左叶小说网

手机浏览器扫描二维码访问

chater ne the witch hue（第1页）

ANDnowofcourseyouwanttoknowwhathadhappenedtoEdmund．Hehadeatenhisshareofthedinner，buthehadn’treallyenjoyeditbecausehewasthinkingallthetimeaboutTurkishDelight-andthere’snothingthatspoilsthetasteofgoodordinaryfoodhalfsomuchasthememoryofbadmagicfood．Andhehadheardtheconversation，andhadn’tenjoyeditmucheither，becausehekeptonthinkingthattheothersweretakingnonoticeofhimandtryingtogivehimthecoldshoulder．Theyweren’t，butheimaginedit．AndthenhehadlisteneduntilMr.BeavertoldthemaboutAslananduntilhehadheardthewholearrangementformeetingAslanattheStoneTable．Itwasthenthathebeganveryquietlytoedgehimselfunderthecurtainwhichhungoverthedoor.ForthementionofAslangavehimamysteriousandhorriblefeelingjustasitgavetheothersamysteriousandlovelyfeeling．

JustasMr.BeaverhadbeenrepeatingtherhymeaboutAdam’sfleshandAdam’sboneEdmundhadbeenveryquietlyturningthe

doorhandle；andjustbeforeMr.BeaverhadbeguntellingthemthattheWhiteWitchwasn’treallyhumanatallbuthalfaJinnandhalfagiantess，Edmundhadgotoutsideintothesnowandcautiouslyclosedthedoorbehindhim．

Youmustn’tthinkthatevennowEdmundwasquitesobadthatheactuallywantedhisbrotherandsisterstobeturnedintostone．HedidwantTurkishDelightandtobeaPrince（andlateraKing）andtopayPeteroutforcallinghimabeast．AsforwhattheWitchwoulddowiththeothers，hedidn’twanthertobeparticularlynicetothem-certainlynottoputthemonthesamelevelashimself；buthemanagedtobelieve，ortopretendhebelieved，thatshewouldn’tdoanythingverybadtothem，“Because，”

hesaidtohimself，“allthesepeoplewhosaynastythingsaboutherareherenemiesandprobablyhalfofitisn’ttrue．Shewasjollynicetome，anyway，muchnicerthantheyare．IexpectsheistherightfulQueenreally．Anyway，she’llbebetterthanthatawfulAslan！”

Atleast，thatwastheexcusehemadeinhisownmindforwhathewasdoing．Itwasn’taverygoodexcuse，however，fordeepdowninsidehimhereallyknewthattheWhiteWitchwasbadandcruel．

Thefirstthingherealizedwhenhegotoutsideandfoundthesnowfallingallroundhim，wasthathehadlefthiscoatbehindintheBeavers’house．Andofcoursetherewasnochanceofgoingbacktogetitnow．Thenextthingherealizedwasthatthedaylightwasalmostgone，forithadbeennearlythreeo’clockwhentheysatdowntodinnerandthewinterdayswereshort．Hehadn’treckonedonthis；buthehadtomakethebestofit．Soheturneduphiscollarandshuffledacrossthetopofthedam（luckilyitwasn’tsoslipperysincethesnowhadfallen）tothefarsideoftheriver．

Itwasprettybadwhenhereachedthefarside．Itwasgrowingdarkereveryminuteandwhatwiththatandthesnowflakesswirlingallroundhimhecouldhardlyseethreefeetahead．Andthentootherewasnoroad．Hekeptslippingintodeepdriftsofsnow，andskiddingonfrozenpuddles，andtrippingoverfallentree-trunks，andslidingdownsteepbanks，andbarkinghisshinsagainstrocks，tillhewaswetandcoldandbruisedallover．Thesilenceandthelonelinessweredreadful．InfactIreallythinkhemighthavegivenupthewholeplanandgonebackandownedupandmadefriendswiththeothers，ifhehadn’thappenedtosaytohimself，“WhenI’mKingofNarniathefirstthingIshalldowillbetomakesomedecentroads．”

AndofcoursethatsethimoffthinkingaboutbeingaKingandalltheotherthingshewoulddoandthischeeredhimupagooddeal．HehadjustsettledinhismindwhatsortofpalacehewouldhaveandhowmanycarsandallabouthisprivatecinemaandwheretheprincipalrailwayswouldrunandwhatlawshewouldmakeagainstbeaversanddamsandwasputtingthefinishingtouchestosomeschemesforkeepingPeterinhisplace，whentheweatherchanged．Firstthesnowstopped.Thenawindsprangupanditbecamefreezingcold．Finally，thecloudsrolledawayandthemooncameout．Itwasafullmoonand，shiningonallthatsnow，itmadeeverythingalmostasbrightasday-onlytheshadowswereratherconfusing．

Hewouldneverhavefoundhiswayifthemoonhadn’tcomeoutbythetimehegottotheotherriveryourememberhehadseen（whentheyfirstarrivedattheBeavers.）asmallerriverflowingintothegreatonelowerdown．Henowreachedthisandturnedtofollowitup．Butthelittlevalleydownwhichitcamewasmuchsteeperandrockerthantheonehehadjustleftandmuchovergrownwithbushes，sothathecouldnothavemanageditatallinthedark．Evenasitwas，hegotwetthroughforhehadtostoopunderbranchesandgreatloadsofsnowcameslidingoffontohisback．AndeverytimethishappenedhethoughtmoreandmorehowhehatedPeter-justasifallthishadbeenPeter’sfault．

Butatlasthecametoapartwhereitwasmorelevelandthevalleyopenedout．Andthere，ontheothersideoftheriver，quiteclosetohim，inthemiddleofalittleplainbetweentwohills，hesawwhatmustbetheWhiteWitch’sHouse．Andthemoonwasshiningbrighterthanever．TheHousewasreallyasmallcastle．Itseemedtobealltowers；littletowerswithlongpointedspiresonthem，sharpasneedles．Theylookedlikehugedunce’scapsorsorcerer’scaps．Andtheyshoneinthemoonlightandtheirlongshadowslookedstrangeonthesnow．EdmundbegantobeafraidoftheHouse．

Butitwastoolatetothinkofturningbacknow．HecrossedtheriverontheiceandwalkeduptotheHouse．Therewasnothingstirring；nottheslightestsoundanywhere．Evenhisownfeetmadenonoiseonthedeepnewlyfallensnow．Hewalkedonandon，pastcorneraftercorneroftheHouse，andpastturretafterturrettofindthedoor．Hehadtogorightroundtothefarsidebeforehefoundit．Itwasahugearchbutthegreatirongatesstoodwideopen．

Edmundcreptuptothearchandlookedinsideintothecourtyard，andtherehesawasightthatnearlymadehisheartstopbeating．Justinsidethegate，withthemoonlightshiningonit，stoodanenormouslioncrouchedasifitwasreadytospring．AndEdmundstoodintheshadowofthearch，afraidtogoonandafraidtogoback，withhiskneesknockingtogether．Hestoodtheresolongthathisteethwouldhavebeenchatteringwithcoldeveniftheyhadnotbeenchatteringwithfear．HowlongthisreallylastedIdon’tknow，butitseemedtoEdmundtolastforhours．

Thenatlasthebegantowonderwhythelionwasstandingsostill-forithadn’tmovedoneinchsincehefirstseteyesonit．Edmundnowventuredalittlenearer，stillkeepingintheshadowofthearchasmuchashecould．Henowsawfromthewaythelionwasstandingthatitcouldn’thavebeenlookingathimatall.（“Butsupposingitturnsitshead？”

thoughtEdmund．）Infactitwasstaringatsomethingelse—namelyalittle：dwarfwhostoodwithhisbacktoitaboutfourfeetaway．“Aha！”

thoughtEdmund.“Whenitspringsatthedwarfthenwillbemychancetoescape.”

Butstillthelionnevermoved，nordidthedwarf．AndnowatlastEdmundrememberedwhattheothershadsaidabouttheWhiteWitchturningpeopleintostone．Perhapsthiswasonlyastonelion.Andassoonashehadthoughtofthathenoticedthatthelion’sbackandthetopofitsheadwerecoveredwithsnow．Ofcourseitmustbeonlyastatue！

Nolivinganimalwouldhaveletitselfgetcoveredwithsnow．Thenveryslowlyandwithhisheartbeatingasifitwouldburst，Edmundventuredtogouptothelion．Evennowhehardlydaredtotouchit，butatlastheputouthishand，veryquickly，anddid．Itwascoldstone．Hehadbeenfrightenedofamerestatue！

ThereliefwhichEdmundfeltwassogreatthatinspiteofthecoldhesuddenlygotwarmalloverrightdowntohistoes，andatthesametimetherecameintohisheadwhatseemedaperfectlylovelyidea．“Probably，”

hethought，“thisisthegreatLionAslanthattheywerealltalkingabout．She’scaughthimalreadyandturnedhimintostone．Sothat’stheendofalltheirfineideasabouthim！

Pooh！

Who’safraidofAslan？”

Andhestoodtheregloatingoverthestonelion，andpresentlyhedidsomethingverysillyandchildish．Hetookastumpofleadpenciloutofhispocketandscribbledamoustacheonthelion’supperlipandthenapairofspectaclesonitseyes．Thenhesaid，“Yah！

SillyoldAslan！

Howdoyoulikebeingastone？Youthoughtyourselfmightyfine，didn’tyou？”

Butinspiteofthescribblesonitthefaceofthegreatstonebeaststilllookedsoterrible，andsad，andnoble，staringupinthemoonlight，thatEdmunddidn’treallygetanyfunoutofjeeringatit．Heturnedawayandbegantocrossthecourtyard．

Ashegotintothemiddleofithesawthatthereweredozensofstatuesallabout-standinghereandthereratherasthepiecesstandonachess-boardwhenitishalf-waythroughthegame．Therewerestonesatyrs，andstonewolves，andbearsandfoxesandcat-mountainsofstone．Therewerelovelystoneshapesthatlookedlikewomenbutwhowerereallythespiritsoftrees．TherewasthegreatshapeofacentaurandawingedhorseandalonglithecreaturethatEdmundtooktobeadragon．Theyalllookedsostrangestandingthereperfectlylife-likeandalsoperfectlystill，inthebrightcoldmoonlight，thatitwaseerieworkcrossingthecourtyard.Rightintheverymiddlestoodahugeshapelikeaman，butastallasatree，withafiercefaceandashaggybeardandagreatclubinitsrighthand．Eventhoughheknewthatitwasonlyastonegiantandnotaliveone，Edmunddidnotlikegoingpastit．

Henowsawthattherewasadimlightshowingfromadoorwayonthefarsideofthecourtyard．Hewenttoit；therewasaflightofstonestepsgoinguptoanopendoor．Edmundwentupthem．Acrossthethresholdlayagreatwolf．