THE VOYAGE OF THE DAWN TREADER-第22章

按键盘上方向键 ← 或 → 可快速上下翻页，按键盘上的 Enter 键可回到本书目录页，按键盘上方向键 ↑ 可回到本页顶部！
————未阅读完？加入书签已便下次继续阅读！



〃but　i　dont　think　you　are　at　all；〃　said　lucy；　shouting　to　make　herself　　heard。　〃i　think　you　look　very　nice。”

〃hear　her；　hear　her；〃　said　the　monopods。　〃true　for　you；　missie。　very　nice　　we　look。　you　couldnt　find　a　handsomer　lot。〃　they　said　this　without　any　surprise　and　did　　not　seem　to　notice　that　they　had　changed　their　minds。

〃shes　a…saying；〃　remarked　the　chief　monopod；　〃as　how　we　looked　very　nice　　before　we　were　uglified。”

〃true　for　you；　chief；　true　for　you；〃　chanted　the　others。　〃thats　what　she　　says。　we　heard　her　ourselves。”

〃i　did　not；〃　bawled　lucy。　〃i　said　youre　very　nice　now。”

〃so　she　did；　so　she　did；〃　said　the　chief　monopod；　〃said　we　were　very　nice　　then。”

〃hear　em　both；　hear　em　both；〃　said　the　monopods。　〃theres　a　pair　for　you。　　always　right。

they　couldnt　have　put　it　better。”

〃but　were　saying　just　the　opposite；〃　said　lucy；　stamping　her　foot　with　　impatience。

〃so　you　are；　to　be　sure；　so　you　are；〃　said　the　monopods。　〃nothing　like　an　　opposite。　keep　it　up；　both　of　you。”

〃youre　enough　to　drive　anyone　mad；〃　said　lucy；　and　gave　it　up。　but　the　　monopods　seemed　perfectly　contented；　and　she　decided　that　on　the　whole　the　　conversation　had　been　a　success。

and　before　everyone　went　to　bed　that　evening　something　else　happened　which　　made　them　even　more　satisfied　with　their　one…legged　condition。　caspian　and　all　　the　narnians　went　back　as　soon　as　possible　to　the　shore　to　give　their　news　to　rhince　and　　the　others　on　board　the　dawn　treader；　who　were　by　now　very　anxious。　and；　of　course；　the　　monopods　went　with　them；　bouncing　like　footballs　and　agreeing　with　one　another　in　　loud　voices　till　eustace　said；　〃i　wish　the　magician　would　make　them　inaudible　instead　of　　invisible。〃　（he　was　soon　sorry　he　had　spoken　because　then　he　had　to　explain　that　an　　inaudible　thing　is　something　you　cant　hear；　and　though　he　took　a　lot　of　trouble　he　never　felt　　sure　that　the　monopods　had　really　understood；　and　what　especially　annoyed　him　was　that　　they　said　in　the　end；　〃eh；　he　cant　put　things　the　way　our　chief　does。　but　youll　learn；　　young　man。

hark　to　him。　hell　show　you　how　to　say　things。　theres　a　speaker　for　you！〃）　　when　they　reached　the　bay；　reepicheep　had　a　brilliant　idea。　he　had　his　little　coracle　　lowered　and　paddled　himself　about　in　it　till　the　monopods　were　thoroughly　interested。　　he　then　stood　up　in　it　and　said；　〃worthy　and　intelligent　monopods；　you　do　not　need　boats。　　each　of　you　has　a　foot　that　will　do　instead。　just　jump　as　lightly　as　you　can　on　the　　water　and　see　what　happens。”

the　chief　monopod　hung　back　and　warned　the　others　that　theyd　find　the　　water　powerful　wet；　but　one　or　two　of　the　younger　ones　tried　it　almost　at　once；　and　then　a　　few　others　followed　their　example；　and　at　last　the　whole　lot　did　the　same。　it　worked　　perfectly。　the　huge　single　foot　of　a　monopod　acted　as　a　natural　raft　or　boat；　and　when　　reepicheep　had　taught　them　how　to　cut　rude　paddles　for　themselves；　they　all　paddled　about　　the　bay　and　round　the　dawn　treader；　looking　for　all　the　world　like　a　fleet　of　little　　canoes　with　a　fat　dwarf　standing　up　in　the　extreme　stern　of　each。　and　they　had　races；　and　　bottles　of　wine　were　lowered　down　to　them　from　the　ship　as　prizes；　and　the　sailors　stood　　leaning　over　the　ships　sides　and　laughed　till　their　own　sides　ached。

the　duffers　were　also　very　pleased　with　their　new　name　of　monopods；　which　　seemed　to　them　a　magnificent　name　though　they　never　got　it　right。　〃thats　what　we　　are；〃　they　bellowed；　〃moneypuds；　pomonods；　poddymons。　just　what　it　was　on　the　tips　of　　our　tongues　to　call　ourselves。〃　but　they　soon　got　it　mixed　up　with　their　old　　name　of　duffers　and　finally　settled　down　to　calling　themselves　the　dufflepuds；　and　that　is　　what　they　will　probably　be　called　for　centuries。

that　evening　all　the　narnians　dined　upstairs　with　the　magician；　and　lucy　　noticed　how　different　the　whole　top　floor　looked　now　that　she　was　no　longer　afraid　of　　it。　the　mysterious　signs　on　the　doors　were　still　mysterious　but　now　looked　as　if　　they　had　kind　and　cheerful　meanings；　and　even　the　bearded　mirror　now　seemed　funny　rather　　than　frightening。　at　dinner　everyone　had　by　magic　what　everyone　liked　best　to　　eat　and　drink；　and　after　dinner　the　magician　did　a　very　useful　and　beautiful　piece　of　　magic。　he　laid　two　blank　sheets　of　parchment　on　the　table　and　asked　drinian　to　give　him　an　　exact　account　of　their　voyage　up　to　date：　and　as　drinian　spoke；　everything　he　described　came　　out　on　the　　

parchment　in　fine　clear　lines　till　at　last　each　sheet　was　a　splendid　map　of　　the　eastern　ocean；　showing　galma；　terebinthia；　the　seven　isles；　the　lone　islands；　　dragon　island；　burnt　island；　deathwater；　and　the　land　of　the　duffers　itself；　all　exactly　　the　right　sizes　and　in　the　right　positions。　they　were　the　first　maps　ever　made　of　those　seas　　and　better　than　any　that　have　been　made　since　without　magic。　for　on　these；　though　the　towns　　and　mountains　looked　at　first　just　as　they　would　on　an　ordinary　map；　when　the　　magician　lent　them　a　magnifying　glass　you　saw　that　they　were　perfect　little　pictures　of　　the　real　things；　so　that　you　could　see　the　very　castle　and　slave　market　and　streets　in　　narrowhaven；　all　very　clear　though　very　distant；　like　things　seen　through　the　wrong　end　of　a　　telescope。　the　only　drawback　was　that　the　coastline　of　most　of　the　islands　was　inplete；　　for　the　map　showed　only　what　drinianhad　seen　with　his　own　eyes。　when　they　were　finished　　the。

magician　kept　one　himself　and　presented　the　other　to　caspian：　it　still　　hangs　in　his　chamber　of　instruments　at　cair　paravel。　but　the　magician　could　tell　them　　nothing　about　seas　or　lands　further　east。　he　did；　however；　tell　them　that　about　seven　　years　before　a　narnian　ship　had　put　in　at　his　waters　and　that　she　had　on　board　the　lords　　revilian；　argoz；　mavramorn　and　rhoop：　so　they　judged　that　the　golden　man　they　had　seen　lying　　in　deathwater　must　be　the　lord　restimar。

next　day；　the　magician　magically　mended　the　stern　of　the　dawn　treader　where　　it　had　been　damaged　by　the　sear　serpent　and　loaded　her　with　useful　gifts。　there　　was　a　most　friendly　parting；　and　when　she　sailed；　two　hours　after　noon；　all　the　　dufflepuds　paddled　out　with　her　to　the　harbour　mouth；　and　cheered　until　she　was　out　of　sound　　of　their　cheering。

　。。



CHAPTER　TWELVE

gxiaoshuowang
the　dark　island　　after　this　adventure　they　sailed　on　south　and　a　little　east　for　twelve　days　　with　a　gentle　wind；　the　skies　being　mostly　clear　and　the　air　warm；　and　saw　no　bird　or　　fish；　except　that　once　there　were　whales　spouting　a　long　way　to　starboard。　lucy　and　　reepicheep　played　a　good　deal　of　chess　at　this　time。　then　on　the　thirteenth　day；　edmund；　from　　the　fighting　top；　sighted　what　looked　like　a　great　dark　mountain　rising　out　of　the　sea　　on　their　port　bow。

they　altered　course　and　made　for　this　land；　mostly　by　oar；　for　the　wind　　would　not　serve　them　to　sail　north…east。　when　evening　fell　they　were　still　a　long　way　from　　it　and　rowed　all　night。　next　morning　the　weather　was　fair　but　a　flat　calm。　the　dark　mass　　lay　ahead；　much　nearer　and　larger；　but　still　very　dim；　so　that　some　thought　it　was　　still　a　long　way　off　and　others　thought　they　were　running　into　a　mist。

about　nine　that　morning；　very　suddenly；　it　was　so　close　that　they　could　see　　that　it　was　not　land　at　all；　nor　even；　in　an　ordinary　sense；　a　mist。　it　was　a　darkness。　it　　is　rather　hard　to　　

describe；　but　you　will　see　what　it　was　like　if　you　imagine　yourself　looking　　into　the　mouth　of　a　railway　tunnel　…　a　tunnel　either　so　long　or　so　twisty　that　you　cannot　　see　the　light　at　the　far　end。　and　you　know　what　it　would　be　like。　for　a　few　feet　you　would　　see　the　rails　and　sleepers　and　gravel　in　broad　daylight；　then　there　would　e　a　place　　where　they　were　in　twilight；　and　then；　pretty　suddenly；　but　of　course　without　a　sharp　　dividing　line；　they　would　vanish　altogether　into　smooth；　solid　blackness。　it　was　just　so　　here。　for　a　few　feet　in　front　of　their　bows　they　could　see　the　swell　of　the　bright　　greenish…blue　water。

beyond　that；　they　could　see　the　water　looking　pale　and　grey　as　it　would　　look　late　in　the　evening。　but　beyond　that　again；　utter　blackness　as　if　they　had　e　to　the　　edge　of　moonless　and　starless　night。

caspian　shouted　to　the　boatswain　to　keep　her　back；　and　all　except　the　　rowers　rushed　forward　and　gazed　from　the　bows。　but　there　was　nothing　to　be　seen　by　　gazing。　behind　them　was　the　sea　and　the　sun；　before　them　the　darkness。

〃do　we　go　into　this？〃　asked　caspian　at　length。

〃not　by　my　advice；〃　said　drinian。

〃the　captains　right；〃　said　several　sailors。

〃i　almost　think　he　is；〃　said　edmund。

lucy　and　eustace　didnt　speak　but　they　felt　very　glad　inside　at　the　turn　　things　seemed　to　be　taking。　but　all　at　once　the　clear　voice　of　reepicheep　broke　in　upon　the　　silence。

〃and　why　not？〃　he　said。　〃will　someone　explain　to　me　why　not。”

no　one　was　anxious　to　explain；　so　reepicheep　continued：　　〃if　i　were　addressing　peasants　or　slaves；〃　he　said；　〃i　might　suppose　that　　this　suggestion　proceeded　from　cowardice。　but　i　hope　it　will　never　be　told　in　narnia　that　a　　pany　of　noble　and　royal　persons　in　the　flower　of　their　age　turned　tail　because　they　　were　afraid　of　the　dark。”

〃but　what　manner　of　use　would　it　be　ploughing　through　that　blackness？〃　　asked　drinian。

〃use