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

第3章

the lion, the witch and the war_c·s·刘易斯-第3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!




〃why; you goose;〃 said susan; putting her head inside and pulling the fur  coats apart; 〃its just an ordinary wardrobe; look! theres the back of it。鈥

then everyone looked in and pulled the coats apart; and they all saw … lucy  herself saw … a perfectly ordinary wardrobe。 there was no wood and no snow; only the back  of the wardrobe; with hooks on it。 peter went in and rapped his knuckles on it to  make sure that it was solid。

〃a jolly good hoax; lu;〃 he said as he came out again; 〃you have really  taken us in; i must admit。 we half believed you。鈥

〃but it wasnt a hoax at all;〃 said lucy; 〃really and truly。 it was all  different a moment ago。 honestly it was。 i promise。鈥

〃e; lu;〃 said peter; 〃thats going a bit far。 youve had your joke。  hadnt you better drop it now?鈥

lucy grew very red in the face and tried to say something; though she  hardly knew what she was trying to say; and burst into tears。

for the next few days she was very miserable。 she could have made it up  with the others quite easily at any moment if she could have brought herself to say that  the whole thing was only a story made up for fun。 but lucy was a very truthful girl and she  knew that she was really in the right; and she could not bring herself to say this。 the  others who thought she was telling a lie; and a silly lie too; made her very unhappy。 the two  elder ones did this without meaning to do it; but edmund could be spiteful; and on this  occasion he was spiteful。 he sneered and jeered at lucy and kept on asking her if shed  found any other new countries in other cupboards all over the house。 what made it worse was  that these days ought to have been delightful。 the weather was fine and they were out  of doors from morning to night; bathing; fishing; climbing trees; and lying in the  heather。 but lucy could not properly enjoy any of it。 and so things went on until the  next wet day。

that day; when it came to the afternoon and there was still no sign of a  break in the weather; they decided to play hide…and…seek。 susan was 〃it〃 and as soon as  the others scattered to hide; lucy went to the room where the wardrobe was。 she did  not mean to hide in the wardrobe; because she knew that would only set the others  talking again about the whole wretched business。 but she did want to have one more look inside  it; for by this time she was beginning to wonder herself whether narnia and the faun had  not been a dream。 the house was so large and plicated and full of hiding…places  that she thought she would have time to have one look into the wardrobe and then hide  somewhere else。

but as soon as she reached it she heard steps in the passage outside; and  then there was nothing for it but to jump into the wardrobe and hold the door closed  behind her。 she did  

not shut it properly because she knew that it is very silly to shut oneself  into a wardrobe; even if it is not a magic one。

now the steps she had heard were those of edmund; and he came into the room  just in time to see lucy vanishing into the wardrobe。 he at once decided to get  into it himself … not because he thought it a particularly good place to hide but because he  wanted to go on teasing her about her imaginary country。 he opened the door。 there were the  coats hanging up as usual; and a smell of mothballs; and darkness and silence;  and no sign of lucy。 〃she thinks im susan e to catch her;〃 said edmund to himself;  〃and so shes keeping very quiet in at the back。〃 he jumped in and shut the door;  forgetting what a very foolish thing this is to do。 then he began feeling about for lucy in the  dark。 he had expected to find her in a few seconds and was very surprised when he did  not。 he decided to open the door again and let in some light。 but he could not find the  door either。 he didnt like this at all and began groping wildly in every direction; he  even shouted out; 〃lucy! lu! where are you? i know youre here。鈥

there was no answer and edmund noticed that his own voice had a curious  sound … not the sound you expect in a cupboard; but a kind of open…air sound。 he also  noticed that he was unexpectedly cold; and then he saw a light。

〃thank goodness;〃 said edmund; 〃the door must have swung open of its own  accord。〃 he forgot all about lucy and went towards the light; which he thought was the  open door of the wardrobe。 but instead of finding himself stepping out into the spare  room he found himself stepping out from the shadow of some thick dark fir trees into an  open place in the middle of a wood。

there was crisp; dry snow under his feet and more snow lying on the  branches of the trees。 overhead there was pale blue sky; the sort of sky one sees on a fine  winter day in the morning。 straight ahead of him he saw between the tree…trunks the sun;  just rising; very red and clear。 everything was perfectly still; as if he were the only  living creature in that country。 there was not even a robin or a squirrel among the trees; and  the wood stretched as far as he could see in every direction。 he shivered。

he now remembered that he had been looking for lucy; and also how  unpleasant he had been to her about her 〃imaginary country〃 which now turned out not to have  been imaginary at all。 he thought that she must be somewhere quite close and so  he shouted; 〃lucy! lucy! im here too…edmund。鈥

there was no answer。

〃shes angry about all the things ive been saying lately;〃 thought edmund。  and though he did not like to admit that he had been wrong; he also did not much like  being alone in this strange; cold; quiet place; so he shouted again。

〃i say; lu! im sorry i didnt believe you。 i see now you were right all  along。 do e out。 make it pax。鈥

still there was no answer。

〃just like a girl;〃 said edmund to himself; 〃sulking somewhere; and wont  accept an apology。〃 he looked round him again and decided he did not much like this  place; and had almost made up his mind to go home; when he heard; very far off in the  wood; a sound of bells。 he listened and the sound came nearer and nearer and at  last there swept into sight a sledge drawn by two reindeer。

the reindeer were about the size of shetland ponies and their hair was so  white that even the snow hardly looked white pared with them; their branching horns were  gilded and shone like something on fire when the sunrise caught them。 their  harness was of scarlet leather and covered with bells。 on the sledge; driving the  reindeer; sat a fat dwarf who would have been about three feet high if he had been standing。 he was  dressed in polar bears fur and on his head he wore a red hood with a long gold tassel  hanging down from its point; his huge beard covered his knees and served him instead of  a rug。 but behind him; on a much higher seat in the middle of the sledge sat a very  different person … a great lady; taller than any woman that edmund had ever seen。 she also was  covered in white fur up to her throat and held a long straight golden wand in her  right hand and wore a golden crown on her head。 her face was white … not merely pale; but white  like snow or paper or icing…sugar; except for her very red mouth。 it was a beautiful  face in other respects; but proud and cold and stern。

the sledge was a fine sight as it came sweeping towards edmund with the  bells jingling and the dwarf cracking his whip and the snow flying up on each side of it。

〃stop!〃 said the lady; and the dwarf pulled the reindeer up so sharp that  they almost sat down。 then they recovered themselves and stood champing their bits and  blowing。 in the frosty air the breath ing out of their nostrils looked like smoke。

〃and what; pray; are you?〃 said the lady; looking hard at edmund。

〃im…im…my names edmund;〃 said edmund rather awkwardly。 he did not like  the way she looked at him。

the lady frowned; 〃is that how you address a queen?〃 she asked; looking  sterner than ever。

〃i beg your pardon; your majesty; i didnt know;〃 said edmund:  〃not know the queen of narnia?〃 cried she。 〃ha! you shall know us better  hereafter。 but i repeat…what are you?鈥

〃please; your majesty;〃 said edmund; 〃i dont know what you mean。 im at  school … at least i was its the holidays now。鈥

w锛穡銆倄iaoshuo txt锛



CHAPTER FOUR

銆傚皬%璇碸t*xt…澶e爞
turkish delight  〃but what are you?〃 said the queen again。 〃are you a great overgrown dwarf  that has cut off its beard?鈥

〃no; your majesty;〃 said edmund; 〃i never had a beard; im a boy。鈥

〃a boy!〃 said she。 〃do you mean you are a son of adam?鈥

edmund stood still; saying nothing。 he was too confused by this time to  understand what the question meant。

〃i see you are an idiot; whatever else you may be;〃 said the queen。 〃answer  me; once and for all; or i shall lose my patience。 are you human?鈥

〃yes; your majesty;〃 said edmund。

〃and how; pray; did you e to enter my dominions?鈥

〃please; your majesty; i came in through a wardrobe。鈥

〃a wardrobe? what do you mean?鈥

〃i … i opened a door and just found myself here; your majesty;〃 said  edmund。

〃ha!〃 said the queen; speaking more to herself than to him。 〃a door。 a door  from the world of men! i have heard of such things。 this may wreck all。 but he is  only one; and he is easily dealt with。〃 as she spoke these words she rose from her seat and  looked edmund full in the face; her eyes flaming; at the same moment she raised her wand。  edmund felt sure that she was going to do something dreadful but he seemed unable to  move。 then; just as he gave himself up for lost; she appeared to change her mind。

〃my poor child;〃 she said in quite a different voice; 〃how cold you look!  e and sit with me here on the sledge and i will put my mantle round you and we will  talk。鈥

edmund did not like this arrangement at all but he dared not disobey; he  stepped on to the sledge and sat at her feet; and she put a fold of her fur mantle round him  and tucked it well in。

〃perhaps something hot to drink?〃 said the queen。 〃should you like that?鈥

〃yes please; your majesty;〃 said edmund; whose teeth were chattering。

the queen took from somewhere among her wrappings a very small bottle which  looked as if it were made of copper。 then; holding out her arm; she let one drop  fall from it on the snow beside the sledge。 edmund saw the drop for a second in mid…air;  shining like a diamond。 but the moment it touched the snow there was a hissing sound and  there stood a jewelled cup full of something that steamed。 the dwarf immediately took  this and handed it to edmund with a bow and a smile; not a very nice smile。 edmund  felt much better as he began to sip the hot drink。 it was something he had never  tasted before; very sweet and foamy and creamy; and it warmed him right down to his toes。

〃it is dull; son of adam; to drink without eating;〃 said the queen  presently。 〃what would you like best to eat?鈥

〃turkish delight; please; your majesty;〃 said edmund。

the queen let another drop fall from her bottle on to the snow; and  instantly there appeared a round box; tied with green silk ribbon; which; when opened;  turned out to contain several pounds of the best turkish delight。 each piece was sweet  and light to the very centre and edmund had never tasted anything more delicious。 he was  quite warm now; and ver

返回目录 上一页 下一页 回到顶部 1 2

你可能喜欢的