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！
； and bottles of wine were lowered down to them from the ship as prizes； and the sailors stood leaning over the ships sides and laughed till their own sides ached。
the duffers were also very pleased with their new name of monopods； which seemed to them a magnificent name though they never got it right。 〃thats what we are；〃 they bellowed； 〃moneypuds； pomonods； poddymons。 just what it was on the tips of our tongues to call ourselves。〃 but they soon got it mixed up with their old name of duffers and finally settled down to calling themselves the dufflepuds； and that is what they will probably be called for centuries。
that evening all the narnians dined upstairs with the magician； and lucy noticed how different the whole top floor looked now that she was no longer afraid of it。 the mysterious signs on the doors were still mysterious but now looked as if they had kind and cheerful meanings； and even the bearded mirror now seemed funny rather than frightening。 at dinner everyone had by magic what everyone liked best to eat and drink； and after dinner the magician did a very useful and beautiful piece of magic。 he laid two blank sheets of parchment on the table and asked drinian to give him an exact account of their voyage up to date： and as drinian spoke； everything he described came out on the
parchment in fine clear lines till at last each sheet was a splendid map of the eastern ocean； showing galma； terebinthia； the seven isles； the lone islands； dragon island； burnt island； deathwater； and the land of the duffers itself； all exactly the right sizes and in the right positions。 they were the first maps ever made of those seas and better than any that have been made since without magic。 for on these； though the towns and mountains looked at first just as they would on an ordinary map； when the magician lent them a magnifying glass you saw that they were perfect little pictures of the real things； so that you could see the very castle and slave market and streets in narrowhaven； all very clear though very distant； like things seen through the wrong end of a telescope。 the only drawback was that the coastline of most of the islands was inplete； for the map showed only what drinianhad seen with his own eyes。 when they were finished the。
magician kept one himself and presented the other to caspian： it still hangs in his chamber of instruments at cair paravel。 but the magician could tell them nothing about seas or lands further east。 he did； however； tell them that about seven years before a narnian ship had put in at his waters and that she had on board the lords revilian； argoz； mavramorn and rhoop： so they judged that the golden man they had seen lying in deathwater must be the lord restimar。
next day； the magician magically mended the stern of the dawn treader where it had been damaged by the sear serpent and loaded her with useful gifts。 there was a most friendly parting； and when she sailed； two hours after noon； all the dufflepuds paddled out with her to the harbour mouth； and cheered until she was out of sound of their cheering。
。。
CHAPTER TWELVE
gxiaoshuowang
the dark island after this adventure they sailed on south and a little east for twelve days with a gentle wind； the skies being mostly clear and the air warm； and saw no bird or fish； except that once there were whales spouting a long way to starboard。 lucy and reepicheep played a good deal of chess at this time。 then on the thirteenth day； edmund； from the fighting top； sighted what looked like a great dark mountain rising out of the sea on their port bow。
they altered course and made for this land； mostly by oar； for the wind would not serve them to sail north…east。 when evening fell they were still a long way from it and rowed all night。 next morning the weather was fair but a flat calm。 the dark mass lay ahead； much nearer and larger； but still very dim； so that some thought it was still a long way off and others thought they were running into a mist。
about nine that morning； very suddenly； it was so close that they could see that it was not land at all； nor even； in an ordinary sense； a mist。 it was a darkness。 it is rather hard to
describe； but you will see what it was like if you imagine yourself looking into the mouth of a railway tunnel … a tunnel either so long or so twisty that you cannot see the light at the far end。 and you know what it would be like。 for a few feet you would see the rails and sleepers and gravel in broad daylight； then there would e a place where they were in twilight； and then； pretty suddenly； but of course without a sharp dividing line； they would vanish altogether into smooth； solid blackness。 it was just so here。 for a few feet in front of their bows they could see the swell of the bright greenish…blue water。
beyond that； they could see the water looking pale and grey as it would look late in the evening。 but beyond that again； utter blackness as if they had e to the edge of moonless and starless night。
caspian shouted to the boatswain to keep her back； and all except the rowers rushed forward and gazed from the bows。 but there was nothing to be seen by gazing。 behind them was the sea and the sun； before them the darkness。
〃do we go into this？〃 asked caspian at length。
〃not by my advice；〃 said drinian。
〃the captains right；〃 said several sailors。
〃i almost think he is；〃 said edmund。
lucy and eustace didnt speak but they felt very glad inside at the turn things seemed to be taking。 but all at once the clear voice of reepicheep broke in upon the silence。
〃and why not？〃 he said。 〃will someone explain to me why not。”
no one was anxious to explain； so reepicheep continued： 〃if i were addressing peasants or slaves；〃 he said； 〃i might suppose that this suggestion proceeded from cowardice。 but i hope it will never be told in narnia that a pany of noble and royal persons in the flower of their age turned tail because they were afraid of the dark。”
〃but what manner of use would it be ploughing through that blackness？〃 asked drinian。
〃use？〃 replied reepicheep。 〃use； captain？ if by use you mean filling our be