小说园

chater ixteen the healg f har（第1页）

WHENJillwokenextmorningandfoundherselfinacave，shethoughtforonehorridmomentthatshewasbackintheUnderworld。Butwhenshenoticedthatshewaslyingonabedofheatherwithafurrymantleoverher，andsawacheeryfirecrackling（asifnewlylit）onastonehearthand，fartheroff，morningsunlightcominginthroughthecave’smouth，sherememberedallthehappytruth。Theyhadhadadelightfulsupper，allcrowdedintothatcave，inspiteofbeingsosleepybeforeitwasproperlyover。ShehadavagueimpressionofDwarfscrowdingroundthefirewithfrying-pansratherbiggerthanthemselves，andthehissing，anddelicioussmellofsausages，andmore，andmore，andmoresausages。Andnotwretchedsausageshalffullofbreadandsoyabeaneither，butrealmeaty，spicyones，fatandpipinghotandburstandjustthetiniestbitburnt。Andgreatmugsoffrothychocolate，androastpotatoesandroastchestnuts，andbakedappleswithraisinsstuckinwherethecoreshadbeen，andthenicesjusttofreshenyouupafterallthehotthings。

Jillsatupandlookedaround。PuddleglumandEustacewerelyingnotfaraway，bothfastasleep。

“Hi，youtwo！”shoutedJillinaloudvoice。“Aren’tyouevergoingtogetup？”

“Shoo，shoo！”saidasleepyvoicesomewhereaboveher。“Timetobesettlingdown。Haveagoodsnooze，do，do。Don’tmakeato-do。Tu-whoo！”

“Why，Idobelieve，”saidJill，glancingupatawhitebundleoffluffyfeatherswhichwasperchedontopofagrandfatherclockinonecornerofthecave，“Idobelieveit’sGlimfeather！”

“True，true，”whirredtheOwl，liftingitsheadoutfromunderitswingandopeningoneeye。“IcameupwithamessageforthePrinceatabouttwo。Thesquirrelsbroughtusthegoodnews。MessageforthePrince。He’sgone。You’retofollowtoo。Good-day—”andtheheaddisappearedagain。

AsthereseemednofurtherhopeofgettinganyinformationfromtheOwl，Jillgotupandbeganlookingroundforanychanceofawashandsomebreakfast。ButalmostatoncealittleFauncametrottingintothecavewithasharpclick-clackofhisgoatyhoofsonthestonefloor。

“Ah！You’vewokenupatlast，DaughterofEve，”hesaid。“Perhapsyou’dbetterwaketheSonofAdam。You’vegottobeoffinafewminutesandtwoCentaurshaveverykindlyofferedtoletyourideontheirbacksdowntoCairParavel。”Headdedinalowervoice。“Ofcourse，yourealizeitisamostspecialandunheard-ofhonourtobeallowedtorideaCentaur。Idon’tknowthatIeverheardofanyonedoingitbefore。Itwouldn’tdotokeepthemwaiting。”

“Where’sthePrince？”wasthefirstquestionofEustaceandPuddleglumassoonastheyhadbeenwakened。

“He’sgonedowntomeettheKing，hisfather，atCairParavel，”answeredtheFaun，whosenamewasOrruns。“HisMajesty’sshipisexpectedinharbouranymoment。ItseemsthattheKingmetAslan—Idon’tknowwhetheritwasinavisionorfacetoface—beforehehadsailedfar，andAslanturnedhimbackandtoldhimhewouldfindhislong-lostsonawaitinghimwhenhereachedNarnia。”

EustacewasnowupandheandJillsetabouthelpingOrrunstogetthebreakfast。Puddleglumwastoldtostayinbed。ACentaurcalledCloudbirth，afamoushealer，or（asOrrunscalledit）a‘leech’，wascomingtoseetohisburntfoot。

“Ah！”saidPuddlegluminatonealmostofcontentment，“he’llwanttohavethelegoffattheknee，Ishouldn’twonder。Youseeifhedoesn’t。”Buthewasquitegladtostayinbed。

BreakfastwasscrambledeggsandtoastandEustacetackleditjustasifhehadnothadaverylargesupperinthemiddleofthenight。

“Isay，SonofAdam，”saidtheFaun，lookingwithacertainaweatEustace’smouthfuls。“There’snoneedtohurryquitesodreadfullyasthat。Idon’tthinktheCentaurshavequitefinishedtheirbreakfastsyet。”

“Thentheymusthavegotupverylate，”saidEustace。“Ibetit’safterteno’clock。”

“Ohno，”saidOrruns。“Theygotupbeforeitwaslight。”

“Thentheymusthavewaitedthedickensofatimeforbreakfast，”saidEustace。

“No，theydidn’t，”saidOrruns。“Theybeganeatingtheminutetheyawoke。”

“Golly！”saidEustace。“Dotheyeataverybigbreakfast？”

“Why，SonofAdam，don’tyouunderstand？ACentaurhasaman-stomachandahorse-stomach。Andofcoursebothwantbreakfast。Sofirstofallhehasporridgeandpavendersandkidneysandbaconandomeletteandcoldhamandtoastandmarmaladeandcoffeeandbeer。Andafterthatheattendstothehorsepartofhimselfbygrazingforanhourorsoandfinishingupwithahotmash，someoats，andabagofsugar。That’swhyit’ssuchaseriousthingtoaskaCentaurtostayfortheweekend。Averyseriousthingindeed。”

Atthatmomenttherewasasoundofhorse-hoofstappingonrockfromthemouthofthecave，andthechildrenlookedup。ThetwoCentaurs，onewithablackandonewithagoldenbeardflowingovertheirmagnificentbarechests，stoodwaitingforthem，bendingtheirheadsalittlesoastolookintothecave。Thenthechildrenbecameverypoliteandfinishedtheirbreakfastveryquickly。NoonethinksaCentaurfunnywhenheseesit。Theyaresolemn，majesticpeople，fullofancientwisdomwhichtheylearnfromthestars，noteasilymadeeithermerryorangry；buttheirangeristerribleasatidalwavewhenitcomes。

“Good-bye，dearPuddleglum，”saidJill，goingovertotheMarsh-wiggle’sbed。“I’msorrywecalledyouawetblanket。”

“So’mI，”saidEustace。“You’vebeenthebestfriendintheworld。”

“AndIdohopewe’llmeetagain，”addedJill。

“Notmuchchanceofthat，Ishouldsay，”repliedPuddleglum。“1don’treckonI’mverylikelytoseemyoldwigwamagain，either。AndthatPrince—he’sanicechap—butdoyouthinkhe’sverystrong？Constitutionruinedwithlivingunderground，Ishouldn’twonder。Looksthesortthatmightgooffanyday。”

“Puddleglum！”saidJill。“You’rearegularoldhumbug。YousoundasdolefulasafuneralandIbelieveyou’reperfectlyhappy。Andyoutalkasifyouwereafraidofeverything，whenyou’rereallyasbraveas—asalion。”

“Now，speakingoffunerals，”beganPuddleglum，butJill，whoheardtheCentaurstappingwiththeirhoofsbehindher，surprisedhimverymuchbyflingingherarmsroundhisthinneckandkissinghismuddy-lookingface，whileEustacewrunghishand。ThentheybothrushedawaytotheCentaurs，andtheMarsh-wiggle，sinkingbackonhisbed，remarkedtohimself，“Well，Iwouldn’thavedreamtofherdoingthat。EventhoughIamagood-lookingchap。”

TorideonaCentauris，nodoubt，agreathonour（andexceptJillandEustace，thereisprobablynoonealiveintheworldtodaywhohashadit）butitisveryuncomfortable。FornoonewhovaluedhislifewouldsuggestputtingasaddleonaCentaur，andridingbare-backisnofun；especiallyif，likeEustace，youhaveneverlearnedtorideatall。TheCentaurswereverypoliteinagrave，gracious，grown-upkindofway，andastheycanteredthroughtheNarnianwoodstheyspoke，withoutturningtheirheads，tellingthechildrenaboutthepropertiesofherbsandroots，theinfluencesoftheplanets，theninenamesofAslanwiththeirmeanings，andthingsofthatsort。Buthoweversoreandjoltedthetwohumanswere，theywouldnowgiveanythingtohavethatjourneyoveragain：toseethosegladesandslopessparklingwithlastnight’ssnow，tobemetbyrabbitsandsquirrelsandbirdsthatwishedyougoodmorning，tobreatheagaintheairofNarniaandhearthevoicesoftheNarniantrees。

Theycamedowntotheriver，flowingbrightandblueinwintersunshine，farbelowthelastbridge（whichisatthesnug，red-roofedlittletownofBeruna）andwereferriedacrossinaflatbargebytheferryman；orrather，bytheferry-wiggle，foritisMarsh-wiggleswhodomostofthewateryandfishykindsofworkinNarnia。AndwhentheyhadcrossedtheyrodealongthesouthbankoftheriverandpresentlycametoCairParavelitself。AndattheverymomentoftheirarrivaltheysawthatsamebrightshipwhichtheyhadseenwhentheyfirstsetfootinNarnia，glidinguptheriverlikeahugebird。AllthecourtwereoncemoreassembledonthegreenbetweenthecastleandthequaytowelcomeKingCaspianhomeagain。Rilian，whohadchangedhisblackclothesandwasnowdressedinascarletcloakoversilvermail，stoodclosetothewater’sedge，bare-headed，toreceivehisfather；andtheDwarfTrumpkinsatbesidehiminhislittledonkey-chair。

ThechildrensawtherewouldbenochanceofreachingthePrincethroughallthatcrowd，and，anyway，theynowfeltrathershy。SotheyaskedtheCentaursiftheymightgoonsittingontheirbacksalittlelongerandthusseeeverythingovertheheadsofthecourtiers。AndtheCentaurssaidtheymight。

Aflourishofsilvertrumpetscameoverthewaterfromtheship’sdeck：thesailorsthrewarope；rats（TalkingRats，ofcourse）andMarsh-wigglesmadeitfastashore；andtheshipwaswarpedin。Musicians，hiddensomewhereinthecrowd，begantoplaysolemn，triumphalmusic。AndsoontheKing’sgalleonwasalongsideandtheRatsranthegangwayonboardher。

JillexpectedtoseetheoldKingcomedownit。Butthereappearedtobesomehitch。ALordwithapalefacecameashoreandknelttothePrinceandtoTrumpkin。Thethreeweretalkingwiththeirheadsclosetogetherforafewminutes，butnoonecouldhearwhattheysaid。Themusicplayedon，butyoucouldfeelthateveryonewasbecominguneasy。ThenfourKnights，carryingsomethingandgoingveryslowly，appearedondeck。Whentheystartedtocomedownthegangwayyoucouldseewhattheywerecarrying：itwastheoldKingonabed，verypaleandstill。Theysethimdown。ThePrincekneltbesidehimandembracedhim。TheycouldseeKingCaspianraisinghishandtoblesshisson。Andeveryonecheered，butitwasahalf-heartedcheer，fortheyallfeltthatsomethingwasgoingwrong。ThensuddenlytheKing’sheadfellbackuponhispillows，themusiciansstoppedandtherewasadeadsilence。ThePrince，kneelingbytheKing’sbed，laiddownhisheaduponitandwept。

Therewerewhisperingsandgoingstoandfro。ThenJillnoticedthatallwhoworehats，bonnets，helmets，orhoodsweretakingthemoff—Eustaceincluded。Thensheheardarustlingandflappingnoiseupabovethecastle；whenshelookedshesawthatthegreatbannerwiththegoldenLiononitwasbeingbroughtdowntohalf-mast。Andafterthat，slowly，mercilessly，withwailingstringsanddisconsolateblowingofhorns，themusicbeganagain：thistime，atunetobreakyourheart。