小说园

chater ne hw they dicvered thg wrth kng（第1页）

THEothersadmittedafterwardsthatJillhadbeenwonderfulthatday。AssoonastheKingandtherestofthehuntingpartyhadsetoff，shebeganmakingatourofthewholecastleandaskingquestions，butallinsuchaninnocent，babyishwaythatnoonecouldsuspectherofanysecretdesign。Thoughhertonguewasneverstill，youcouldhardlysayshetalked：sheprattledandgiggled。Shemadelovetoeveryone—thegrooms，theporters，thehousemaids，theladies-in-waiting，andtheelderlygiantlordswhosehuntingdayswerepast。Shesubmittedtobeingkissedandpawedaboutbyanynumberofgiantesses，manyofwhomseemedsorryforherandcalledher“apoorlittlething”thoughnoneofthemexplainedwhy。Shemadeespecialfriendswiththecookanddiscoveredtheall-importantfacttherewasascullerydoorwhichletyououtthroughtheouterwall，sothatyoudidnothavetocrossthecourtyardorpassthegreatgatehouse。Inthekitchenshepretendedtobegreedy，andateallsortsofscrapswhichthecookandscullionsdelightedtogiveher。Butupstairsamongtheladiessheaskedquestionsabouthowshewouldbedressedforthegreatfeast，andhowlongshewouldbeallowedtositup，andwhethershewoulddancewithsomevery，verysmallgiant。Andthen（itmadeherhotalloverwhensheremembereditafterwards）shewouldputherheadononesideinanidioticfashionwhichgrown-ups，giantandotherwise，thoughtveryfetching，andshakehercurls，andfidget，andsay，“Oh，Idowishitwastomorrownight，don’tyou？Doyouthinkthetimewillgoquicklytillthen？”Andallthegiantessessaidshewasaperfectlittledarling；andsomeofthemdabbedtheireyeswithenormoushandkerchiefsasiftheyweregoingtocry。

“They’redearlittlethingsatthatage，”saidonegiantesstoanother。“Itseemsalmostapity。。。”

ScrubbandPuddleglumbothdidtheirbest，butgirlsdothatkindofthingbetterthanboys。EvenboysdoitbetterthanMarsh-wiggles。

AtlunchtimesomethinghappenedwhichmadeallthreeofthemmoreanxiousthanevertoleavethecastleoftheGentleGiants。Theyhadlunchinthegreathallatalittletableoftheirown，nearthefireplace。Atabiggertable，abouttwentyyardsaway，halfadozenoldgiantswerelunching。Theirconversationwassonoisy，andsohighupintheair，thatthechildrensoontooknomorenoticeofitthanyouwouldofhootersoutsidethewindowortrafficnoisesinthestreet。Theywereeatingcoldvenison，akindoffoodwhichJillhadnevertastedbefore，andshewaslikingit。

SuddenlyPuddleglumturnedtothem，andhisfacehadgonesopalethatyoucouldseethepalenessunderthenaturalmuddinessofhiscomplexion。Hesaid：

“Don’teatanotherbite。”

“What’swrong？”askedtheothertwoinawhisper。

“Didn’tyouhearwhatthosegiantsweresaying？‘That’sanicetenderhaunchofvenison，’saidoneofthem。‘Thenthatstagwasaliar，’saidanother。‘Why？’saidthefirstone。‘Oh，’saidtheother。‘Theysaythatwhenhewascaughthesaid，Don’tkillme，I’mtough。Youwon’tlikeme。’‘ForamomentJilldidnotrealizethefullmeaningofthis。ButshedidwhenScrubb’seyesopenedwidewithhorrorandhesaid：

“Sowe’vebeeneatingaTalkingstag。”

Thisdiscoverydidn’thaveexactlythesameeffectonallofthem。Jill，whowasnewtothatworld，wassorryforthepoorstagandthoughtitrottenofthegiantstohavekilledhim。Scrubb，whohadbeeninthatworldbeforeandhadatleastoneTalkingbeastashisdearfriend，felthorrified；asyoumightfeelaboutamurder。ButPuddleglum，whowasNarnianborn，wassickandfaint，andfeltasyouwouldfeelifyoufoundyouhadeatenababy。

“We’vebroughttheangerofAslanonus，”hesaid。“That’swhatcomesofnotattendingtothesigns。We’reunderacurse，Iexpect。Ifitwasallowed，itwouldbethebestthingwecoulddo，totaketheseknivesanddrivethemintoourownhearts。”

AndgraduallyevenJillcametoseeitfromhispointofview。Atanyrate，noneofthemwantedanymorelunch。Andassoonastheythoughtitsafetheycreptquietlyoutofthehall。

Itwasnowdrawingneartothattimeofthedayonwhichtheirhopesofescapedepended，andallbecamenervous。Theyhungaboutinpassagesandwaitedforthingstobecomequiet。Thegiantsinthehallsatonadreadfullylongtimeafterthemealwasover。Thebaldonewastellingastory。Whenthatwasover，thethreetravellersdawdleddowntothekitchen。Buttherewerestillplentyofgiantsthere，oratleastinthescullery，washingupandputtingthingsaway。Itwasagonizing，waitingtillthesefinishedtheirjobsand，onebyone，wipedtheirhandsandwentaway。Atlastonlyoneoldgiantesswasleftintheroom。Shepotteredabout，andpotteredabout，andatlastthethreetravellersrealizedwithhorrorthatshedidnotintendtogoawayatall。

“Well，dearies，”shesaidtothem。“Thatjob’saboutthrough。Let’sputthekettlethere。That’llmakeanicecupofteapresently。NowIcanhavealittlebitofarest。Justlookintothescullery，likegoodpoppets，andtellmeifthebackdoorisopen。”

“Yes，itis，”saidScrubb。

“That’sright。IalwaysleaveitopensoasPusscangetinandout，thepoorthing。”

Thenshesatdownononechairandputherfeetuponanother。

“Idon’tknowasImightn’thavefortywinks，”saidthegiantess。“Ifonlythatblarneyhuntingpartydoesn’tcomebacktoosoon。”

Alltheirspiritsleapedupwhenshementionedfortywinks，andfloppeddownagainwhenshementionedthereturnofthehuntingparty。

“Whendotheyusuallycomeback？”askedJill。

“Younevercantell，”saidthegiantess。“Butthere；goandbequietforabit，mydearies。”

Theyretreatedtothefarendofthekitchen，andwouldhaveslippedoutintothescullerythereandthenifthegiantesshadnotsatup，openedhereyes，andbrushedawayafly。“Don’ttryittillwe’resureshe’sreallyasleep，”whisperedScrubb。“Orit’llspoileverything。”Sotheyallhuddledatthekitchenend，waitingandwatching。Thethoughtthatthehuntersmightcomebackatanymomentwasterrible。Andthegiantesswasfidgety。Whenevertheythoughtshehadreallygonetosleep，shemoved。

“Ican’tbearthis，”thoughtJill。Todistracthermind，shebeganlookingabouther。Justinfrontofherwasacleanwidetablewithtwocleanpie-dishesonit，andanopenbook。Theyweregiantpie-dishesofcourse。Jillthoughtthatshecouldliedownjustcomfortablyinoneofthem。Thensheclimbeduponthebenchbesidethetabletolookatthebook。Sheread：

MALLARD。Thisdeliciousbirdcanbecookedinavarietyofways。

“It’sacookerybook，”thoughtJillwithoutmuchinterest，andglancedoverhershoulder。Thegiantess’seyeswereshutbutshedidn’tlookasifshewereproperlyasleep。Jillglancedbackatthebook。Itwasarrangedalphabetically：andattheverynextentryherheartseemedtostopbeating；Itran—

MAN。Thiselegantlittlebipedhaslongbeenvaluedasadelicacy。ItformsatraditionalpartoftheAutumnFeast，andisservedbetweenthefishandthejoint。EachMan—butshecouldnotbeartoreadanymore。Sheturnedround。Thegiantesshadwakenedupandwashavingafitofcoughing。Jillnudgedtheothertwoandpointedtothebook。Theyalsomountedthebenchandbentoverthehugepages。ScrubbwasstillreadingabouthowtocookMenwhenPuddleglumpointedtothenextentrybelowit。Itwaslikethis：

MARSH-WIGGLE。Someauthoritiesrejectthisanimalaltogetherasunfitforgiants’consumptionbecauseofitsstringyconsistencyandmuddyflavour。Theflavourcan，however，begreatlyreducedif—

Jilltouchedhisfeet，andScrubb’s，gently。Allthreelookedbackatthegiantess。Hermouthwasslightlyopenandfromhernosetherecameasoundwhichatthatmomentwasmorewelcometothemthananymusic；shesnored。Andnowitwasaquestionoftip-toework，notdaringtogotoofast，hardlydaringtobreathe，outthroughthescullery（giantsculleriessmellhorrid），outatlastintothepalesunlightofawinterafternoon。

Theywereatthetopofaroughlittlepathwhichransteeplydown。And，thankheavens，ontherightsideofthecastle；theCityRuinouswasinsight。Inafewminutestheywerebackonthebroad，steeproadwhichleddownfromthemaingateofthecastle。Theywerealsoinfullviewfromeverysinglewindowonthatside。Ifithadbeenone，ortwo，orfivewindowsthere’dbeareasonablechancethatnoonemightbelookingout。Buttherewerenearerfiftythanfive。Theynowrealized，too，thattheroadonwhichtheywere，andindeedallthegroundbetweenthemandtheCityRuinous，didn’tofferasmuchcoveraswouldhideafox；itwasallcoarsegrassandpebblesandflatstones。Tomakemattersworse，theywerenowintheclothesthatthegiantshadprovidedforthemlastnight：exceptPuddleglum，whomnothingwouldfit。Jillworeavividgreenrobe，rathertoolongforher，andoverthatascarletmantlefringedwithwhitefur。Scrubbhadscarletstockings，bluetunicandcloak，agold-hiltedsword，andafeatheredbonnet。

“Nicebitsofcolour，youtwoare，”mutteredPuddleglum。“Showupveryprettilyonawinterday。Theworstarcherintheworldcouldn’tmisseitherofyouifyouwereinrange。Andtalkingofarchers，we’llbesorrynottohaveourownbowsbeforelong，Ishouldn’twonder。Bitthin，too，thoseclothesofyours，arethey？”

“Yes，I’mfreezingalready，”saidJill。

Afewminutesagowhentheyhadbeeninthekitchen，shehadthoughtthatifonlytheycouldoncegetoutofthecastle，theirescapewouldbealmostcomplete。Shenowrealizedthatthemostdangerouspartofitwasstilltocome。