《the lion, the witch and the war_c·s·刘易斯》

下载本书

添加书签

the lion, the witch and the war_c·s·刘易斯- 第2部分


按键盘上方向键 ← 或 → 可快速上下翻页,按键盘上的 Enter 键可回到本书目录页,按键盘上方向键 ↑ 可回到本页顶部!

〃narnia? whats that?〃 said lucy。

〃this is the land of narnia;〃 said the faun; 〃where we are now; all that  lies between the lamp…post and the great castle of cair paravel on the eastern sea。 and you  … you have e from the wild woods of the west?鈥

〃i … i got in through the wardrobe in the spare room;〃 said lucy。

〃ah!〃 said mr tumnus in a rather melancholy voice; 〃if only i had worked  harder at geography when i was a little faun; i should no doubt know all about those  strange countries。 it is too late now。鈥

〃but they arent countries at all;〃 said lucy; almost laughing。 〃its only  just back there … at least … im not sure。 it is summer there。鈥

〃meanwhile;〃 said mr tumnus; 〃it is winter in narnia; and has been for ever  so long; and we shall both catch cold if we stand here talking in the snow。 daughter of  eve from the far land of spare oom where eternal summer reigns around the bright city of  war drobe; how would it be if you came and had tea with me?鈥

〃thank you very much; mr tumnus;〃 said lucy。 〃but i was wondering whether i  ought to be getting back。鈥

〃its only just round the corner;〃 said the faun; 〃and therell be a  roaring fire … and toast … and sardines … and cake。鈥

〃well; its very kind of you;〃 said lucy。 〃but i shant be able to stay  long。鈥

〃if you will take my arm; daughter of eve;〃 said mr tumnus; 〃i shall be  able to hold the umbrella over both of us。 thats the way。 now … off we go。鈥

and so lucy found herself walking through the wood arm in arm with this  strange creature as if they had known one another all their lives。

they had not gone far before they came to a place where the ground became  rough and there were rocks all about and little hills up and little hills down。 at  the bottom of one small valley mr tumnus turned suddenly aside as if he were going to walk  straight into an unusually large rock; but at the last moment lucy found he was leading  her into the entrance of a cave。 as soon as they were inside she found herself blinking  in the light of a wood fire。 then mr tumnus stooped and took a flaming piece of wood out of  the fire with a neat little pair of tongs; and lit a lamp。 〃now we shant be long;〃  he said; and immediately put a kettle on。

lucy thought she had never been in a nicer place。 it was a little; dry;  clean cave of reddish stone with a carpet on the floor and two little chairs (〃one for me  and one for a friend;〃 said mr tumnus) and a table and a dresser and a mantelpiece over  the fire and above that a picture of an old faun with a grey beard。 in one corner there  was a door which lucy thought must lead to mr tumnuss bedroom; and on one wall was a  shelf full of books。 lucy looked at these while he was setting out the tea things。  they had titles like the life and letters of silenus or nymphs and their ways or men; monks and gamekeepers; a study in popular legend or is man a myth?

〃now; daughter of eve!〃 said the faun。

and really it was a wonderful tea。 there was a nice brown egg; lightly  boiled; for each of them; and then sardines on toast; and then buttered toast; and then toast  with honey; and then a sugar…topped cake。 and when lucy was tired of eating the faun began  to talk。 he had wonderful tales to tell of life in the forest。 he told about the  midnight dances and how the nymphs who lived in the wells and the dryads who lived in the trees  came out to dance with the fauns; about long hunting parties after the milk…white stag  who could give you wishes if you caught him; about feasting and treasure…seeking with the  wild red dwarfs in deep mines and caverns far beneath the forest floor; and then  about summer when the woods were green and old silenus on his fat donkey would e to  visit them; and sometimes bacchus himself; and then the streams would run with wine  instead of water and the whole forest would give itself up to jollification for weeks  on end。 〃not that it isnt always winter now;〃 he added gloomily。 then to cheer himself  up he took out from its case on the dresser a strange little flute that looked as if it  were made of straw and began to play。 and the tune he played made lucy want to cry and laugh  and dance and go to sleep all at the same time。 it must have been hours later when  she shook herself and said:  〃oh; mr tumnus … im so sorry to stop you; and i do love that tune … but  really; i must go home。 i only meant to stay for a few minutes。鈥

〃its no good now; you know;〃 said the faun; laying down its flute and  shaking its head at her very sorrowfully。

〃no good?〃 said lucy; jumping up and feeling rather frightened。 〃what do  you mean?

ive got to go home at once。 the others will be wondering what has happened  to me。〃 but a moment later she asked; 〃mr tumnus! whatever is the matter?〃 for the  fauns brown eyes had filled with tears and then the tears began trickling down its  cheeks; and soon they were running off the end of its nose; and at last it covered its face  with its hands and began to howl。

〃mr tumnus! mr tumnus!〃 said lucy in great distress。 〃dont! dont! what is  the matter? aren you well? dear mr tumnus; do tell me what is wrong。〃 but the  faun continued sobbing as if its heart would break。 and even when lucy went over  and put her arms round him and lent him her hand kerchief; he did not stop。 he  merely took the handker chief and kept on using it; wringing it out with both hands  whenever it got too wet to be any more use; so that presently lucy was standing in a damp  patch。

〃mr tumnus!〃 bawled lucy in his ear; shaking him。 〃do stop。 stop it at  once! you ought to be ashamed of yourself; a great big faun like you。 what on earth are you  crying about?鈥

〃oh … oh … oh!〃 sobbed mr tumnus; 〃im crying because im such a bad faun。鈥

〃i dont think youre a bad faun at all;〃 said lucy。 〃i think you are a  very good faun。 you are the nicest faun ive ever met。鈥

〃oh … oh … you wouldnt say that if you knew;〃 replied mr tumnus between  his sobs。 〃no; im a bad faun。 i dont suppose there ever was a worse faun since the  beginning of the world。鈥

〃but what have you done?〃 asked lucy。

〃my old father; now;〃 said mr tumnus; 〃thats his picture over the  mantelpiece。 he would never have done a thing like this。鈥

〃a thing like what?〃 said lucy。

〃like what ive done;〃 said the faun。 〃taken service under the white witch。  thats what i am。 im in the pay of the white witch。鈥

〃the white witch? who is she?鈥

〃why; it is she that has got all narnia under her thumb。 its she that  makes it always winter。 always winter and never christmas; think of that!鈥

〃how awful!〃 said lucy。 〃but what does she pay you for?鈥

〃thats the worst of it;〃 said mr tumnus with a deep groan。 〃im a  kidnapper for her; thats what i am。 look at me; daughter of eve。 would you believe that im  the sort of faun to meet a poor innocent child in the wood; one that had never done me  any harm; and pretend to be friendly with it; and invite it home to my cave; all for  the sake of lulling it asleep and then handing it over to the white witch?鈥

〃no;〃 said lucy。 〃im sure you wouldnt do anything of the sort。鈥

〃but i have;〃 said the faun。

〃well;〃 said lucy rather slowly (for she wanted to be truthful and yet not  be too hard on him); 〃well; that was pretty bad。 but youre so sorry for it that im sure  you will never do it again。鈥

〃daughter of eve; dont you understand?〃 said the faun。 〃it isnt something  i have done。

im doing it now; this very moment。鈥

〃what do you mean?〃 cried lucy; turning very white。

〃you are the child;〃 said tumnus。 〃i had orders from the white witch that  if ever i saw a son of adam or a daughter of eve in the wood; i was to catch them and hand  them over to her。 and you are the first ive ever met。 and ive pretended to be your  friend an asked you to tea; and all the time ive been meaning to wait till you were asleep  and then go and tell her。鈥

〃oh; but you wont; mr tumnus;〃 said lucy。 〃yo wont; will you? indeed;  indeed you really mustnt。鈥

〃and if i dont;〃 said he; beginning to cry again 〃shes sure to find out。  and shell have my tail cut off and my horns sawn off; and my beard plucked out; and shell  wave her wand over my beautiful clove hoofs and turn them into horrid solid hoofs  like wretched horses。 and if she is extra and specially angry shell turn me into stone  and i shall be only statue of a faun in her horrible house until the four thrones at cair  paravel are filled and goodness knows when that will happen; or whether it will ever happen at  all。鈥

〃im very sorry; mr tumnus;〃 said lucy。 〃but please let me go home。鈥

〃of course i will;〃 said the faun。 〃of course ive got to。 i see that now。  i hadnt known what humans were like before i met you。 of course i cant give you up to  the witch; not now that i know you。 but we must be off at once。 ill see you back to the  lamp…post。 i suppose you can find your own way from there back to spare oom and war  drobe?鈥

〃im sure i can;〃 said lucy。

〃we must go as quietly as we can;〃 said mr tumnus。 〃the whole wood is full  of her spies。 even some of the trees are on her side。鈥

they both got up and left the tea things on the table; and mr tumnus once  more put up his umbrella and gave lucy his arm; and they went out into the snow。 the  journey back was not at all like the journey to the fauns cave; they stole along as  quickly as they could; without speaking a word; and mr tumnus kept to the darkest places。  lucy was relieved when they reached the lamp…post again。

〃do you know your way from here; daughter o eve?〃 said tumnus。

lucy looked very hard between the trees and could just see in the distance  a patch of light that looked like daylight。 〃yes;〃 she said; 〃i can see the wardrobe door。鈥

〃then be off home as quick as you can;〃 said the faun; 〃and … c…can you  ever forgive me for what meant to do?鈥

〃why; of course i can;〃 said lucy; shaking him heartily by the hand。 〃and i  do hope you wont get into dreadful trouble on my account。鈥

〃farewell; daughter of eve;〃 said he。 〃perhaps i may keep the  handkerchief?鈥

〃rather!〃 said lucy; and then ran towards the far off patch of daylight as  quickly as her legs would carry her。 and presently instead of rough branch brushing
小提示:按 回车 [Enter] 键 返回书目,按 ← 键 返回上一页, 按 → 键 进入下一页。 赞一下 添加书签加入书架