乐文书包网

手机浏览器扫描二维码访问

chater ten travel withut the un(第1页)

“WHO’sthere?”shoutedthethreetravellers.

“IamtheWardenoftheMarchesofUnderland,andwithmestandahundredEarthmeninarms,”camethereply.“TellmequicklywhoyouareandwhatisyourerrandintheDeepRealm?”

“Wefelldownbyaccident,”saidPuddleglum,truthfullyenough.

“Manyfalldown,andfewreturntothesunlitlands,”saidthevoice.“MakereadynowtocomewithmetotheQueenoftheDeepReal”

“Whatdoesshewantwithus?”askedScrubbcautiously.

“Idonotknow,”saidthevoice.“Herwillisnottobequestionedbutobeyed.”

Whilehesaidthesewordstherewasanoiselikeasoftexplosionandimmediatelyacoldlight,greywithalittleblueinit,floodedthecavern.Allhopethatthespeakerhadbeenidlyboastingwhenhespokeofhishundredarmedfollowersdiedatonce.Jillfoundherselfblinkingandstaringatadensecrowd.Theywereofallsizes,fromlittlegnomesbarelyafoothightostatelyfigurestallerthanmen.Allcarriedthree-prongedspearsintheirhands,andallweredreadfullypale,andallstoodasstillasstatues.Apartfromthat,theywereverydifferent;somehadtailsandothersnot,someworegreatbeardsandothershadveryround,smoothfaces,bigaspumpkins.Therewerelong,pointednoses,andlong,softnoseslikesmalltrunks,andgreatblobbynoses.Severalhadsinglehornsinthemiddleoftheirforeheads.Butinonerespecttheywereallalike:everyfaceinthewholehundredwasassadasafacecouldbe.Theyweresosadthat,afterthefirstglance,JillalmostforgottobeafraidoftheShefeltshewouldliketocheerthemup.

“Well!”saidPuddleglum,rubbinghishands.“ThisisjustwhatIneeded.Ifthesechapsdon’tteachmetotakeaseriousviewoflife,Idon’tknowwhatwill.Lookatthatfellowwiththewalrusmoustache—orthatonewiththe—”

“Getup,”saidtheleaderoftheEarthmen.

Therewasnothingelsetobedone.Thethreetravellersscrambledtotheirfeetandjoinedhands.Onewantedthetouchofafriend’shandatamomentlikethat.AndtheEarthmencameallroundthem,paddingonlarge,softfeet,onwhichsomehadtentoes,sometwelve,andothersnone.

“March,”saidtheWarden:andmarchtheydid.

Thecoldlightcamefromalargeballonthetopofalongpole,andthetallestofthegnomescarriedthisattheheadoftheprocession.Byitscheerlessraystheycouldseethattheywereinanaturalcavern;thewallsandroofwereknobbed,twisted,andgashedintoathousandfantasticshapes,andthestonyfloorslopeddownwardastheyproceeded.ItwasworseforJillthanfortheothers,becauseshehateddark,undergroundplaces.Andwhen,astheywenton,thecavegotlowerandnarrower,andwhen,atlast,thelight-bearerstoodaside,andthegnomes,onebyone,stoopeddown(allexcepttheverysmallestones)andsteppedintoalittledarkcrackanddisappeared,shefeltshecouldbearitnolonger.

“Ican’tgointhere,Ican’t!Ican’t!Iwon’t,”shepanted.TheEarthmensaidnothingbuttheyallloweredtheirspearsandpointedthemather.

“Steady,Pole,”saidPuddleglu“Thosebigfellowswouldn’tbecrawlinginthereifitdidn’tgetwiderlateron.Andthere’sonethingaboutthisundergroundwork,weshan’tgetanyrain.”

“Oh,youdon’tunderstand.Ican’t,”wailedJill.

“Thinkhow1feltonthatcliff,Pole,”saidScrubb.“Yougofirst,Puddleglum,andI’llcomeafterher.”

“That’sright,”saidtheMarsh-wiggle,gettingdownonhishandsandknees.“Youkeepagripofmyheels,Pole,andScrubbwillholdontoyours.Thenwe’llallbecomfortable.”

“Comfortable!”saidJill.Butshegotdownandtheycrawledinontheirelbows.Itwasanastyplace.Youhadtogoflatonyourfaceforwhatseemedlikehalfanhour,thoughitmayreallyhavebeenonlyfiveminutes.Itwashot.Jillfeltshewasbeingsmothered.Butatlastadimlightshowedahead,thetunnelgrewwiderandhigher,andtheycameout,hot,dirty,andshaken,intoacavesolargethatitscarcelyseemedlikeacaveatall.

Itwasfullofadim,drowsyradiance,sothatheretheyhadnoneedoftheEarthmen’sstrangelantern.Thefloorwassoftwithsomekindofmossandoutofthisgrewmanystrangeshapes,branchedandtallliketrees,butflabbylikemushrooms.Theystoodtoofaraparttomakeaforest;itwasmorelikeapark.Thelight(agreenishgrey)seemedtocomebothfromthemandfromthemoss,anditwasnotstrongenoughtoreachtheroofofthecave,whichmusthavebeenalongwayoverhead.Acrossthemild,soft,sleepyplacetheywerenowmadetomarch.Itwasverysad,butwithaquietsortofsadness,likesoftmusic.

Heretheypasseddozensofstrangeanimalslyingontheturf,eitherdeadorasleep,Jillcouldnottellwhich.Theseweremostlyofadragonishorbat-likesort;Puddleglumdidnotknowwhatanyofthemwere.

“Dotheygrowhere?”ScrubbaskedtheWarden.Heseemedverysurprisedatbeingspokento,butreplied,“No.Theyareallbeaststhathavefoundtheirwaydownbychasmsandcaves,outofOverlandintotheDeepRealManycomedown,andfewreturntothesunlitlands.Itissaidthattheywillallwakeattheendoftheworld.”

Hismouthshutlikeaboxwhenhehadsaidthis,andinthegreatsilenceofthatcavethechildrenfeltthattheywouldnotdaretospeakagain.Thebarefeetofthegnomes,paddingonthedeepmoss,madenosound.Therewasnowind,therewerenobirds,therewasnosoundofwater.Therewasnosoundofbreathingfromthestrangebeasts.

Whentheyhadwalkedforseveralmiles,theycametoawallofrock,andinitalowarchwayleadingintoanothercavern.Itwasnot,however,sobadasthelastentranceandJillcouldgothroughitwithoutbendingherhead.Itbroughtthemintoasmallercave,longandnarrow,abouttheshapeandsizeofacathedral.Andhere,fillingalmostthewholelengthofit,layanenormousmanfastasleep.Hewasfarbiggerthananyofthegiants,andhisfacewasnotlikeagiant’s,butnobleandbeautiful.Hisbreastroseandfellgentlyunderthesnowybeardwhichcoveredhimtothewaist.Apure,silverlight(noonesawwhereitcamefrom)resteduponhi

“Who’sthat?”askedPuddlegluAnditwassolongsinceanyonehadspoken,thatJillwonderedhowhehadthenerve.

“ThatisoldFatherTime,whooncewasaKinginOverland,”saidtheWarden.“AndnowhehassunkdownintotheDeepRealmandliesdreamingofallthethingsthataredoneintheupperworld.Manysinkdown,andfewreturntothesunlitlands.Theysayhewillwakeattheendoftheworld.”

Andoutofthatcavetheypassedintoanother,andthenintoanotherandanother,andsoontillJilllostcount,butalwaystheyweregoingdownhillandeachcavewaslowerthanthelast,tilltheverythoughtoftheweightanddepthoftheearthaboveyouwassuffocating.AtlasttheycametoaplacewheretheWardencommandedhischeerlesslanterntobelitagain.Thentheypassedintoacavesowideanddarkthattheycouldseenothingofitexceptthatrightinfrontofthemastripofthepalesandrandownintostillwater.Andthere,besidealittlejetty,layashipwithoutmastorsailbutwithmanyoars.Theyweremadetogoonboardherandnearer;buttherewasnotasongorashoutorabellortherattleofawheelanywhere.TheCitywasasquiet,andnearlyasdark,astheinsideofanant-hill.

Atlasttheirshipwasbroughtalongsideaquayandmadefast.ThethreetravellersweretakenashoreandmarchedupintotheCity.CrowdsofEarthmen,notwoalike,rubbedshoulderswiththeminthecrowdedstreets,andthesadlightfellonmanysadandgrotesquefaces.Butnooneshowedanyinterestinthestrangers.Everygnomeseemedtobeasbusyasitwassad,thoughJillneverfoundwhattheyweresobusyabout.Buttheendlessmoving,shoving,hurrying,andthesoftpad-pad-padwenton.

Atlasttheycametowhatappearedtobeagreatcastle,thoughfewofthewindowsinitwerelighted.Heretheyweretakeninandmadetocrossacourtyard,andtoclimbmanystaircases.Thisbroughtthemintheendtoagreatmurkilylithall.Butinonecornerofit—ohjoy!—therewasanarchwayfilledwithaquitedifferentsortoflight;thehonest,yellowish,warmlightofsuchalampashumansuse.Whatshowedbythislightinsidethearchwaywasthefootofastaircasewhichwoundupwardbetweenwallsofstone.Thelightseemedtocomefromthetop.TwoEarthmenstoodoneoneachsideofthearchlikesentries,orfootmen.

TheWardenwentuptothesetwo,andsaid,asifitwereapassword:

“ManysinkdowntotheUnderworld.”

“Andfewreturntothesunlitlands,”theyanswered,asifitwerethecountersign.Thenallthreeputtheirheadstogetherandtalked.Atlastoneofthetwognomes-in-waitingsaid,“ItellyoutheQueen’sgraceisgonefromhenceonhergreataffair.Wehadbestkeepthesetopdwellersinstraitprisontillherhomecoming.Fewreturntothesunlitlands.”

AtthatmomenttheconversationwasinterruptedbywhatseemedtoJillthemostdelightfulnoiseintheworld.Itcamefromabove,fromthetopofthestaircase;anditwasaclear,ringing,perfectlyhumanvoice,thevoiceofayoungman.

“Whatcoilareyoukeepingdownthere,Mullugutherum?”itshouted.“Overworlders,ha!Bringthemuptome,andthatpresently.”

“PleaseityourHighnesstoremember,”beganMullugutherum,butthevoicecuthimshort.

“ItpleasesmyHighnessprincipallytobeobeyed,oldmutterer.Bringthemup,”itcalled.

Mullugutherumshookhishead,motionedtothetravellerstofollowandbegangoingupthestaircase.Ateverystepthelightincreased.Therewererichtapestrieshangingonthewalls.Thelamplightshonegoldenthroughthincurtainsatthestaircase-head.TheEarthmenpartedthecurtainsandstoodaside.Thethreepassedin.Theywereinabeautifulroom,richlytapestried,withabrightfireonacleanhearth,andredwineandcutglasssparklingonthetable.AyoungmanwithfairhairrosetogreettheHewashandsomeandlookedbothboldandkind,thoughtherewassomethingabouthisfacethatdidn’tseemquiteright.HewasdressedinblackandaltogetherlookedalittlebitlikeHamlet.

奇货2:绝世楼  奇货4:甲厝殿  纳尼亚传奇5:黎明踏浪号(双语)  倾玉涟  奇货大结局:献祭井  纳尼亚传奇3:能言马与男孩(双语)  纳尼亚传奇2:狮王、女巫和魔衣橱(双语)  纳尼亚传奇4:凯斯宾王子(双语)  魔幻玩具铺  刺客正传1·刺客学徒  仙帝打工记  神典  奇货7:杀破军  诸天归来  奇货5:九子图  纳尼亚传奇1:魔法师的外甥(双语)  奇货:天地镜  奇货6:忽汗城  神州快递(wan)  奇货3:合玉门  

热门小说推荐
魔师逆天

魔师逆天

前世孤苦一生,今世重生成兽,为何上天总是这样的捉弄!为何上天总是那样的不公!他不服,不服那命运的不公。自创妖修之法,将魔狮一族发展成为能够抗衡巨龙的麒麟一族,成就一代麒麟圣祖的威名。...

神墓

神墓

神墓动画第二季,8月10日起每周六1000,优酷全网独播一个死去万载岁月的平凡青年从远古神墓中复活而出...

神印王座

神印王座

魔族强势,在人类即将被灭绝之时,六大圣殿崛起,带领着人类守住最后的领土。一名少年,为救母加入骑士圣殿,奇迹诡计,不断在他身上上演。在这人类六大圣殿与魔族七十二柱魔神相互倾轧的世界,他能否登上象征着骑...

圣堂

圣堂

天地不仁以万物为刍狗!一个小千世界狂热迷恋修行的少年获得大千世界半神的神格,人生从这一刻改变,跳出法则之外,逆天顺天,尽在掌握!...

风流英雄猎艳记

风流英雄猎艳记

生长于孤儿院的少年刘翰和几女探险时偶得怪果奇蛇致使身体发生异变与众女合体并习得绝世武功和高超的医术为救人与本地黑帮发生冲突得贵人相助将其剿灭因而得罪日本黑道。参加中学生风采大赛获得保送大学机会。上大学时接受军方秘训后又有日本黑龙会追杀其消灭全部杀手后又参加了央视的星光大道和青歌大赛并取得非凡成绩。即赴台探亲帮助马当选总统世界巡演时与东突遭遇和达赖辩论发现超市支持藏独向世界揭露日本称霸全球的野心为此获得诺贝尔和平奖而在颁奖仪式上其却拒绝领奖主人公奇遇不断出现艳遇连绵不...

师娘,借个火(师娘,别玩火)

师娘,借个火(师娘,别玩火)

师父死了,留下美艳师娘,一堆的人打主意,李福根要怎么才能保住师娘呢?...

每日热搜小说推荐