csl.thelionthewitchandthewardrobe-第25部分

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　Next　day　they　began　marching　eastward　down　the　side　of　the　great　river。　And　the　next　day　after　that；　at　about　teatime；　they　actually　reached　the　mouth。　The　castle　of　Cair　Paravel　on　its　little　hill　towered　up　above　them；　before　them　were　the　sands；　with　rocks　and　little　pools　of　salt　water；　and　seaweed；　and　the　smell　of　the　sea　and　long　miles　of　bluish…green　waves　breaking　for　ever　and　ever　on　the　beach。　And　oh；　the　cry　of　the　sea…gulls！　Have　you　heard　it？　Can　you　remember？
　　
　　That　evening　after　tea　the　four　children　all　managed　to　get　down　to　the　beach　again　and　get　their　shoes　and　stockings　off　and　feel　the　sand　between　their　toes。　But　next　day　was　more　solemn。　For　then；　in　the　Great　Hall　of　Cair　Paravel…that　wonderful　hall　with　the　ivory　roof　and　the　west　wall　hung　with　peacock's　feathers　and　the　eastern　door　which　looks　towards　the　sea；　in　the　presence　of　all　their　friends　and　to　the　sound　of　trumpets；　Aslan　solemnly　crowned　them　and　led　them　to　the　four　thrones　amid　deafening　shouts　of；　〃Long　Live　King　Peter！　Long　Live　Queen　Susan！　Long　Live　King　Edmund！　Long　Live　Queen　Lucy！〃
　　
　　〃Once　a　king　or　queen　in　Narnia；　always　a　king　or　queen。　Bear　it　well；　Sons　of　Adam！　Bear　it　well；　Daughters　of　Eve！〃　said　Aslan。
　　
　　And　through　the　eastern　door；　which　was　wide　open；　came　the　voices　of　the　mermen　and　the　mermaids　swimming　close　to　the　shore　and　singing　in　honour　of　their　new　Kings　and　Queens。
　　
　　So　the　children　sat　on　their　thrones　and　sceptres　were　put　into　their　hands　and　they　gave　rewards　and　honours　to　all　their　friends；　to　Tumnus　the　Faun；　and　to　the　Beavers；　and　Giant　Rumblebuffin；　to　the　leopards；　and　the　good　centaurs；　and　the　good　dwarfs；　and　to　the　lion。　And　that　night　there　was　a　great　feast　in　Cair　Paravel；　and　revelry　and　dancing；　and　gold　flashed　and　wine　flowed；　and　answering　to　the　music　inside；　but　stranger；　sweeter；　and　more　piercing；　came　the　music　of　the　sea　people。
　　
　　But　amidst　all　these　rejoicings　Aslan　himself　quietly　slipped　away。　And　when　the　Kings　and　Queens　noticed　that　he　wasn't　there　they　said　nothing　about　it。　For　Mr　Beaver　had　warned　them；　〃He'll　be　ing　and　going；〃　he　had　said。　〃One　day　you'll　see　him　and　another　you　won't。　He　doesn't　like　being　tied　down　and　of　course　he　has　other　countries　to　attend　to。　It's　quite　all　right。　He'll　often　drop　in。　Only　you　mustn't　press　him。　He's　wild；'　you　know。　Not　like　a　tame　lion。〃
　　
　　And　now；　as　you　see；　this　story　is　nearly　（but　not　quite）　at　an　end。　These　two　Kings　and　two　Queens　governed　Narnia　well；　and　long　and　happy　was　their　reign。　At　first　much　of　their　time　was　spent　in　seeking　out　the　remnants　of　the　White　Witch's　army　and　destroying　them；　and　indeed　for　a　long　time　there　would　be　news　of　evil　things　lurking　in　the　wilder　parts　of　the　forest…a　haunting　here　and　a　killing　there；　a　glimpse　of　a　werewolf　one　month　and　a　rumour　of　a　hag　the　next。　But　in　the　end　all　that　foul　brood　was　stamped　out。　And　they　made　good　laws　and　kept　the　peace　and　saved　good　trees　from　being　unnecessarily　cut　down；　and　liberated　young　dwarfs　and　young　satyrs　from　being　sent　to　school；　and　generally　stopped　busybodies　and　interferers　and　encouraged　ordinary　people　who　wanted　to　live　and　let　live。　And　they　drove　back　the　fierce　giants　（quite　a　different　sort　from　Giant　Rumblebuffin）　on　the　north　of　Narnia　when　these　ventured　across　the　frontier。　And　they　entered　into　friendship　and　alliance　with　countries　beyond　the　sea　and　paid　them　visits　of　state　and　received　visits　of　state　from　them。　And　they　themselves　grew　and　changed　as　the　years　passed　over　them。　And　Peter　became　a　tall　and　deep…chested　man　and　a　great　warrior；　and　he　was　called　King　Peter　the　Magnificent。　And　Susan　grew　into　a　tall　and　gracious　woman　with　black　hair　that　fell　almost　to　her　feet　and　the　kings　of　the　countries　beyond　the　sea　began　to　send　ambassadors　asking　for　her　hand　in　marriage。　And　she　was　called　Susan　the　Gentle。　Edmund　was　a　graver　and　quieter　man　than　Peter；　and　great　in　council　and　judgement。　He　was　called　King　Edmund　the　Just。　But　as　for　Lucy；　she　was　always　gay　and　golden…haired；　and　all　princes　in　those　parts　desired　her　to　be　their　Queen；　and　her　own　people　called　her　Queen　Lucy　the　Valiant。
　　
　　So　they　lived　in　great　joy　and　if　ever　they　remembered　their　life　in　this　world　it　was　only　as　one　remembers　a　dream。　And　one　year　it　fell　out　that　Tumnus　（who　was　a　middle…aged　Faun　by　now　and　beginning　to　be　stout）　came　down　river　and　brought　them　news　that　the　White　Stag　had　once　more　appeared　in　his　parts…the　White　Stag　who　would　give　you　wishes　if　you　caught　him。　So　these　two　Kings　and　two　Queens　with　the　principal　members　of　their　court；　rode　a…hunting　with　horns　and　hounds　in　the　Western　Woods　to　follow　the　White　Stag。　And　they　had　not　hunted　long　before　they　had　a　sight　of　him。　And　he　led　them　a　great　pace　over　rough　and　smooth　and　through　thick　and　thin；　till　the　horses　of　all　the　courtiers　were　tired　out　and　these　four　were　still　following。　And　they　saw　the　stag　enter　into　a　thicket　where　their　horses　could　not　follow。　Then　said　King　Peter　（for　they　talked　in　quite　a　different　style　now；　having　been　Kings　and　Queens　for　so　long）；　〃Fair　Consorts；　let　us　now　alight　from　our　horses　and　follow　this　beast　into　the　thicket；　for　in　all　my　days　I　never　hunted　a　nobler　quarry。〃
　　
　　〃Sir；〃　said　the　others；　〃even　so　let　us　do。〃
　　
　　So　they　alighted　and　tied　their　horses　to　trees　and　went　on　into　the　thick　wood　on　foot。　And　as　soon　as　they　had　entered　it　Queen　Susan　said；
　　
　　〃Fair　friends；　here　is　a　great　marvel；　for　I　seem　to　see　a　tree　of　iron。〃
　　
　　〃Madam；〃　said；King　Edmund；　〃if　you　look　well　upon　it　you　shall　see　it　is　a　pillar　of　iron　with　a　lantern　set　on　the　top　thereof。〃
　　
　　〃By　the　Lion's　Mane；　a　strange　device；〃　said　King　Peter；　〃to　set　a　lantern　here　where　the　trees　cluster　so　thick　about　it　and　so　high　above　it　that　if　it　were　lit　it　should　give　light　to　no　man！〃
　　
　　〃Sir；〃　said　Queen　Lucy。　〃By　likelihood　when　this　post　and　this　lamp　were　set　here　there　were　smaller　trees　in　the　place；　or　fewer；　or　none。　For　this　is　a　young　wood　and　the　iron　post　is　old。〃　And　they　stood　looking　upon　it。　Then　said　King　Edmund；
　　
　　〃I　know　not　how　it　is；　but　this　lamp　on　the　post　worketh　upon　me　strangely。　It　runs　in　my　mind　that　I　have　seen　the　like　before；　as　it　were　in　a　dream；　or　in　the　dream　of　a　dream。〃
　　
　　〃Sir；〃　answered　they　all；　〃it　is　even　so　with　us　also。〃
　　
　　〃And　more；〃　said　Queen　Lucy；　〃for　it　will　not　go　out　of　my　mind　that　if　we　pass　this　post　and　lantern　either　we　shall　find　strange　adventures　or　else　some　great　change　of　our　fortunes。〃
　　
　　〃Madam；〃　said　King　Edmund；　〃the　like　foreboding　stirreth　in　my　heart　also。〃
　　
　　〃And　in　mine；　fair　brother；〃　said　King　Peter。
　　
　　〃And　in　mine　too；〃　said　Queen　Susan。　〃Wherefore　by　my　counsel　we　shall　lightly　return　to　our　horses　and　follow　this　White　Stag　no　further。〃
　　
　　〃Madam；〃　said　King　Peter；　〃therein　I　pray　thee　to　have　me　excused。　For　never　since　we　four　were　Kings　and　Queens　in　Narnia　have　we　set　our　hands　to　any　high　matter；　as　battles；　quests；　feats　of　arms；　acts　of　justice；　and　the　like；　and　then　given　over；　but　always　what　we　have　taken　in　hand；　the　same　we　have　achieved。〃
　　
　　〃Sister；〃　said　Queen　Lucy；　〃my　royal　brother　speaks　rightly。　And　it　seems　to　me　we　should　be　shamed　if　for　any　fearing　or　foreboding　we　turned　back　from　following　so　noble　a　beast　as　now　we　have　in　chase。〃
　　
　　〃And　so　say　I；〃　said　King　Edmund。　〃And　I　have　such　desire　to　find　the　signification　of　this　thing　that　I　would　not　by　my　good　will　turn　back　for　the　richest　jewel　in　all　Narnia　and　all　the　islands。〃
　　
　　〃Then　in　the　name　of　Aslan；〃　said　Queen　Susan；　〃if　ye　will　all　have　it　so；　let　us　go　on　and　take　the　adventure　that　shall　fall　to　us。〃
　　
　　So　these　Kings　and　Queens　entered　the　thicket；　and　before　they　had　gone　a　score　of　paces　they　all　remembered　that　the　thing　they　had　seen　was　called　a　lamppost；　and　before　they　had　gone　twenty　more　they　noticed　that　they　were。　making　their　way　not　through　branches　but　through　coats。　And　next　moment　they　all　came　tumbling　out　of　a　wardrobe　door　into　the　empty　ro