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！
〃why！ eustace！〃 he said。 〃eustace！ so you did reach the end of the world after all。 what about my second…best sword that you broke on the sea…serpent？”
eustace made a step towards him with both hands held out； but then drew back with a somewhat startled expression。
〃look here！ i say；〃 he stammered。 〃its all very well。 but arent you？ … i mean didnt you …？”
〃oh； dont be such an ass；〃 said caspian。
〃but；〃 said eustace； looking at aslan。 〃hasnt he … er died？”
〃yes；〃 said the lion in a very quiet voice； almost （jill thought） as if he were laughing。
〃he has died。 most people have； you know。 even i have。 there are very few who havent。”
〃oh；〃 said caspian。 〃i see whats bothering you。 you think im a ghost； or some nonsense。 but dont you see？ i would be that if i appeared in narnia now： because i dont belong there any more。 but one cant be a ghost in ones own country。 i might be a ghost if i got into your world。 i dont know。 but i suppose it isnt yours either； now youre here。”
a great hope rose in the childrens hearts。 but aslan shook his shaggy head。 〃no； my dears；〃 he said。 〃when you meet me here again； you will have e to stay。 but not now。
you must go back to your own world for a while。”
〃sir；〃 said caspian； 〃ive always wanted to have just one glimpse of their world。 is that wrong？”
〃you cannot want wrong things any more； now that you have died； my son；〃 said aslan。
〃and you shall see their world … for five minutes of their time。 it will take no longer for you to set things right there。〃 then aslan explained to caspian what jill and eustace were going back to and all about experiment house： he seemed to know it quite as well as they did。
〃daughter；〃 said aslan to jill； 〃pluck a switch off that bush。〃 she did； and as soon as it was in her hand it turned into a fine new riding crop。
〃now； sons of adam； draw your swords；〃 said aslan。 〃but use only the flat； for it is cowards and children； not warriors； against whom 1 send you。”
〃are you ing with us； aslan？〃 said jill。
〃they shall see only my back；〃 said aslan。
he led them rapidly through the wood； and before they had gone many paces； the wall of experiment house appcared before them。 then aslan roared so that the sun shook in the sky and thirty feet of the wall fell down before them。 they looked through the gap； down into the school shrubbery and on to the roof of the gym； all under the same dull autumn sky which they had seen before their adventures began。 aslan turned to jill and eustace and breathed upon them and touched their foreheads with his tongue。 then he lay down amid the gap he had made in the wall and turned his golden back to england； and his lordly face towards his own lands。 at the same moment jill saw figures whom she knew only too well running up through the laurels towards them。 most of the gang were there adela pennyfather and cholmondely major； edith winterblott； ‘spotty sorrier； big bannister； and the two loathsome garrett twins。 but suddenly they stopped。 their faces changed； and all the meanness； conceit； cruelty； and sneakishness almost disappeared in one single expression of terror。 for they saw the wall fallen down； and a lion as large as a young elephant lying in the gap； and three figures in glittering clothes with weapons in their hands rushing down upon them。 for； with the strength of aslan in them； jill plied her crop on the girls and caspian and eustace plied the flats of their swords on the boys so well that in two minutes all the bullies were running like mad； crying out； ‘murder！
fascists！ lions！ it isnt fair。 and then the head （who was； by the way； a woman） came running out to see what was happening。 and when she saw the lion and the broken wall and caspian and jill and eustace （whom she quite failed to recognize） she had hysterics and went back to the house and began ringing up the police with stories about a lion escaped from a circus； and escaped convicts who broke down walls and carried drawn swords。 in the midst of all this fuss jill and eustace slipped quietly indoors and changed out of their bright clothes into ordinary things； and caspian went back into his own world。 and the wall； at aslans word； was made whole again。 when the police arrived and found no lion； no broken wall； and no convicts； and the head behaving like a lunatic； there was an inquiry into the whole thing。 and in the inquiry all sorts of things about experiment house came out； and about ten people got expelled。 after that； the heads friends saw that the head was no use as a head； so they got her made an inspector to interfere with other heads。 and when they found she wasnt much good even at that； they got her into parliament where she lived happily ever after。
eustace buried his fine clothes secretly one night in the school grounds； but jill smuggled hers home and wore them at a fancy…dress ball next holidays。 and from that day forth things changed for the better at experiment house； and it became quite a good school。
and jill and eustace were always friends。
but far off in narnia； king rilian buried his father； caspian the navigator； tenth of that name； and mourned for him。 he himself ruled narnia well and the land was happy in his days； though puddleglum （whose foot was as good as new in three weeks） often pointed out that bright mornings brought on wet afternoons； and that you couldnt expect good times to last。 the opening into the hillside was left open； and often in hot summer days the narnians go in there with ships and lanterns and down to the water and sail to and fro； singing； on the cool； dark underground sea； telling each other stories of the cities that lie
fathoms deep below。 if ever you have the luck to go to narnia yourself； do not forget to have a look at those caves。
．co
，