csl.thelionthewitchandthewardrobe-第14节

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one　Table。　You　will　know　what　to　do　if　you　find　them！〃
　　
　　〃I　hear　and　obey；　O　Queen；〃　growled　the　Wolf；　and　immediately　he　shot　away　into　the　snow　and　darkness；　as　quickly　as　a　horse　can　gallop。　In　a　few　minutes　he　had　called　another　wolf　and　was　with　him　down　on　the　dam　sniffing　at　the　Beavers'　house。　But　of　course　they　found　it　empty。　It　would　have　been　a　dreadful　thing　for　the　Beavers　and　the　children　if　the　night　had　remained　fine；　for　the　wolves　would　then　have　been　able　to　follow　their　trail…and　ten　to　one　would　have　overtaken　them　before　they　had　got　to　the　cave。　But　now　that　the　snow　had　begun　again　the　scent　was　cold　and　even　the　footprints　were　covered　up。
　　
　　Meanwhile　the　dwarf　whipped　up　the　reindeer；　and　the　Witch　and　Edmund　drove　out　under　the　archway　and　on　and　away　into　the　darkness　and　the　cold。　This　was　a　terrible　journey　for　Edmund；　who　had　no　coat。　Before　they　had　been　going　quarter　of　an　hour　all　the　front　of　him　was　covered　with　snow…he　soon　stopped　trying　to　shake　it　off　because；　as　quickly　as　he　did　that；　a　new　lot　gathered；　and　he　was　so　tired。　Soon　he　was　wet　to　the　skin。　And　oh；　how　miserable　he　was！　It　didn't　look　now　as　if　the　Witch　intended　to　make　him　a　King。　All　the　things　he　had　said　to　make　himself　believe　that　she　was　good　and　kind　and　that　her　side　was　really　the　right　side　sounded　to　him　silly　now。　He　would　have　given　anything　to　meet　the　others　at　this　moment…even　Peter！　The　only　way　to　fort　himself　now　was　to　try　to　believe　that　the　whole　thing　was　a　dream　and　that　he　might　wake　up　at　any　moment。　And　as　they　went　on；　hour　after　hour；　it　did　e　to　seem　like　a　dream。
　　
　　This　lasted　longer　than　I　could　describe　even　if　I　wrote　pages　and　pages　about　it。　But　I　will　skip　on　to　the　time　when　the　snow　had　stopped　and　the　morning　had　e　and　they　were　racing　along　in　the　daylight。　And　still　they　went　on　and　on；　with　no　sound　but　the　everlasting　swish　of　the　snow　and　the　creaking　of　the　reindeer's　harness。　And　then　at　last　the　Witch　said；　〃What　have　we　here？　Stop！〃　and　they　did。
　　
　　How　Edmund　hoped　she　was　going　to　say　something　about　breakfast！　But　she　had　stopped　for　quite　a　different　reason。　A　little　way　off　at　the　foot　of　a　tree　sat　a　merry　party；　a　squirrel　and　his　wife　with　their　children　and　two　satyrs　and　a　dwarf　and　an　old　dogfox；　all　on　stools　round　a　table。　Edmund　couldn't　quite　see　what　they　were　eating；　but　it　smelled　lovely　and　there　seemed　to　be　decorations　of　holly　and　he　wasn't　at　all　sure　that　he　didn't　see　something　like　a　plum　pudding。　At　the　moment　when　the　sledge　stopped；　the　Fox；　who　was　obviously　the　oldest　person　present；　had　just　risen　to　its　feet；　holding　a　glass　in　its　right　paw　as　if　it　was　going　to　say　something。　But　when　the　whole　party　saw　the　sledge　stopping　and　who　was　in　it；　all　the　gaiety　went　out　of　their　faces。　The　father　squirrel　stopped　eating　with　his　fork　half…way　to　his　mouth　and　one　of　the　satyrs　stopped　with　its　fork　actually　in　its　mouth；　and　the　baby　squirrels　squeaked　with　terror。
　　
　　〃What　is　the　meaning　of　this？〃　asked　the　Witch　Queen。　Nobody　answered。
　　
　　〃Speak；　vermin！〃　she　said　again。　〃Or　do　you　want　my　dwarf　to　find　you　a　tongue　with　his　whip？　What　is　the　meaning　of　all　this　gluttony；　this　waste；　this　selfindulgence？　Where　did　you　get　all　these　things？〃
　　
　　〃Please；　your　Majesty；〃　said　the　Fox；　〃we　were　given　them。　And　if　I　might　make　so　bold　as　to　drink　your　Majesty's　very　good　health…〃
　　
　　〃Who　gave　them　to　you？〃　said　the　Witch。
　　
　　〃F…F…F…Father　Christmas；〃　stammered　the　Fox。
　　
　　〃What？〃　roared　the　Witch；　springing　from　the　sledge　and　taking　a　few　strides　nearer　to　the　terrified　animals。　〃He　has　not　been　here！　He　cannot　have　been　here！　How　dare　you…but　no。　Say　you　have　been　lying　and　you　shall　even　now　be　forgiven。〃
　　
　　At　that　moment　one　of　the　young　squirrels　lost　its　head　pletely。
　　
　　〃He　has…he　has…he　has！〃　it　squeaked；　beating　its　little　spoon　on　the　table。　Edmund　saw　the　Witch　bite　her　lips　so　that　a　drop　of　blood　appeared　on　her　white　cheek。　Then　she　raised　her　wand。　〃Oh；　don't；　don't；　please　don't；〃　shouted　Edmund；　but　even　while　he　was　shouting　she　had　waved　her　wand　and　instantly　where　the　merry　party　had　been　there　were　only　statues　of　creatures　（one　with　its　stone　fork　fixed　forever　half…way　to　its　stone　mouth）　seated　round　a　stone　table　on　which　there　were　stone　plates　and　a　stone　plum　pudding。
　　
　　〃As　for　you；〃　said　the　Witch；　giving　Edmund　a　stunning　blow　on　the　face　as　she　re…mounted　the　sledge；　〃let　that　teach　you　to　ask　favour　for　spies　and　traitors。　Drive　on！〃　And　Edmund　for　the　first　time　in　this　story　felt　sorry　for　someone　besides　himself。　It　seemed　so　pitiful　to　think　of　those　little　stone　figures　sitting　there　all　the　silent　days　and　all　the　dark　nights；　year　after　year；　till　the　moss　grew　on　them　and　at　last　even　their　faces　crumbled　away。
　　
　　Now　they　were　steadily　racing　on　again。　And　soon　Edmund　noticed　that　the　snow　which　splashed　against　them　as　they　rushed　through　it　was　much　wetter　than　it　had　been　all　last　night。　At　the　same　time　he　noticed　that　he　was　feeling　much　less　cold。　It　was　also　being　foggy。　In　fact　every　minute　it　grew　foggier　and　warmer。　And　the　sledge　was　not　running　nearly　as　well　as　it　had　been　running　up　till　now。　At　first　he　thought　this　was　because　the　reindeer　were　tired；　but　soon　he　saw　that　that　couldn't　be　the　real　reason。　The　sledge　jerked；　and　skidded　and　kept　on　jolting　as　if　it　had　struck　against　stones。　And　however　the　dwarf　whipped　the　poor　reindeer　the　sledge　went　slower　and　slower。　There　also　seemed　to　be　a　curious　noise　all　round　them；　but　the　noise　of　their　driving　and　jolting　and　the　dwarf's　shouting　at　the　reindeer　prevented　Edmund　from　hearing　what　it　was；　until　suddenly　the　sledge　stuck　so　fast　that　it　wouldn't　go　on　at　all。　When　that　happened　there　was　a　moment's　silence。　And　in　that　silence　Edmund　could　at　last　listen　to　the　other　noise　properly。　A　strange；　sweet；　rustling；　chattering　noise…and　yet　not　so　strange；　for　he'd　heard　it　before…if　only　he　could　remember　where！　Then　all　at　once　he　did　remember。　It　was　the　noise　of　running　water。　All　round　them　though　out　of　sight；　there　were　streams；　chattering；　murmuring；　bubbling；　splashing　and　even　（in　the　distance）　roaring。　And　his　heart　gave　a　great　leap　（though　he　hardly　knew　why）　when　he　realized　that　the　frost　was　over。　And　much　nearer　there　was　a　drip…drip…drip　from　the　branches　of　all　the　trees。　And　then；　as　he　looked　at　one　tree　he　saw　a　great　load　of　snow　slide　off　it　and　for　the　first　time　since　he　had　entered　Narnia　he　saw　the　dark　green　of　a　fir　tree。　But　he　hadn't　time　to　listen　or　watch　any　longer；　for　the　Witch　said：
　　
　　〃Don't　sit　staring；　fool！　Get　out　and　help。〃
　　
　　And　of　course　Edmund　had　to　obey。　He　stepped　out　into　the　snow…but　it　was　really　only　slush　by　now…and　began　helping　the　dwarf　to　get　the　sledge　out　of　the　muddy　hole　it　had　got　into。　They　got　it　out　in　the　end；　and　by　being　very　cruel　to　the　reindeer　the　dwarf　managed　to　get　it　on　the　move　again；　and　they　drove　a　little　further。　And　now　the　snow　was　really　melting　in　earnest　and　patches　of　green　grass　were　beginning　to　appear　in　every　direction。　Unless　you　have　looked　at　a　world　of　snow　as　long　as　Edmund　had　been　looking　at　it；　you　will　hardly　be　able　to　imagine　what　a　relief　those　green　patches　were　after　the　endless　white。　Then　the　sledge　stopped　again。
　　
　　〃It's　no　good；　your　Majesty；〃　said　the　dwarf。　〃We　can't　sledge　in　this　thaw。〃
　　
　　〃Then　we　must　walk；〃　said　the　Witch。
　　
　　〃We　shall　never　overtake　them　walking；〃　growled　the　dwarf。　〃Not　with　the　start　they've　got。〃
　　
　　〃Are　you　my　councillor　or　my　slave？〃　said　the　Witch。　〃Do　as　you're　told。　Tie　the　hands　of　the　human　creature　behind　it　and　keep　hold　of　the　end　of　the　rope。　And　take　your　whip。　And　cut　the　harness　of　the　reindeer；　they'll　find　their　own　way　home。〃
　　
　　The　dwarf　obeyed；　and　in　a　few　minutes　Edmund　found　himself　being　forced　to　walk　as　fast　as　he　could　with　his　hands　tied　behind　him。　He　kept　on　slipping　in　the　slush　and　mud　and　wet　grass；　and　every　time　he　slipped　the　dwarf　gave　him　a　curse　and　sometimes　a　flick　with　the　whip。　The　Witch　walked　behind　the　dwarf　and　kept　on　saying；　〃Faster！　Faster！〃
　　
　　Every　moment　the　patches　of　green　grew　bigger　and　the　patches　of　spow　grew　smaller。　Every　moment　more　and　more　of　the　trees　shook　off　their　robes　of　snow。　Soon；　wherever　you　looked；　instead　of　white　shapes　you　saw　the　dark　green　of　firs　or　the　black　prickly　branches　of　bare　oaks　and　beeches　and　elms。　Then　the　mist　turned　from　white　to　gold　and　presently　cleared　away　altogether。　Shafts　of　delicious　sunlight　struck　down　on　to　the　forest　floor　and　overhead　you　could　see　a　blue　sky　between　the　tree　tops。
　　
　　Soon　there　were　more　wonderful　things　happening。　ing　suddenly　round　a　corner　into　a　glade　of　silver　birch　trees　Edmund　saw　the　ground　covered　in　all　directions　with　little　yellow　flowers…celandines。　The　noise　of　water　grew　louder。　Presently　they　actually　crossed　a　stream。　Beyond　it　they　found　snowdrops　growing。
　　
　　〃Mind　your　own　business！〃　said　the　dwarf　when　he　saw　that　Edmund　had　turned　his　head　to　look　at　them；　and　he　gave