csl.themagiciansnephew-第16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！


　　
　　When　the　great　moment　came　and　the　Beasts　spoke；　he　missed　the　whole　point；　for　a　rather　interesting　reason。　When　the　Lion　had　first　begun　singing；　long　ago　when　it　was　still　quite　dark；　he　had　realized　that　the　noise　was　a　song。　And　he　had　disliked　the　song　very　much。　It　made　him　think　and　feel　things　he　did　not　want　to　think　and　feel。　Then；　when　the　sun　rose　and　he　saw　that　the　singer　was　a　lion　（〃only　a　lion；〃　as　he　said　to　himself）　he　tried　his　hardest　to　make　believe　that　it　wasn't　singing　and　never　had　been　singing…only　roaring　as　any　lion　might　in　a　zoo　in　our　own　world。　〃Of　course　it　can't　really　have　been　singing；〃　he　thought；　〃I　must　have　imagined　it。　I've　been　letting　my　nerves　get　out　of　order。　Who　ever　heard　of　a　lion　singing？〃　And　the　longer　and　more　beautiful　the　Lion　sang；　the　harder　Uncle　Andrew　tried　to　make　himself　believe　that　he　could　hear　nothing　but　roaring。　Now　the　trouble　about　trying　to　make　yourself　stupider　than　you　really　are　is　that　you　very　often　succeed。　Uncle　Andrew　did。　He　soon　did　hear　nothing　but　roaring　in　Aslan's　song。　Soon　he　couldn't　have　heard　anything　else　even　if　he　had　wanted　to。　And　when　at　last　the　Lion　spoke　and　said；　〃Narnia　awake；〃　he　didn't　hear　any　words：　he　heard　only　a　snarl。　And　when　the　Beasts　spoke　in　answer；　he　heard　only　barkings；　growlings；　bayings；　and　howlings。　And　when　they　laughed…well；　you　can　imagine。　That　was　worse　for　Uncle　Andrew　than　anything　that　had　happened　yet。　Such　a　horrid；　bloodthirsty　din　of　hungry　and　angry　brutes　he　had　never　heard　in　his　life。　Then；　to　his　utter　rage　and　horror；　he　saw　the　other　three　humans　actually　walking　out　into　the　open　to　meet　the　animals。
　　
　　〃The　fools！〃　he　said　to　himself。　〃Now　those　brutes　will　eat　the　rings　along　with　the　children　and　I'll　never　be　able　to　get　home　again。　What　a　selfish　little　boy　that　Digory　is！　And　the　others　are　just　as　bad。　If　they　want　to　throw　away　their　own　lives；　that's　their　business。　But　what　about　me？　They　don't　seem　to　think　of　that。　No　one　thinks　of　me。〃
　　
　　Finally；　when　a　whole　crowd　of　animals　came　rushing　towards　him；　he　turned　and　ran　for　his　life。　And　now　anyone　could　see　that　the　air　of　that　young　world　was　really　doing　the　old　gentleman　good。　In　London　he　had　been　far　too　old　to　run：　now；　he　ran　at　a　speed　which　would　have　made　him　certain　to　win　the　hundred　yards'　race　at　any　Prep　school　in　England。　His　coattails　flying　out　behind　him　were　a　fine　sight。　But　of　course　it　was　no　use。　Many　of　the　animals　behind　him　were　swift　ones；　it　was　the　first　run　they　had　ever　taken　in　their　lives　and　they　were　all　longing　to　use　their　new　muscles。　〃After　him！　After　him！〃　they　shouted。　〃Perhaps　he's　that　Neevil！　Tally…ho！　Tantivy！　Cut　him　off！　Round　him　up！　Keep　it　up！　Hurrah！〃
　　
　　In　a　very　few　minutes　some　of　them　got　ahead　of　him。　They　lined　up　in　a　row　and　barred　his　way。　Others　hemmed　him　in　from　behind。　Wherever　he　looked　he　saw　terrors。　Antlers　of　great　elks　and　the　huge　face　of　an　elephant　towered　over　him。　Heavy；　serious…minded　bears　and　boars　grunted　behind　him。　Cool…looking　leopards　and　panthers　with　sarcastic　faces　（as　he　thought）　stared　at　him　and　waved　their　tails。　What　struck　him　most　of　all　was　the　number　of　open　mouths。　The　animals　had　really　opened　their　mouths　to　pant；　he　thought　they　had　opened　their　mouths　to　eat　him。
　　
　　Uncle　Andrew　stood　trembling　and　swaying　this　way　and　that。　He　had　never　liked　animals　at　the　best　of　times；　being　usually　rather　afraid　of　them；　and　of　course　years　of　doing　cruel　experiments　on　animals　had　made　him　hate　and　fear　them　far　more。
　　
　　〃Now；　sir；〃　said　the　Bulldog　in　his　business…like　way；　〃are　you　animal；　vegetable；　or　mineral？〃　That　was　what　it　really　said；　but　all　Uncle　Andrew　heard　was　〃Gr…r…rarrh…ow！〃
　　
　　
　　
　　
　　　CHAPTER　ELEVEN
　　
　　DIGORY　AND　HIS　UNCLE　ARE　BOTH　IN　TROUBLE
　　
　　You　may　think　the　animals　were　very　stupid　not　to　see　at　once　that　Uncle　Andrew　was　the　same　kind　of　creature　as　the　two　children　and　the　Cabby。　But　you　must　remember　that　the　animals　knew　nothing　about　clothes。　They　thought　that　Polly's　frock　and　Digory's　Norfolk　suit　and　the　Cabby's　howlet　hat　were　as　much　parts　of　them　as　their　own　fur　and　feathers。　They　wouldn't　have　known　even　that　those　three　were　all　of　the　same　kind　if　they　hadn't　spoken　to　them　and　if　Strawberry　had　not　seemed　to　think　so。　And　Uncle　Andrew　was　a　great　deal　taller　than　the　children　and　a　good　deal　thinner　than　the　Cabby。　He　was　all　in　black　except　for　his　white　waistcoat　（not　very　white　by　now）；　and　the　great　grey　mop　of　his　hair　（now　very　wild　indeed）　didn't　look　to　them　like　anything　they　had　seen　in　the　three　other　humans。　So　it　was　only　natural　that　they　should　be　puzzled。　Worst　of　all；　he　didn't　seem　to　be　able　to　talk。
　　
　　He　had　tried　to。　When　the　Bulldog　spoke　to　him　（or；　as　he　thought；　first　snarled　and　then　growled　at　him）　he　held　out　his　shaking　hand　and　gasped　〃Good　Doggie；　then；　poor　old　fellow。〃　But　the　beasts　could　not　understand　him　any　more　than　he　could　understand　them。　They　didn't　hear　any　words：　only　a　vague　sizzling　noise。　Perhaps　it　was　just　as　well　they　didn't；　for　no　dog　that　I　ever　knew；　least　of　all　a　Talking　Dog　of　Narnia；　likes　being　called　a　Good　Doggie　then；　any　more　than　you　would　like　being　called　My　Little　Man。
　　
　　Then　Uncle　Andrew　dropped　down　in　a　dead　faint。
　　
　　〃There！〃　said　a　Warthog；　〃it's　only　a　tree。　I　always　thought　so。〃　（Remember；　they　had　never　yet　seen　a　faint　or　even　a　fall。）
　　
　　The　Bulldog；　who　had　been　sniffing　Uncle　Andrew　all　over；　raised　its　head　and　said；　〃It's　an　animal。　Certainly　an　animal。　And　probably　the　same　kind　as　those　other　ones。〃
　　
　　〃I　don't　see　that；〃　said　one　of　the　Bears。　〃An　animal　wouldn't　just　roll　over　like　that。　We're　animals　and　we　don't　roll　over。　We　stand　up。　Like　this。〃　He　rose　to　his　hind　legs；　took　a　step　backwards；　tripped　over　a　low　branch　and　fell　flat　on　his　back。
　　
　　〃The　Third　Joke；　the　Third　Joke；　the　Third　joke！〃　said　the　Jackdaw　in　great　excitement。
　　
　　〃I　still　think　it's　a　sort　of　tree；〃　said　the　Warthog。
　　
　　〃If　it's　a　tree；〃　said　the　other　Bear；　〃there　might　be　a　bees'　nest　in　it。〃
　　
　　〃I'm　sure　it's　not　a　tree；〃　said　the　Badger。　〃I　had　a　sort　of　idea　it　was　trying　to　speak　before　it　toppled　over。〃
　　
　　〃That　was　only　the　wind　in　its　branches；〃　said　the　Warthog。
　　
　　〃You　surely　don't　mean；〃　said　the　Jackdaw　to　the　Badger；　〃that　you　think　its　a　talking　animal！　It　didn't　say　any　words。〃
　　
　　〃And　yet；　you　know；〃　said　the　Elephant　（the　She　Elephant；　of　course；　her　husband；　as　you　remember；　had　been　called　away　by　Aslan）。　〃And　yet；　you　know；　it　might　be　an　animal　of　some　kind。　Mightn't　the　whitish　lump　at　this　end　be　a　sort　of　face？　And　couldn't　those　holes　be　eyes　and　a　mouth？　No　nose；　of　course。　But　then…ahem…one　mustn't　be　narrow…minded。　Very　few　of　us　have　what　could　exactly　be　called　a　Nose。〃　She　squinted　down　the　length　of　her　own　trunk　with　pardonable　pride。
　　
　　〃I　object　to　that　remark　very　strongly；〃　said　the　Bulldog。
　　
　　〃The　Elephant　is　quite　right；〃　said　the　Tapir。
　　
　　〃I　tell　you　what！〃　said　the　Donkey　brightly；　〃perhaps　it's　an　animal　that　can't　talk　but　thinks　it　can。〃
　　
　　〃Can　it　be　made　to　stand　up？〃　said　the　Elephant　thoughtfully。　She　took　the　limp　form　of　Uncle　Andrew　gently　in　her　trunk　and　set　him　up　on　end：　upside　down；　unfortunately；　so　that　two　half…sovereigns；　three　halfcrowns；　and　a　sixpence　fell　out　of　his　pocket。　But　it　was　no　use。　Uncle　Andrew　merely　collapsed　again。
　　
　　〃There！〃　said　several　voices。　〃It　isn't　an　animal　at　all；　It's　not　alive。〃
　　
　　〃I　tell　you；　it　is　an　animal；〃　said　the　Bulldog。　〃Smell　it　for　yourself。〃
　　
　　〃Smelling　isn't　everything；〃　said　the　Elephant。
　　
　　〃Why；〃　said　the　Bulldog；　〃if　a　fellow　can't　trust　his　nose；　what　is　he　to　trust？〃
　　
　　〃Well；　his　brains　perhaps；〃　she　replied　mildly。
　　
　　〃I　object　to　that　remark　very　strongly；〃　said　the　Bulldog。
　　
　　〃Well；　we　must　do　something　about　it；〃　said　the　Elephant。　〃Because　it　may　be　the　Neevil；　and　it　must　be　shown　to　Aslan。　What　do　most　of　us　think？　Is　it　an　animal　or　something　of　the　tree　kind？〃
　　
　　〃Tree！　Tree！〃　said　a　dozen　voices。
　　
　　〃Very　well；〃　said　the　Elephant。　〃Then；　if　it's　a　tree　it　wants　to　be　planted。　We　must　dig　a　hole。〃
　　
　　The　two　Moles　settled　that　part　of　the　business　pretty　quickly。　There　was　some　dispute　as　to　which　way　up　Uncle　Andrew　ought　to　be　put　into　the　hole；　and　he　had　a　very　narrow　escape　from　being　put　in　head　foremost。　Several　animals　said　his　legs　must　be　his　branches　and　therefore　the　grey；　fluffy　thing　（they　meant　his　head）　must　be　his　root。　But　then　others　said　that　the　forked　end　of　him　was　the　muddier　and　that　it　spread　out　more；　as　roots　ought　to　do。　So　finally　he　was　planted　right　way　up。　When　they　had　patted　down　the　earth　it　came　up　above　his　knees。
　　
　　〃It　looks　dreadfully　withered；〃　said　the　Donkey。
　　
　　〃Of　course　it　wants　some　watering；〃　said　the　Elephant。
　　
　　〃I　think　I　might　say　（meaning　no　offence　to　anyone　present）　that；　perhaps；　for　that　sort　of　work；　my　kind　of　nose…〃
　　
　　〃I　object　to　that　remark　very　strongly；〃　said　the　Bulldog。　But　the　Elephant　walked　quietly　to　the　river；　filled　her　trunk　with　water；　and　came　back　to　attend　to　Uncle　Andrew。　The　sagacious　animal　went　on　doing　this　till　gallons　of　water　had　been　squirted　over　him；　and　water　was　running　out　of　the　skirts　of　his　frock…coat　as　if　he　had　been　for　a　bath　with　all　his　clothes　on。　In　the　end　it　revived　him。　He　awoke　from　his　faint。　What　a　wake　it　was！　But　we　must　leave　him　to　think　over　his　wicked　deed　（if　he　was　likely　to　do　anything　so　sensible）　and　turn　to　more　important　things。
　　
　　Strawberry　trotted　on　with　Digory　on　his　back　till　the　noise　of　the　other　animals　died　away；　and　now　the　little　group　of　Aslan　and　his　chosen　councillors　was　quite　close。　Digory　knew　that　he　couldn't　possibly　break　in　on　so　solemn　a　meeting；　but　there　was　no　need　to　do　so。　At　a　word　from　Aslan；　the　He…Elephant；　the　Ravens；　and　all　the　rest　of　them　drew　aside。　Digory　slipped　off　the　horse　and　found　himself　face　to　face　with　Aslan。　And　Aslan　was　bigge