《The Horse and His Boy》第39章

aravis；　must　see　that　it　would　be　quite absurd　to　suppose　he　is　a　real　lion。　indeed　it　would　be　disrespectful。　if　he　was　a　lion　hed have　to　be　a　beast　just　like　the　rest　of　us。　why！〃　（and　here　bree　began　to　laugh）　〃if　he　was　a lion　hed　have　four　paws；　and　a　tail；　and　whiskers！　。　。　。　aie；　ooh；　hoo…hoo！　help！”
for　just　as　he　said　the　word　whiskers　one　of　aslans　had　actually　tickled his　ear。　bree　shot　away　like　an　arrow　to　the　other　side　of　the　enclosure　and　there turned；　the　wall　was　too　high　for　him　to　jump　and　he　could　fly　no　farther。　aravis　and　hwin　both started　back。
there　was　about　a　second　of　intense　silence。
then　hwin；　though　shaking　all　over；　gave　a　strange　little　neigh；　and trotted　across　to　the　lion。
〃please；〃　she　said；　〃youre　so　beautiful。　you　may　eat　me　if　you　like。　id sooner　be　eaten　by　you　than　fed　by　anyone　else。”
〃dearest　daughter；〃　said　aslan；　planting　a　lions　kiss　on　her　twitching； velvet　nose；　〃i　knew　you　would　not　be　long　in　ing　to　me。　joy　shall　be　yours。”
then　he　lifted　his　head　and　spoke　in　a　louder　voice。
〃now；　bree；〃　he　said；　〃you　poor；　proud　frightened　horse；　draw　near。　nearer still；　my　son。
do　not　dare　not　to　dare。　touch　me。　smell　me。　here　are　my　paws；　here　is　my tail；　these　are　my　whiskers。　i　am　a　true　beast。”
〃aslan；〃　said　bree　in　a　shaken　voice；　〃im　afraid　i　must　be　rather　a　fool。”
〃happy　the　horse　who　knows　that　while　he　is　still　young。　or　the　human either。　draw　near；　aravis　my　daughter。　see！　my　paws　are　velveted。　you　will　not　be　torn this　time。”
〃this　time；　sir？〃　said　aravis。
〃it　was　i　who　wounded　you；〃　said　aslan。　〃i　am　the　only　lion　you　met　in　all your　journeyings。　do　you　know　why　i　tore　you？”
〃no；　sir。”
〃the　scratches　on　your　back；　tear　for　tear；　throb　for　throb；　blood　for blood；　were　equal　to　the　stripes　laid　on　the　back　of　your　stepmothers　slave　because　of　the drugged　sleep　you　cast　upon　her。　you　needed　to　know　what　it　felt　like。”
〃yes；　sir。　please…”
〃ask　on；　my　dear；〃　said　aslan。
〃will　any　more　harm　e　to　her　by　what　i　did？”
〃child；〃　said　the　lion；　〃i　am　telling　you　your　story；　not　hers。　no　one　is told　any　story　but　their　own。〃　then　he　shook　his　head　and　spoke　in　a　lighter　voice。
〃be　merry；　little　ones；〃　he　said。　〃we　shall　meet　soon　again。　but　before that　you　will　have　another　visitor。〃　then　in　one　bound　he　reached　the　top　of　the　wall　and vanished　from　their　sight。
strange　to　say；　they　felt　no　inclination　to　talk　to　one　another　about　him after　he　had　gone。
they　all　moved　slowly　away　to　different　parts　of　the　quiet　grass　and　there paced　to　and　fro；　each　alone；　thinking。
about　half　an　hour　later　the　two　horses　were　summoned　to　the　back　of　the house　to　eat　something　nice　that　the　hermit　had　got　ready　for　them　and　aravis；　still walking　and　thinking；　was　startled　by　the　harsh　sound　of　a　trumpet　outside　the　gate。
〃who　is　there？〃　asked　aravis。
〃his　royal　highness　prince　cor　of　archenland；〃　said　a　voice　from　outside。
aravis　undid　the　door　and　opened　it；　drawing　back　a　little　way　to　let　the strangers　in。
two　soldiers　with　halberds　came　first　and　took　their　stand　at　each　side　of the　entry。　then　followed　a　herald；　and　the　trumpeter。
〃his　royal　highness　prince　cor　of　archenland　desires　an　audience　of　the lady　aravis；”
said　the　herald。　then　he　and　the　trumpeter　drew　aside　and　bowed　and　the soldiers　saluted　and　the　prince　himself　came　in。　all　his　attendants　withdrew　and　closed　the gate　behind　them。
the　prince　bowed；　and　a　very　clumsy　bow　for　a　prince　it　was。　aravis curtsied　in　the　calormene　style　（which　is　not　at　all　like　ours）　and　did　it　very　well because；　of　course；　she　had　been　taught　how。　then　she　looked　up　and　saw　what　sort　of　person　this prince　was。
she　saw　a　mere　boy。　he　was　bare…headed　and　his　fair　hair　was　encircled　with a　very　thin　band　of　gold；　hardly　thicker　than　a　wire。　his　upper　tunic　was　of　white cambric；　as　fine　as　a　handkerchief；　so　that　the　bright　red　tunic　beneath　it　showed　through。　his left　hand；　which　rested　on　his　enamelled　sword　hilt；　was　bandaged。
aravis　looked　twice　at　his　face　before　she　gasped　and　said；　〃why！　its shasta！”
shasta　all　at　once　turned　very　red　and　began　speaking　very　quickly。　〃look here；　aravis；”
he　said；　〃i　do　hope　you　wont　think　im　got　up　like　this　（and　the　trumpeter and　all）　to　try　to　impress　you　or　make　out　that　im　different　or　any　rot　of　that　sort。 because　id　far　rather　have　e　in　my　old　clothes；　but　theyre　burnt　now；　and　my　father　said　…”
〃your　father？〃　said　aravis。
〃apparently　king　lune　is　my　father；〃　said　shasta。　〃i　might　really　have guessed　it。　corin　being　so　like　me。　we　were　twins；　you　see。　oh；　and　my　name　isnt　shasta； its　cor。”
〃cor　is　a　nicer　name　than　shasta；〃　said　aravis。
〃brothers　names　run　like　that　in　archenland；〃　said　shasta　（or　prince　cor as　we　must　now　call　him）。　〃like　dar　and　darrin；　cole　and　colin　and　so　on。”
〃shasta　…　i　mean　cor；〃　said　aravis。　〃no；　shut　up。　theres　something　ive got　to　say　at　once。　im　sorry　ive　been　such　a　pig。　but　i　did　change　before　i　knew　you were　a　prince；　honestly　i　did：　when　you　went　back；　and　faced　the　lion。”
〃it　wasnt　really　going　to　kill　you　at　all；　that　lion；〃　said　cor。
〃i　know；〃　said　aravis；　nodding。　both　were　still　and　solemn　for　a　moment　as each　saw　that　the　other　knew　about　aslan。
suddenly　aravis　remembered　cors　bandaged　hand。　〃i　say！〃　she　cried；　〃i forgot！　youve　been　in　a　battle。　is　that　a　wound？”
〃a　mere　scratch；〃　said　cor；　using　for　the　first　time　a　rather　lordly　tone。 but　a　moment　later　he　burst　out　laughing　and　said；　〃if　you　want　to　know　the　truth；　it isnt　a　proper　wound　at　all。　i　only　took　the　skin　off　my　knuckles　just　as　any　clumsy　fool might　do　without　going　near　a　battle。”
〃still　you　were　in　the　battle；〃　said　aravis。　〃it　must　have　been　wonderful。”
〃it　wasnt　at　all　like　what　i　thought；〃　said　cor。
〃but　sha　…　cor；　i　mean　…　you　havent　told　me　anything　yet　about　king　lune and　how　he　found　out　who　you　were。”
〃well；　lets　sit　down；〃　said　cor。　〃for　its　rather　a　long　story。　and　by　the way；　fathers　an　absolute　brick。　id　be　just　as　pleased　…　or　very　nearly　…　at　finding　hes my　father　even　if　he　wasnt　a　king。　even