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第9部分

prince caspian_c·s·刘易斯-第9部分

小说: prince caspian_c·s·刘易斯 字数: 每页4000字

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ufflehunter called again; 〃glenstorm! glenstorm!〃  and after a pause caspian heard the sound of hoofs。 it grew louder till the valley  trembled and at last; breaking and trampling the thickets; there came in sight the noblest  creatures that caspian had yet seen; the great centaur glenstorm and his three sons。 his flanks  were glossy chestnut and the beard that covered his broad chest was goldenred。 he was a  prophet and a star…gazer and knew what they had e about。

〃long live the king;〃 he cried。 〃i and my sons are ready for war。 when is  the battle to be joined?鈥

up till now neither caspian nor the others had really been thinking of a  war。 they had some vague idea; perhaps; of an occasional raid on some human farmstead or  of attacking a party of hunters; if it ventured too far into these southern  wilds。 but; in the main; they had thought only of living to themselves in woods and caves and  building up an attempt at old narnia in hiding。 as soon as glenstorm had spoken  everyone felt much more serious。

〃do you mean a real war to drive miraz out of narnia?〃 asked caspian。

〃what else?〃 said the centaur。 〃why else does your majesty go clad in mail  and girt with sword?鈥

〃is it possible; glenstorm?〃 said the badger。

〃the time is ripe;〃 said glenstorm。 〃i watch the skies; badger; for it is  mine to watch; as it is yours to remember。 tarva and alambil have met in the halls of high  heaven; and on earth a son of adam has once more arisen to rule and name the creatures。  the hour has struck。 our council at the dancing lawn must be a council of war。〃 he spoke  in such a voice that neither caspian nor the others hesitated for a moment: it now  seemed to them quite possible that they might win a war and quite certain that they must  wage one。

as it was now past the middle of the day; they rested with the centaurs and  ate such food as the centaurs provided cakes of oaten meal; and apples; and herbs; and  wine; and cheese。

the next place they were to visit was quite near at hand; but they had to  go a long way round in order to avoid a region in which men lived。 it was well into the  afternoon before they found themselves in level fields; warm between hedgerows。 there  trufflehunter called at the mouth of a little hole in a green bank and out popped the  last thing caspian expected … a talking mouse。 he was of course bigger than a mon mouse;  well over a foot high when he stood on his hind legs; and with ears nearly as long as  (though broader than) a rabbits。 his name was reepicheep and he was a gay and martial  mouse。 he wore a tiny little rapier at his side and twirled his long whiskers as if they  were a moustache。

〃there are twelve of us; sire;〃 he said with a dashing and graceful bow;  〃and i place all the resources of my people unreservedly at your majestys disposal。〃  caspian tried hard (and successfully) not to laugh; but he couldnt help thinking that  reepicheep and all his people could very easily be put in a washing basket and carried home on  ones back。

it would take too long to mention all the creatures whom caspian met that  day … clodsley shovel the mole; the three hardbiters (who were badgers like  trufflehunter); camillo the hare; and hogglestock the hedgehog。 they rested at last beside a well at  the edge of a wide and level circle of grass; bordered with tall elms which now threw  long shadows across it; for the sun was setting; the daisies closing; and the rooks  flying home to bed。

here they supped on food they had brought with them and trumpkin lit his  pipe (nikabrik was not a smoker)。

〃now;〃 said the badger; 〃if only we could wake the spirits of these trees  and this well; we should have done a good days work。鈥

〃cant we?〃 said caspian。

〃no;〃 said trufflehunter。 〃we have no power over them。 since the humans  came into the land; felling forests and defiling streams; the dryads and naiads have sunk  into a deep sleep。 who knows if ever they will stir again? and that is a great loss to  our side。 the telmarines are horribly afraid of the woods; and once the trees moved in  anger; our enemies would go mad with fright and be chased out of narnia as quick as  their legs could carry them。鈥

〃what imaginations you animals have!〃 said trumpkin; who didnt believe in  such things。 〃but why stop at trees and waters? wouldnt it be even nicer if the  stones started throwing themselves at old miraz?鈥

the badger only grunted at this; and after that there was such a silence  that caspian had nearly dropped off to sleep when he thought he heard a faint musical sound  from the depth of the woods at his back。 then he thought it was only a dream and  turned over again; but as soon as his ear touched the ground he felt or heard (it was  hard to tell which) a faint beating or drumming。 he raised his head。 the beating noise  at once  

became fainter; but the music returned; clearer this time。 it was like  flutes。 he saw that trufflehunter was sitting up staring into the wood。 the moon was bright;  caspian had been asleep longer than he thought。 nearer and nearer came the music; a  tune wild and yet dreamy; and the noise of many light feet; till at last; out from the  wood into the moonlight; came dancing shapes such as caspian had been thinking of all his  life。 they were not much taller than dwarfs; but far slighter and more graceful。 their  curly heads had little horns; the upper part of their bodies gleamed naked in the pale  light; but their legs and feet were those of goats。

〃fauns!〃 cried caspian; jumping up; and in a moment they were all round  him。 it took next to no time to explain the whole situation to them and they accepted  caspian at once。

before he knew what he was doing he found himself joining in the dance。  trumpkin; with heavier and jerkier movements; did likewise and even trufflehunter  hopped and lumbered about as best he could。 only nikabrik stayed where he was; looking  on in silence。 the fauns footed it all round caspian to their reedy pipes。 their  strange faces; which seemed mournful and merry all at once; looked into his; dozens of  fauns; mentius and obentinus and dumnus; voluns; voltinus; girbius; nimienus; nausus; and  oscuns。

pattertwig had sent them all。

when caspian awoke next morning he could hardly believe that it had not all  been a dream; but the grass was covered with little cloven hoof…marks。

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CHAPTER SEVEN


old narnia in danger  the place where they had met the fauns was; of course; dancing lawn itself;  and here caspian and his friends remained till the night of the great council。 to  sleep under the stars; to drink nothing but well water and to live chiefly on nuts and wild  fruit; was a strange experience for caspian after his bed with silken sheets in a  tapestried chamber at the castle; with meals laid out on gold and silver dishes in the anteroom;  and attendants ready at his call。 but he had never enjoyed himself more。 never had sleep  been more refreshing nor food tasted more savoury; and he began already to harden and  his face wore a kinglier look。

when the great night came; and his various strange subjects came stealing  into the lawn by ones and twos and threes or by sixes and sevens … the moon then shining  almost at her full … his heart swelled as he saw their numbers and heard their greetings。  all whom he had met were there: bulgy bears and red dwarfs and black dwarfs; moles and  badgers; hares and hedgehogs; and others whom he had not yet seen … five satyrs as  red as foxes; the whole contingent of talking mice; armed to the teeth and following a  shrill trumpet; some owls; the old raven of ravenscaur。 last of all (and this took  caspians breath away); with the centaurs came a small but genuine giant; wimbleweather of  deadmans  

hill; carrying on his back a basketful of rather sea…sick dwarfs who had  accepted his offer of a lift and were now wishing they had walked instead。

the bulgy bears were very anxious to have the feast first and leave the  council till afterwards: perhaps till tomorrow。 reepicheep and his mice said that  councils and feasts could both wait; and proposed storming miraz in his own castle that very  night。

pattertwig and the other squirrels said they could t

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