《The Lion, the Witch and the War》第20章

〃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　didnt　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　reindeers　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　couldnt　quite　see　what　they　were eating；　but　it　smelled　lovely　and　there　seemed　to　be　decorations　of　holly　and　he　wasnt　at all　sure　that　he　didnt　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　majestys　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；　dont；　dont；　please　dont；〃　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　couldnt　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　dwarfs　shouting　at　the　reindeer　prevented　edmund　from　hearing　what it　was；　until　suddenly　the　sledge　stuck　so　fast　that　it　wouldnt　go　on　at　all。　when that　happened　there　was　a　moments　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　hed　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）