《The Horse and His Boy》第32章

〃i　cant　see　you　at　all；〃　said　shasta；　after　staring　very　hard。　then　（for an　even　more　terrible　idea　had　e　into　his　head）　he　said；　almost　in　a　scream；　〃youre not　…　not　something　dead；　are　you？　oh　please　…　please　do　go　away。　what　harm　have　i ever　done　you？　oh；　i　am　the　unluckiest　person　in　the　whole　world！”
once　more　he　felt　the　warm　breath　of　the　thing　on　his　hand　and　face。 〃there；〃　it　said；　〃that　is　not　the　breath　of　a　ghost。　tell　me　your　sorrows。”
shasta　was　a　little　reassured　by　the　breath：　so　he　told　how　he　had　never known　his　real　father　or　mother　and　had　been　brought　up　sternly　by　the　fisherman。　and　then he　told　the　story　of　his　escape　and　how　they　were　chased　by　lions　and　forced　to　swim for　their　lives；　and　of　all　their　dangers　in　tashbaan　and　about　his　night　among　the　tombs and　how　the　beasts　howled　at　him　out　of　the　desert。　and　he　told　about　the　heat　and thirst　of　their　desert　journey　and　how　they　were　almost　at　their　goal　when　another　lion chased　them　and　wounded　aravis。　and　also；　how　very　long　it　was　since　he　had　had　anything　to eat。
〃i　do　not　call　you　unfortunate；〃　said　the　large　voice。
〃dont　you　think　it　was　bad　luck　to　meet　so　many　lions？〃　said　shasta。
〃there　was　only　one　lion；〃　said　the　voice。
〃what　on　earth　do　you　mean？　ive　just　told　you　there　were　at　least　two　the first　night；　and…”
〃there　was　only　one：　but　he　was　swift　of　foot。”
〃how　do　you　know？”
〃i　was　the　lion。〃　and　as　shasta　gaped　with　open　mouth　and　said　nothing；　the voice　continued。　〃i　was　the　lion　who　forced　you　to　join　with　aravis。　i　was　the cat　who　forted　you　among　the　houses　of　the　dead。　i　was　the　lion　who　drove　the jackals　from　you　while　you　slept。　i　was　the　lion　who　gave　the　horses　the　new　strength　of fear　for　the　last　mile　so　that　you　should　reach　king　lune　in　time。　and　i　was　the　lion you　do　not　remember　who　pushed　the　boat　in　which　you　lay；　a　child　near　death；　so　that it　came　to　shore　where　a　man　sat；　wakeful　at　midnight；　to　receive　you。”
〃then　it　was　you　who　wounded　aravis？”
〃it　was　i”
〃but　what　for？”
〃child；〃　said　the　voice；　〃i　am　telling　you　your　story；　not　hers。　i　tell　no one　any　story　but　his　own。”
〃who　are　you？〃　asked　shasta。
〃myself；〃　said　the　voice；　very　deep　and　low　so　that　the　earth　shook：　and again　〃myself〃；　loud　and　clear　and　gay：　and　then　the　third　time　〃myself〃；　whispered　so softly　you　could　hardly　hear　it；　and　yet　it　seemed　to　e　from　all　round　you　as　if　the leaves　rustled　with　it。
shasta　was　no　longer　afraid　that　the　voice　belonged　to　something　that　would eat　him；　nor　that　it　was　the　voice　of　a　ghost。　but　a　new　and　different　sort　of　trembling came　over　him。
yet　he　felt　glad　too。
the　mist　was　turning　from　black　to　grey　and　from　grey　to　white。　this　must have　begun　to　happen　some　time　ago；　but　while　he　had　been　talking　to　the　thing　he　had　not been　noticing　anything　else。　now；　the　whiteness　around　him　became　a　shining whiteness；　his　eyes　began　to　blink。　somewhere　ahead　he　could　hear　birds　singing。　he　knew the　night　was　over　at　last。　he　could　see　the　mane　and　ears　and　head　of　his　horse quite　easily　now。
a　golden　light　fell　on　them　from　the　left。　he　thought　it　was　the　sun。
he　turned　and　saw；　pacing　beside　him；　taller　than　the　horse；　a　lion。　the horse　did　not　seem　to　be　afraid　of　it　or　else　could　not　see　it。　it　was　from　the　lion　that the　light　came。
no　one　ever　saw　anything　more　terrible　or　beautiful。
luckily　shasta　had　lived　all　his　life　too　far　south　in　calormen　to　have heard　the　tales　that　were　whispered　in　tashbaan　about　a　dreadful　narnian　demon　that　appeared　in the　form　of　a　lion。　and　of　course　he　knew　none　of　the　true　stories　about　aslan；　the great　lion；　the　son　of　the　emperor…over…the…sea；　the　king　above　all　high　kings　in　narnia。　but after　one　glance　at　the　lions　face　he　slipped　out　of　the　saddle　and　fell　at　its feet。　he　couldnt　say　anything　but　then　he　didnt　want　to　say　anything；　and　he　knew　he　neednt say　anything。
the　high　king　above　all　kings　stooped　towards　him。　its　mane；　and　some strange　and　solemn　perfume　that　hung　about　the　mane；　was　all　round　him。　it　touched　his forehead　with　its　tongue。　he　lifted　his　face　and　their　eyes　met。　then　instantly　the pale　brightness　of　the　mist　and　the　fiery　brightness　of　the　lion　rolled　themselves　together into　a　swirling　glory　and　gathered　themselves　up　and　disappeared。　he　was　alone　with　the horse　on　a　grassy　hillside　under　a　blue　sky。　and　there　were　birds　singing。
CHAPTER　TWELVE
，小，说"网
shasta　in　narnia 〃was　it　all　a　dream？〃　wondered　shasta。　but　it　couldnt　have　been　a　dream for　there　in　the　grass　before　him　he　saw　the　deep；　large　print　of　the　lions　front　right paw。　it　took　ones　breath　away　to　think　of　the　weight　that　could　make　a　footprint　like that。　but　there　was　something　more　remarkable　than　the　size　about　it。　as　he　looked　at　it； water　had　already　filled　the　bottom　of　it。　soon　it　was　full　to　the　brim；　and　then overflowing；　and　a　little　stream　was　running　downhill；　past　him；　over　the　grass。
shasta　stooped　and　drank　…　a　very　long　drink　…　and　then　dipped　his　face　in and　splashed　his　head。　it　was　extremely　cold；　and　clear　as　glass；　and　refreshed　him　very much。　after　that　he　stood　up；　shaking　the　water　out　of　his　ears　and　flinging　the　wet hair　back　from　his　forehead；　and　began　to　take　stock　of　his　surroundings。
apparently　it　was　still　very　early　morning。　the　sun　had　only　just　risen； and　it　had　risen　out　of　the　forests　which　he　saw　low　down　and　far　away　on　his　right。　the country　j　which　he　was　looking　at　was　absolutely　new　to　him。　it　was　t　a　green　valley…land dotted　with　trees　through　which　he　caught　the　gleam　of　a　river　that　wound　away　roughly to　the　north…west。　on　the　far　side　of　the　valley　there　were　high　and　even　rocky　hills； but　they　were　lower　than　the　mountains　he　had　seen　yesterday。　then　he　began　to　guess where　he　was。
he　turned　and　looked　behind　him　and　saw　that　the　slope　on　which　he　was standing　belonged　to　a　range　of　far　higher　mountains。
〃i　see；〃　said　shasta　to　himself。　〃those　are　the　big　mountains　between archenland　and　narnia。　i　was　on　the°。　other　side　of　them　yesterday。　i　must　have　e through　the　pass　in　the　nigh