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the lion, the witch and the war_c·s·刘易斯-第14部分

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t a merry party; a squirrel and his wife with their children and two satyrs and a dwarf and  an old dogfox; all on stools round a table。 edmund couldnt quite see what they were  eating; but it smelled lovely and there seemed to be decorations of holly and he wasnt at  all sure that he didnt see something like a plum pudding。 at the moment when the sledge  stopped; the fox; who was obviously the oldest person present; had just risen to its  feet; holding a glass in its right paw as if it was going to say something。 but when the  whole party saw the sledge stopping and who was in it; all the gaiety went out of their  faces。 the father squirrel stopped eating with his fork half…way to his mouth and one of the  satyrs stopped with its fork actually in its mouth; and the baby squirrels squeaked with  terror。

〃what is the meaning of this?〃 asked the witch queen。 nobody answered。

〃speak; vermin!〃 she said again。 〃or do you want my dwarf to find you a  tongue with his whip? what is the meaning of all this gluttony; this waste; this  selfindulgence? where did you get all these things?鈥

〃please; your majesty;〃 said the fox; 〃we were given them。 and if i might  make so bold as to drink your majestys very good health … 鈥

〃who gave them to you?〃 said the witch。

〃f…f…f…father christmas;〃 stammered the fox。

〃what?〃 roared the witch; springing from the sledge and taking a few  strides nearer to the terrified animals。 〃he has not been here! he cannot have been here! how  dare you … but no。 say you have been lying and you shall even now be forgiven。鈥

at that moment one of the young squirrels lost its head pletely。

〃he has … he has … he has!〃 it squeaked; beating its little spoon on the  table。 edmund saw the witch bite her lips so that a drop of blood appeared on her white  cheek。 then she raised her wand。 〃oh; dont; dont; please dont;〃 shouted edmund; but even  while he was shouting she had waved her wand and instantly where the merry party had  been there were only statues of creatures (one with its stone fork fixed forever half …way to its stone mouth) seated round a stone table on which there were stone plates and a  stone plum pudding。

〃as for you;〃 said the witch; giving edmund a stunning blow on the face as  she re…mounted the sledge; 〃let that teach you to ask favour for spies and  traitors。 drive on!鈥

and edmund for the first time in this story felt sorry for someone besides  himself。 it seemed so pitiful to think of those little stone figures sitting there all  the silent days and all the dark nights; year after year; till the moss grew on them and at  last even their faces crumbled away。

now they were steadily racing on again。 and soon edmund noticed that the  snow which splashed against them as they rushed through it was much wetter than it had  been all last night。 at the same time he noticed that he was feeling much less cold。 it  was also being foggy。 in fact every minute it grew foggier and warmer。 and the  sledge was not running nearly as well as it had been running up till now。 at first he  thought this was because the reindeer were tired; but soon he saw that that couldnt be the  real reason。 the sledge jerked; and skidded and kept on jolting as if it had struck against  stones。 and however the dwarf whipped the poor reindeer the sledge went slower and  slower。 there also seemed to be a curious noise all round them; but the noise of their  driving and jolting and the dwarfs shouting at the reindeer prevented edmund from hearing what  it was; until suddenly the sledge stuck so fast that it wouldnt go on at all。 when  that happened there was a moments silence。 and in that silence edmund could at last  listen to the other noise properly。 a strange; sweet; rustling; chattering noise … and yet not  so strange; for hed heard it before … if only he could remember where! then all at once he  did remember。 it was the noise of running water。 all round them though out of  sight; there were streams; chattering; murmuring; bubbling; splashing and even (in the  distance) roaring。 and his heart 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; passi
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