrubb。

Thinkingtohimselfthathewouldneverforgiveher（orPuddleglumeither），ScrubblickedhislipsandshouteduptotheKinggiant。

“Ifyouplease，Sire，theLadyoftheGreenKirtlesalutesyoubyusandsaidyou’dliketohaveusforyourAutumnFeast。”

ThegiantKingandQueenlookedateachother，noddedtoeachother，andsmiledinawaythatJilldidn’texactlylike。ShelikedtheKingbetterthantheQueen。Hehadafine，curledbeardandastraighteagle-likenose，andwasreallyrathergood-lookingasgiantsgo。TheQueenwasdreadfullyfatandhadadoublechinandafat，powderedface—whichisn’taverynicethingatthebestoftimes，andofcourselooksmuchworsewhenitistentimestoobig。ThentheKingputouthistongueandlickedhislips。Anyonemightdothat：buthistonguewassoverylargeandred，andcameoutsounexpectedly，thatitgaveJillquiteashock。

“Oh，whatgoodchildren！”saidtheQueen。（“Perhapsshe’stheniceoneafterall，”thoughtJill。）

“Yesindeed，”saidtheKing。Quiteexcellentchildren。Wewelcomeyoutoourcourt。Givemeyourhands。”

Hestretcheddownhisgreatrighthand—verycleanandwithanynumberofringsonthefingers，butalsowithterriblepointednails。Hewasmuchtoobigtoshakethehandswhichthechildren，inturn，helduptohim；butheshookthearms。

“Andwhat’sthat？”askedtheKing，pointingtoPuddleglum。

“Reshpeckobiggle，”saidPuddleglum。

“Oh！”screamedtheQueen，gatheringherskirtscloseaboutherankles。“Thehorridthing！It’salive。”

“He’squiteallright，yourMajesty，really，heis，”saidScrubbhastily。“You’lllikehimmuchbetterwhenyougettoknowhim。I’msureyouwill。”

Ihopeyouwon’tloseallinterestinJillfortherestofthebookifItellyouthatatthismomentshebegantocry。Therewasagooddealofexcuseforher。Herfeetandhandsandearsandnosewerestillonlyjustbeginningtothaw；meltedsnowwastricklingoffherclothes；shehadhadhardlyanythingtoeatordrinkthatday；andherlegswereachingsothatshefeltshecouldnotgoonstandingmuchlonger。Anyway，itdidmoregoodatthemomentthananythingelsewouldhavedone，fortheQueensaid：“Ah，thepoorchild！Mylord，wedowrongtokeepourguestsstanding。Quick，someofyou！Takethemaway。Givethemfoodandwineandbaths。Comfortthelittlegirl。Giveherlollipops，giveherdolls，giveherphysics，giveherallyoucanthinkof—possetsandcomfitsandcarawaysandlullabiesandtoys。Don’tcry，littlegirl，oryouwon’tbegoodforanythingwhenthefeastcomes。”

JillwasjustasindignantasyouandIwouldhavebeenatthementionoftoysanddolls；and，thoughlollipopsandcomfitsmightbeallverywellintheirway，sheverymuchhopedthatsomethingmoresolidwouldbeprovided。TheQueen’sfoolishspeech，however，producedexcellentresults，forPuddleglumandScrubbwereatoncepickedupbygiganticgentlemen-in-waiting，andJillbyagiganticmaidofhonour，andcarriedofftotheirrooms。

Jill’sroomwasaboutthesizeofachurch，andwouldhavebeenrathergrimifithadnothadaroaringfireonthehearthandaverythickcrimsoncarpetonthefloor。Andheredelightfulthingsbegantohappentoher。ShewashandedovertotheQueen’soldNurse，whowas，fromthegiants’pointofview，alittleoldwomanalmostbentdoublewithage，and，fromthehumanpointofview，agiantesssmallenoughtogoaboutanordinaryroomwithoutknockingherheadontheceiling。Shewasverycapable，thoughJilldidwishshewouldn’tkeeponclickinghertongueandsayingthingslike“Ohla，la！Ups-a-daisy”and“There’saduck”and“Nowwe’llbeallright，mypoppet”。Shefilledagiantfoot-bathwithhotwaterandhelpedJillintoit。Ifyoucanswim（asJillcould）agiantbathisalovelything。Andgianttowels，

thoughabitroughandcoarse，arelovelytoo，becausethereareacresofthem。Infactyoudon’tneedtodryatall，youjustrollaboutontheminfrontofthefireandenjoyyourself。Andwhenthatwasover，clean，fresh，warmedclotheswereputonJill：verysplendidclothesandalittletoobigforher，butclearlymadeforhumansnotgiantesses。“Isupposeifthatwomaninthegreenkirtlecomeshere，theymustbeusedtoguestsofoursize，”thoughtJill。

Shesoonsawthatshewasrightaboutthis，foratableandchairoftherightheightforanordinarygrown-uphumanwereplacedforher，andtheknivesandforksandspoonswerethepropersizetoo。Itwasdelightfultositdown，feelingwarmandcleanatlast。Herfeetwerestillbareanditwaslovelytotreadonthegiantcarpet。Shesankinitwelloverheranklesanditwasjustthethingforsorefeet。Themeal—whichIsupposewemustcalldinner，thoughitwasnearerteatime—wascock-a-leekiesoup，andhotroastturkey，andasteamedpudding，androastchestnuts，andasmuchfruitasyoucouldeat。

TheonlyannoyingthingwasthattheNursekeptcominginandout，andeverytimeshecamein，shebroughtagigantictoywithher—ahugedoll，biggerthanJillherself，awoodenhorseonwheels，aboutthesizeofanelephant，adrumthatlookedlikeayounggasometer，andawoollylamb。Theywerecrude，badlymadethings，paintedinverybrightcolours，andJillhatedthesightofthem。ShekeptontellingtheNurseshedidn’twantthem，buttheNursesaid：“Tut-tut-tut-tut。You’llwant’emallrightwhenyou’vehadabitofarest，Iknow！Te-he-he！Beddybye，now。Apreciouspoppet！”

Thebedwasnotagiantbedbutonlyabigfour-poster，likewhatyoumightseeinanold-fashionedhotel；andverysmallitlookedinthatenormousroom。Shewasverygladtotumbleintoit。

“Isitstillsnowing，Nurse？”sheaskedsleepily。

“No。Rainingnow，ducky！”saidthegiantess。“Rain’llwashawayallthenastysnow。Preciouspoppetwillbeabletogooutandplaytomorrow！”AndshetuckedJillupandsaidgoodnight。

Iknownothingsodisagreeableasbeingkissedbyagiantess。Jillthoughtthesame，butwasasleepinfiveminutes。

Therainfellsteadilyalltheeveningandallthenight，dashingagainstthewindowsofthecastle，andJillneverhearditbutsleptdeeply，pastsuppertimeandpastmidnight。Andthencamethedeadesthourofthenightandnothingstirredbutmiceinthehouseofthegiants。AtthathourtherecametoJilladream。Itseemedtoherthatsheawokeinthesameroomandsawthefire，sunklowandred，andinthefirelightthegreatwoodenhorse。Andthehorsecameofitsownwill，rollingonitswheelsacrossthecarpet，andstoodatherhead。Andnowitwasnolongerahorse，butalionasbigasthehorse。Andthenitwasnotatoylion，butareallion，TheRealLion，justasshehadseenhimonthemountainbeyondtheworld’send。Andasmellofallsweet-smellingthingstherearefilledtheroom。ButtherewassometroubleinJill’smind，thoughshecouldnotthinkwhatitwas，andthetearsstreameddownherfaceandwetthepillow。TheLiontoldhertorepeatthesigns，andshefoundthatshehadforgottenthemall。Atthat，agreathorrorcameoverher。AndAslantookherupinhisjaws（shecouldfeelhislipsandhisbreathbutnothisteeth）andcarriedhertothewindowandmadeherlookout。Themoonshonebright；andwritteningreatlettersacrosstheworldorthesky（shedidnotknowwhich）werethewordsUNDERME。Afterthat，thedreamfadedaway，andwhenshewoke，verylatenextmorning，shedidnotrememberthatshehaddreamedatall。

ShewasupanddressedandhadfinishedbreakfastinfrontofthefirewhentheNurseopenedthedoorandsaid：“Here’sprettypoppet’slittlefriendscometoplaywithher。”

IncameScrubbandtheMarsh-wiggle。

“Hullo！Goodmorning，”saidJill。“Isn’tthisfun？I’vesleptaboutfifteenhours，Ibelieve。Idofeelbetter，don’tyou？”

“1do，”saidScrubb，“butPuddleglumsayshehasaheadache。Hullo！—yourwindowhasawindowseat。Ifwegotuponthat，wecouldseeout。”Andatoncetheyalldidso：andatthefirstglanceJillsaid，“Oh，howperfectlydreadful！”

Thesunwasshiningand，exceptforafewdrifts，thesnowhadbeenalmostcompletelywashedawaybytherain。Downbelowthem，spreadoutlikeamap，laytheflathill-topwhichtheyhadstruggledoveryesterdayafternoon；seenfromthecastle，itcouldnotbemistakenforanythingbuttheruinsofagiganticcity。Ithadbeenflat，asJillnowsaw，becauseitwasstill，onthewhole，paved，thoughinplacesthepavementwasbroken。Thecriss-crossbankswerewhatwasleftofthewallsofhugebuildingswhichmightoncehavebeengiants’palacesandtemples。Onebitofwall，aboutfivehundredfeethigh，wasstillstanding；itwasthatwhichshehadthoughtwasacliff。Thethingsthathadlookedlikefactorychimneyswereenormouspillars，brokenoffatunequalheights；theirfragmentslayattheirbaseslikefelledtreesofmonstrousstone。Theledgeswhichtheyhadclimbeddownonthenorthsideofthehill—andalso，nodoubttheotherledgeswhichtheyhadclimbeduponthesouthside—weretheremainingstepsofgiantstairs。Tocrownall，inlarge，darkletteringacrossthecentreofthepavement，ranthewordsUNDERME。

Thethreetravellerslookedateachotherindismay，and，afterashortwhistle，Scrubbsaidwhattheywereallthinking，“Thesecondandthirdsignsmuffed。”AndatthatmomentJill’sdreamrushedbackintohermind。

“It’smyfault，”shesaidindespairingtones。“I—I’dgivenuprepeatingthesignseverynight。IfI’dbeenthinkingaboutthemIcouldhaveseenitwasthecity，eveninallthatsnow。”

“I’mworse，”saidPuddleglum。“Ididsee，ornearly。Ithoughtitlookeduncommonlylikearuinedcity。”