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beautiful clove hoofs and turn them into horrid solid hoofs like wretched horses。 and if she is extra and specially angry shell turn me into stone and i shall be only statue of a faun in her horrible house until the four thrones at cair paravel are filled and goodness knows when that will happen； or whether it will ever happen at all。鈥�
〃im very sorry； mr tumnus；〃 said lucy。 〃but please let me go home。鈥�
〃of course i will；〃 said the faun。 〃of course ive got to。 i see that now。 i hadnt known what humans were like before i met you。 of course i cant give you up to the witch； not now that i know you。 but we must be off at once。 ill see you back to the lamp…post。 i suppose you can find your own way from there back to spare oom and war drobe？鈥�
〃im sure i can；〃 said lucy。
〃we must go as quietly as we can；〃 said mr tumnus。 〃the whole wood is full of her spies。 even some of the trees are on her side。鈥�
they both got up and left the tea things on the table； and mr tumnus once more put up his umbrella and gave lucy his arm； and they went out into the snow。 the journey back was not at all like the journey to the fauns cave； they stole along as quickly as they could； without speaking a word； and mr tumnus kept to the darkest places。 lucy was relieved when they reached the lamp…post again。
〃do you know your way from here； daughter o eve？〃 said tumnus。
lucy looked very hard between the trees and could just see in the distance a patch of light that looked like daylight。 〃yes；〃 she said； 〃i can see the wardrobe door。鈥�
〃then be off home as quick as you can；〃 said the faun； 〃and … c…can you ever forgive me for what meant to do？鈥�
〃why； of course i can；〃 said lucy； shaking him heartily by the hand。 〃and i do hope you wont get into dreadful trouble on my account。鈥�
〃farewell； daughter of eve；〃 said he。 〃perhaps i may keep the handkerchief？鈥�
〃rather！〃 said lucy； and then ran towards the far off patch of daylight as quickly as her legs would carry her。 and presently instead of rough branch brushing past her she felt coats； and instead of crunching snow under her feet she felt wooden board and all at once she found herself jumping out of the wardrobe into the same empty room from which the
whole adventure had started。 she shut the wardrobe door tightly behind her and looked around； panting for breath。 it was still raining and she could hear the voices of the others in the passage。
〃im here；〃 she shouted。 〃im here。 ive e back im all right。鈥�
CHAPTER THREE
锛屽皬璇达伎t锛縳t澶╁爞
edmund and the wardrobe lucy ran out of the empty room into the passage and found the other three。
〃its all right；〃 she repeated； 〃ive eback。鈥�
〃what on earth are you talking about； lucy？〃 asked susan。
〃why？ said lucy in amazement； 〃havent you all been wondering where i was？鈥�
〃so youve been hiding； have you？〃 said peter。 〃poor old lu； hiding and nobody noticed！
youll have to hide longer than that if you want people to start looking for you。鈥�
〃but ive been away for hours and hours；〃 said lucy。
the others all stared at one another。
〃batty！〃 said edmund； tapping his head。 〃quite batty。鈥�
〃what do you mean； lu？〃 asked peter。
〃what i said；〃 answered lucy。 〃it was just after breakfast when i went into the wardrobe； and ive been away for hours and hours； and had tea； and all sorts of things have happened。鈥�
〃dont be silly； lucy；〃 said susan。 〃weve only just e out of that room a moment ago； and you were there then。鈥�
〃shes not being silly at all；〃 said peter； 〃shes just making up a story for fun； arent you； lu？ and why shouldnt she？鈥�
〃no； peter； im not；〃 she said。 〃its … its a magic wardrobe。 theres a wood inside it； and its snowing； and theres a faun and a witch and its called narnia； e and see。鈥�
the others did not know what to think； but lucy was so excited that they all went back with her into the room。 she rushed ahead of them； flung open the door of the wardrobe and cried； 〃now！ go in and see for yourselves。鈥�
〃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 o