《The Lion, the Witch and the War》第12章

one　or　two　very　mysterious　nods。　then　signalling　to　the　children　to　stand as　close　around　it　as　they　possibly　could；　so　that　their　faces　were　actually　tickled　by　its whiskers；　it　added　in　a　low　whisper　… 〃they　say　aslan　is　on　the　move　…　perhaps　has　already　landed。”
and　now　a　very　curious　thing　happened。　none　of　the　children　knew　who　aslan was　any　more　than　you　do；　but　the　moment　the　beaver　had　spoken　these　words　everyone felt　quite　different。　perhaps　it　has　sometimes　happened　to　you　in　a　dream　that　someone says　something　which　you　dont　understand　but　in　the　dream　it　feels　as　if　it　had some　enormous　meaning　…　either　a　terrifying　one　which　turns　the　whole　dream　into a　nightmare　or　else　a　lovely　meaning　too　lovely　to　put　into　words；　which　makes　the dream　so　beautiful　that　you　remember　it　all　your　life　and　are　always　wishing　you could　get　into　that　dream　again。　it　was　like　that　now。　at　the　name　of　aslan　each　one　of　the children　felt　something　jump　in　its　inside。　edmund　felt　a　sensation　of　mysterious　horror。 peter　felt　suddenly　brave　and　adventurous。　susan　felt　as　if　some　delicious　smell　or some　delightful　strain　of　music　had　just　floated　by　her。　and　lucy　got　the　feeling　you　have when　you　wake　up　in　the　morning　and　realize　that　it　is　the　beginning　of　the　holidays or　the　beginning　of　summer。
〃and　what　about　mr　tumnus；〃　said　lucy；　〃where　is　he？”
〃s…s…s…sh；〃　said　the　beaver；　〃not　here。　i　must　bring　you　where　we　can　have a　real　talk　and　also　dinner。”
no　one　except　edmund　felt　any　difficulty　about　trusting　the　beaver　now；　and everyone；　including　edmund；　was　very　glad　to　hear　the　word　〃dinner〃。
they　therefore　all　hurried　along　behind　their　new　friend　who　led　them　at　a surprisingly　quick　pace；　and　always　in　the　thickest　parts　of　the　forest；　for　over　an hour。　everyone　was　feeling　very　tired　and　very　hungry　when　suddenly　the　trees　began　to　get thinner　in　front　of　them　and　the　ground　to　fall　steeply　downhill。　a　minute　later　they　came out　under　the　open　sky　（the　sun　was　still　shining）　and　found　themselves　looking　down　on　a fine　sight。
they　were　standing　on　the　edge　of　a　steep；　narrow　valley　at　the　bottom　of which　ran　…　at　least　it　would　have　been　running　if　it　hadnt　been　frozen　…　a　fairly　large river。　just　below　them　a　dam　had　been　built　across　this　river；　and　when　they　saw　it　everyone suddenly　remembered　that　of　course　beavers　are　always　making　dams　and　felt　quite sure　that　mr　beaver　had　made　this　one。　they　also　noticed　that　he　now　had　a　sort　of modest　expression　on　his；　face　…　the　sort　of　look　people　have　when　you　are　visiting　a　garden theyve　made　or　reading　a　story　theyve　written。　so　it　was　only　mon　politeness　when susan　said；　〃what　a　lovely　dam！〃　and　mr　beaver　didnt　say　〃hush〃　this　time　but　〃merely a　trifle！
merely　a　trifle！　and　it　isnt　really　finished！”
above　the　dam　there　was　what　ought　to　have　been　a　deep　pool　but　was　now；　of course；　a　level　floor　of　dark　green　ice。　and　below　the　dam；　much　lower　down；　was　more ice；　but
instead　of　being　smooth　this　was　all　frozen　into　the　foamy　and　wavy　shapes in　which　the　water　had　been　rushing　along　at　the　very　moment　when　the　frost　came。　and where　the　water　had　been　trickling　over　and　spurting　through　the　dam　there　was　now　a glittering　wall　of　icicles；　as　if　the　side　of　the　dam　had　been　covered　all　over　with flowers　and　wreaths　and　festoons　of　the　purest　sugar。　and　out　in　the　middle；　and　partly on　top　of　the　dam　was　a　funny　little　house　shaped　rather　like　an　enormous　beehive　and from　a　hole　in　the　roof　smoke　was　going　up；　so　that　when　you　saw　it　｛especially　if　you were　hungry）　you　at　once　thought　of　cooking　and　became　hungrier　than　you　were　before。
that　was　what　the　others　chiefly　noticed；　but　edmund　noticed　something else。　a　little　lower　down　the　river　there　was　another　small　river　which　came　down　another small　valley　to　join　it。　and　looking　up　that　valley；　edmund　could　see　two　small hills；　and　he　was　almost　sure　they　were　the　two　hills　which　the　white　witch　had　pointed out　to　him　when　he　parted　from　her　at　the　lamp…post　that　other　day。　and　then　between them；　he　thought；　must　be　her　palace；　only　a　mile　off　or　less。　and　he　thought　about turkish　delight　and　about　being　a　king　（〃and　i　wonder　how　peter　will　like　that？〃　he asked　himself）　and　horrible　ideas　came　into　his　head。
〃here　we　are；〃　said　mr　beaver；　〃and　it　looks　as　if　mrs　beaver　is　expecting us。　ill　lead　the　way。　but　be　careful　and　dont　slip。”
the　top　of　the　dam　was　wide　enough　to　walk　on；　though　not　（for　humans）　a very　nice　place　to　walk　because　it　was　covered　with　ice；　and　though　the　frozen　pool was　level　with　it　on　one　side；　there　was　a　nasty　drop　to　the　lower　river　on　the　other。 along　this　route　mr　beaver　led　them　in　single　file　right　out　to　the　middle　where　they　could look　a　long　way　up　the　river　and　a　long　way　down　it。　and　when　they　had　reached　the　middle they　were　at　the　door　of　the　house。
〃here　we　are；　mrs　beaver；〃　said　mr　beaver；　〃ive　found　them。　here　are　the sons　and　daughters　of　adam　and　eve…　and　they　all　went　in。
the　first　thing　lucy　noticed　as　she　went　in　was　a　burring　sound；　and　the first　thing　she　saw　was　a　kindlooking　old　she…beaver　sitting　in　the　corner　with　a　thread　in her　mouth　working　busily　at　her　sewing　machine；　and　it　was　from　it　that　the　sound came。　she　stopped　her　work　and　got　up　as　soon　as　the　children　came　in。
〃so　youve　e　at　last！〃　she　said；　holding　out　both　her　wrinkled　old　paws。 〃at　last！　to　think　that　ever　i　should　live　to　see　this　day！　the　potatoes　are　on　boiling and　the　kettles　singing　and　i　daresay；　mr　beaver；　youll　get　us　some　fish。”
〃that　i　will；〃　said　mr　beaver；　and　he　went　out　of　the　house　（peter　went with　him）；　and　across　the　ice　of　the　deep　pool　to　where　he　had　a　little　hole　in　the　ice which　he　kept　open　every　day　with　his　hatchet。　they　took　a　pail　with　them。　mr　beaver　sat　down quietly　at　the　edge　of　the　hole　（he　didnt　seem　to　mind　it　being　so　chilly）；　looked　hard into　it；　then　suddenly　shot　in　his　paw；　and　before　you　could　say　jack　robinson　had whisked　out　a　beautiful　trout。　then　he　did　it　all　over　again　until　they　had　a　fine　catch of　fish。
meanwhile　the　girls　were　helping　mrs　beaver