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prince caspian_c·s·刘易斯-第4部分

小说: prince caspian_c·s·刘易斯 字数: 每页4000字

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e … england; i  mean。鈥

edmund whistled。 it was indeed a shattering loss; for this was an enchanted  horn and; whenever you blew it; help was certain to e to you; wherever you were。

〃just the sort of thing that might e in handy in a place like this;〃  said edmund。

〃never mind;〃 said susan; 〃ive still got the bow。〃 and she took it。

〃wont the string be perished; su?〃 said peter。

but whether by some magic in the air of the treasure chamber or not; the  bow was still in working order。 archery and swimming were the things susan was good at。 in a  moment she had bent the bow and then she gave one little pluck to the string。 it  twanged: a chirruping twang that vibrated through the whole room。 and that one small  noise brought back the old days to the childrens minds more than anything that had  happened yet。 all the battles and hunts and feasts came rushing into their heads together。

then she unstrung the bow again and slung the quiver at her side。

next; peter took down his gift … the shield with the great red lion on it;  and the royal sword。 he blew; and rapped them on the floor; to get off the dust。 he  fitted the shield on his arm and slung the sword by his side。 he was afraid at first that it  might be rusty and stick to the sheath。 but it was not so。 with one swift motion he drew it  and held it up; shining in the torchlight。

〃it is my sword rhindon;〃 he said; 〃with it i killed the wolf。〃 there was a  new tone in his voice; and the others all felt that he was really peter the high king  again。 then; after a little pause; everyone remembered that they must save the battery。

they climbed the stair again and made up a good fire and lay down close  together for warmth。 the ground was very hard and unfortable; but they fell asleep in  the end。

www銆



CHAPTER THREE

銆灏忥伎璇磘…x…t锛垮ぉ/鍫
the dwarf   

the worst of sleeping out of doors is that you wake up so dreadfully early。  and when you wake you have to get up because the ground is so hard that you are  unfortable。

and it makes matters worse if there is nothing but apples for breakfast and  you have had nothing but apples for supper the night before。 when lucy had said … truly  enough that it was a glorious morning; there did not seem to be anything else nice to be  said。 edmund said what everyone was feeling; 〃weve simply got to get off this island。鈥

when they had drunk from the well and splashed their faces they all went  down the stream again to the shore and stared at the channel which divided them from  the mainland。

〃well have to swim;〃 said edmund。

〃it would be all right for su;〃 said peter (susan had won prizes for  swimming at school)。

〃but i dont know about the rest of us。〃 by 〃the rest of us〃 he really  meant edmund who couldnt yet do two lengths at the school baths; and lucy; who could hardly  swim at all。

〃anyway;〃 said susan; 〃there may be currents。 father says its never wise  to bathe in a place you dont know。鈥

〃but; peter;〃 said lucy; 〃look here。 i know i cant swim for nuts at home …  in england; i mean。 but couldnt we all swim long ago … if it was long ago … when we were  kings and queens in narnia? we could ride then too; and do all sorts of things。 dont  you think …?鈥

〃ah; but we were sort of grown…up then;〃 said peter。

〃we reigned for years and years and learned to do things。 arent we just  back at our proper ages again now?鈥

〃oh!〃 said edmund in a voice which made everyone stop talking and listen to  him。

〃ive just seen it all;〃 he said。

〃seen what?〃 asked peter。

〃why; the whole thing;〃 said edmund。 〃you know what we were puzzling about  last night; that it was only a year ago since we left narnia but everything  looks as if no one had lived in cair paravel for hundreds of years? well; dont you see? you  know that; however long we seemed to have lived in narnia; when we got back through  the wardrobe it seemed to have taken no time at all?鈥

〃go on;〃 said susan。 〃i think im beginning to understand。鈥

〃and that means;〃 continued edmund; 〃that; once youre out of narnia; you  have no idea how narnian time is going。 why shouldnt hundreds of years have gone past  in narnia while only one year has passed for us in england?鈥

〃by jove; ed;〃 said peter。 〃i believe youve got it。 in that sense it  really was hundreds of years ago that we lived in cair paravel。 and now were ing back to  narnia just as if we were crusaders or anglo…saxons or ancient britons or someone ing back  to modern england?鈥

〃how excited theyll be to see us …〃 began lucy; but at the same moment  everyone else said; 〃hush!〃 or 〃look!〃 for now something was happening。

there was a wooded point on the mainland a little to their right; and they  all felt sure that just beyond that point must be the mouth of the river。 and now; round that  point there came into sight a boat。 when it had cleared the point; it turned and began  ing along the channel towards them。 there were two people on board; one rowing; the  other sitting in the stern and holding a bundle that twitched and moved as if it were  alive。 both these people seemed to be soldiers。 they had steel caps on their heads and light  shirts of chain…mail。 their faces were bearded and hard。 the children drew back from the  beach into the wood and watched without moving a finger。

〃thisll do;〃 said the soldier in the stern when the boat had e about  opposite to them。

〃what about tying a stone to his feet; corporal?〃 said the other; resting  on his oars。

〃garn!〃 growled the other。 〃we dont need that; and we havent brought one。  hell drown sure enough without a stone; as long as weve tied the cords right。〃 with  these words he rose and lifted his bundle。 peter now saw that it was really alive and was  in fact a dwarf; bound hand and foot but struggling as hard as he could。 next moment he  heard a twang just beside his ear; and all at once the soldier threw up his arms;  dropping the dwarf into the bottom of the boat; and fell over into the water。 he floundered away to  the far bank and peter knew that susans arrow had struck on his helmet。 he turned and  saw that she was very pale but was already fitting a second arrow to the string。 but it  was never used。

as soon as he saw his panion fall; the other soldier; with a loud cry;  jumped out of the boat on the far side; and lie also floundered through the water (which  was apparently just in his depth) and disappeared into the woods of the mainland。

〃quick! before she drifts!〃 shouted peter。 he and susan; fully dressed as  they were; plunged in; and before the water was up to their shoulders their hands were  on the side of the boat。 in a few seconds they had hauled her to the bank and lifted the  dwarf out; and edmund was busily engaged in cutting his bonds with the pocket knife。  (peters sword would have been sharper; but a sword is very inconvenient for this sort of  work because you cant hold it anywhere lower than the hilt。) when at last the dwarf was  free; he sat up; rubbed his arms and legs; and exclaimed:  〃well; whatever they say; you dont feel like ghosts。鈥

like most dwarfs he was very stocky and deep…chested。 he would have been  about three feet high if he had been standing up; and an immense beard and whiskers of  coarse red hair left little of his face to be seen except a beak…like nose and  twinkling black eyes。

〃anyway;〃 he continued; 〃ghosts or not; youve saved my life and im  extremely obliged to you。鈥

〃but why should we be ghosts?〃 asked lucy。

〃ive been told all my life;〃 said the dwarf; 〃that these woods along the  shore were as full of ghosts as they were of trees。 thats what the story is。 and thats why;  when they want to get rid of anyone; they usually bring him down here (like they were  doing with me)

and say theyll leave him to the ghosts。 but i always wondered if they  didnt really drown em or cut their throats。 i never quite believed in the ghosts。 but those  two cowards youve just shot believed all right。 they were more frightened of taking me  to my death than i was of going!鈥

〃oh;〃 said susan。 〃so thats why they both ran away。鈥

〃eh? whats that?〃 said the dwarf。

〃they got away;〃 said edmund。 〃to the mainland。鈥

〃i wasnt shooting to kill; you know;〃 said susan。 she would not have liked  anyone to think she could miss at such a short range。

〃hm;〃 said the dwarf。 〃thats not so good。 that may mean trouble later on。  unless they hold their tongues for their own sake。鈥

〃what were they going to drown you for?〃 asked peter。

〃oh; im a dangerous criminal; i am;〃 said the dwarf cheerfully。 〃but  thats a long story。

meantime; i was wondering if perhaps you were going to ask me to breakfast?  youve no idea what an appetite it gives one; being executed。〃   〃theres only apples;〃 said lucy dolefully。

〃better than nothing; but not so good as fresh fish;〃 said the dwarf。 〃it  looks as if ill have to ask you to breakfast instead。 i saw some fishing tackle in that  boat。 and anyway; we must take her round to the other side of the island。 we dont want  anyone from the mainland ing down and seeing her。鈥

〃i ought to have thought of that myself;〃 said peter。

the four children and the dwarf went down to the waters edge; pushed 

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