《THE SILVER CHAIR》第41章

e　could；　but　they couldnt　hear　the　words。　two　things　then　happened　at　the　same　moment。　the　patch　of　light　was pletely　blocked　up　for　a　second　or　so；　and　they　heard　both　a　scuffling；　struggling sound　and　the　voice　of　the　marsh…wiggle　gasping：　〃quick！　help！　hold　on　to　her　legs。
someones　pulling　her。　there！　no；　here。　too　late！”
the　opening；　and　the　cold　light　which　filled　it；　were　now　perfectly　clear again。　jill　had　vanished。
〃jill！　jill！〃　they　shouted　frantically；　but　there　was　no　answer。
〃why　the　dickens　couldnt　you　have　held　her　feet？〃　said　eustace。
〃i　dont　know；　scrubb；〃　groaned　puddleglum。　〃born　to　be　a　misfit；　i shouldnt　wonder。
fated。　fated　to　be　poles　death；　just　as　i　was　fated　to　eat　talking　stag　at harfang。　not　that　it　isnt　my　own　fault　as　well；　of　course。”
〃this　is　the　greatest　shame　and　sorrow　that　could　have　fallen　on　us；〃　said the　prince。　〃we　have　sent　a　brave　lady　into　the　hands　of　enemies　and　stayed　behind　in safety。”
〃dont　paint　it　too　black；　sir；〃　said　puddleglum。　〃were　not　very　safe except　for　death　by　starvation　in　this　hole。”
〃i　wonder　am　i　small　enough　to　get　through　where　jill　did？〃　said　eustace。
what　had　really　happened　to　jill　was　this。　as　soon　as　she　got　her　head　out of　the　hole　she　found　that　she　was　looking　down　as　if　from　an　upstairs　window；　not　up　as　if through　a　trap…door。　she　had　been　so　long　in　the　dark　that　her　eyes　couldnt　at　first take　in　what　they　were　seeing：　except　that　she　was　not　looking　at　the　daylit；　sunny　world which　she　so　wanted　to　see。　the　air　seemed　to　be　deadly　cold；　and　the　light　was　pale　and blue。　there　was　also　a　good　deal　of　noise　going　on　and　a　lot　of　white　objects　flying about　in　the　air。　it　was　at　that　moment　that　she　had　shouted　down　to　puddleglum　to　let　her　stand up　on　his　shoulders。
when　she　had　done　this；　she　could　see　and　hear　a　good　deal　better。　the noises　she　had　been　hearing　turned　out　to　be　of　two　kinds：　the　rhythmical　thump　of　several feet；　and　the　music　of　four　fiddles；　three　flutes；　and　a　drum。　she　also　got　her　own position　clear。　she　was　looking　out　of　a　hole　in　a　steep　bank　which　sloped　down　and　reached　the level　about　fourteen　feet　below　her。　everything　was　very　white。　a　lot　of　people　were moving　about。
then　she　gasped！　the　people　were　trim　little　fauns；　and　dryads　with leafcrowned　hair　floating　behind　them。　for　a　second　they　looked　as　if　they　were　moving anyhow；　then　she　saw　that　they　were　really　doing　a　dance　…　a　dance　with　so　many　plicated steps　and　figures　that　it　took　you　some　time　to　understand　it。　then　it　came　over　her like　a　thunderclap　that　the　pale；　blue　light　was　really　moonlight；　and　the　white stuff　on　the　ground　was　really　snow。　and　of　course！　there　were　the　stars　staring　in　a black　frosty　sky　overhead。　and　the　tall　black　things　behind　the　dancers　were　trees。　they　had not　only　got　out　into　the　upper　world　at　last；　but　had　e　out　in　the　heart　of　narnia。 jill　felt　she　could　have　fainted　with　delight；　and　the　music　…　the　wild　music；　intensely　sweet and　yet　just　the　least　bit　eerie　too；　and　full　of　good　magic　as　the　witchs　thrumming　had been　full　of　bad　magic　…　made　her　feel　it　all　the　more。
all　this　takes　a　long　time　to　tell；　but　of　course　it　took　a　very　short　time to　see。　jill　turned　almost　at　once　to　shout　down　to　the　others；　〃i　say！　its　all　right。　were out；　and　were　home。〃　but　the　reason　she　never　got　further　than　〃i　say〃　was　this。　circling round　and　round　the　dancers　was　a　ring　of　dwarfs；　all　dressed　in　their　finest clothes；　mostly　scarlet　with　fur…lined　hoods　and　golden　tassels　and　big　furry　top…boots。　as　they circled　round　they　were　all　diligently　throwing　snowballs。　（those　were　the　white　things that　jill　had
seen　flying　through　the　air。）　they　werent　throwing　them　at　the　dancers　as silly　boys　might　have　been　doing　in　england。　they　were　throwing　them　through　the　dance in　such　perfect　time　with　the　music　and　with　such　perfect　aim　that　if　all　the dancers　were　in　exactly　the　right　places　at　exactly　the　right　moments；　no　one　would　be　hit。 this　is　called　the　great　snow　dance　and　it　is　done　every　year　in　narnia　on　the　first moonlit　night　when　there　is　snow　on　the　ground。　of　course　it　is　a　kind　of　game　as　well　as　a dance；　because　every　now　and　then　some　dancer　will　be　the　least　little　bit　wrong　and　get　a snowball　in　the　face；　and　then　everyone　laughs。　but　a　good　team　of　dancers；　dwarfs；　and musicians　will　keep　it　up　for　hours　without　a　single　hit。　on　fine　nights　when　the cold　and　the　drum…taps；　and　the　hooting　of　the　owls；　and　the　moonlight；　have　got　into　their wild；　woodland　blood　and　made　it　even　wilder；　they　will　dance　till　daybreak。　i　wish　you could　see　it　for　yourselves。
what　had　stopped　jill　when　she　got　as　far　as　the　say　of　〃i　say〃　was　of course　simply　a　fine　big　snowball　that　came　sailing　through　the　dance　from　a　dwarf　on　the far　side　and　got　her　fair　and　square　in　the　mouth。　she　didnt　in　the　least　mind；　twenty snowballs　would　not　have　damped　her　spirits　at　that　moment。　but　however　happy　you　are feeling；　you　cant　talk　with　your　mouth　full　of　snow。　and　when；　after　considerable spluttering；　she　could　speak　again；　she　quite　forgot　in　her　excitement　that　the　others；　down　in the　dark；　behind　her；　still　didnt　know　the　good　news。　she　simply　leaned　as　far　out　of　the hole　as　she　could；　and　yelled　to　the　dancers。
〃help！　help！　were　buried　in　the　hill。　e　and　dig　us　out。”
the　narnians；　who　had　not　even　noticed　the　little　hole　in　the　hillside； were　of　course　very　surprised；　and　looked　about　in　several　wrong　directions　before　they　found out　where　the　voice　was　ing　from。　but　when　they　caught　sight　of　jill　they　all　came running　towards　her；　and　as　many　as　could　scrambled　up　the　bank；　and　a　dozen　or　more　hands were　stretched　up　to　help　her。　and　jill　caught　hold　of　them　and　thus　got　out　of the　hole　and　came　slithering　down　the　bank　head　first；　and　then　picked　herself　up　and said： 〃oh；　do　go　and　dig　the　others　out。　there　are　three　others；　besides　the horses。　and　one　of　them　is　prince　rilian。”
she　was　already　in　the　middle　of　a　crowd　when　she　said　this；　for　besides the　dancers　all　sorts　of　people　who　had　been　watching　the　dance；　and　whom　she