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！
ng to crush the human vermin and the traitors now that the great fool； the great cat； lies dead。鈥�
at this moment the children were for a few seconds in very great danger。 for with wild cries and a noise of skirling pipes and shrill horns blowing； the whole of that vile rabble came sweeping off the hill…top and down the slope right past their hiding… place。 they felt the spectres go by them like a cold wind and they felt the ground shake beneath them under the galloping feet of the minotaurs； and overhead there went a flurry of foul wings and a blackness of vultures and giant bats。 at any other time they would have trembled with fear； but now the sadness and shame and horror of aslans death so filled their minds that they hardly thought of it。
as soon as the wood was silent again susan and lucy crept out onto the open hill…top。
the moon was getting low and thin clouds were passing across her； but still they could see the shape of the lion lying dead in his bonds。 and down they both knelt in the wet grass and kissed his cold face and stroked his beautiful fur … what was left of it … and cried till they could cry no more。 and then they looked at each other and held each others hands for mere loneliness and cried again； and then again were silent。 at last lucy said； 〃i cant bear to look at that horrible muzzle。 i wonder could we take if off？鈥�
so they tried。 and after a lot of working at it （for their fingers were cold and it was now the darkest part of the night） they succeeded。 and when they saw his face without it they burst out crying again and kissed it and fondled it and wiped away the blood and the foam as well as they could。 and it was all more lonely and hopeless and horrid than i know how to describe。
〃i wonder could we untie him as well？〃 said susan presently。 but the enemies； out of pure spitefulness； had drawn the cords so tight that the girls could make nothing of the knots。
i hope no one who reads this book has been quite as miserable as susan and lucy were that night； but if you have been … if youve been up all night and cried till you have no more tears left in you … you will know that there es in the end a sort of quietness。 you feel as if nothing was ever going to happen again。 at any rate that was how it felt to these two。 hours and hours seemed to go by in this dead calm； and they hardly noticed that they were getting colder and colder。 but at last lucy noticed two other things。 one was that the sky on the east side of the hill was a little less dark than it had been an hour ago。
the other was some tiny movement going on in the grass at her feet。 at first she took no interest in this。 what did it matter？ nothing mattered now！ but at last she saw that whatever…it…was had begun to move up the upright stones of the stone table。 and now whatever…they…were were moving about on aslans body。 she peered closer。 they were little grey things。
〃ugh！〃 said susan from the other side of the table。 〃how beastly！ there are horrid little mice crawling over him。 go away； you little beasts。〃 and she raised her hand to frighten them away。
〃wait！〃 said lucy； who had been looking at them more closely still。 〃can you see what theyre doing？鈥�
both girls bent down and stared。
〃i do believe …〃 said susan。 〃but how queer！ theyre nibbling away at the cords！鈥�
〃thats what i thought；〃 said lucy。 〃i think theyre friendly mice。 poor little things … they dont realize hes dead。 they think itll do some good untying him。鈥�
it was quite definitely lighter by now。 each of the girls noticed for the first time the white face of the other。 they could see the mice nibbling away； dozens and dozens； even hundreds； of little field mice。 and at last； one by one； the ropes were all gnawed through。
the sky in the east was whitish by now and the stars were getting fainter … all except one very big one low down on the eastern horizon。 they felt colder than they had been all night。 the mice crept away again。
the girls cleared away the remains of the gnawed ropes。 aslan looked more like himself without them。 every moment his dead face looked nobler； as the light grew and they could see it better。
in the wood behind them a bird gave a chuckling sound。 it had been so still for hours and hours that it startled them。 then another bird answered it。 soon there were birds singing all over the place。
it was quite definitely early morning now； not late night。
〃im so cold；〃 said lucy。
〃so am i；〃 said susan。 〃lets walk about a bit。鈥�
they walked to the eastern edge of the hill and looked down。 the one big star had almost disappeared。 the country all looked dark grey； but beyond； at the very end of the world； the sea showed pale。 the sky began to turn red。 they walked to ands fro more times than they could count between the dead aslan and the eastern ridge； trying to keep warm； and oh； how tired their legs felt。 then at last； as they stood for a moment looking out towards they sea and cair paravel （which they could now just make out） the red turned to gold along the line where the sea and the sky met and very slowly up came the edge of the sun。
at that moment they heard from behind them a loud noise … a great cracking； deafening noise as if a giant had broken a giants plate。
〃whats that？〃 said lucy； clutching susans arm。
〃i … i feel afraid to turn round；〃 said susan； 〃something awful is happening。鈥�
〃theyre doing something worse to him；〃 said lucy。 〃e on！〃 and she turned； pulling susan round with her。
the rising of the sun had made everything look so different … all colours and shadows were changed that for a moment they didnt see the important thing。 then they did。 the stone table was broken into two pieces by a great crack that ran down it from end to end； and there was no aslan。
〃oh； oh； oh！〃 cried the two girls； rushing back to the table。
〃oh； its too bad；〃 sobbed lucy； 〃they might have left the body alone。鈥�
〃whos done it？〃 cried susan。 〃what does it mean？ is it magic？鈥�
〃yes！〃 said a great voice behind their backs。 〃it is more magic。〃 they looked round。
there； shining in the sunrise； larger than they had seen him before； shaking his mane （for it had apparently grown again） stood aslan himself。
〃oh； aslan！〃 cried both the children； staring up at him； almost as much frightened as they were glad。
〃arent you dead then； dear aslan？〃 said lucy。
〃not now；〃 said aslan。
〃youre not … not a … ？〃 asked susan in a shaky voice。 she couldnt bring herself to say the word ghost。 aslan stooped his golden head and licked her forehead。 the warmth of his breath and a rich sort of smell that seemed to hang about his hair came all over her。
〃do i look it？〃 he said。
〃oh； youre real； youre real！ oh； aslan！〃 cried lucy； and both girls flung themselves upon him and covered him with kisses。
〃but what does it all mean？〃 asked susan when they were somewhat calmer。
〃it means；〃 said aslan； 〃that though the witch knew the deep magic； there is a magic deeper still which she did not know： her knowledge goes back only to the dawn of time。
but if she could have looked a little further back； into the stillness and the darkness before time dawned； she would have read there a different incantation。 she would have known that when a willing victim who had mitted no treachery was killed in a traitors stead； the table would crack and death itself would start working backwards。
and now …鈥�
〃oh yes。 now？〃 said lucy； jumping up and clapping her hands。
〃oh； children；〃 said the lion； 〃i feel my strength ing back to me。 oh； children； catch me if you can！〃 he stood for a second； his eyes very bright； his limbs quivering； lashing himself with his tail。 then he made a leap high over their heads and landed on the other side of the table。 laughing； though she didnt know why； lucy scrambled over it to reach him。 aslan leaped again。 a mad chase began。 round and round the hill …top he led them； now hopelessly out of their reach； now letting them almost catch his tail； now diving between them； now tossing them in the air with his huge and beautifully velveted paws and catching them again； and now stopping unexpectedly so that all three of them rolled over together in a happy laughing heap of fur and arms and legs。 it was such a romp as no one has ever had except in narnia； and whether it was more like playing with
a thunderstorm or playing with a kitten lucy could never make up her mind。 and the funny thing was that when all three finally lay together panting in the sun the girls no longer felt in the least tired or hungry or thirsty。
〃and now；〃 said aslan presently； 〃to business。 i feel i am going to roar。 you had better put your fingers in your ears。鈥�
and they did。 and aslan stood up and when he opened his mouth to roar his face became so terrible that they did not dare to look at it。 and they saw all the trees in front of him bend before the blast of his roaring as grass bends in a meadow before the wind。 then he said； 〃we have a long journey to go。 you must ride on me。〃 and he crouched down and the children climbed on to his warm； golden back； and susan sat first； holding on tightly to his mane an