《THE SILVER CHAIR》第44章

〃wheres　the　prince？〃　was　the　first　question　of　eustace　and　puddleglum　as soon　as　they　had　been　wakened。
〃hes　gone　down　to　meet　the　king；　his　father；　at　cair　paravel；〃　answered the　faun；　whose　name　was　orruns。　〃his　majestys　ship　is　expected　in　harbour　any　moment。　it seems　that　the　king　met　aslan　…　i　dont　know　whether　it　was　in　a　vision　or　face　to face　…　before　he　had　sailed　far；　and　aslan　turned　him　back　and　told　him　he　would　find　his long…lost　son　awaiting　him　when　he　reached　narnia。”
eustace　was　now　up　and　he　and　jill　set　about　helping　orruns　to　get　the breakfast。
puddleglum　was　told　to　stay　in　bed。　a　centaur　called　cloudbirth；　a　famous healer；　or　（as　orruns　called　it）　a　leech；　was　ing　to　see　to　his　burnt　foot。
〃ah！〃　said　puddleglum　in　a　tone　almost　of　contentment；　〃hell　want　to　have the　leg　off　at　the　knee；　i　shouldnt　wonder。　you　see　if　he　doesnt。〃　but　he　was　quite　glad to　stay　in　bed。
breakfast　was　scrambled　eggs　and　toast　and　eustace　tackled　it　just　as　if　he had　not　had　a　very　large　supper　in　the　middle　of　the　night。
〃i　say；　son　of　adam；〃　said　the　faun；　looking　with　a　certain　awe　at eustaces　mouthfuls。
〃theres　no　need　to　hurry　quite　so　dreadfully　as　that。　i　dont　think　the centaurs　have　quite　finished　their　breakfasts　yet。”
〃then　they　must　have　got　up　very　late；〃　said　eustace。　〃i　bet　its　after　ten oclock。”
〃oh　no；〃　said　orruns。　〃they　got　up　before　it　was　light。”
〃then　they　must　have　waited　the　dickens　of　a　time　for　breakfast；〃　said eustace。
〃no；　they　didnt；〃　said　orruns。　〃they　began　eating　the　minute　they　awoke。”
〃golly！〃　said　eustace。　〃do　they　eat　a　very　big　breakfast？”
〃why；　son　of　adam；　dont　you　understand？　a　centaur　has　a　man…stomach　and　a horse…stomach。　and　of　course　both　want　breakfast。　so　first　of　all　he　has　porridge and　pavenders　and　kidneys　and　bacon　and　omelette　and　cold　ham　and　toast　and　marmalade　and coffee　and　beer。　and　after　that　he　attends　to　the　horse　part　of　himself　by　grazing for　an　hour　or　so　and　finishing　up　with　a　hot　mash；　some　oats；　and　a　bag　of　sugar。　thats why　its　such　a　serious　thing　to　ask　a　centaur　to　stay　for　the　week…end。　a　very　serious thing　indeed。”
at　that　moment　there　was　a　sound　of　horse…hoofs　tapping　on　rock　from　the mouth　of　the　cave；　and　the　children　looked　up。　the　two　centaurs；　one　with　a　black　and one　with　a　golden　beard　flowing　over　their　magnificent　bare　chests；　stood　waiting　for them；　bending　their　heads　a　little　so　as　to　look　into　the　cave。　then　the　children　became very　polite　and　finished　their　breakfast　very　quickly。　no　one　thinks　a　centaur　funny　when he　sees　it。
they　are　solemn；　majestic　people；　full　of　ancient　wisdom　which　they　learn from　the　stars；　not　easily　made　either　merry　or　angry；　but　their　anger　is　terrible　as　a tidal　wave　when　it　es。
〃good…bye；　dear　puddleglum；〃　said　jill；　going　over　to　the　marsh…wiggles bed。　〃im　sorry　we　called　you　a　wet　blanket。”
〃som　i；〃　said　eustace。　〃youve　been　the　best　friend　in　the　world。”
〃and　i　do　hope　well　meet　again；〃　added　jill。
〃not　much　chance　of　that；　i　should　say；〃　replied　puddleglum。　〃1　dont reckon　im　very　likely　to　see　my　old　wigwam　again　either。　and　that　prince　…　hes　a　nice chap　…　but　do　you
think　hes　very　strong？　constitution　ruined　with　living　underground；　i shouldnt　wonder。
looks　the　sort　that　might　go　off　any　day。”
〃puddleglum！〃　said　jill。　〃youre　a　regular　old　humbug。　you　sound　as　doleful as　a　funeral　and　i　believe　youre　perfectly　happy。　and　you　talk　as　if　you　were　afraid　of everything；　when　youre　really　as　brave　as…as　a　lion。”
〃now；　speaking　of　funerals；〃　began　puddleglum；　but　jill；　who　heard　the centaurs　tapping　with　their　hoofs　behind　her；　surprised　him　very　much　by　flinging　her　arms round　his　thin　neck　and　kissing　his　muddy…looking　face；　while　eustace　wrung　his　hand。　then they　both　rushed　away　to　the　centaurs；　and　the　marsh…wiggle；　sinking　back　on　his　bed； remarked　to　himself；　〃well；　i　wouldnt　have　dreamt　of　her　doing　that。　even　though　i　am a　good…looking　chap。”
to　ride　on　a　centaur　is；　no　doubt；　a　great　honour　（and　except　jill　and eustace　there　is　probably　no　one　alive　in　the　world　today　who　has　had　it）　but　it　is　very unfortable。　for　no　one　who　valued　his　life　would　suggest　putting　a　saddle　on　a　centaur；　and riding　bare…back　is　no　fun；　especially　if；　like　eustace；　you　have　never　learned　to　ride at　all。　the　centaurs　were　very　polite　in　a　grave；　gracious；　grown…up　kind　of　way；　and as　they　cantered　through　the　narnian　woods　they　spoke；　without　turning　their　heads； telling　the　children　about　the　properties　of　herbs　and　roots；　the　influences　of　the planets；　the　nine　names　of　aslan　with　their　meanings；　and　things　of　that　sort。　but　however sore　and　jolted　the　two　humans　were；　they　would　now　give　anything　to　have　that　journey　over again：　to　see　those　glades　and　slopes　sparkling　with　last　nights　snow；　to　be　met　by rabbits　and　squirrels　and　birds　that　wished　you　good　morning；　to　breathe　again　the　air of　narnia　and　hear　the　voices　of　the　narnian　trees。
they　came　down　to　the　river；　flowing　bright　and　blue　in　winter　sunshine； far　below　the　last　bridge　（which　is　at　the　snug；　red…roofed　little　town　of　beruna）　and were　ferried　across　in　a　flat　barge　by　the　ferryman；　or　rather；　by　the　ferry…wiggle；　for　it　is marsh…wiggles　who　do　most　of　the　watery　and　fishy　kinds　of　work　in　narnia。　and　when　they　had crossed　they　rode　along　the　south　bank　of　the　river　and　presently　came　to　cair　paravel itself。　and　at　the　very　moment　of　their　arrival　they　saw　that　same　bright　ship　which　they had　seen　when　they　first　set　foot　in　narnia；　gliding　up　the　river　like　a　huge　bird。　all the　court　were　once　more　assembled　on　the　green　between　the　castle　and　the　quay　to　wele　king caspian　home　again。　rilian；　who　had　changed　his　black　clothes　and　was　now　dressed in　a　scarlet　cloak　over　silver　mail；　stood　close　to　the　waters　edge；　bare…headed；　to receive　his　father；　and　the　dwarf　trumpkin　sat　beside　him　in　his　little　donkey…chair。　the children　saw　there　would　be　no　chance　of　reaching　the　prince　through　all　that　crowd；　and； anyway；　they　now　felt　rather　shy。　so　they　asked　the　centaurs　if　they　might　go　on　sitting　on their　bac