《THE SILVER CHAIR》第42章

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　had　not　seen at　first；　came　running　up。　squirrels　came　out　of　the　trees　in　showers；　and　so　did owls。　hedgehogs　came　waddling　as　fast　as　their　short　legs　would　carry　them。　bears　and badgers　followed　at　a　slower　pace。　a　great　panther；　twitching　its　tail　in　excitement；　was the　last　to　join　the　party。
but　as　soon　as　they　understood　what　jill　was　saying；　they　all　became active。　〃pick　and　shovel；　boys；　pick　and　shovel。　off　for　our　tools！〃　said　the　dwarfs；　and dashed　away　into　the　woods　at　top　speed。　〃wake　up　some　moles；　theyre　the　chaps　for　digging。 theyre　quite　as　good　as　dwarfs；〃　said　a　voice。　〃what　was　that　she　said　about prince　rilian？〃　said　another。　〃hush！〃　said　the　panther。　〃the　poor　childs　crazed；　and　no　wonder after　being
lost　inside　the　hill。　she　doesnt　know　what　shes　saying。〃　〃thats　right；〃 said　an　old　bear。
〃why；　she　said　prince　rilian　was　a　horse！〃　〃no；　she　didnt；〃　said　a squirrel；　very　pert。
〃yes；　she　did；〃　said　another　squirrel；　even　perter。
〃its　quite　t…t…t…true。　d…d…dont　be　so　silly；〃　said　jill。　she　spoke　like that　because　her　teeth　were　now　chattering　with　the　cold。
immediately　one　of　the　dryads　flung　round　her　a　furry　cloak　which　some dwarf　had　dropped　when　he　rushed　to　fetch　his　mining　tools；　and　an　obliging　faun trotted　off　among　the　trees　to　a　place　where　jill　could　see　firelight　in　the　mouth　of　a　cave； to　get　her　a　hot　drink。　but　before　it　came；　all　the　dwarfs　reappeared　with　spades　and　pick…　axes　and　charged　at　the　hillside。　then　jill　heard　cries　of　〃hi！　what　are　you　doing？ put　that　sword　down；〃　and　〃now；　young　un：　none　of　that；〃　and；　〃hes　a　vicious　one；　now； isnt　he？〃　jill　hurried　to　the　spot　and　didnt　know　whether　to　laugh　or　cry　when　she　saw eustaces　face；　very　pale　and　dirty；　projecting　from　the　blackness　of　the　hole；　and eustaces　right　hand　brandishing　a　sword　with　which　he　made　lunges　at　anyone　who　came　near　him。
for　of　course　eustace　had　been　having　a　very　different　time　from　jill during　the　last　few　minutes。　he　had　heard　jill　cry　out　and　seen　her　disappear　into　the　unknown。 like　the　prince　and　puddleglum；　he　thought　that　some　enemies　had　caught　her。　and from　down　below　he　didnt　see　that　the　pale；　blueish　light　was　moonlight。　he　thought the　hole　would　lead　only　into　some　other　cave；　lit　by　some　ghostly　phosphorescence　and filled　with　goodness…knows…what　evil　creatures　of　the　underworld。　so　that　when　he　had persuaded　puddleglum　to　give　him　a　back；　and　drawn　his　sword；　and　poked　out　his　head； he　had　really　been　doing　a　very　brave　thing。　the　others　would　have　done　it　first if　they　could；　but　the　hole　was　too　small　for　them　to　climb　through。　eustace　was　a　little bigger；　and　a　lot　clumsier；　than　jill；　so　that　when　he　looked　out　he　bumped　his　head　against the　top　of　the　hole　and　brought　a　small　avalanche　of　snow　down　on　his　face。　and　so；　when he　could　see　again；　and　saw　dozens　of　figures　ing　at　him　as　hard　as　they　could　run； it　is　not　surprising　that　he　tried　to　ward　them　off。
〃stop；　eustace；　stop；〃　cried　jill。　〃theyre　all　friends。　cant　you　see？ weve　e　up　in　narnia。　everythings　all　right。”
then　eustace　did　see；　and　apologized　to　the　dwarfs　（and　the　dwarfs　said　not to　mention　it）；　and　dozens　of　thick；　hairy；　dwarfish　hands　helped　him　out　just　as　they had　helped　jill　out　a　few　minutes　before。　then　jill　scrambled　up　the　bank　and　put　her　head in　at　the　dark　opening　and　shouted　the　good　news　in　to　the　prisoners。　as　she　turned　away she　heard　puddleglum　mutter。　〃ah；　poor　pole。　its　been　too　much　for　her；　this　last bit。　turned　her　head；　i　shouldnt　wonder。　shes　beginning　to　see　things。”
jill　rejoined　eustace　and　they　shook　one　another　by　both　hands　and　took　in great　deep　breaths　of　the　free　midnight　air。　and　a　warm　cloak　was　brought　for　eustace and　hot　drinks；　for　both。　while　they　were　sipping　it；　the　dwarfs　had　already　got all　the　snow　and　all　the　sods　off　a　large　strip　of　the　hillside　round　the　original　hole；　and the　pickaxes　and　spades　were　now　going　as　merrily　as　the　feet　of　fauns　and　dryads　had　been going　in　the
dance　ten　minutes　before。　only　ten　minutes！　yet　already　it　felt　to　jill　and eustace　as　if　all　their　dangers　in　the　dark　and　heat　and　general　smotheriness　of　the　earth must　have　been　only　a　dream。　out　here；　in　the　cold；　with　the　moon　and　the　huge　stars overhead　（narnian　stars　are　nearer　than　stars　in　our　world）　and　with　kind；　merry　faces　all round　them；　one　couldnt　quite　believe　in　underland。
before　they　had　finished　their　hot　drinks；　a　dozen　or　so　moles；　newly　waked and　still　very　sleepy；　and　not　well　pleased；　had　arrived。　but　as　soon　as　they understood　what　it　was　all　about；　they　joined　in　with　a　will。　even　the　fauns　made　themselves useful　by　carting　away　the　earth　in　little　barrows；　and　the　squirrels　danced　and leaped　to　and　fro　in　great　excitement；　though　jill　never　found　out　exactly　what　they　thought they　were　doing。
the　bears　and　owls　contented　themselves　with　giving　advice；　and　kept　on asking　the　children　if　they　wouldnt　like　to　e　into　the　cave　（that　was　where　jill had　seen　the　firelight）　and　get　warm　and　have　supper。　but　the　children　couldnt　bear　to go　without　seeing　their　friends　set　free。
no　one　in　our　world　can　work　at　a　job　of　that　sort　as　dwarfs　and　talking moles　work　in　narnia；　but　then；　of　course；　moles　and　dwarfs　dont　look　on　it　as　work。 they　like　digging。　it　was　therefore　not　really　long　before　they　had　opened　a　great black　chasm　in　the　hillside。　and　out　from　the　blackness　into　the　moonlight　…　this　would have　been　rather　dreadful　if　one　hadnt　known　who　they　were　came；　first；　the　long；　leggy； steeple…hatted　figure　of　the　marsh…wiggle；　and　then；　leading　two　great　horses；　rilian　the prince　himself。
as　puddleglum　appeared　shouts　broke　out　on　every　side：　〃why；　its　a　wiggle …　why；　its　old　puddleglum　…　old　puddleglum　from　the　eastern　marshes　…　what　ever　have you　been　doing；　puddleglum？　…　thereve　been　search…parties　out　for　you　…　the　lord trumpkin　has　been　putting　up　notices　theres　a　reward　offered！〃　but　all　this　died　away； all　in　one