the horse and his boy_c·s·刘易斯-第32部分

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d　this　very　effective　in　　calormen。　the　bravest　had　trembled　when　he　made　these　faces；　and　ordinary　people　had　fallen　to　　the　floor；　and　sensitive　people　had　often　fainted。　but　what　rsh　hadnt　realized　is　　that　it　is　very　easy　to　frighten　people　who　know　you　can　have　them　boiled　alive　the　moment　　you　give　the　word。　the　grimaces　didnt　look　at　all　alarming　in　archenland；　indeed　　lucy　only　thought　rsh　was　going　to　be　sick。

〃demon！　demon！　demon！〃　shrieked　the　prince。　〃i　know　you。　you　are　the　foul　　fiend　of　narnia。　you　are　the　enemy　of　the　gods。　learn　who　i　am；　horrible　phantasm。　i　　am　descended　from　tash；　the　inexorable；　the　irresistible。　the　curse　of　tash　is　　upon　you。

lightning　in　the　shape　of　scorpions　shall　be　rained　on　you。　the　mountains　　of　narnia　shall　be　ground　into　dust。　the…鈥�

〃have　a　care；　rsh；〃　said　aslan　quietly。　〃the　doom　is　nearer　now：　it　is　　at　the　door：　it　has　lifted　the　latch。鈥�

〃let　the　skies　fall；〃　shrieked　rsh。　〃let　the　earth　gape！　let　blood　and　　fire　obliterate　the　world！　but　be　sure　i　will　never　desist　till　i　have　dragged　to　my　palace　　by　her　hair　the　barbarian　queen；　the　daughter　of　dogs；　the　…鈥�

〃the　hour　has　struck；〃　said　aslan：　and　rsh　saw；　to　his　supreme　horror；　　that　everyone　had　begun　to　laugh。

they　couldnt　help　it。　rsh　had　been　wagging　his　ears　all　the　time　and　　as　soon　as　aslan　said；　〃the　hour　has　struck！〃　the　ears　began　to　change。　they　grew　　longer　and　more　pointed　and　soon　were　covered　with　grey　hair。　and　while　everyone　was　　wondering　where　they　had　seen　ears　like　that　before；　rshs　face　began　to　change　too。　　it　grew　longer；　and　thicker　at　the　top　and　larger　eyed；　and　the　nose　sank　back　into　the　　face　（or　else　the　face　swelled　out　and　became　all　nose）　and　there　was　hair　all　over　it。　and　　his　arms　grew　longer　and　came　down　in　front　of　him　till　his　hands　were　resting　on　the　　ground：　only　they　werent　hands；　now；　they　were　hoofs。　and　he　was　standing　on　all　fours；　and　　his　clothes　disappeared；　and　everyone　laughed　louder　and　louder　（because　they　couldnt　　help　it）　for　now　what　had　been　rsh　was；　simply　and　unmistakably；　a　donkey。　the　　terrible　thing　was　that　his　human　speech　lasted　just　a　moment　longer　than　his　human　shape；　　so　that　when　he　realized　the　change　that　was　ing　over　him；　he　screamed　out：　　〃oh；　not　a　donkey！　mercy！　if　it　were　even　a　horse　…　een　…　a　hor　…　eeh　…　　auh；　eeh…auh。鈥�

and　so　the　words　died　away　into　a　donkeys　bray。

〃now　hear　me；　rsh；〃　said　aslan。　〃justice　shall　be　mixed　with　mercy。　　you　shall　not　always　be　an　ass。鈥�

at　this　of　course　the　donkey　twitched　its　ears　forward　and　that　also　was　so　　funny　that　everybody　laughed　all　the　more。　they　tried　not　to；　but　they　tried　in　vain。

〃you　have　appealed　to　tash；〃　said　aslan。　〃and　in　the　temple　of　tash　you　　shall　be　healed。

you　must　stand　before　the　altar　of　tash　in　tashbaan　at　the　great　autumn　　feast　this　year　and　there；　in　the　sight　of　all　tashbaan；　your　asss　shape　will　fall　from　　you　and　all　men　will　know　you　for　prince　rsh。　but　as　long　as　you　live；　if　ever　you　go　　more　than　ten　miles　away　from　the　great　temple　in　tashbaan　you　shall　instantly　bee　　again　as　you　now　are。　and　from　that　second　change　there　will　be　no　return。鈥�

there　was　a　short　silence　and　then　they　all　stirred　and　looked　at　one　　another　as　if　they　were　waking　from　sleep。　aslan　was　gone。　but　there　was　a　brightness　in　the　　air　and　on　the　grass；　and　a　joy　in　their　hearts；　which　assured　them　that　he　had　been　no　　dream：　and　anyway；　there　was　the　donkey　in　front　of　them。

king　lune　was　the　kindest…hearted　of　men　and　on　seeing　his　enemy　in　this　　regrettable　condition　he　forgot　all　his　anger。

〃your　royal　highness；〃　he　said。　〃i　am　most　truly　sorry　that　things　have　　e　to　this　extremity。　your　highness　will　bear　witness　that　it　was　none　of　our　doing。　　and　of　course　we　shall　be　delighted　to　provide　your　highness　with　shipping　back　to　　tashbaan　for　the　…　er　…　treatment　which　aslan　has　prescribed。　you　shall　have　every　fort　　which　your　highnesss　situation　allows：　the　best　of　the　cattleboats　…　the　freshest　　carrots　and　thistles　…鈥�

but　a　deafening　bray　from　the　donkey　and　a　well…aimed　kick　at　one　of　the　　guards　made　it　clear　that　these　kindly　offers　were　ungratefully　received。

and　here；　to　get　him　out　of　the　way；　id　better　finish　off　the　story　of　　rsh。　he　（or　it）

was　duly　sent　back　by　boat　to　tashbaan　and　brought　into　the　temple　of　tash　　at　the　great　autumn　festival；　and　then　he　became　a　man　again。　but　of　course　four　or　five　　thousand　people　had　seen　the　transformation　and　the　affair　could　not　possibly　be　　hushed　up。　and　after　the　old　tisrocs　death　when　rsh　became　tisroc　in　his　place　he　　turned　out　the　most　peaceable　tisroc　calormen　had　ever　known。　this　was　because；　not　daring　　to　go　more　than　ten　miles　from　tashbaan；　he　could　never　go　on　a　war　himself：　and　　he　didnt　want　his　tarkaans　to　win　fame　in　the　wars　at　his　expense；　for　that　is　the　　way　tisrocs　get　overthrown。　but　though　his　reasons　were　selfish；　it　made　things　much　more　　fortable　for　all　the　smaller　countries　round　calormen。　his　own　people　never　forgot　　that　he　had　been　a　donkey。　during　his　reign；　and　to　his　face；　he　was　called　rsh　　the　peacemaker；　but　after　his　death　and　behind　his　back　he　was　called　rsh　the　　ridiculous；　and　if　you　look　him　up　in　a　good　history　of　calormen　（try　the　local　library）　you　will　　find　him　under　that　name。　and　to　this　day　in　calormene　schools；　if　you　do　anything　　unusually　stupid；　you　are　very　likely　to　be　called　〃a　second　rsh〃。

meanwhile　at　anvard　everyone　was　very　glad　that　he　had　been　disposed　of　　before　the　real　fun　began；　which　was　a　grand　feast　held　that　evening　on　the　lawn　　before　the　castle；　with　dozens　of　lanterns　to　help　the　moonlight。　and　the　wine　flowed　and　　tales　were　told　and　jokes　were　cracked；　and　then　silence　was　made　and　the　kings　poet　with　　two　fiddlers　stepped　out　into　the　middle　of　the　circle。　aravis　and　cor　prepared　　themselves　to　be　bored；　for　the　only　poetry　they　knew　was　the　calormene　kind；　and　you　know　now　what　　that　was　like。　but　at　the　very　first　scrape　of　the　fiddles　a　rocket　seemed　to　go　up　　inside　their　heads；　and　the　poet　sang　the　great　old　lay　of　fair　olvin　and　how　he　fought　the　　giant　pire　and　turned　him　into　stone　（and　that　is　the　origin　of　mount　pire　…　it　was　a　two　…headed　giant）

and　won　the　lady　liln　for　his　bride；　and　when　it　was　over　they　wished　it　　was　going　to　begin　again。　and　though　bree　couldnt　sing　he　told　the　story　of　the　fight　　at　zalindreh。

and　lucy　told　again　（they　had　all；　except　aravis　and　cor；　heard　it　many　　times　but　they　all　wanted　it　again）　the　tale　of　the　wardrobe　and　how　she　and　king　edmund　　and　queen　susan　and　peter　the　high　king　had　first　e　into　narnia。

and　presently；　as　was　certain　to　happen　sooner　or　later；　king　lune　said　if　　was　time　for　young　people　to　be　in　bed。　〃and　tomorrow；　cor；〃　he　added；　〃shalt　e　over　　all　the　castle　with　me　and　see　the　estres　and　mark　all　its　strength　and　weakness：　　for　it　will　be　thine　to　guard　when　im　gone。鈥�

〃but　corin　will　be　the　king　then；　father；〃　said　cor。

〃nay；　lad；〃　said　king　lune；　〃thou　art　my　heir。　the　crown　es　to　thee。鈥�

〃but　i　dont　want　it；〃　said　cor。　〃id　far　rather…鈥�

〃tis　no　question　what　thou　wantest；　cor；　nor　i　either。　tis　in　the　course　　of　law。鈥�

〃but　if　were　twins　we　must　be　the　same　age。鈥�

〃nay；〃　said　the　king　with　a　laugh。　〃one　must　e　first。　art　corins　elder　　by　full　twenty　minutes。　and　his　better　too；　lets　hope；　though　thats　no　great　mastery。〃　　and　he　looked　at　corin　with　a　twinkle　in　his　eyes。

〃but；　father；　couldnt　you　make　whichever　you　like　to　be　the　next　king？鈥�

〃no。　the　kings　under　the　law；　for　its　the　law　makes　him　a　king。　hast　no　　more　power　to　start　away　from　thy　crown　than　any　sentry　from　his　post。鈥�

〃oh　dear；〃　said　cor。　〃i　dont　want　to　at　all。　and　corin　…　i　am　most　　dreadfully　sorry。　i　never　dreamed　my　turning　up　was　going　to　chisel　you　out　of　your　kingdom。鈥�

〃hurrah！　hurrah！〃　said　corin。　〃i　shant　have　to　be　king。　i　shant　have　to　　be　king。　ill　always　be　a　prince。　its　princes　have　all　the　fun。鈥�

〃and　thats　truer　than　thy　brother　knows；　cor；〃　said　king　lune。　〃for　this　　is　what　it　means　to　be　a　king：　to　be　first　in　every　desperate　attack　and　last　in　every　　desperate　retreat；　and　when　theres　hunger