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第15部分

the last battle_c·s·刘易斯-第15部分

小说: the last battle_c·s·刘易斯 字数: 每页4000字

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owls。 〃who is he? where is he? just let me get my teeth into him!鈥

〃it was seen last night;〃 screamed the ape; 〃but it got away。 its a  donkey! a mon; miserable ass! if any of you see that ass …鈥

〃grrr!〃 growled the beasts。 〃we will; we will。 hed better keep out of our  way。鈥

jill looked at the king: his mouth was open and his face was full of  horror。 and then she understood the devilish cunning of the enemies plan。 by mixing a little  truth with it they had made their lie far stronger。 what was the good; now; of telling the  beasts that an ass had been dressed up as a lion to deceive them? the ape would only say;  〃thats just what ive said。〃 what was the good of showing them puzzle in his lion…skin? they  would only tear him in pieces。 〃thats taken the wind out of our sails;〃 whispered  eustace。 〃the ground is taken from under our feet;〃 said tirian。 〃cursed; cursed  cleverness!〃 said poggin。 〃ill be sworn that this new lie is of gingers making。鈥

锛凤挤锛贰i锛s锛╱o锛达几锛础



CHAPTER TEN

灏*璇**t*xt**澶*鍫
who will go into the stable?

jill felt something tickling her ear。 it was jewel the unicorn; whispering  to her with the wide whisper of a horses mouth。 as soon as she heard what he was saying  she nodded and tip…toed back to where puzzle was standing。 quickly and quietly she cut  the last cords that bound the lion…skin to him。 it wouldnt do for him to be caught  with that on; after what the ape had said! she would like to have hidden the skin  somewhere very far away; but it was too heavy。 the best she could do was to kick it in among  the thickest bushes。 then she made signs to puzzle to follow her and they both joined  the others。

the ape was speaking again。

〃and after a horrid thing like that; aslan … tashlan … is angrier than  ever。 he says hes been a great deal too good to you; ing out every night to be looked at;  see! well; hes not ing out any more。鈥

howls and mewings and squeals and grunts were the animals answer to this;  but suddenly a quite different voice broke in with a loud laugh。

〃hark what the monkey says;〃 it shouted。 〃we know why he isnt going to  bring his precious aslan out。 ill tell you why: because he hasnt got him。 he never  had anything except an old donkey with a lion…skin on its back。 now hes lost that and  he doesnt know what to do。鈥

tirian could not see the faces on the other side of the fire very well but  he guessed this was griffle the chief dwarf。 and he was quite certain of it when; a second  later; all the dwarfs voices joined in; singing: 〃dont know what to do! dont know what  to do! dont know what to do…o…o!鈥

〃silence!〃 thundered rishda tarkaan。 〃silence; children of mud! listen to  me; you other narnians; lest i give mand to my warriors to fall upon you with the edge  of the sword。 the lord shift has already told you of that wicked ass。 do you  think; because of him that there is no real tashlan in the stable! do you? beware; beware。鈥

〃no; no;〃 shouted most of the crowd。 but the dwarfs said; 〃thats right;  darkie; youve got it。 e on; monkey; show us whats in the stable; seeing is  believing。鈥

when next there was a moments quiet the ape said: 〃you dwarfs think youre  very clever; dont you? but not so fast。 i never said you couldnt see tashlan。  anyone who likes can see him。鈥

the whole assembly became silent。 then; after nearly a minute; the bear  began in a slow; puzzled voice:  〃i dont quite understand all this;〃 it grumbled; 〃i thought you said …鈥

〃you thought!〃 repeated the ape。 〃as if anyone could call what goes on in  your head thinking。 listen; you others。 anyone can see tashlan。 but hes not ing  out。 you have to go in and see him。鈥

〃oh; thank you; thank you; thank you;〃 said dozens of voices。 〃thats what  we wanted!

we can go in and see him face to face。 and now hell be kind and it will  all be as it used to be。〃 and the birds chattered; and the dogs barked excitedly。 then  suddenly; there was a great stirring and a noise of creatures rising to their feet; and in a  second the whole lot of them would have been rushing forward and trying to crowd into the stable  door all together。 but the ape shouted:  〃get back! quiet! not so fast。鈥

the beasts stopped; many of them with one paw in the with tails wagging;  and all of them with heads on one side。

〃i thought you said;〃 began the bear; but shift interrupted。

〃anyone can go in;〃 he said。 〃but; one at a time。 wholl go first? he  didnt say he was feeling very kind。 hes been licking his lips a lot since he swallowed up  the wicked king the other night。 hes been growling a good deal this morning。 i wouldnt  much like to go into that stable myself tonight。 but just as you please。 whod like to go  in first? dont blame me if he swallows you whole or blasts you into a cinder with the mere  terror of his eyes。 thats your affair。 now then! whos first? what about one of you  dwarfs?鈥

〃dilly; dilly; e and be killed!〃 sneered griffle。 〃how do we know what  youve got in there?鈥

〃ho…ho!〃 cried the ape。 〃so youre beginning to think theres something  there; eh? well; all you beasts were making noise enough a minute ago。 whats struck you all  dumb?

whos going in first?鈥

but the beasts all stood looking at one another and began backing away from  the stable。

very few tails were wagging now。 the ape waddled to and fro jeering at  them。 〃ho…ho…ho!〃 he chuckled。 〃i thought you were all so eager to see tashlan face to  face! changed your mind; eh?鈥

tirian bent his head to hear something that jill was trying to whisper in  his ear。 〃what do you think is really inside the stable?〃 she said。 〃who knows?〃 said tirian。  〃two calormenes with drawn swords; as likely as not; one on each side of the  door。〃 〃you dont think;〃 said jill; 〃it might be 。 。 。 you know 。 。 。 that horrid  thing we saw?〃 〃tash himself?〃 whispered tirian。 〃theres no knowing。 but courage; child: we are  all between the paws of the true aslan。鈥

then a most surprising thing happened。 ginger the cat said in a cool; clear  voice; not at all as if he was excited; 〃ill go in; if you like。鈥

every creature turned and fixed its eyes on the cat。 〃mark their  subtleties; sire;〃 said poggin to the king。 〃this cursed cat is in the plot; in the very centre of  it。 whatever is in the stable will not hurt him; ill be bound。 then ginger will e out  again and say that he has seen some wonder。鈥

but tirian had no time to answer him。 the ape was calling the cat to e  forward。

〃ho…ho!〃 said the ape。 〃so you; a pert puss; would look upon him face to  face。 e on; then! ill open the door for you。 dont blame me if he scares the whiskers  off your face。

thats your affair。鈥

and the cat got up and came out of its place in the crowd; walking primly  and daintily; with its tail in the air; not one hair on its sleek coat out of place。 it  came on till it had passed the fire and was so close that tirian; from where he stood with his  shoulder against the end…wall of the stable; could look right into its face。 its big  green eyes never blinked。 (〃cool as a cucumber;〃 muttered eustace。 〃it knows it has nothing  to fear。〃) the ape; chuckling and making faces; shuttled across beside the cat: put up his  paw: drew  

the bolt and opened the door。 tirian thought he could hear the cat purring  as it walked into the dark doorway。

〃aii…aii…aouwee! …〃 the most horrible caterwaul you ever heard made  everyone jump。

you have been wakened yourself by cats quarrelling or making love on the  roof in the middle of the night: you know the sound。

this was worse。 the ape was knocked head over heels by ginger ing back  out of the stable at top speed。 if you had not known he was a cat; you might have  thought he was a ginger…coloured streak of lightning。 he shot across the open grass; back  into the crowd。

no one wants to meet a cat in that state。 you could see animals getting out  of his way to left and right。 he dashed up a tree; whisked around; and hung head  downwards。 his tail was bristled out till it was nearly as thick as his whole body: his eyes  were like saucers of green fire: along his back every single hair stood on end。

〃id give my beard;〃 whispered poggin; 〃to know whether that brute is only  acting or whether it has really found something in there that frightened it!鈥

〃peace; friend;〃 said tirian; for the captain and the ape were also  whispering and he wanted to hear what they said。 he did not succeed; except that he heard the  ape once more whimpering 〃my head; my head;〃 but he got the idea that those two were  almost as puzzled by the cats behaviour as himself。

〃now; ginger;〃 said the captain。 〃enough of that noise。 tell them what thou  hast seen。鈥

〃aii … aii … aaow … awah;〃 screamed the cat。

〃art thou not called a talking beast?〃 said the captain。 〃then hold thy  devilish noise and talk。鈥

what followed was rather horrible。 tirian felt quite certain (and so did  the others) that the cat was trying to say something: but nothing came out of his mouth except  the ordinary; ugly cat…noises you might hear from any angry or frightened old tom in a  backyard in england。 and the longer he caterwauled the less like a talking beast he  looked。 uneasy whimper

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