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The Horse and His Boy-第1章

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CHAPTER ONE

,小,说,网
how shasta set out on his travels  this is the story of an adventure that happened in narnia and calormen and  the lands between; in the golden age when peter was high king in narnia and his  brother and his two sisters were king and queens under him。

in those days; far south in calormen on a little creek of the sea; there  lived a poor fisherman called arsheesh; and with him there lived a boy who called him  father。 the boys name was shasta。 on most days arsheesh went out in his boat to fish  in the morning; and in the afternoon he harnessed his donkey to a cart and loaded  the cart with fish and went a mile or so southward to the village to sell it。 if it had  sold well he would e home in a moderately good temper and say nothing to shasta; but if it  had sold badly he would find fault with him and perhaps beat him。 there was always  something to find fault with for shasta had plenty of work to do; mending and washing  the nets; cooking the supper; and cleaning the cottage in which they both lived。

shasta was not at all interested in anything that lay south of his home  because he had once or twice been to the village with arsheesh and he knew that there was  nothing very interesting there。 in the village he only met other men who were just like  his father … men with long; dirty robes; and wooden shoes turned up at the toe; and turbans  on their heads; and beards; talking to one another very slowly about things that sounded  dull。 but he was very interested in everything that lay to the north because no one ever  went that way and he was never allowed to go there himself。 when he was sitting out of doors  mending the nets; and all alone; he would often look eagerly to the north。 one could  see nothing but a grassy slope running up to a level ridge and beyond that the sky with  perhaps a few birds in it。

sometimes if arsheesh was there shasta would say; 〃o my father; what is  there beyond that hill?〃 and then if the fisherman was in a bad temper he would box  shastas ears and tell him to attend to his work。 or if he was in a peaceable mood he would  say; 〃o my son; do not allow your mind to be distracted by idle questions。 for one of the  poets has said; ‘application to business is the root of prosperity; but those who ask  questions that do not concern them are steering the ship of folly towards the rock of  indigence。”

shasta thought that beyond the hill there must be some delightful secret  which his father wished to hide from him。 in reality; however; the fisherman talked like  this because he didnt know what lay to the north。 neither did he care。 he had a very  practical mind。

one day there came from the south a stranger who was unlike any man that  shasta had seen before。 he rode upon a strong dappled horse with flowing mane and tail  and his stirrups and bridle were inlaid with silver。 the spike of a helmet  projected from the middle of his silken turban and he wore a shirt of chain mail。 by his side  hung a curving scimitar; a round shield studded with bosses of brass hung at his back; and  his right hand grasped a lance。 his face was dark; but this did not surprise shasta  because all the people of calormen are like that; what did surprise him was the mans beard which  was dyed crimson; and curled and gleaming with scented oil。 but arsheesh knew by the  gold on the strangers bare arm that he was a tarkaan or great lord; and he bowed  kneeling before him till his beard touched the earth and made signs to shasta to kneel  also。

the stranger demanded hospitality for the night which of course the  fisherman dared not refuse。 all the best they had was set before the tarkaan for supper (and he  didnt think much of it) and shasta; as always happened when the fisherman had pany;  was given a hunk of bread and turned out of the cottage。 on these occasions he  usually slept with the donkey in its little thatched stable。 but it was much too early to go  to sleep yet; and shasta; who had never learned that it is wrong to listen behind doors; sat  down with his ear to a crack in the wooden wall of the cottage to hear what the grown…ups  were talking about。 and this is what he heard。

〃and now; o my host;〃 said the tarkaan; 〃i have a mind to buy that boy of  yours。”

〃o my master;〃 replied the fisherman (and shasta knew by the wheedling tone  the greedy look that was probably ing into his face as he said it); 〃what price  could induce your servant; poor though he is; to sell into slavery his only child and his own  flesh? has not one of the poets said; ‘natural affection is stronger than soup and  offspring more precious than carbuncles?〃  〃it is even so;〃 replied the guest dryly。 〃but another poet has likewise  said; 〃he who attempts to deceive the judicious is already baring his own back for the  scourge。〃 do not load your aged mouth with falsehoods。 this boy is manifestly no son of  yours; for your cheek is as dark as mine but the boy is fair and white like the accursed  but beautiful barbarians who inhabit the remote north。”

〃how well it was said;〃 answered the fisherman; 〃that swords can be kept  off with shields but the eye of wisdom pierces through every defence! know then; o  my formidable guest; that because of my extreme poverty i have never married  and have no child。 but in that same year in which the tisroc (may he live for ever)  began his august and beneficent reign; on a night when the moon was at her full; it pleased  the gods to deprive me of my sleep。 therefore i arose from my bed in this hovel and  went forth to the beach to refresh myself with looking upon the water and the moon and  breathing the cool air。 and presently i heard a noise as of oars ing to me across the water  and then; as it  

were; a weak cry。 and shortly after; the tide brought to the land a little  boat in which there was nothing but a man lean with extreme hunger and thirst who seemed  to have died but a few moments before (for he was still warm); and an empty water… skin; and a child; still living。 〃doubtless;〃 said i; 〃these unfortunates have escaped  from the wreck of a great ship; but by the admirable designs of the gods; the elder has  starved himself to keep the c
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