左叶小说网

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chater eventeen the huntg f the white tag（第2页）

hehadsaid．“Onedayyou’llseehimandanotheryouwon’t．Hedoesn’tlikebeingtieddown—andofcoursehehasothercountriestoattendto．It’squiteallright.He’lloftendropin．Onlyyoumustn’tpresshim．He’swild，youknow．Notlikeatamelion．”

Andnow，asyousee，thisstoryisnearly（butnotquite）atanend．ThesetwoKingsandtwoQueensgovernedNarniawell，andlongandhappywastheirreign．AtfirstmuchoftheirtimewasspentinseekingouttheremnantsoftheWhiteWitch’sarmyanddestroyingthem，andindeedforalongtimetherewouldbenewsofevilthingslurkinginthewilderpartsoftheforest-ahauntinghereandakillingthere，aglimpseofawerewolfonemonthandarumourofahagthenext．Butintheendallthatfoulbroodwasstampedout．Andtheymadegoodlawsandkeptthepeaceandsavedgoodtreesfrombeingunnecessarilycutdown，andliberatedyoungdwarfsandyoungsatyrsfrombeingsenttoschool，andgenerallystoppedbusybodiesandinterferersandencouragedordinarypeoplewhowantedtoliveandletlive．Andtheydrovebackthefiercegiants（quiteadifferentsortfromGiantRumblebuffin）onthenorthofNarniawhentheseventuredacrossthefrontier．Andtheyenteredintofriendshipandalliancewithcountriesbeyondtheseaandpaidthemvisitsofstateandreceivedvisitsofstatefromthem．Andtheythemselvesgrewandchangedastheyearspassedoverthem．AndPeterbecameatallanddeep-chestedmanandagreatwarrior，andhewascalledKingPetertheMagnificent．AndSusangrewintoatallandgraciouswomanwithblackhairthatfellalmosttoherfeetandthekingsofthecountriesbeyondtheseabegantosendambassadorsaskingforherhandinmarriage．AndshewascalledSusantheGentle．EdmundwasagraverandquietermanthanPeter，andgreatincouncilandjudgement．HewascalledKingEdmundtheJust．ButasforLucy，shewasalwaysgayandgolden-haired，andallprincesinthosepartsdesiredhertobetheirQueen，andherownpeoplecalledherQueenLucytheValiant．

Sotheylivedingreatjoyandifevertheyrememberedtheirlifeinthisworlditwasonlyasoneremembersadream．AndoneyearitfelloutthatTumnus（whowasamiddle-agedFaunbynowandbeginningtobestout）camedownriverandbroughtthemnewsthattheWhiteStaghadoncemoreappearedinhisparts-theWhiteStagwhowouldgiveyouwishesifyoucaughthim．SothesetwoKingsandtwoQueenswiththeprincipalmembersoftheircourt，rodea-huntingwithhornsandhoundsintheWesternWoodstofollowtheWhiteStag．Andtheyhadnothuntedlongbeforetheyhadasightofhim．Andheledthemagreatpaceoverroughandsmoothandthroughthickandthin，tillthehorsesofallthecourtiersweretiredoutandthesefourwerestillfollowing．Andtheysawthestagenterintoathicketwheretheirhorsescouldnotfollow．ThensaidKingPeter（fortheytalkedinquiteadifferentstylenow，havingbeenKingsandQueensforsolong），“FairConsorts，letusnowalightfromourhorsesandfollowthisbeastintothethicket；forinallmydaysIneverhuntedanoblerquarry．”

“Sir，”

saidtheothers，“evensoletusdo．”

Sotheyalightedandtiedtheirhorsestotreesandwentonintothethickwoodonfoot．AndassoonastheyhadentereditQueenSusansaid，

“Fairfriends，hereisagreatmarvel，forIseemtoseeatreeofiron．”

“Madam，”

said，KingEdmund，“ifyoulookwelluponityoushallseeitisapillarofironwithalanternsetonthetopthereof.”

“BytheLion’sMane，astrangedevice，”

saidKingPeter，“tosetalanternherewherethetreesclustersothickaboutitandsohighaboveitthatifitwerelititshouldgivelighttonoman！”

“Sir，”

saidQueenLucy．“Bylikelihoodwhenthispostandthislampweresetherethereweresmallertreesintheplace，orfewer，ornone．Forthisisayoungwoodandtheironpostisold.”

Andtheystoodlookinguponit．ThensaidKingEdmund，

“Iknownothowitis，butthislamponthepostworkethuponmestrangely．ItrunsinmymindthatIhaveseenthelikebefore；asitwereinadream，orinthedreamofadream．”

“Sir，”

answeredtheyall，“itisevensowithusalso．”

“Andmore，”

saidQueenLucy，“foritwillnotgooutofmymindthatifwepassthispostandlanterneitherweshallfindstrangeadventuresorelsesomegreatchangeofourfortunes．”

“Madam，”

saidKingEdmund，“thelikeforebodingstirrethinmyheartalso．”

“Andinmine，fairbrother，”

saidKingPeter．

“Andinminetoo，”

saidQueenSusan．“WhereforebymycounselweshalllightlyreturntoourhorsesandfollowthisWhiteStagnofurther．”

“Madam，”

saidKingPeter，“thereinIpraytheetohavemeexcused．ForneversincewefourwereKingsandQueensinNarniahavewesetourhandstoanyhighmatter，asbattles，quests，featsofarms，actsofjustice，andthelike，andthengivenover；butalwayswhatwehavetakeninhand，thesamewehaveachieved．”

“Sister，”

saidQueenLucy，“myroyalbrotherspeaksrightly.Anditseemstomeweshouldbeshamedifforanyfearingorforebodingweturnedbackfromfollowingsonobleabeastasnowwehaveinchase．”

“AndsosayI，”

saidKingEdmund．“AndIhavesuchdesiretofindthesignificationofthisthingthatIwouldnotbymygoodwillturnbackfortherichestjewelinallNarniaandalltheislands．”

“TheninthenameofAslan，”

saidQueenSusan，“ifyewillallhaveitso，letusgoonandtaketheadventurethatshallfalltous．”

SotheseKingsandQueensenteredthethicket，andbeforetheyhadgoneascoreofpacestheyallrememberedthatthethingtheyhadseenwascalledalamppost，andbeforetheyhadgonetwentymoretheynoticedthattheywere．makingtheirwaynotthroughbranchesbutthroughcoats．Andnextmomenttheyallcametumblingoutofawardrobedoorintotheemptyroom，andTheywerenolongerKingsandQueensintheirhuntingarraybutjustPeter，Susan，EdmundandLucyintheiroldclothes．Itwasthesamedayandthesamehourofthedayonwhichtheyhadallgoneintothewardrobetohide．Mrs.Macreadyandthevisitorswerestilltalkinginthepassage；butluckilytheynevercameintotheemptyroomandsothechildrenweren’tcaught．

Andthatwouldhavebeentheveryendofthestoryifithadn’tbeenthattheyfelttheyreallymustexplaintotheProfessorwhyfourofthecoatsoutofhiswardrobeweremissing．AndtheProfessor，whowasaveryremarkableman，didn’ttellthemnottobesillyornottotelllies，butbelievedthewholestory．“No，”

hesaid，Idon’tthinkitwillbeanygoodtryingtogobackthroughthewardrobedoortogetthecoats．Youwon’tgetintoNarniaagainbythatroute．Norwouldthecoatsbemuchusebynowifyoudid！

Eh？What’sthat？Yes，ofcourseyou’llgetbacktoNarniaagainsomeday．OnceaKinginNarnia，alwaysaKinginNarnia.Butdon’tgotryingtousethesameroutetwice．Indeed，don’ttrytogetthereatall．It’llhappenwhenyou’renotlookingforit.Anddon’ttalktoomuchaboutitevenamongyourselves．Anddon’tmentionittoanyoneelseunlessyoufindthatthey’vehadadventuresofthesamesortthemselves．What’sthat？Howwillyouknow？Oh，you’llknowallright．Oddthingstheysay-eventheirlooks-willletthesecretout．Keepyoureyesopen．Blessme，whatdotheyteachthemattheseschools？”

Andthatistheveryendoftheadventureofthewardrobe.ButiftheProfessorwasrightitwasonlythebeginningoftheadventuresofNarnia.