prince caspian_c·s·刘易斯-第7部分

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！


〃im　…　im　sorry；　doctor；〃　said　caspian。　〃it　wasnt　my　fault；　you　know。鈥�

〃i　am　not　saying　these　things　in　blame　of　you；　dear　prince；〃　answered　the　　doctor。　〃you　may　well　ask　why　i　say　them　at　all。　but　i　have　two　reasons。　firstly；　　because　my　old　heart　has　carried　these　secret　memories　so　long　that　it　aches　with　them　and　would　　burst　if　i　did　not　whisper　them　to　you。　but　secondly；　for　this：　that　when　you　bee　king　　you　may　help　us；　for　i　know　that　you　also；　telmarine　though　you　are；　love　the　old　　things。鈥�

〃i　do；　i　do；〃　said　caspian。　〃but　how　can　i　help？鈥�

〃you　can　be　kind　to　the　poor　remnants　of　the　dwarf　people；　like　myself。　you　　can　gather　learned　magicians　and　try　to　find　a　way　of　awaking　the　trees　once　more。　you　　can　search　through　all　the　nooks　and　wild　places　of　the　land　to　see　if　any　fauns　or　　talking　beasts　or　dwarfs　are　perhaps　still　alive　in　hiding。鈥�

〃do　you　think　there　are　any？〃　asked　caspian　eagerly。

〃i　dont　know　…　i　dont　know；〃　said　the　doctor　with　a　deep　sigh。　〃sometimes　　i　am　afraid　there　cant　be。　i　have　been　looking　for　traces　of　them　all　my　life。　　sometimes　i　have　thought　i　heard　a　dwarf…drum　in　the　mountains。　sometimes　at　night；　in　the　　woods；　i　thought　i　had　caught　a　glimpse　of　fauns　and　satyrs　dancing　a　long　way　off；　　but　when　i　came　to　the　place；　there　was　never　anything　there。　i　have　often　despaired；　　but　something　always　happens　to　start　me　hoping　again。　i　dont　know。　but　at　least　you　can　　try　to　be　a　king　like　the　high　king　peter　of　old；　and　not　like　your　uncle。鈥�

〃then　its　true　about　the　kings　and　queens　too；　and　about　the　white　witch？〃　　said　caspian。

〃certainly　it　is　true；〃　said　cornelius。　〃their　reign　was　the　golden　age　in　　narnia　and　the　land　has　never　forgotten　them。鈥�

〃did　they　live　in　this　castle；　doctor？鈥�

〃nay；　my　dear；〃　said　the　old　man。　〃this　castle　is　a　thing　of　yesterday。　　your　great…great…grandfather　built　it。　but　when　the　two　sons　of　adam　and　the　two　daughters　　of　eve　were　made　kings　and　queens　of　narnia　by　aslan　himself；　they　lived　in　the　castle　　of　cair　paravel。　no　man　alive　has　seen　that　blessed　place　and　perhaps　even　the　　ruins　of　it　have　now　vanished。　but　we　believe　it　was　far　from　here；　down　at　the　mouth　of　the　　great　river；　on　the　very　shore　of　the　sea。鈥�

〃ugh！〃　said　caspian　with　a　shudder。　〃do　you　mean　in　the　black　woods？　where　　all　the　…　the　…　you　know；　the　ghosts　live？鈥�

〃your　highness　speaks　as　you　have　been　taught；〃　said　the　doctor。　〃but　it　is　　all　lies。

there　are　no　ghosts　there。　that　is　a　story　invented　by　the　telmarines。　your　　kings　are　in　deadly　fear　of　the　sea　because　they　can　never　quite　forget　that　in　all　　stories　aslan　es　from　over　the　sea。　they　dont　want　to　go　near　it　and　they　dont　want　anyone　　else　to　go　near　it。　so　they　have　let　great　woods　grow　up　to　cut　their　people　off　from　　the　coast。　but　because　they　have　quarrelled　with　the　trees　they　are　afraid　of　the　woods。　　and　because　they　are　afraid　of　the　woods　they　imagine　that　they　are　full　of　ghosts。　and　　the　kings　and　great　men；　hating　both　the　sea　and　the　wood；　partly　believe　these　stories；　　and　partly　encourage　them。　they　feel　safer　if　no　one　in　narnia　dares　to　go　down　to　the　　coast　and　look　out　to　sea　towards　aslans　land　and　the　morning　and　the　eastern　end　of　　the　world。鈥�

there　was　a　deep　silence　between　them　for　a　few　minutes。　then　doctor　　cornelius　said；　〃e。　we　have　been　here　long　enough。　it　is　time　to　go　down　and　to　bed。鈥�

〃must　we？〃　said　caspian。　〃id　like　to　go　on　talking　about　these　things　for　　hours　and　hours　and　hours。鈥�

〃someone　might　begin　looking　for　us；　if　we　did　that；〃　said　doctor　　cornelius。

　　



CHAPTER　SIX

锛堝皬锛忥紡璇达紡锛弔锛忥紡xt锝�//澶�//鍫傦級
the　people　that　lived　in　hiding　　now　began　the　happiest　times　that　caspian　had　ever　known。　on　a　fine　summer　　morning　when　the　dew　lay　on　the　grass　he　set　off　with　the　badger　and　the　two　　dwarfs；　up　through　the　forest　to　a　high　saddle　in　the　mountains　and　down　on　to　their　sunny　　southern　slopes　where　one　looked　across　the　green　wolds　of　archenland。

〃we　will　go　first　to　the　three　bulgy　bears；〃　said　trumpkin。

they　came　in　a　glade　to　an　old　hollow　oak　tree　covered　with　moss；　and　　trufflehunter　tapped　with　his　paw　three　times　on　the　trunk　and　there　was　no　answer。　then　　he　tapped　again　and　a　woolly　sort　of　voice　from　inside　said；　〃go　away。　its　not　time　　to　get　up　yet。鈥�

but　when　he　tapped　the　third　time　there　was　a　noise　like　a　small　earthquake　　from　inside　and　a　sort　of　door　opened　and　out　came　three　brown　bears；　very　bulgy　indeed　　and　blinking　their　little　eyes。　and　when　everything　had　been　explained　to　them　　（which　took　a　long　time　because　they　were　so　sleepy）　they　said；　just　as　trufflehunter　had　　said；　that　a　son　of　adam　ought　to　be　king　of　narnia　and　all　kissed　caspian　…　very　wet；　　snuffly　kisses　they　were　…　and　offered　him　some　honey。　caspian　did　not　really　want　honey；　　without　bread；　at　that　time　in　the　morning；　but　he　thought　it　polite　to　accept。　it　　took　him　a　long　time　afterwards　to　get　unsticky。

after　that　they　went　on　till　they　came　among　tall　beech　trees　and　　trufflehunter　called　out；　〃pattertwig！　pattertwig！　pattertwig！〃　and　almost　at　once；　bounding　down　　from　branch　to　branch　till　he　was　just　above　their　heads；　came　the　most　magnificent　red　　squirrel　that　caspian　had　ever　seen。　he　was　far　bigger　than　the　ordinary　dumb　squirrels　　which　he　had　sometimes　seen　in　the　castle　gardens；　indeed　he　was　nearly　the　size　of　a　　terrier　and　the　moment　you　looked　in　his　face　you　saw　that　he　could　talk。　indeed　the　　difficulty　was　to　get　him　to　stop　talking；　for；　like　all　squirrels；　he　was　a　chatterer。　he　　weled　caspian　at　once　and　asked　if　he　would　like　a　nut　and　caspian　said　thanks；　he　would。　　but　as　pattertwig　went　bounding　away　to　fetch　it；　trufflehunter　whispered　in　　caspians　ear；　〃dont　look。　look　the　other　way。　its　very　bad　manners　among　squirrels　to　　watch　anyone　going　to　his　store　or　to　look　as　if　you　wanted　to　know　where　it　was。〃　then　　pattertwig　came　back　with　the　nut　and　caspian　ate　it　and　after　that　pattertwig　asked　　if　he　could　take　any　messages　to　other　friends。　〃for　i　can　go　nearly　everywhere　without　　setting　foot　to　ground；〃　he　said。　trufflehunter　and　the　dwarfs　thought　this　a　very　good　　idea　and　gave　pattertwig　messages　to　all　sorts　of　people　with　queer　names　telling　them　　all　to　e　to　a　　

feast　and　council　on　dancing　lawn　at　midnight　three　nights　ahead。　〃and　　youd　better　tell　the　three　bulgies　too；〃　added　trumpkin。　〃we　forgot　to　mention　it　to　them。鈥�

their　next　visit　was　to　the　seven　brothers　of　shuddering　wood。　trumpkin　led　　the　way　back　to　the　saddle　and　then　down　eastward　on　the　northern　slope　of　the　　mountains　till　they　came　to　a　very　solemn　place　among　rocks　and　fir　trees。　they　went　very　　quietly　and　presently　caspian　could　feel　the　ground　shake　under　his　feet　as　if　someone　　were　hammering　down　below。　trumpkin　went　to　a　flat　stone　about　the　size　of　the　　top　of　a　water…butt；　and　stamped　on　it　with　his　foot。　after　a　long　pause　it　was　　moved　away　by　someone　or　something　underneath；　and　there　was　a　dark；　round　hole　with　a　　good　deal　of　heat　and　steam　ing　out　of　it　and　in　the　middle　of　the　hole　the　head　of　a　　dwarf　very　like　trumpkin　himself。　there　was　a　long　talk　here　and　the　dwarf　seemed　more　　suspicious　than　the　squirrel　or　the　bulgy　bears　had　been；　but　in　the　end　the　whole　　party　were　invited　to　e　down。　caspian　found　himself　descending　a　dark　stairway　into　the　　earth；　but　when　he　came　to　the　bottom　he　saw　firelight。　it　was　the　light　of　a　furnace。　　the　whole　place　was　a　smithy。　a　subterranean　stream　ran　past　on　one　side　of　it。　two　　dwarfs　were　at　the　bellows；　another　was　holding　a　piece　of　red…hot　metal　on　the　anvil　with　　a　pair　of　tongs；　a　fourth　was　hammering　it；　and　two；　wiping　their　horny　little　hands　　on　a　greasy　cloth；　were　ing　forward　to　meet　the　visitors。　it　took　some　time　to　　satisfy　them　that　caspian　was　a　friend　and　not　an　enemy；　but　when　they　did；　they　all　cried；　　〃long　live　the　king；〃　and　their　gifts　were　noble　…　mail　shirts　and　helmets　and　swords　for　　caspian　and　trumpkin　and　nikabrik。　the　badger　could　have　had　the　same　if　he　had　liked；　　but　he　said　he　was　a　beast；　he　was；　and　if　his　claws　and　teeth　could　not　keep　his　skin　　whole；　it　wasnt　worth　keeping。　the　workmanship　of　the　arms　was　far　finer　than　any　caspian　　had　ever　seen；　and　he　gladly　accepted　the　dwarf…made　sword　instead　of　his　own；　which　　looked；　in　parison；　as　feeble　as　a　toy　and　as　clumsy　as　a　stick。　the　seven　brothers　　（who　were　all　red　dwarfs）　promised　to　e　to　the　feast　at　dancing　lawn。

a　little　farther　on；　in　a　dry；　rocky　ravine　they　reached　the　cave　of　five　　black　dwarfs。

they　looked　suspiciously　at　caspian；　but　in　the　end　the　eldest　of　them　　said；　〃if　he　is　against　miraz；　well　have　him　for　king。〃　and　the　next　oldest　said；　〃shall　　we　go　farther　up　for　you；　up　to　the　crags？　theres　an　ogre　or　two　and　a　hag　that　we　could　　introduce　you　to；　up　there。鈥�

〃certainly　not；〃　said　caspian。

〃i　should　think　not；　indeed；〃　said　trufflehunter。　〃we　want　none　of　that　　sort　on　our　side。鈥�

nikabrik　disagreed　with　this；　but　trumpkin　and　the　badger　overruled　him。　it　　gave　caspian　a　shock　to　realize　that　the　horrible　creatures　out　of　the　old　　stories；　as　well　as　the　nice　ones；　had　some　descenda