THE VOYAGE OF THE DAWN TREADER-第1章

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CHAPTER　ONE

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the　picture　in　the　bedroom　　there　was　a　boy　called　eustace　clarence　scrubb；　and　he　almost　deserved　it。　　his　parents　called　him　eustace　clarence　and　masters　called　him　scrubb。　i　cant　　tell　you　how　his　friends　spoke　to　him；　for　he　had　none。　he　didnt　call　his　father　and　　mother　〃father”

and　〃mother〃；　but　harold　and　alberta。　they　were　very　up…to…date　and　　advanced　people。

they　were　vegetarians；　non…smokers　and　teetotallers　and　wore　a　special　kind　　of　underclothes。　in　their　house　there　was　very　little　furniture　and　very　few　　clothes　on　beds　and　the　windows　were　always　open。

eustace　clarence　liked　animals；　especially　beetles；　if　they　were　dead　and　　pinned　on　a　card。　he　liked　books　if　they　were　books　of　information　and　had　pictures　of　　grain　elevators　or　of　fat　foreign　children　doing　exercises　in　model　schools。

eustace　clarence　disliked　his　cousins　the　four　pevensies；　peter；　susan；　　edmund　and　lucy。　but　he　was　quite　glad　when　he　heard　that　edmund　and　lucy　were　ing　　to　stay。

for　deep　down　inside　him　he　liked　bossing　and　bullying；　and；　though　he　was　　a　puny　little　person　who　couldnt　have　stood　up　even　to　lucy；　let　alone　edmund；　in　a　　fight；　he　knew　that　there　are　dozens　of　ways　to　give　people　a　bad　time　if　you　are　in　your　　own　home　and　they　are　only　visitors。

edmund　and　lucy　did　not　at　all　want　to　e　and　stay　with　uncle　harold　and　　aunt　alberta。　but　it　really　couldnt　be　helped。　father　had　got　a　job　lecturing　　in　america　for　sixteen　weeks　that　summer；　and　mother　was　to　go　with　him　because　she　hadnt　　had　a　real　holiday　for　ten　years。　peter　was　working　very　hard　for　an　exam　and　he　was　　to　spend　the　holidays　being　coached　by　old　professor　kirke　in　whose　house　these　four　　children　had　had　wonderful　adventures　long　ago　in　the　war　years。　if　he　had　still　been　in　　that　house　he　would　have　had　them　all　to　stay。　but　he　had　somehow　bee　poor　since　the　　old　days　and　was　living　in　a　small　cottage　with　only　one　bedroom　to　spare。　it　would　　have　cost　too　much　money　to　take　the　other　three　all　to　america；　and　susan　had　gone。

grown…ups　thought　her　the　pretty　one　of　the　family　and　she　was　no　good　at　　school　work　（though　otherwise　very　old　for　her　age）　and　mother　said　she　〃would　get　far　　more　out　of　a　trip　to　america　than　the　youngsters〃。　edmund　and　lucy　tried　not　to　grudge　　susan　her　luck；　but　it　was　dreadful　having　to　spend　the　summer　holidays　at　their　　aunts。　〃but　its　far　worse　for　me；〃　said　edmund；　〃because　youll　at　least　have　a　room　of　your　　own　and　i　shall　have　to　share　a　bedroom　with　that　record　stinker；　eustace。”

the　story　begins　on　an　afternoon　when　edmund　and　lucy　were　stealing　a　few　　precious　minutes　alone　together。　and　of　course　they　were　talking　about　narnia；　which　　was　the　name　of　their　own　private　and　secret　country。　most　of　us；　i　suppose；　have　a　　secret　country　but　for　most　of　us　it　is　only　an　imaginary　country。　edmund　and　lucy　were　　luckier　than　other　people　in　that　respect。　their　secret　country　was　real。　they　had　　already　visited　it　twice；　not　in　a　game　or　a　dream　but　in　reality。　they　had　got　there　of　　course　by　magic；　which　is　the　only　way　of　getting　to　narnia。　and　a　promise；　or　very　nearly　a　　promise；　had　been　made　them　in　narnia　itself　that　they　would　some　day　get　back。　you　may　　imagine　that　they　talked　about　it　a　good　deal；　when　they　got　the　chance。

they　were　in　lucys　room；　sitting　on　the　edge　of　her　bed　and　looking　at　a　　picture　on　the　opposite　wall。　it　was　the　only　picture　in　the　house　that　they　liked。　aunt　　alberta　didnt　like　it　at　all　（that　was　why　it　was　put　away　in　a　little　back　room　upstairs）；　　but　she　couldnt　get　rid　of　it　because　it　had　been　a　wedding　present　from　someone　she　did　not　　want　to　offend。

it　was　a　picture　of　a　ship　…　a　ship　sailing　straight　towards　you。　her　prow　　was　gilded　and　shaped　like　the　head　of　a　dragon　with　wide…open　mouth。　she　had　only　one　　mast　and　one　large；　square　sail　which　was　a　rich　purple。　the　sides　of　the　ship　…　what　　you　could　see　of　them　where　the　gilded　wings　of　the　dragon　ended…were　green。　she　had　just　　run　up　to　the　top　of　one　glorious　blue　wave；　and　the　nearer　slope　of　that　wave　came　down　　towards　you；　with　streaks　and　bubbles　on　it。　she　was　obviously　running　fast　before　a　gay　　wind；　listing　over　a　little　on　her　port　side。　（by　the　way；　if　you　are　going　to　read　this　　story　at　all；　and　if　you　dont　know　already；　you　had　better　get　it　into　your　head　that　the　left　　of　a　ship　when　you　are　looking　ahead；　is　port；　and　the　right　is　starboard。）　all　the　　sunlight　fell　on　her　from　that　side；　and　the　water　on　that　side　was　full　of　greens　and　purples。　on　　the　other；　it　was　darker　blue　from　the　shadow　of　the　ship。

〃the　question　is；〃　said　edmund；　〃whether　it　doesnt　make　things　worse；　　looking　at　a　narnian　ship　when　you　cant　get　there。”

〃even　looking　is　better　than　nothing；〃　said　lucy。　〃and　she　is　such　a　very　　narnian　ship。”

〃still　playing　your　old　game？〃　said　eustace　clarence；　who　had　been　　listening　outside　the　door　and　now　came　grinning　into　the　room。　last　year；　when　he　had　been　　staying　with　the　pevensies；　he　had　managed　to　hear　them　all　talking　of　narnia　and　he　loved　　teasing　them　about　it。　he　thought　of　course　that　they　were　making　it　all　up；　and　as　he　　was　far　too　stupid　to　make　anything　up　himself；　he　did　not　approve　of　that。

〃youre　not　wanted　here；〃　said　edmund　curtly。

〃im　trying　to　think　of　a　limerick；〃　said　eustace。　〃something　like　this：　　〃some　kids　who　played　games　about　narnia　got　gradually　balmier　and　balmier　…”

〃well　narnia　and　balmier　dont　rhyme；　to　begin　with；〃　said　lucy。

〃its　an　assonance；〃　said　eustace。

〃dont　ask　him　what　an　assy…thingummy　is；〃　said　edmund。　〃hes　only　longing　　to　be　asked。　say　nothing　and　perhaps　hell　go　away。”

most　boys；　on　meeting　a　reception　like　this；　would　either　have　cleared　out　　or　flared　up。

eustace　did　neither。　he　just　hung　about　grinning；　and　presently　began　　talking　again。

〃do　you　like　that　picture？〃　he　asked。

〃for　heavens　sake　dont　let　him　get　started　about　art　and　all　that；〃　said　　edmund　hurriedly；　but　lucy；　who　was　very　truthful；　had　already　said；　〃yes；　i　do。　i　　like　it　very　much。”

〃its　a　rotten　picture；〃　said　eustace。

〃you　wont　see　it　if　you　step　outside；〃　said　edmund。

〃why　do　you　like　it？〃　said　eustace　to　lucy。

〃well；　for　one　thing；〃　said　lucy；　〃i　like　it　because　the　ship　looks　as　if　　it　was　really　moving。　and　the　water　looks　as　if　it　was　really　wet。　and　the　waves　look　as　　if　they　were　really　going　up　and　down。”

of　course　eustace　knew　lots　of　answers　to　this；　but　he　didnt　say　anything。　　the　reason　was　that　at　that　very　moment　he　looked　at　the　waves　and　saw　that　they　did　　look　very　much　indeed　as　if　they　were　going　up　and　down。　he　had　only　once　been　in　a　　ship　（and　then　only　as　far　as　the　isle　of　wight）　and　had　been　horribly　seasick。　the　　look　of　the　waves　in　the　picture　made　him　feel　sick　again。　he　turned　rather　green　and　　tried　another　look。　and　then　all　three　children　were　staring　with　open　mouths。

what　they　were　seeing　may　be　hard　to　believe　when　you　read　it　in　print；　but　　it　was　almost　as　hard　to　believe　when　you　saw　it　happening。　the　things　in　the　picture　　were　moving。　it　didnt　look　at　all　like　a　cinema　either；　the　colours　were　too　real　and　　clean　and　out…of…doors　for　that。　down　went　the　prow　of　the　ship　into　the　wave　and　up　went　a　　great　shock　of　spray。　and　then　up　went　the　wave　behind　her；　and　her　stern　and　her　deck　　became　visible　for　the　first　time；　and　then　disappeared　as　the　next　wave　came　to　　meet　her　and　her　bows　went　up　again。　at　the　same　moment　an　exercise　book　which　had　been　　lying　beside　edmund　on　the　bed　flapped；　rose　and　sailed　through　the　air　to　the　wall　　behind　him；　and　lucy　felt　all　her　hair　whipping　round　her　face　as　it　does　on　a　windy　day。　　and　this　was　a　windy　day；　but　the　wind　was　blowing　out　of　the　picture　towards　them。　and　　suddenly　with　the　wind　came　the　noises…the　swishing　of　waves　and　the　slap　of　water　　against　the　ships　sides　and　the　creaking　and　the　overall　high　steady　roar　of　air　and　water。　　but　it　was　the　smell；　the　wild；　briny　smell；　which　really　convinced　lucy　that　she　was　not　　dreaming。

〃stop　it；〃　came　eustaces　voice；　squeaky　with　fright　and　bad　temper。　〃its　　some　silly　trick　you　two　are　playing。　stop　it。　ill　tell　alberta　…　ow！”

the　other　two　were　much　more　accustomed　to　adventures；　but；　just　exactly　as　　eustace　clarence　said　〃ow；〃　they　both　said　〃ow〃　too。　the　reason　was　that　a　great　　cold；　salt　splash　had　broken　right　out　of　the　frame　and　they　were　breathless　from　the　　smack　of　it；　besides　being　wet　through。

〃ill　smash　the　rotten　thing；〃　cried　eustace；　and　then　several　things　　happened　at　the　same　time。　eustace　rushed　towards　the　picture。　edmund；　who　knew　something　about　　magic；　sprang　after　him；　warning　him　to　look　out　and　not　to　be　a　fool。　lucy　　grabbed　at　him　from　the　other　side　and　was　dragged　forward。　and　by　this　time　either　they　had　　grown　much　smaller　or　the　picture　had　grown　bigger。　eustace　jumped　to　try　to　pull　it　　off　the　wall　and　found　himself　standing　on　the　frame；　in　front　of　him　was　not　glass　but　real　　sea；　and　wind　and　waves　rushing　up　to　the　frame　as　they　might　to　a　rock。　he　lost　his　head　　and　clutched　at　the　other　two　who　had　jumped　up　beside　him。　there　was　a　second　of　　struggling　and　s