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erent incantation。 she would have known that when a willing victim who had mitted no treachery was killed in a traitors stead； the table would crack and death itself would start working backwards。
and now …”
〃oh yes。 now？〃 said lucy； jumping up and clapping her hands。
〃oh； children；〃 said the lion； 〃i feel my strength ing back to me。 oh； children； catch me if you can！〃 he stood for a second； his eyes very bright； his limbs quivering； lashing himself with his tail。 then he made a leap high over their heads and landed on the other side of the table。 laughing； though she didnt know why； lucy scrambled over it to reach him。 aslan leaped again。 a mad chase began。 round and round the hill …top he led them； now hopelessly out of their reach； now letting them almost catch his tail； now diving between them； now tossing them in the air with his huge and beautifully velveted paws and catching them again； and now stopping unexpectedly so that all three of them rolled over together in a happy laughing heap of fur and arms and legs。 it was such a romp as no one has ever had except in narnia； and whether it was more like playing with
a thunderstorm or playing with a kitten lucy could never make up her mind。 and the funny thing was that when all three finally lay together panting in the sun the girls no longer felt in the least tired or hungry or thirsty。
〃and now；〃 said aslan presently； 〃to business。 i feel i am going to roar。 you had better put your fingers in your ears。”
and they did。 and aslan stood up and when he opened his mouth to roar his face became so terrible that they did not dare to look at it。 and they saw all the trees in front of him bend before the blast of his roaring as grass bends in a meadow before the wind。 then he said； 〃we have a long journey to go。 you must ride on me。〃 and he crouched down and the children climbed on to his warm； golden back； and susan sat first； holding on tightly to his mane and lucy sat behind holding on tightly to susan。 and with a great heave he rose underneath them and then shot off； faster than any horse could go； down hill and into the thick of the forest。
that ride was perhaps the most wonderful thing that happened to them in narnia。 have you ever had a gallop on a horse？ think of that； and then take away the heavy noise of the hoofs and the jingle of the bits and imagine instead the almost noiseless padding of the great paws。 then imagine instead of the black or grey or chestnut back of the horse the soft roughness of golden fur； and the mane flying back in the wind。 and then imagine you are going about twice as fast as the fastest racehorse。 but this is a mount that doesnt need to be guided and never grows tired。 he rushes on and on； never missing his footing； never hesitating； threading his way with perfect skill between tree trunks； jumping over bush and briar and the smaller streams； wading the larger； swimming the largest of all。
and you are riding not on a road nor in a park nor even on the downs； but right across narnia； in spring； down solemn avenues of beech and across sunny glades of oak； through wild orchards of snow…white cherry trees； past roaring waterfalls and mossy rocks and echoing caverns； up windy slopes alight with gorse bushes； and across the shoulders of heathery mountains and along giddy ridges and down； down； down again into wild valleys and out into acres of blue flowers。
it was nearly midday when they found themselves looking down a steep hillside at a castle … a little toy castle it looked from where they stood … which seemed to be all pointed towers。 but the lion was rushing down at such a speed that it grew larger every moment and before they had time even to ask themselves what it was they were already on a level with it。 and now it no longer looked like a toy castle but rose frowning in front of them。
no face looked over the battlements and the gates were fast shut。 and aslan； not at all slacking his pace； rushed straight as a bullet towards it。
〃the witchs home！〃 he cried。 〃now； children； hold tight。”
next moment the whole world seemed to turn upside down； and the children felt as if they had left their insides behind them； for the lion had gathered himself together for a
greater leap than any he had yet made and jumped … or you may call it flying rather than jumping … right over the castle wall。 the two girls； breathless but unhurt； found themselves tumbling off his back in the middle of a wide stone courtyard full of statues。
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CHAPTER SIXTEEN
what happened about the statues 〃what an extraordinary place！〃 cried lucy。 〃all those stone animals …and people too！
its …its like a museum。”
〃hush；〃 said susan； 〃aslans doing something。”
he was indeed。 he had bounded up to the stone lion and breathed on him。 then without waiting a moment he whisked round … almost as if he had been a cat chasing its tail …and breathed also on the stone dwarf； which （as you remember） was standing a few feet from the lion with his back to it。 then he pounced on a tall stone dryad which stood beyond the dwarf； turned rapidly aside to deal with a stone rabbit on his right； and rushed on to two centaurs。 but at that moment lucy said； 〃oh； susan！ look！ look at the lion。”
i expect youve seen someone put a lighted match to a bit of newspaper which is propped up in a grate against an unlit fire。 and for a second nothing seems to have happened； and then you notice a tiny streak of flame creeping along the edge of the newspaper。 it was like that now。 for a second after aslan had breathed upon him the stone lion looked just the same。 then a tiny streak of gold began to run along his white marble back then it spread … then the colour seemed to lick all over him as the flame licks all over a bit of paper … then； while his hindquarters were still obviously stone； the lion shook his mane and all the heavy； stone folds rippled into living hair。 then he opened a great red mouth； warm and living； and gave a prodigious yawn。 and now his hind legs had e to life。
he lifted one of them and scratched himself。 then； having caught sight of aslan； he went bounding a