《The Horse and His Boy》第42章

the　bolt　of　tash　falls　from　above！”
〃does　it　ever　get　caught　on　a　hook　half…way？〃　asked　corin。
〃shame；　corin；〃　said　the　king。　〃never　taunt　a　man　save　when　he　is　stronger than　you：　then；　as　you　please。”
〃oh　you　foolish　rabadash；〃　sighed　lucy。
next　moment　cor　wondered　why　everyone　at　the　table　had　risen　and　was standing　perfectly　still。　of　course　he　did　the　same　himself。　and　then　he　saw　the reason。　aslan　was　among　them　though　no　one　had　seen　him　ing。　rabadash　started　as　the immense　shape　of　the　lion　paced　softly　in　between　him　and　his　accusers。
〃rabadash；〃　said　aslan。　〃take　heed。　your　doom　is　very　near；　but　you　may still　avoid　it。
forget　your　pride　（what　have　you　to　be　proud　of？）　and　your　anger　（who　has done　you　wrong？）　and　accept　the　mercy　of　these　good　kings。”
then　rabadash　rolled　his　eyes　and　spread　out　his　mouth　into　a　horrible； long　mirthless　grin　like　a　shark；　and　wagged　his　ears　up　and　down　（anyone　can　learn　how　to do　this　if　they　take　the　trouble）。　he　had　always　found　this　very　effective　in calormen。　the　bravest　had　trembled　when　he　made　these　faces；　and　ordinary　people　had　fallen　to the　floor；　and　sensitive　people　had　often　fainted。　but　what　rabadash　hadnt　realized　is that　it　is　very　easy　to　frighten　people　who　know　you　can　have　them　boiled　alive　the　moment you　give　the　word。　the　grimaces　didnt　look　at　all　alarming　in　archenland；　indeed lucy　only　thought　rabadash　was　going　to　be　sick。
〃demon！　demon！　demon！〃　shrieked　the　prince。　〃i　know　you。　you　are　the　foul fiend　of　narnia。　you　are　the　enemy　of　the　gods。　learn　who　i　am；　horrible　phantasm。　i am　descended　from　tash；　the　inexorable；　the　irresistible。　the　curse　of　tash　is upon　you。
lightning　in　the　shape　of　scorpions　shall　be　rained　on　you。　the　mountains of　narnia　shall　be　ground　into　dust。　the…”
〃have　a　care；　rabadash；〃　said　aslan　quietly。　〃the　doom　is　nearer　now：　it　is at　the　door：　it　has　lifted　the　latch。”
〃let　the　skies　fall；〃　shrieked　rabadash。　〃let　the　earth　gape！　let　blood　and fire　obliterate　the　world！　but　be　sure　i　will　never　desist　till　i　have　dragged　to　my　palace by　her　hair　the　barbarian　queen；　the　daughter　of　dogs；　the　…”
〃the　hour　has　struck；〃　said　aslan：　and　rabadash　saw；　to　his　supreme　horror； that　everyone　had　begun　to　laugh。
they　couldnt　help　it。　rabadash　had　been　wagging　his　ears　all　the　time　and as　soon　as　aslan　said；　〃the　hour　has　struck！〃　the　ears　began　to　change。　they　grew longer　and　more　pointed　and　soon　were　covered　with　grey　hair。　and　while　everyone　was wondering　where　they　had　seen　ears　like　that　before；　rabadashs　face　began　to　change　too。 it　grew　longer；　and　thicker　at　the　top　and　larger　eyed；　and　the　nose　sank　back　into　the face　（or　else　the　face　swelled　out　and　became　all　nose）　and　there　was　hair　all　over　it。　and his　arms　grew　longer　and　came　down　in　front　of　him　till　his　hands　were　resting　on　the ground：　only　they　werent　hands；　now；　they　were　hoofs。　and　he　was　standing　on　all　fours；　and his　clothes　disappeared；　and　everyone　laughed　louder　and　louder　（because　they　couldnt help　it）　for　now　what　had　been　rabadash　was；　simply　and　unmistakably；　a　donkey。　the terrible　thing　was　that　his　human　speech　lasted　just　a　moment　longer　than　his　human　shape； so　that　when　he　realized　the　change　that　was　ing　over　him；　he　screamed　out： 〃oh；　not　a　donkey！　mercy！　if　it　were　even　a　horse　…　een　…　a　hor　…　eeh　… auh；　eeh…auh。”
and　so　the　words　died　away　into　a　donkeys　bray。
〃now　hear　me；　rabadash；〃　said　aslan。　〃justice　shall　be　mixed　with　mercy。 you　shall　not　always　be　an　ass。”
at　this　of　course　the　donkey　twitched　its　ears　forward　and　that　also　was　so funny　that　everybody　laughed　all　the　more。　they　tried　not　to；　but　they　tried　in　vain。
〃you　have　appealed　to　tash；〃　said　aslan。　〃and　in　the　temple　of　tash　you shall　be　healed。
you　must　stand　before　the　altar　of　tash　in　tashbaan　at　the　great　autumn feast　this　year　and　there；　in　the　sight　of　all　tashbaan；　your　asss　shape　will　fall　from you　and　all　men　will　know　you　for　prince　rabadash。　but　as　long　as　you　live；　if　ever　you　go more　than　ten　miles　away　from　the　great　temple　in　tashbaan　you　shall　instantly　bee again　as　you　now　are。　and　from　that　second　change　there　will　be　no　return。”
there　was　a　short　silence　and　then　they　all　stirred　and　looked　at　one another　as　if　they　were　waking　from　sleep。　aslan　was　gone。　but　there　was　a　brightness　in　the air　and　on　the　grass；　and　a　joy　in　their　hearts；　which　assured　them　that　he　had　been　no dream：　and　anyway；　there　was　the　donkey　in　front　of　them。
king　lune　was　the　kindest…hearted　of　men　and　on　seeing　his　enemy　in　this regrettable　condition　he　forgot　all　his　anger。
〃your　royal　highness；〃　he　said。　〃i　am　most　truly　sorry　that　things　have e　to　this　extremity。　your　highness　will　bear　witness　that　it　was　none　of　our　doing。 and　of　course　we　shall　be　delighted　to　provide　your　highness　with　shipping　back　to tashbaan　for　the　…　er　…　treatment　which　aslan　has　prescribed。　you　shall　have　every　fort which　your　highnesss　situation　allows：　the　best　of　the　cattleboats　…　the　freshest carrots　and　thistles　…”
but　a　deafening　bray　from　the　donkey　and　a　well…aimed　kick　at　one　of　the guards　made　it　clear　that　these　kindly　offers　were　ungratefully　received。
and　here；　to　get　him　out　of　the　way；　id　better　finish　off　the　story　of rabadash。　he　（or　it）
was　duly　sent　back　by　boat　to　tashbaan　and　brought　into　the　temple　of　tash at　the　great　autumn　festival；　and　then　he　became　a　man　again。　but　of　course　four　or　five thousand　people　had　seen　the　transformation　and　the　affair　could　not　possibly　be hushed　up。　and　after　the　old　tisrocs　death　when　rabadash　became　tisroc　in　his　place　he turned　out　the　most　peaceable　tisroc　calormen　had　ever　known。　this　was　because；　not　daring to　go　more　than　ten　miles　from　tashbaan；　he　could　never　go　on　a　war　himself：　and he　didnt　want　his　tarkaans　to　win　fame　in　the　wars　at　his　expense；　for　that　is　the way　tisrocs　get　overthrown。　but　though　his　reasons　were　selfish；　it　made　things　much　more fortable　for　all　the　smaller　countries　round　calormen。　his　own　people　never　forgot that　he　had　been　a　donkey。　during　his　reign；　and　to　his　face；　he　was　called