小说园

chater elve hata narnia（第1页）

"WASitalladream?"wonderedShasta。Butitcouldn'thavebeenadreamforthereinthegrassbeforehimhesawthedeep，largeprintoftheLion'sfrontrightpaw。Ittookone'sbreathawaytothinkoftheweightthatcouldmakeafootprintlikethat。Buttherewassomethingmoreremarkablethanthesizeaboutit。Ashelookedatit，waterhadalreadyfilledthebottomofit。Soonitwasfulltothebrim，andthenoverflowing，andalittlestreamwasrunningdownhill，pasthim，overthegrass。

Shastastoopedanddrank-averylongdrink-andthendippedhisfaceinandsplashedhishead。Itwasextremelycold，andclearasglass，andrefreshedhimverymuch。Afterthathestoodup，shakingthewateroutofhisearsandflingingthewethairbackfromhisforehead，andbegantotakestockofhissurroundings。

Apparentlyitwasstillveryearlymorning。Thesunhadonlyjustrisen，andithadrisenoutoftheforestswhichhesawlowdownandfarawayonhisright。Thecountrywhichhewaslookingatwasabsolutelynewtohim。Itwasagreenvalley-landdottedwithtreesthroughwhichhecaughtthegleamofariverthatwoundawayroughlytotheNorth-West。Onthefarsideofthevalleytherewerehighandevenrockyhills，buttheywerelowerthanthemountainshehadseenyesterday。Thenhebegantoguesswherehewas。Heturnedandlookedbehindhimandsawthattheslopeonwhichhewasstandingbelongedtoarangeoffarhighermountains。

"Isee，"saidShastatohimself。"ThosearethebigmountainsbetweenArchenlandandNarnia。Iwasontheothersideofthemyesterday。Imusthavecomethroughthepassinthenight。WhatluckthatIhitit!Atleastitwasn'tluckatallreally，itwasHim。AndnowI'minNarnia。"

Heturnedandunsaddledhishorseandtookoffitsbridle-"Thoughyouareaperfectlyhorridhorse，"hesaid。Ittooknonoticeofthisremarkandimmediatelybeganeatinggrass。ThathorsehadaverylowopinionofShasta。

"IwishIcouldeatgrass!"thoughtShasta。"It'snogoodgoingbacktoAnvard，it'llallbebesieged。I'dbettergetlowerdownintothevalleyandseeifIcangetanythingtoeat。"

Sohewentondownhill（thethickdewwascruellycoldtohisbarefeet）tillhecameintoawood。Therewasakindoftrackrunningthroughitandhehadnotfollowedthisformanyminuteswhenheheardathickandratherwheezyvoicesayingtohim。"Goodmorning，neighbour。"Shastalookedroundeagerlytofindthespeakerandpresentlysawasmall，pricklypersonwithadarkfacewhohadjustcomeoutfromamongthetrees。Atleast，itwassmallforapersonbutverybigindeedforahedgehog，whichwaswhatitwas。

"Goodmorning，"saidShasta。"ButI'mnotaneighbour。InfactI'mastrangerintheseparts。"

"Ah?"saidtheHedgehoginquiringly。

"I'vecomeoverthemountains-fromArchenland，youknow。"

"Ah，Archenland，"saidtheHedgehog。"That'saterriblelongway。Neverbeentheremyself。"

"AndIthink，perhaps，"saidShasta，"someoneoughttobetoldthattheresanarmyofsavageCalormenesattackingAnvardatthisverymoment。"

"Youdon'tsayso!"answeredtheHedgehog。"Well，thinkofthat。AndtheydosaythatCalormenishundredsandthousandsofmilesaway，rightattheworldsend，acrossagreatseaofsand。"

"It'snotnearlyasfarasyouthink，"saidShasta。"AndoughtntsomethingtobedoneaboutthisattackonAnvard?OughtntyourHighKingtobetold?"

"Certainsure，somethingoughttobedoneaboutit，"saidtheHedgehog。"ButyouseeI'mjustonmywaytobedforagooddayssleep。Hullo，neighbour!"

Thelastwordswereaddressedtoanimmensebiscuit-colouredrabbitwhoseheadhadjustpoppedupfromsomewherebesidethepath。TheHedgehogimmediatelytoldtheRabbitwhatithadjustlearnedfromShasta。TheRabbitagreedthatthiswasveryremarkablenewsandthatsomebodyoughttotellsomeoneaboutitwithaviewtodoingsomething。

Andsoitwenton。Everyfewminutestheywerejoinedbyothercreatures，somefromthebranchesoverheadandsomefromlittleundergroundhousesattheirfeet，tillthepartyconsistedoffiverabbits，asquirrel，twomagpies，agoat-footfaun，andamouse，whoalltalkedatthesametimeandallagreedwiththeHedgehog。ForthetruthwasthatinthatgoldenagewhentheWitchandtheWinterhadgoneandPetertheHighKingruledatCairParavel，thesmallerwoodlandpeopleofNarniaweresosafeandhappythattheyweregettingalittlecareless。

Presently，however，twomorepracticalpeoplearrivedinthelittlewood。OnewasaRedDwarfwhosenameappearedtobeDuffle。Theotherwasastag，abeautifullordlycreaturewithwideliquideyes，dappledflanksandlegssothinandgracefulthattheylookedasifyoucouldbreakthemwithtwofingers。

"Lionalive!"roaredtheDwarfassoonashehadheardthenews。"Andifthat'sso，whyareweallstandingstill，chattering?EnemiesatAnvard!NewsmustbesenttoCairParavelatonce。Thearmymustbecalledout。NarniamustgototheaidofKingLune。"

"Ah!"saidtheHedgehog。"Butyouwon'tfindtheHighKingattheCair。HesawaytotheNorthtrouncingthosegiants。Andtalkingofgiants，neighbours，thatputsmeinmind—"

"Who'lltakeourmessage?"interruptedtheDwarf。

"Anyoneheregotmorespeedthanme?"

"I'vegotspeed，"saidtheStag。"What'smymessage?HowmanyCalormenes?"

"Twohundred:underPrinceRabadash。And-"ButtheStagwasalreadyaway-allfourlegsoffthegroundatonce，andinamomentitswhitesternhaddisappearedamongtheremotertrees。

"Wonderwherehe'sgoing，"saidaRabbit。"Hewon'tfindtheHighKingatCairParavel，youknow。"

"He'llfindQueenLucy，"saidDuffle。"Andthenhullo!WhatswrongwiththeHuman?Itlooksprettygreen。Why，Idobelieveitsquitefaint。Perhapsitsmortalhungry。Whendidyoulasthaveameal，youngster?"

"Yesterdaymorning，"saidShastaweakly。

"Comeon，then，comeon，"saidtheDwarf，atoncethrowinghisthicklittlearmsroundShastaswaisttosupporthim。

"Why，neighbours，weoughtalltobeashamedofourselves!Youcomewithme，lad。Breakfast!Betterthantalking。"

Withagreatdealofbustle，mutteringreproachestoitself，theDwarfhalfledandhalfsupportedShastaatagreatspeedfurtherintothewoodandalittledownhill。ItwasalongerwalkthanShastawantedatthatmomentandhislegshadbeguntofeelveryshakybeforetheycameoutfromthetreesontobarehillside。Theretheyfoundalittlehousewithasmokingchimneyandanopendoor，andastheycametothedoorwayDufflecalledout，

"Hey，brothers!Avisitorforbreakfast。"Andimmediately，mixedwithasizzlingsound，therecametoShastaasimplydelightfulsmell。Itwasonehehadneversmelledinhislifebefore，butIhopeyouhave。Itwas，infact，thesmellofbaconandeggsandmushroomsallfryinginapan。

"Mindyourhead，lad，"saidDuffleamomenttoolate，forShastahadalreadybashedhisforeheadagainstthelowlintelofthedoor。"Now，"continuedtheDwarf，"sityoudown。Thetablesabitlowforyou，butthenthestoolslowtoo。Thatsright。Andheresporridge-andheresajugofcream—andheresaspoon。"

BythetimeShastahadfinishedhisporridge，theDwarfstwobrothers（whosenameswereRoginandBricklethumb）wereputtingthedishofbaconandeggsandmushrooms，andthecoffeepotandthehotmilk，andthetoast，onthetable。

ItwasallnewandwonderfultoShastaforCalormenefoodisquitedifferent。Hedidntevenknowwhattheslicesofbrownstuffwere，forhehadneverseentoastbefore。Hedidntknowwhattheyellowsoftthingtheysmearedonthetoastwas，becauseinCalormenyounearlyalwaysgetoilinsteadofbutter。Andthehouseitselfwasquitedifferentfromthedark，frowsty，fish-smellingbutofArsheeshandfromthepillaredandcarpetedhallsinthepalacesofTashbaan。Theroofwasverylow，andeverythingwasmadeofwood，andtherewasacuckoo-clockandared-and-whitecheckedtable-clothandabowlofwildflowersandlittlecurtainsonthethick-panedwindows。Itwasalsorathertroublesomehavingtousedwarfcupsandplatesandknivesandforks。Thismeantthathelpingswereverysmall，butthentherewereagreatmanyhelpings，sothatShastasplateorcupwasbeingfilledeverymoment，andeverymomenttheDwarfsthemselvesweresaying，"Butterplease"，or"Anothercupofcoffee"，or"I'dlikeafewmoremushrooms"，or"Whataboutfryinganothereggorso?"AndwhenatlasttheyhadalleatenasmuchastheypossiblycouldthethreeDwarfsdrewlotsforwhowoulddothewashing-up，andRoginwastheunluckyone。ThenDuffleandBricklethumbtookShastaoutsidetoabenchwhichranagainstthecottagewall，andtheyallstretchedouttheirlegsandgaveagreatsighofcontentmentandthetwoDwarfslittheirpipes。Thedewwasoffthegrassnowandthesunwaswarm;indeed，iftherehadntbeenalightbreeze，itwouldhavebeentoohot。

"Now，Stranger，"saidDuffle，"I'llshowyouthelieoftheland。YoucanseenearlyallSouthNarniafromhere，andwereratherproudoftheview。Rightawayonyourleft，beyondthosenearhills，youcanjustseetheWesternMountains。AndthatroundhillawayonyourrightiscalledtheHilloftheStoneTable。Justbeyond—"

ButatthatmomenthewasinterruptedbyasnorefromShastawho，whatwithhisnightsjourneyandhisexcellentbreakfast，hadgonefastasleep。ThekindlyDwarfs，assoonastheynoticedthis，beganmakingsignstoeachothernottowakehim，andindeeddidsomuchwhisperingandnoddingandgettingupand-tiptoeingawaythattheycertainlywouldhavewakedhimifhehadbeenlesstired。

Hesleptprettywell-nearlyalldaybutwokeupintimeforsupper。Thebedsinthathousewerealltoosmallforhimbuttheymadehimafinebedofheatheronthefloor，andheneverstirrednordreamedallnight。Nextmorningtheyhadjustfinishedbreakfastwhentheyheardashrill，excitingsoundfromoutside。