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chater eleven an i nearer（第1页）

EDMUNDmeanwhilehadbeenhavingamostdisappointingtime．WhenthedwarfhadgonetogetthesledgereadyheexpectedthattheWitchwouldstartbeingnicetohim，asshehadbeenattheirlastmeeting．Butshesaidnothingatall．AndwhenatlastEdmundpluckeduphiscouragetosay，“Please，yourMajesty，couldIhavesomeTurkishDelight？You-you-said-”sheanswered，“Silence，fool！”Thensheappearedtochangehermindandsaid，asiftoherself，“Andyetitwillnotdotohavethebratfaintingontheway，”andoncemoreclappedherhands．Another，dwarfappeared．

“Bringthehumancreaturefoodanddrink，”shesaid．

Thedwarfwentawayandpresentlyreturnedbringinganironbowlwithsomewaterinitandanironplatewithahunkofdrybreadonit．HegrinnedinarepulsivemannerashesetthemdownonthefloorbesideEdmundandsaid：

“TurkishDelightforthelittlePrince．Ha！Ha！Ha！”

“Takeitaway，”saidEdmundsulkily．“Idon’twantdrybread.”uttheWitchsuddenlyturnedonhimwithsuchaterribleexpressiononherfacethathe，apologizedandbegantonibbleatthebread，though，itwassostalehecouldhardlygetitdown．

“Youmaybegladenoughofitbeforeyoutastebreadagain，”saidtheWitch．

Whilehewasstillchewingawaythefirstdwarfcamebackandannouncedthatthesledgewasready．TheWhiteWitchroseandwentout，orderingEdmundtogowithher．Thesnowwasagainfallingastheycameintothecourtyard，butshetooknonoticeofthatandmadeEdmundsitbesideheronthesledge．ButbeforetheydroveoffshecalledMaugrimandhecameboundinglikeanenormousdogtothesideofthesledge．

“TakewithyoutheswiftestofyourwolvesandgoatoncetothehouseoftheBeavers，”saidtheWitch，“andkillwhateveryoufindthere．Iftheyarealreadygone，thenmakeallspeedtotheStoneTable，butdonotbeseen．Waitformethereinhiding．ImeanwhilemustgomanymilestotheWestbeforeIfindaplacewhereIcandriveacrosstheriver．YoumayovertakethesehumansbeforetheyreachtheStoneTable．Youwillknowwhattodoifyoufindthem！”

“Ihearandobey，OQueen，”growledtheWolf，andimmediatelyheshotawayintothesnowanddarkness，asquicklyasahorsecangallop．InafewminuteshehadcalledanotherwolfandwaswithhimdownonthedamsniffingattheBeavers’house.Butofcoursetheyfounditempty．ItwouldhavebeenadreadfulthingfortheBeaversandthechildrenifthenighthadremainedfine，forthewolveswouldthenhavebeenabletofollowtheirtrail-andtentoonewouldhaveovertakenthembeforetheyhadgottothecave．Butnowthatthesnowhadbegunagainthescentwascoldandeventhefootprintswerecoveredup．

Meanwhilethedwarfwhippedupthereindeer，andtheWitchandEdmunddroveoutunderthearchwayandonandawayintothedarknessandthecold．ThiswasaterriblejourneyforEdmund，whohadnocoat．Beforetheyhadbeengoingquarterofanhourallthefrontofhimwascoveredwithsnow-hesoonstoppedtryingtoshakeitoffbecause，asquicklyashedidthat，anewlotgathered，andhewassotired．Soonhewaswettotheskin.Andoh，howmiserablehewas！Itdidn’tlooknowasiftheWitchintendedtomakehimaKing．Allthethingshehadsaidtomakehimselfbelievethatshewasgoodandkindandthathersidewasreallytherightsidesoundedtohimsillynow．Hewouldhavegivenanythingtomeettheothersatthismoment-evenPeter！Theonlywaytocomforthimselfnowwastotrytobelievethatthewholethingwasadreamandthathemightwakeupatanymoment.Andastheywenton，hourafterhour，itdidcometoseemlikeadream．

ThislastedlongerthanIcoulddescribeevenifIwrotepagesandpagesaboutit．ButIwillskipontothetimewhenthesnowhadstoppedandthemorninghadcomeandtheywereracingalonginthedaylight．Andstilltheywentonandon，withnosoundbuttheeverlastingswishofthesnowandthecreakingofthereindeer’sharness．AndthenatlasttheWitchsaid，“Whathavewehere?

Stop！”andtheydid．

HowEdmundhopedshewasgoingtosaysomethingaboutbreakfast！Butshehadstoppedforquiteadifferentreason．Alittlewayoffatthefootofatreesatamerryparty，asquirrelandhiswifewiththeirchildrenandtwosatyrsandadwarfandanolddogfox，allonstoolsroundatable．Edmundcouldn’tquiteseewhattheywereeating，butitsmelledlovelyandthereseemedtobedecorationsofhollyandhewasn’tatallsurethathedidn’tseesomethinglikeaplumpudding．Atthemomentwhenthesledgestopped，theFox，whowasobviouslytheoldestpersonpresent，hadjustrisentoitsfeet，holdingaglassinitsrightpawasifitwasgoingtosaysomething．Butwhenthewholepartysawthesledgestoppingandwhowasinit，allthegaietywentoutoftheirfaces.Thefathersquirrelstoppedeatingwithhisforkhalf-waytohismouthandoneofthesatyrsstoppedwithitsforkactuallyinitsmouth，andthebabysquirrelssqueakedwithterror．

“Whatisthemeaningofthis？”askedtheWitchQueen．Nobodyanswered．

“Speak，vermin！”shesaidagain．“Ordoyouwantmydwarftofindyouatonguewithhiswhip？Whatisthemeaningofallthisgluttony，thiswaste，thisselfindulgence？Wheredidyougetallthesethings？”

“Please，yourMajesty，”saidtheFox，“weweregiventheAndifImightmakesoboldastodrinkyourMajesty’sverygoodhealth-”

“Whogavethemtoyou？”saidtheWitch．

“F-F-F-FatherChristmas，”stammeredtheFox．

“What？”roaredtheWitch，springingfromthesledgeandtakingafewstridesnearertotheterrifiedanimals．“Hehasnotbeenhere！Hecannothavebeenhere！Howdareyou-butno．Sayyouhavebeenlyingandyoushallevennowbeforgiven．”

Atthatmomentoneoftheyoungsquirrelslostitsheadcompletely．

“Hehas-hehas-hehas！”itsqueaked，beatingitslittlespoononthetable．EdmundsawtheWitchbiteherlipssothatadropofbloodappearedonherwhitecheek．Thensheraisedherwand．“Oh，don’t，don’t，pleasedon’t，”shoutedEdmund，butevenwhilehewasshoutingshehadwavedherwandandinstantlywherethemerrypartyhadbeentherewereonlystatuesofcreatures（onewithitsstoneforkfixedforeverhalwaytoitsstonemouth）seatedroundastonetableonwhichtherewerestoneplatesandastoneplumpudding．

“Asforyou，”saidtheWitch，givingEdmundastunningblowonthefaceasshere-mountedthesledge，“letthatteachyoutoaskfavourforspiesandtraitors．Driveon！”AndEdmundforthefirsttimeinthisstoryfeltsorryforsomeonebesideshimself．Itseemedsopitifultothinkofthoselittlestonefiguressittingthereallthesilentdaysandallthedarknights，yearafteryear，tillthemossgrewonthemandatlasteventheirfacescrumbledaway．

Nowtheyweresteadilyracingonagain．AndsoonEdmundnoticedthatthesnowwhichsplashedagainstthemastheyrushedthroughitwasmuchwetterthanithadbeenalllastnight．Atthe

sametimehenoticedthathewasfeelingmuchlesscold．Itwasalsobecomingfoggy．Infacteveryminuteitgrewfoggierandwarmer．Andthesledgewasnotrunningnearlyaswellasithadbeenrunninguptillnow．Atfirsthethoughtthiswasbecausethereindeerweretired，butsoonhesawthatthatcouldn’tbetherealreason．Thesledgejerked，andskiddedandkeptonjoltingasifithadstruckagainststones．Andhoweverthedwarfwhippedthepoorreindeerthesledgewentslowerandslower．Therealsoseemedtobeacuriousnoiseallroundthem，butthenoiseoftheirdrivingandjoltingandthedwarf’sshoutingatthereindeerpreventedEdmundfromhearingwhatitwas，untilsuddenlythesledgestucksofastthatitwouldn’tgoonatall．Whenthathappenedtherewasamoment’ssilence．AndinthatsilenceEdmundcouldatlastlistentotheothernoiseproperly．Astrange，sweet，rustling，chatteringnoise-andyetnotsostrange，forhe’dhearditbefore-ifonlyhecouldrememberwhere！Thenallatoncehedidremember.Itwasthenoiseofrunningwater．Allroundthemthoughoutofsight，therewerestreams，chattering，murmuring，bubbling，splashingandeven（inthedistance）roaring．Andhisheartgaveagreatleap（thoughhehardlyknewwhy）whenherealizedthatthefrostwasover．Andmuchnearertherewasadrip-drip-dripfromthebranchesofallthetrees．Andthen，ashelookedatonetreehesawagreatloadofsnowslideoffitandforthefirsttimesincehehadenteredNarniahesawthedarkgreenofafirtree．Buthehadn’ttimetolistenorwatchanylonger，fortheWitchsaid：

“Don’tsitstaring，fool！Getoutandhelp．”

AndofcourseEdmundhadtoobey．Hesteppedoutintothesnow-butitwasreallyonlyslushbynow-andbeganhelpingthedwarftogetthesledgeoutofthemuddyholeithadgotinto．Theygotitoutintheend，andbybeingverycrueltothereindeerthedwarfmanagedtogetitonthemoveagain，andtheydrovealittlefurther．Andnowthesnowwasreallymeltinginearnestandpatchesofgreengrasswerebeginningtoappearineverydirection.UnlessyouhavelookedataworldofsnowaslongasEdmundhadbeenlookingatit，youwillhardlybeabletoimaginewhatareliefthosegreenpatcheswereaftertheendlesswhite．Thenthesledgestoppedagain．

“It’snogood，yourMajesty，”saidthedwarf．“Wecan’tsledgeinthisthaw．”

“Thenwemustwalk，”saidtheWitch．

“Weshallneverovertakethemwalking，”growledthedwarf.“Notwiththestartthey’vegot．”

“Areyoumycouncillorormyslave？”saidtheWitch．“Doasyou’retold．Tiethehandsofthehumancreaturebehinditandkeepholdoftheendoftherope．Andtakeyourwhip．Andcuttheharnessofthereindeer；they’llfindtheirownwayhome．”

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