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chater furteen the triuh f the witch（第3页）

askedSusan．

“No，”

saidAslan．“Iamsadandlonely．LayyourhandsonmymanesothatIcanfeelyouarethereandletuswalklikethat．”

Andsothegirlsdidwhattheywouldneverhavedaredtodowithouthispermission，butwhattheyhadlongedtodoeversincetheyfirstsawhim——buriedtheircoldhandsinthebeautifulseaoffurandstrokeditand，sodoing，walkedwithhim．AndpresentlytheysawthattheyweregoingwithhimuptheslopeofthehillonwhichtheStoneTablestood．Theywentupatthesidewherethetreescamefurthestup，andwhentheygottothelasttree（itwasonethathadsomebushesaboutit）Aslanstoppedandsaid，

“Oh，children，children．Hereyoumuststop．Andwhateverhappens，donotletyourselvesbeseen．Farewell．”

Andboththegirlscriedbitterly（thoughtheyhardlyknewwhy）andclungtotheLionandkissedhismaneandhisnoseandhispawsandhisgreat，sadeyes．Thenheturnedfromthemandwalkedoutontothetopofthehill．AndLucyandSusan，crouchinginthebushes，lookedafterhim，andthisiswhattheysaw．

AgreatcrowdofpeoplewerestandingallroundtheStoneTableandthoughthemoonwasshiningmanyofthemcarriedtorcheswhichburnedwithevil-lookingredflamesandblacksmoke.Butsuchpeople！

Ogreswithmonstrousteeth，andwolves，andbull-headedmen；spiritsofeviltreesandpoisonousplants；andothercreatureswhomIwon’tdescribebecauseifIdidthegrownupswouldprobablynotletyoureadthisbook-CruelsandHagsandIncubuses，Wraiths，Horrors，Efreets，Sprites，Orknies，Wooses，andEttins．InfactherewereallthosewhowereontheWitch’ssideandwhomtheWolfhadsummonedathercommand．Andrightinthemiddle，standingbytheTable，wastheWitchherself．

AhowlandagibberofdismaywentupfromthecreatureswhentheyfirstsawthegreatLionpacingtowardsthem，andforamomenteventheWitchseemedtobestruckwithfear．Thensherecoveredherselfandgaveawildfiercelaugh．

“Thefool！”

shecried．“Thefoolhascome．Bindhimfast．”

LucyandSusanheldtheirbreathswaitingforAslan’sroarandhisspringuponhisenemies．Butitnevercame．FourHags，grinningandleering，yetalso（atfirst）hangingbackandhalfafraidofwhattheyhadtodo，hadapproachedhim．“Bindhim，Isay！”

repeatedtheWhiteWitch．TheHagsmadeadartathimandshriekedwithtriumphwhentheyfoundthathemadenoresistanceatall．Thenothers-evildwarfsandapes-rushedintohelpthem，andbetweenthemtheyrolledthehugeLionoveronhisbackandtiedallhisfourpawstogether，shoutingandcheeringasiftheyhaddonesomethingbrave，though，hadtheLionchosen，oneofthosepawscouldhavebeenthedeathofthemall．Buthemadenonoise，evenwhentheenemies，strainingandtugging，pulledthecordssotightthattheycutintohisflesh．ThentheybegantodraghimtowardstheStoneTable．

“Stop！”

saidtheWitch．“Lethimfirstbeshaved．”

AnotherroarofmeanlaughterwentupfromherfollowersasanogrewithapairofshearscameforwardandsquatteddownbyAslan’shead．Snip-snip-snipwenttheshearsandmassesofcurlinggoldbegantofalltotheground．Thentheogrestoodbackandthechildren，watchingfromtheirhiding-place，couldseethefaceofAslanlookingallsmallanddifferentwithoutitsmane．Theenemiesalsosawthedifference．

“Why，he’sonlyagreatcatafterall！”

criedone．

“Isthatwhatwewereafraidof？”

saidanother．

AndtheysurgedroundAslan，jeeringathim，sayingthingslike“Puss，Puss！

PoorPussy，”

and“Howmanymicehaveyoucaughttoday，Cat？”

and“Wouldyoulikeasaucerofmilk，Pussums？”

“Oh，howcanthey？”

saidLucy，tearsstreamingdownhercheeks．“Thebrutes，thebrutes！”

fornowthatthefirstshockwasovertheshornfaceofAslanlookedtoherbraver，andmorebeautiful，andmorepatientthanever．