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hildren climbed on to his warm； golden back； and susan sat first； holding on tightly to his mane and lucy sat behind holding on tightly to susan。 and with a great heave he rose underneath them and then shot off； faster than any horse could go； down hill and into the thick of the forest。
that ride was perhaps the most wonderful thing that happened to them in narnia。 have you ever had a gallop on a horse？ think of that； and then take away the heavy noise of the hoofs and the jingle of the bits and imagine instead the almost noiseless padding of the great paws。 then imagine instead of the black or grey or chestnut back of the horse the soft roughness of golden fur； and the mane flying back in the wind。 and then imagine you are going about twice as fast as the fastest racehorse。 but this is a mount that doesnt need to be guided and never grows tired。 he rushes on and on； never missing his footing； never hesitating； threading his way with perfect skill between tree trunks； jumping over bush and briar and the smaller streams； wading the larger； swimming the largest of all。
and you are riding not on a road nor in a park nor even on the downs； but right across narnia； in spring； down solemn avenues of beech and across sunny glades of oak； through wild orchards of snow…white cherry trees； past roaring waterfalls and mossy rocks and echoing caverns； up windy slopes alight with gorse bushes； and across the shoulders of heathery mountains and along giddy ridges and down； down； down again into wild valleys and out into acres of blue flowers。
it was nearly midday when they found themselves looking down a steep hillside at a castle … a little toy castle it looked from where they stood … which seemed to be all pointed towers。 but the lion was rushing down at such a speed that it grew larger every moment and before they had time even to ask themselves what it was they were already on a level with it。 and now it no longer looked like a toy castle but rose frowning in front of them。
no face looked over the battlements and the gates were fast shut。 and aslan； not at all slacking his pace； rushed straight as a bullet towards it。
〃the witchs home！〃 he cried。 〃now； children； hold tight。鈥�
next moment the whole world seemed to turn upside down； and the children felt as if they had left their insides behind them； for the lion had gathered himself together for a
greater leap than any he had yet made and jumped … or you may call it flying rather than jumping … right over the castle wall。 the two girls； breathless but unhurt； found themselves tumbling off his back in the middle of a wide stone courtyard full of statues。
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CHAPTER SIXTEEN
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what happened about the statues 〃what an extraordinary place！〃 cried lucy。 〃all those stone animals …and people too！
its …its like a museum。鈥�
〃hush；〃 said susan； 〃aslans doing something。鈥�
he was indeed。 he had bounded up to the stone lion and breathed on him。 then without waiting a moment he whisked round … almost as if he had been a cat chasing its tail …and breathed also on the stone dwarf； which （as you remember） was standing a few feet from the lion with his back to it。 then he pounced on a tall stone dryad which stood beyond the dwarf； turned rapidly aside to deal with a stone rabbit on his right； and rushed on to two centaurs。 but at that moment lucy said； 〃oh； susan！ look！ look at the lion。鈥�
i expect youve seen someone put a lighted match to a bit of newspaper which is propped up in a grate against an unlit fire。 and for a second nothing seems to have happened； and then you notice a tiny streak of flame creeping along the edge of the newspaper。 it was like that now。 for a second after aslan had breathed upon him the stone lion looked just the same。 then a tiny streak of gold began to run along his white marble back then it spread … then the colour seemed to lick all over him as the flame licks all over a bit of paper … then； while his hindquarters were still obviously stone； the lion shook his mane and all the heavy； stone folds rippled into living hair。 then he opened a great red mouth； warm and living； and gave a prodigious yawn。 and now his hind legs had e to life。
he lifted one of them and scratched himself。 then； having caught sight of aslan； he went bounding after him and frisking round him whimpering with delight and jumping up to lick his face。
of course the childrens eyes turned to follow the lion； but the sight they saw was so wonderful that they soon forgot about him。 everywhere the statues were ing to life。
the courtyard looked no longer like a museum； it looked more like a zoo。 creatures were running after aslan and dancing round him till he was almost hidden in the crowd。
instead of all that deadly white the courtyard was now a blaze of colours； glossy chestnut sides of centaurs； indigo horns of unicorns； dazzling plumage of birds； reddy…brown of foxes； dogs and satyrs； yellow stockings and crimson hoods of dwarfs； and the birch…girls in silver； and the beech…girls in fresh； transparent green； and the larch… girls in green so
bright that it was almost yellow。 and instead of the deadly silence the whole place rang with the sound of happy roarings； brayings； yelpings； barkings； squealings； cooings； neighings； stampings； shouts； hurrahs； songs and laughter。
〃oh！〃 said susan in a different tone。 〃look！ i wonder … i mean； is it safe？鈥�
lucy looked and saw that aslan had just breathed on the feet of the stone giant。
〃its all right！〃 shouted aslan joyously。 〃once the feet are put right； all the rest of him will follow。鈥�
〃that wasnt exactly what i meant；〃 whispered susan to lucy。 but it was too late to do anything about it now even if aslan would have listened to her。 the change was already creeping up the giants legs。 now he was moving his feet。 a moment later he lifted his club off his shoulder； rubbed his eyes and said； 〃bless me！ i must have been asleep。 now！ wheres that dratted little witch that was running about on the ground。 somewhere just by my feet it was。〃 but when everyone had shouted up to him to explain what had really happened； and when the giant had put his hand to his ear and got them to repeat it all again so that at last he understood； then he bowed down till his head was no further off than the top of a haystack and touched his cap repeatedly to aslan； beaming all over his honest ugly face。 （giants of any sort are now so rare in england and so few giants are good…tempered that ten to one you have never seen a giant when his face is beaming。 its a sight well worth looking at。） 〃now for the inside of this house！〃 said aslan。 〃look alive； everyone。 up stairs and down stairs and in my ladys chamber！ leave no corner unsearched。 you never know where some poor prisoner may be concealed。鈥�
and into the interior they all rushed and for several minutes the whole of that dark； horrible； fusty old castle echoed with the opening of windows and with everyones voices crying out at once； 〃dont forget the dungeons … give us a hand with this door！ heres another little winding stair … oh！ i say。 heres a poor kangaroo。 call aslan … phew！ how it smells in here … look out for trap…doors … up here！ there are a whole lot more on the landing！〃 but the best of all was when lucy came rushing upstairs shouting out； 〃aslan！ aslan！ ive found mr tumnus。 oh； do e quick。鈥�
a moment later lucy and the little faun were holding each other by both hands and dancing round and round for joy。 the little chap was none the worse for having been a statue and was of course very interested in all she had to tell him。
but at last the ransacking of the witchs fortress was ended。 the whole castle stood empty with every door and window open and the light and the sweet spring air flooding into all the dark and evil places which needed them so badly。 the whole crowd of
liberated statues surged back into the courtyard。 and it was then that someone （tumnus； i think） first said； 〃but how are we going to get out？〃 for aslan had got in by a jump and the gates were still locked。
〃thatll be all right；〃 said aslan； and then； rising on his hind…legs； he bawled up at the giant。 〃hi！ you up there；〃 he roared。 〃whats your name？鈥�
〃giant rumblebuffin； if it please your honour；〃 said the giant； once more touching his cap。
〃well then； giant rumblebuffin；〃 said aslan； 〃just let us out of this； will you？鈥�
〃certainly； your honour。 it will be a pleasure；〃 said giant rumblebuffin。 〃stand well away from the gates； all you little uns。〃 then he strode to the gate himself and bang … bang … bang … went his huge club。 the gates creaked at the first blow； cracked at the second； and shivered at the third。 then he tackled the towers on each side of them and after a few minutes of crashing and thudding both the towers and a good bit of the wall on each side went thundering down in a mass of hopeless rubble； and when the dust cleared it was odd； standing in that dry； grim； stony yard； to see through the gap all the grass and waving trees and sparkling streams of the forest； and the blue hills beyond that and beyond th