当前位置:松语文学 > 其他类型 >The Lion, the Witch and the War最新章节 > The Lion, the Witch and the WarTXT下载
错误举报

CHAPTER ELEVEN

  ASLANISNEARER

  EDMUNDmeanwhilehadbeenhavingamostdisappointingtime.WhenthedwarfhadgoogetthesledgereadyheexpectedthattheWitchwouldstartbeingohim,asshehadbeenattheirlastmeeting.Butshesaidnothingatall.AlastEdmundpluckeduphiscetosay,"Please,yourMajesty,couldIhavesomeTurkishDelight?

  You-you-said-"sheanswered,"Silence,fool!"Thensheappearedtogehermindandsaid,asiftoherself,a"Awillnotdotohavethebratfaintingontheway,”

  andoncemoreclappedherhands.Another,deared.

  &quthehumaurefoodanddrink,"shesaid.

  Thedwarfwentaresentlyreturnedbringinganironbowlwithsomewaterinitandanironplatewithahunkofdrybreadonit.HegrinnedinarepulsivemannerashesetthemdownonthefloorbesideEdmundandsaid:"TurkishDelightforthelittlePrince.Ha!Ha!Ha!""Takeitaway,"saidEdmundsulkily."Idontwantdrybread."ButtheWitchsuddenlyturnedonhimwithsuchaterribleexpressiononherfacethathe,apologizedaonibbleatthebread,though,itwassostalehecouldhardlygetitdown.

  "Youmaybegladenoughofitbeforeyoutastebreadagain,"saidtheWitch.

  Whilehewasstillchewingawaythefirstdwarfcamebadannouhatthesledgewasready.TheWhiteWitchroseaout,Edmundtogowithher.Thesnowwasagainfallingastheycameintothecourtyard,butshetooknonoticeofthatandmadeEdmundsitbesideheronthesledge.ButbeforetheydroveoffshecalledMaugrimandhecameboundinglikeanenormousdogtothesideofthesledge.

  "TakewithyoutheswiftestofyourwolvesandgoatohehouseoftheBeavers,”

  saidtheWitch,"andkillwhateveryoufindthere.IftheyarealreadygohenmakeallspeedtotheStoable,butdonotbeseen.Waitformethereinhiding.ImeanwhilemustgomanymilestotheWestbeforeIfindaplacewhereIdriveacrosstheriver.

  YoumayovertakethesehumansbeforetheyreachtheStoable.Youwillknowwhattodoifyoufindthem!”

  "Ihearandobey,OQueen,"growledtheWolf,andimmediatelyheshotawayintothesnowanddarkness,asquicklyasahorsegallop.InafewminuteshehadcalledanotherwolfandwaswithhimdownonthedamsniffingattheBeavershouse.Butofcoursetheyfouy.ItwouldhavebeenadreadfulthingfortheBeaversandthechildrenifthenighthadremainedfine,forthewolveswouldthenhavebeeofollowtheirtrail-aoonewouldhaveovertakenthembeforetheyhadgottothecave.Butnowthatthesnowhadbegunagainthestwascoldahefootprintswerecoveredup.

  Meanwhilethedwarfwhippedupthereindeer,adEdmunddroveoutuhearchwayandonandawayintothedarknessandthecold.Thiswasaterrible

  journeyforEdmund,whohadnocoat.Beforetheyhadbeengoingquarterofanhourallthefrontofhimwascoveredwithsnow-hesoonstoppedtryingtoshakeitoffbecause,asquicklyashedidthat,agathered,andhewassotired.Soonhewaswettotheskin.Andoh,howmiserablehewas!ItdidntlooknowasiftheWitteomakehimaKing.Allthethingshehadsaidtomakehimselfbelievethatshewasgoodandkindandthathersidewasreallytherightsidesouohimsillynow.Hewouldhavegivenanythingtomeettheothersatthismoment-eveheonlywaytoforthimselfnowwastotrytobelievethatthewholethingwasadreamandthathemightatanymoment.Andastheywenton,hourafterhour,itdidetoseemlikeadream.

  ThislastedlohanIcoulddescribeevenifIwrotepagesandpagesaboutit.ButIwillskipontothetimewhenthesnowhadstoppedandthemhadeandtheywereragalonginthedaylight.Andstilltheywentonandon,withnosoundbuttheeverlastingswishofthesnowandthecreakingofthereindeersharness.AlasttheWitchsaid,"Whathavewehere?Stop!"andtheydid.

  HowEdmundhopedshewasgoingtosaysomethingaboutbreakfast!Butshehadstoppedforquiteadifferentreason.Alittlewayoffatthefootofatreesatamerryparty,asquirrelandhiswifewiththeirchildrenandtwosatyrsandadwarfandanolddogfox,allonstoolsroundatable.Edmundcouldntquiteseewhattheywereeating,butitsmelledlovelyandthereseemedtobedecorationsofhollyandhewasntatallsurethathedidntseesomethinglikeaplumpudding.Atthemomehesledgestopped,theFox,whowasobviouslytheoldestperso,hadjustrisentoitsfeet,holdingaglassinitsrightpawasifitwasgoingtosaysomething.Butwhenthewholepartysawthesledgestoppingandwhowasinit,allthegaietywentoutoftheirfaces.Thefathersquirrelstoppedeatingwithhisforkhalf-waytohismouthahesatyrsstoppedwithitsforkactuallyinitsmouth,andthebabysquirrelssqueakedwithterror.

  "Whatisthemeaningofthis?"askedtheWitchQueen.Nobodyanswered.

  "Speak,vermin!"shesaidagain."Ordoyouwantmydwarftofindyouatohhiswhip?Whatisthemeaningofallthisgluttony,thiswaste,thisselfindulgence?Wheredidyougetallthesethings?”

  "Please,yourMajesty,"saidtheFox,"weweregiventhem.AndifImightmakesoboldastodrinkyourMajestysverygoodhealth-“

  "Whogavethemtoyou?"saidtheWitch.

  "F-F-F-FatherChristmas,"stammeredtheFox.

  "What?"roaredtheWitch,springingfromthesledgeandtakiridesheterrifiedanimals."Hehasnotbeenhere!Heothavebeenhere!Howdareyou-butno.Sayyouhavebeenlyingandyoushallevennowbefiven.”

  Atthatmomeheyoungsquirrelslostitsheadpletely.

  "Hehas-hehas-hehas!"itsqueaked,beatingitslittlespoonoable.EdmundsawtheWitchbiteherlipssothatadropofbloodappearedonherwhitecheek.Thensheraisedherwand."Oh,dont,dont,pleasedont,"shoutedEdmund,butevenwhilehewasshoutingshehadwavedherwandandinstantlywherethemerrypartyhadbeentherewereonlystatuesofcreatures(ohitsstoneforkfixedforeverhalf-waytoitsstoh)seatedroundastoableonwhichtherewerestoesandastoneplumpudding.

  "Asforyou,"saidtheWitch,givingEdmundastunningblowonthefaceasshere-mouhesledge,"letthatteachyoutoaskfavourforspiesandtraitors.Driveon!”

  AndEdmundforthefirsttimeinthisstoryfeltsorryforsomeonebesideshimself.Itseemedsopitifultothinkofthoselittlestonefiguressittingthereallthesilentdaysandallthedarknights,yearafteryear,tillthemossgrewonthemandatlasteventheirfacescrumbledaway.

  Nowtheyweresteadilyragonagain.AndsoonEdmundnoticedthatthesnowwhichsplashedagainstthemastheyrushedthroughitwasmuchwetterthanithadbeenalllastnight.Atthesametimehenoticedthathewasfeelingmuchlesscold.Itwasalsobeingfoggy.Infacteverymigrewfoggierandwarmer.Andthesledgewasnotrunningnearlyaswellasithadbeenrunninguptillnow.Atfirsthethoughtthiswasbecausethereindeerweretired,butsoohatthatcouldherealreason.Thesledgejerked,andskiddedaonjoltingasifithadstruckagainststones.Andhoweverthedwarfwhippedthepoorreihesledgewentslowerandslower.Therealsoseemedtobeacuriousnoiseallroundthem,buttheheirdrivingandjoltingandthedwarfsshoutingatthereindeerpreventedEdmundfromhearingwhatitwas,untilsuddenlythesledgestucksofastthatitwouldntgoonatall.WhenthathappeherewasamomentssilendinthatsilenceEdmundcouldatlastlistentotheothernoiseproperly.Astrange,sweet,rustling,chatteringnoise-ase,forhedhearditbefore-ifonlyhecouldrememberwhere!Thenallatoncehedidremember.Itwasthenoiseofrunningwater.Allrouhoughoutofsight,therewerestreams,chattering,murmuring,bubbling,splashingandeven(iance)r.Andhisheartgaveagreatleap(thoughhehardlyknehenherealizedthatthefrostwasover.Andmuearerthere-drip-dripfromthebranchesofallthetrees.Andthen,ashelookedatoreehesawagreatloadofsnowslideoffitandforthefirsttimesincehehadenteredNarhedarkgreenofafirtree.Buthehadnttimetolistenorwatylonger,fortheWitchsaid:"Dontsitstaring,fool!Getoutandhelp.”

  AndofcourseEdmundhadtoobey.Hesteppedoutintothesnow-butitwasreallyonlyslushbynow-andbeganhelpingthedwarftogetthesledgeoutofthemuddyholeithadgotinto.Theygotitoutintheend,andbybeingverycrueltothereihedwarfmaogetitonthemoveagain,andtheydrovealittlefurther.Andnowthesnowwasreallymeltinginearandpatchesrasswerebeginningtoappearin

  everydire.UnlessyouhavelookedataworldofsnowaslongasEdmundhadbeenlookingatit,youwillhardlybeabletoimagiareliefthosegreenpatcheswereaftertheendlesswhite.Thenthesledgestoppedagain.

  "Itsnogood,yourMajesty,"saidthedwarf."Wetsledgeinthisthaw.”

  "Thewalk,"saidtheWitch.

  "Weshallneverovertakethemwalking,"growledthedwarf."Notwiththestarttheyvegot.”

  "Areyoumyyslave?"saidtheWitch."Doasyouretold.Tiethehandsofthehumaurebehinditandkeepholdoftheendoftherope.Andtakeyourwhip.

  Andcuttheharnessofthereiheyllfindtheirownwayhome.”

  Thedwarfobeyed,andinafewminutesEdmundfoundhimselfbeingforcedtowalkasfastashecouldwithhishandstiedbehindhim.Hekeptonslippingintheslushandmudagrass,aimeheslippedthedwarfgavehimacurseandsometimesaflickwiththewhip.TheWitchwalkedbehindthedwarfaonsaying,"Faster!

  Faster!”

  Everymomechesrewbiggerachesofspowgrewsmaller.

  Everymomentmoreandmoreofthetreesshookofftheirrobesofsnow.Soon,whereveryoulooked,insteadofwhiteshapesyousawthedarkgreenoffirsortheblackpricklybranchesofbareoaksandbeechesandelms.Theturnedfromwhitetogoldalyclearedawayaltogether.Shaftsofdelicioussunlightstruckdownontotheforestfloorandoverheadyoucouldseeablueskybetweereetops.

  Soonthereweremorewonderfulthingshappening.ingsuddenlyroundaerintoagladeofsilverbirchtreesEdmundsawthegroundcoveredinalldireswithlittleyellowflowers-dihenoiseofwatergrewlouder.Presentlytheyactuallycrossedastream.Beyondittheyfoundsnrowing.

  "Mindyourownbusiness!"saidthedwarfwhehatEdmundhadturnedhisheadtolookatthem;andhegavetheropeaviciousjerk.

  ButofcoursethisdidEdmundfromseeing.Onlyfivemierhenoticedadozencrocusesgrowingrouofanoldandpurpleandwhite.Thencameasoundevenmoredeliciousthanthesoundofthewater.Closebesidethepaththeywerefollowingabirdsuddenlychirpedfromthebranchofatree.Itwasansweredbythechuckleofanotherbirdalittlefurtheroff.Andthen,asifthathadbeenasignal,therewaschatteringandchirrupingineverydire,andthenamomentoffullsong,andwithinfivemihewholewoodwasringingwithbirdsmusidwhereverEdmuurnedhesawbirdsalightingonbranches,orsailingoverheadorchasiherorhavingtheirlittlequarrelsortidyinguptheirfeatherswiththeirbeaks.

  "Faster!Faster!"saidtheWitch.

  Therewasnotraceofthefognow.Theskybecamebluerandbluer,andnowtherewerewhitecloudshurryingacrossitfromtimetotime.Inthewidegladestherewereprimroses.Alightbreezesprangupwhichscattereddropsofmoisturefromtheswayingbranchesandcarriedcool,deliciousstsagainstthefacesofthetravellers.Thetreesbegantoefullyalive.Thelarchesandbircheswerecoveredwithgreen,thelaburnumswithgold.Soonthebeechtreeshadputforththeirdelicate,transparentleaves.

  Asthetravellerswalkeduhemthelightalsobecamegreen.Abeebuzzedacrosstheirpath.

  "Thisisnothaw,"saidthedwarf,suddenlystopping."ThisisSpring.Whatarewetodo?

  Yourwinterhasbeeroyed,Itellyou!ThisisAslansdoing.”

  "Ifeitherofyoumentionthatnameagain,"saidtheWitch,"heshallinstantlybekilled.”松语文学www.16sy.coM免费小说阅读