爱爱小说网 > 名著电子书 > the lion, the witch and the war_c·s·刘易斯 >

第12章

the lion, the witch and the war_c·s·刘易斯-第12章

小说: the lion, the witch and the war_c·s·刘易斯 字数: 每页3500字

按键盘上方向键 ← 或 → 可快速上下翻页,按键盘上的 Enter 键可回到本书目录页,按键盘上方向键 ↑ 可回到本页顶部!
————未阅读完?加入书签已便下次继续阅读!



 gave a great leap (though he hardly knew why) when  he realized that the frost was over。 and much nearer there was a drip…drip…drip from  the branches of all the trees。 and then; as he looked at one tree he saw a great load of  snow slide off it and for the first time since he had entered narnia he saw the dark green of  a fir tree。 but he hadnt time to listen or watch any longer; for the witch said:  〃dont sit staring; fool! get out and help。鈥

and of course edmund had to obey。 he stepped out into the snow … but it was  really only slush by now … and began helping the dwarf to get the sledge out of the  muddy hole it had got into。 they got it out in the end; and by being very cruel to the  reindeer the dwarf managed to get it on the move again; and they drove a little further。 and  now the snow was really melting in earnest and patches of green grass were beginning to  appear in  

every direction。 unless you have looked at a world of snow as long as  edmund had been looking at it; you will hardly be able to imagine what a relief those green  patches were after the endless white。 then the sledge stopped again。

〃its no good; your majesty;〃 said the dwarf。 〃we cant sledge in this  thaw。鈥

〃then we must walk;〃 said the witch。

〃we shall never overtake them walking;〃 growled the dwarf。 〃not with the  start theyve got。鈥

〃are you my councillor or my slave?〃 said the witch。 〃do as youre told。  tie the hands of the human creature behind it and keep hold of the end of the rope。 and take  your whip。

and cut the harness of the reindeer; theyll find their own way home。鈥

the dwarf obeyed; and in a few minutes edmund found himself being forced to  walk as fast as he could with his hands tied behind him。 he kept on slipping in the  slush and mud and wet grass; and every time he slipped the dwarf gave him a curse and  sometimes a flick with the whip。 the witch walked behind the dwarf and kept on saying;  〃faster!

faster!鈥

every moment the patches of green grew bigger and the patches of spow grew  smaller。

every moment more and more of the trees shook off their robes of snow。  soon; wherever you looked; instead of white shapes you saw the dark green of firs or the  black prickly branches of bare oaks and beeches and elms。 then the mist turned from white  to gold and presently cleared away altogether。 shafts of delicious sunlight struck down  on to the forest floor and overhead you could see a blue sky between the tree tops。

soon there were more wonderful things happening。 ing suddenly round a  corner into a glade of silver birch trees edmund saw the ground covered in all  directions with little yellow flowers … celandines。 the noise of water grew louder。 presently they  actually crossed a stream。 beyond it they found snowdrops growing。

〃mind your own business!〃 said the dwarf when he saw that edmund had turned  his head to look at them; and he gave the rope a vicious jerk。

but of course this didnt prevent edmund from seeing。 only five minutes  later he noticed a dozen crocuses growing round the foot of an old tree … gold and purple  and white。 then came a sound even more delicious than the sound of the water。 close beside  the path they were following a bird suddenly chirped from the branch of a tree。 it was  answered by the chuckle of another bird a little further off。 and then; as if that had been  a signal; there was chattering and chirruping in every direction; and then a moment of full  song; and within five minutes the whole wood was ringing with birds music; and  wherever edmunds eyes turned he saw birds alighting on branches; or sailing  overhead or chasing one another or having their little quarrels or tidying up their feathers  with their beaks。

〃faster! faster!〃 said the witch。

there was no trace of the fog now。 the sky became bluer and bluer; and now  there were white clouds hurrying across it from time to time。 in the wide glades there  were primroses。 a light breeze sprang up which scattered drops of moisture from  the swaying branches and carried cool; delicious scents against the faces of the  travellers。 the trees began to e fully alive。 the larches and birches were covered with green;  the laburnums with gold。 soon the beech trees had put forth their delicate;  transparent leaves。

as the travellers walked under them the light also became green。 a bee  buzzed across their path。

〃this is no thaw;〃 said the dwarf; suddenly stopping。 〃this is spring。 what  are we to do?

your winter has been destroyed; i tell you! this is aslans doing。鈥

〃if either of you mention that name again;〃 said the witch; 〃he shall  instantly be killed。鈥

w锛穡銆倄iaoshuo txt锛



CHAPTER TWELVE

銆灏忥伎璇础 xt 澶爞
peters first battle  while the dwarf and the white witch were saying this; miles away the  beavers and the children were walking on hour after hour into what seemed a delicious  dream。 long ago they had left the coats behind them。 and by now they had even stopped  saying to one another; 〃look! theres a kingfisher;〃 or 〃i say; bluebells!〃 or 〃what was  that lovely smell?〃 or 〃just listen to that thrush!〃 they walked on in silence drinking  it all in; passing through patches of warm sunlight into cool; green thickets and out again  into wide mossy glades where tall elms raised the leafy roof far overhead; and then into  dense masses of flowering currant and among hawthorn bushes where the sweet smell was  almost overpowering。

they had been just as surprised as edmund when they saw the winter  vanishing and the whole wood passing in a few hours or so from january to may。 they hadnt  even known for certain (as the witch did) that this was what would happen when aslan  came to narnia。 but they all knew that it was her spells which had produced the  endless winter; and therefore they all knew when this magic spring began that something had  gone wrong; and badly wrong; with the witchs schemes。 and after the thaw had  been going on for some time they all realized that the witch would no longer be able  to use her sledge。 after that they didnt hurry so much and they allowed themselves  more rests and longer ones。 they were pretty tired by now of course; but not what id call  bitterly tired … only slow and feeling very dreamy and quiet inside as one does when one is  ing to the end of a long day in the open。 susan had a slight blister on one heel。

they had left the course of the big river some time ago; for one had to  turn a little to the right (that meant a little to the south) to reach the place of the stone  table。 even if this had not been their way they couldnt have kept to the river valley once the  thaw began; for with all that melting snow the river was soon in flood … a wonderful;  roaring; thundering yellow flood … and their path would have been under water。

and now the sun got low and the light got redder and the shadows got longer  and the flowers began to think about closing。

〃not long now;〃 said mr beaver; and began leading them uphill across some  very deep; springy moss (it felt nice under their tired feet) in a place where only  tall trees grew; very wide apart。 the climb; ing at the end of the long day; made them all  pant and blow。

and just as lucy was wondering whether she could really get to the top  without another long rest; suddenly they were at the top。 and this is what they saw。

they were on a green open space from which you could look down on the  forest spreading as far as one could see in every direction … except right ahead。  there; far to the east; was something twinkling and moving。 〃by gum!〃 whispered peter to  susan; 〃the sea!〃 in the very middle of this open hill…top was the stone table。 it was  a great grim slab of grey stone supported on four upright stones。 it looked very old; and it  was cut all over with strange lines and figures that might be the letters of an unknown  language。 they gave you a curious feeling when you looked at them。 the next thing they saw  was a pavilion pitched on one side of the open place。 a wonderful pavilion it was  … and especially now when the light of the setting sun fell upon it … with sides  of what looked like yellow silk and cords of crimson and tent…pegs of ivory; and high  above it on a pole a banner which bore a red rampant lion fluttering in the breeze which was  blowing in their faces from the far…off sea。 while they were looking at this they heard a  sound of music on their right; and turning in that direction they saw what they had e to  see。

aslan stood in the centre of a crowd of creatures who had grouped  themselves round him in the shape of a half…moon。 there were tree…women there and well…women  (dryads and naiads as they used to be called in our world) who had stringed  instruments; it was they who had made the music。 there were four great centaurs。 the horse part  of them was like huge english farm horses; and the man part was like stern but  beautiful giants。

there was also a unicorn; and a bull with the head of a man; and a pelican;  and an eagle; and a great dog。 and next to aslan stood two leopards of whom one carried  his crown and the other his standard。

but as for aslan himself; the beavers and the children didnt know what to  do or say when they saw him。 people who have not been in narnia sometimes think that  a thing cannot be good and terrible at the same time。 if the children had ever  thought so; they were cured of it now。 for when they tried to look at aslans face they just  caught a glimpse of the golden mane and the great; royal; solemn; overwhelming eyes;  and then they found they couldnt look at him and went all trembly。

〃go on;〃 whispered mr beaver。

〃no;〃 whispered peter; 〃you first。鈥

〃no; sons of adam before animals;〃 whispered mr beaver back again。

〃susan;〃 whispered peter; 〃what about you? ladies first。鈥

〃no; youre the eldest;〃 whispered susan。 and of course the longer they  went on doing this the more awkward they felt。 then at last peter realized that it was up  to him。 he drew his sword and raised it to the salute and hastily saying to the others  〃e on。 pull yourselves together;〃 he advanced to the lion and said:  〃we have e … aslan。鈥

〃wele; peter; son of adam;〃 said aslan。 〃wele; susan and lucy;  daughters of eve。 wele he…beaver and she…beaver。鈥

his voice was deep and rich and somehow took the fidgets out of them。 they  now felt glad and quiet and it didnt seem awkward to them to stand and say nothing。

〃but where is the fourth?〃 asked aslan。

〃he has tried to betray them and joined the white witch; o aslan;〃 said mr  beaver。 and then something made peter say;  〃that was partly my fault; aslan。 i was angry with him and i think that  helped him to go wrong。鈥

and aslan said nothing either to excuse peter or to blame him but merely  stood looking at him with his great unchanging eyes。 and it seemed to all of them that  there was nothing to be said。

〃please … aslan;〃 said lucy; 〃can anything be done to save edmund?鈥

〃all shall be done;〃 said aslan。 〃but it may be harder than you think。〃 and  then he was silent again for some time。 up to that moment lucy had been thinking how  royal and strong and peaceful his face looked; now it suddenly came into her head  that he looked sad as well。 but next minute that ex

返回目录 上一页 下一页 回到顶部 1 2

你可能喜欢的