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第6章

the lion, the witch and the war_c·s·刘易斯-第6章

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

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re suitable to the  landscape。

〃we can pretend we are arctic explorers;〃 said lucy。

〃this is going to be exciting enough without pretending;〃 said peter; as he  began leading the way forward into the forest。 there were heavy darkish clouds overhead  and it looked as if there might be more snow before night。

〃i say;〃 began edmund presently; 〃oughtnt we to be bearing a bit more to  the left; that is; if we are aiming for the lamp…post?〃 he had forgotten for the moment that  he must pretend never to have been in the wood before。 the moment the words were  out of his mouth he realized that he had given himself away。 everyone stopped;  everyone stared at him。 peter whistled。

〃so you really were here;〃 he said; 〃that time lu said shed met you in  here … and you made out she was telling lies。鈥

there was a dead silence。 〃well; of all the poisonous little beasts …〃 said  peter; and shrugged his shoulders and said no more。 there seemed; indeed; no more to  say; and presently the four resumed their journey; but edmund was saying to himself;  〃ill pay you all out for this; you pack of stuck…up; selfsatisfied prigs。鈥

〃where are we going anyway?〃 said susan; chiefly for the sake of changing  the subject。

〃i think lu ought to be the leader;〃 said peter; 〃goodness knows she  deserves it。 where will you take us; lu?鈥

〃what about going to see mr tumnus?〃 said lucy。 〃hes the nice faun i told  you about。鈥

everyone agreed to this and off they went walking briskly and stamping  their feet。 lucy proved a good leader。 at first she wondered whether she would be able to  find the way; but she recognized an oddlooking tree on one place and a stump in another  and brought them on to where the ground became uneven and into the little valley and at  last to the very door of mr tumnuss cave。 but there a terrible surprise awaited them。

the door had been wrenched off its hinges and broken to bits。 inside; the  cave was dark and cold and had the damp feel and smell of a place that had not been lived  in for several days。 snow had drifted in from the doorway and was heaped on the floor;  mixed with something black; which turned out to be the charred sticks and ashes from  the fire。

someone had apparently flung it about the room and then stamped it out。 the  crockery lay smashed on the floor and the picture of the fauns father had been  slashed into shreds with a knife。

〃this is a pretty good wash…out;〃 said edmund; 〃not much good ing here。鈥

〃what is this?〃 said peter; stooping down。 he had just noticed a piece of  paper which had been nailed through the carpet to the floor。

〃is there anything written on it?〃 asked susan。

〃yes; i think there is;〃 answered peter; 〃but i cant read it in this  light。 lets get out into the open air。鈥

they all went out in the daylight and crowded round peter as he read out  the following words:  the former occupant of these premises; the faun tumnus; is under arrest and  awaiting his trial on a charge of high treason against her imperial majesty jadis;  queen of narnia; chatelaine of cair paravel; empress of the lone islands; etc。; also  of forting her said majestys enemies; harbouring spies and fraternizing with humans。

signed maugrim; captain of the secret police; long live the queen  the children stared at each other。

〃i dont know that im going to like this place after all;〃 said susan。

〃who is this queen; lu?〃 said peter。 〃do you know anything about her?鈥

〃she isnt a real queen at all;〃 answered lucy; 〃shes a horrible witch;  the white witch。

everyone all the wood people … hate her。 she has made an enchantment over  the whole country so that it is always winter here and never christmas。鈥

〃i … i wonder if theres any point in going on;〃 said susan。 〃i mean; it  doesnt seem particularly safe here and it looks as if it wont be much fun either。 and  its getting colder every minute; and weve brought nothing to eat。 what about just going  home?鈥

〃oh; but we cant; we cant;〃 said lucy suddenly; 〃dont you see? we cant  just go home; not after this。 it is all on my account that the poor faun has got into  this trouble。 he hid me from the witch and showed me the way back。 thats what it means by  forting the queens enemies and fraternizing with humans。 we simply must try to rescue  him。鈥

〃a lot we could do! said edmund; 〃when we havent even got anything to  eat!鈥

〃shut up … you!〃 said peter; who was still very angry with edmund。 〃what do  you think; susan?鈥

〃ive a horrid feeling that lu is right;〃 said susan。 〃i dont want to go a  step further and i wish wed never e。 but i think we must try to do something for mr  whatever…his…name is … i mean the faun。鈥

〃thats what i feel too;〃 said peter。 〃im worried about having no food  with us。 id vote for going back and getting something from the larder; only there doesnt  seem to be any certainty of getting into this country again when once youve got out of  it。 i think well have to go on。鈥

〃so do i;〃 said both the girls。

〃if only we knew where the poor chap was imprisoned!〃 said peter。

they were all still wondering what to do next; when lucy said; 〃look!  theres a robin; with such a red breast。 its the first bird ive seen here。 i say! … i  wonder can birds talk in narnia? it almost looks as if it wanted to say something to us。〃 then she  turned to the robin and said; 〃please; can you tell us where tumnus the faun has been  taken to?〃 as she said this she took a step towards the bird。 it at once flew away but  only as far as to the next tree。 there it perched and looked at them very hard as if it  understood all they had been saying。 almost without noticing that they had done so; the four  children went a step or two nearer to it。 at this the robin flew away again to the next tree and  once more looked at them very hard。 (you couldnt have found a robin with a redder  chest or a brighter eye。)  〃do you know;〃 said lucy; 〃i really believe he means us to follow him。鈥

〃ive an idea he does;〃 said susan。 〃what do you think; peter?鈥

〃well; we might as well try it;〃 answered peter。

the robin appeared to understand the matter thoroughly。 it kept going from  tree to tree; always a few yards ahead of them; but always so near that they could easily  follow it。 in this way it led them on; slightly downhill。 wherever the robin alighted a  little shower of snow would fall off the branch。 presently the clouds parted overhead and  the winter sun came out and the snow all around them grew dazzlingly bright。 they had been  travelling in this way for about half an hour; with the two girls in front; when  edmund said to peter; 〃if youre not still too high and mighty to talk to me; ive something to  say which youd better listen to。鈥

〃what is it?〃 asked peter。

〃hush! not so loud;〃 said edmund; 〃theres no good frightening the girls。  but have you realized what were doing?鈥

〃what?〃 said peter; lowering his voice to a whisper。

〃were following a guide we know nothing about。 how do we know which side  that bird is on? why shouldnt it be leading us into a trap?鈥

〃thats a nasty idea。 still … a robin; you know。 theyre good birds in all  the stories ive ever read。 im sure a robin wouldnt be on the wrong side。鈥

〃it if es to that; which is the right side? how do we know that the  fauns are in the right and the queen (yes; i know weve been told shes a witch) is in the  wrong? we dont really know anything about either。鈥

〃the faun saved lucy。鈥

〃he said he did。 but how do we know? and theres another thing too。 has  anyone the least idea of the way home from here?鈥

〃great scott!〃 said peter; 〃i hadnt thought of that。鈥

〃and no chance of dinner either;〃 said edmund。

w锛穡銆倄iaoshuo txt锛



CHAPTER SEVEN


a day with the beavers   

while the two boys were whispering behind; both the girls suddenly cried  〃oh!〃 and stopped。

〃the robin!〃 cried lucy; 〃the robin。 its flown away。〃 and so it had …  right out of sight。

〃and now what are we to do?〃 said edmund; giving peter a look which was as  much as to say 〃what did i tell you?鈥

〃sh! look!〃 said susan。

〃what?〃 said peter。

〃theres something moving among the trees over there to the left。鈥

they all stared as hard as they could; and no one felt very fortable。

〃there it goes again;〃 said susan presently。

〃i saw it that time too;〃 said peter。 〃its still there。 its just gone  behind that big tree。鈥

〃what is it?〃 asked lucy; trying very hard not to sound nervous。

〃whatever it is;〃 said peter; 〃its dodging us。 its something that doesnt  want to be seen。鈥

〃lets go home;〃 said susan。 and then; though nobody said it out loud;  everyone suddenly realized the same fact that edmund had whispered to peter at the  end of the last chapter。 they were lost。

〃whats it like?〃 said lucy。

〃its … its a kind of animal;〃 said susan; and then; 〃look! look! quick!  there it is。鈥

they all saw it this time; a whiskered furry face which had looked out at  them from behind a tree。 but this time it didnt immediately draw back。 instead; the  animal put its paw against its mouth just as humans put their finger on their lips when  they are signalling to you to be quiet。 then it disappeared again。 the children; all  stood holding their breath。

a moment later the stranger came out from behind the tree; glanced all  round as if it were afraid someone was watching; said 〃hush〃; made signs to them to join it in  the thicker bit of wood where it was standing; and then once more disappeared。

〃i know what it is;〃 said peter; 〃its a beaver。 i saw the tail。鈥

〃it wants us to go to it;〃 said susan; 〃and it is warning us not to make a  noise。鈥

〃i know;〃 said peter。 〃the question is; are we to go to it or not? what do  you think; lu?鈥

〃i think its a nice beaver;〃 said lucy。

〃yes; but how do we know?〃 said edmund。

〃shant we have to risk it?〃 said susan。 〃i mean; its no good just  standing here and i feel i want some dinner。鈥

at this moment the beaver again popped its head out from behind the tree  and beckoned earnestly to them。

〃e on;〃 said peter;〃lets give it a try。 all keep close together。 we  ought to be a match for one beaver if it turns out to be an enemy。鈥

so the children all got close together and walked up to the tree and in  behind it; and there; sure enough; they found the beaver; but it still drew back; saying to them  in a hoarse throaty whisper; 〃further in; e further in。 right in here。 were not  safe in the open!鈥

only when it had led them into a dark spot where four trees grew so close  together that their boughs met and the brown earth and pine needles could be seen  underfoot because no snow had been able to fall there; did it begin to talk to them。

〃are you the sons of adam and the daughters of eve?〃 it said。

〃were some of them;〃 said peter。

〃s…s…s…sh!〃 said the beaver; 〃not so loud please。 were not safe even  here。鈥

〃why; who are you afraid of?〃 said peter。 〃theres no one here but  ourselves。鈥

〃there are the trees;〃 said the beaver。 〃theyre always listening。 most of  them are on our side; but there are trees that would betray us to her; you know who i  mean;〃 and it nodded its head several times。

〃if it es to talking about sides;〃 said edmund;

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