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at each other and held each others hands for mere loneliness and cried again； and then again were silent。 at last lucy said； 〃i cant bear to look at that horrible muzzle。 i wonder could we take if off？”
so they tried。 and after a lot of working at it （for their fingers were cold and it was now the darkest part of the night） they succeeded。 and when they saw his face without it they burst out crying again and kissed it and fondled it and wiped away the blood and the foam as well as they could。 and it was all more lonely and hopeless and horrid than i know how to describe。
〃i wonder could we untie him as well？〃 said susan presently。 but the enemies； out of pure spitefulness； had drawn the cords so tight that the girls could make nothing of the knots。
i hope no one who reads this book has been quite as miserable as susan and lucy were that night； but if you have been … if youve been up all night and cried till you have no more tears left in you … you will know that there es in the end a sort of quietness。 you feel as if nothing was ever going to happen again。 at any rate that was how it felt to these two。 hours and hours seemed to go by in this dead calm； and they hardly noticed that they were getting colder and colder。 but at last lucy noticed two other things。 one was that the sky on the east side of the hill was a little less dark than it had been an hour ago。
the other was some tiny movement going on in the grass at her feet。 at first she took no interest in this。 what did it matter？ nothing mattered now！ but at last she saw that whatever…it…was had begun to move up the upright stones of the stone table。 and now whatever…they…were were moving about on aslans body。 she peered closer。 they were little grey things。
〃ugh！〃 said susan from the other side of the table。 〃how beastly！ there are horrid little mice crawling over him。 go away； you little beasts。〃 and she raised her hand to frighten them away。
〃wait！〃 said lucy； who had been looking at them more closely still。 〃can you see what theyre doing？”
both girls bent down and stared。
〃i do believe …〃 said susan。 〃but how queer！ theyre nibbling away at the cords！”
〃thats what i thought；〃 said lucy。 〃i think theyre friendly mice。 poor little things … they dont realize hes dead。 they think itll do some good untying him。”
it was quite definitely lighter by now。 each of the girls noticed for the first time the white face of the other。 they could see the mice nibbling away； dozens and dozens； even hundreds； of little field mice。 and at last； one by one； the ropes were all gnawed through。
the sky in the east was whitish by now and the stars were getting fainter … all except one very big one low down on the eastern horizon。 they felt colder than they had been all night。 the mice crept away again。
the girls cleared away the remains of the gnawed ropes。 aslan looked more like himself without them。 every moment his dead face looked nobler； as the light grew and they could see it better。
in the wood behind them a bird gave a chuckling sound。 it had been so still for hours and hours that it startled them。 then another bird answered it。 soon there were birds singing all over the place。
it was quite definitely early morning now； not late night。
〃im so cold；〃 said lucy。
〃so am i；〃 said susan。 〃lets walk about a bit。”
they walked to the eastern edge of the hill and looked down。 the one big star had almost disappeared。 the country all looked dark grey； but beyond； at the very end of the world； the sea showed pale。 the sky began to turn red。 they walked to ands fro more times than they could count between the dead aslan and the eastern ridge； trying to keep warm； and oh； how tired their legs felt。 then at last； as they stood for a moment looking out towards they sea and cair paravel （which they could now just make out） the red turned to gold along the line where the sea and the sky met and very slowly up came the edge of the sun。
at that moment they heard from behind them a loud noise … a great cracking； deafening noise as if a giant had broken a giants plate。
〃whats that？〃 said lucy； clutching susans arm。
〃i … i feel afraid to turn round；〃 said susan； 〃something awful is happening。”
〃theyre doing something worse to him；〃 said lucy。 〃e on！〃 and she turned； pulling susan round with her。
the rising of the sun had made everything look so different … all colours and shadows were changed that for a moment they didnt see the important thing。 then they did。 the stone table was broken into two pieces by a great crack that ran down it from end to end； and there was no aslan。
〃oh； oh； oh！〃 cried the two girls； rushing back to the table。
〃oh； its too bad；〃 sobbed lucy； 〃they might have left the body alone。”
〃whos done it？〃 cried susan。 〃what does it mean？ is it magic？”
〃yes！〃 said a great voice behind their backs。 〃it is more magic。〃 they looked round。
there； shining in the sunrise； larger than they had seen him before； shaking his mane （for it had apparently grown again） stood aslan himself。
〃oh； aslan！〃 cried both the children； staring up at him； almost as much frightened as they were glad。
〃arent you dead then； dear aslan？〃 said lucy。
〃not now；〃 said aslan。
〃youre not … not a … ？〃 asked susan in a shaky voice。 she couldnt bring herself to say the word ghost。 aslan stooped his golden head and licked her forehead。 the warmth of his breath and a rich sort of smell that seemed to hang about his hair came all over her。
〃do i look it？〃 he said。
〃oh； youre real； youre real！ oh； aslan！〃 cried lucy； and both girls flung themselves upon him and covered him with kisses。
〃but what does it all mean？〃 asked susan when they were somewhat calmer。
〃it means；〃 said aslan； 〃that though the witch knew the deep magic； there is a magic deeper still which she did not know： her knowledge goes back only to the dawn of time。
but if she could have looked a little further back； into the stillness and the darkness before time dawned； she would have read there a different incantation。 she would have known that when a willing victim who had mitted no treachery was