The Lion, the Witch and the War-第1章

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CHAPTER　ONE

小x说s网
lucy　looks　into　a　wardrobe　　

once　there　were　four　children　whose　names　were　peter；　susan；　edmund　and　　lucy。　this　story　is　about　something　that　happened　to　them　when　they　were　sent　away　　from　london　during　the　war　because　of　the　air…raids。　they　were　sent　to　the　house　of　an　　old　professor　who　lived　in　the　heart　of　the　country；　ten　miles　from　the　nearest　railway　　station　and　two　miles　from　the　nearest　post　office。　he　had　no　wife　and　he　lived　in　a　very　　large　house　with　a　housekeeper　called　mrs　macready　and　three　servants。　（their　names　were　　ivy；　margaret　and　betty；　but　they　do　not　e　into　the　story　much。）　he　himself　was　a　very　　old　man　with　shaggy　white　hair　which　grew　over　most　of　his　face　as　well　as　on　his　　head；　and　they　liked　him　almost　at　once；　but　on　the　first　evening　when　he　came　out　to　meet　　them　at　the　front　door　he　was　so　odd…looking　that　lucy　（who　was　the　youngest）　was　a　　little　afraid　of　him；　and　edmund　（who　was　the　next　youngest）　wanted　to　laugh　and　had　to　keep　　on　pretending　he　was　blowing　his　nose　to　hide　it。

as　soon　as　they　had　said　good　night　to　the　professor　and　gone　upstairs　on　　the　first　night；　the　boys　came　into　the　girls　room　and　they　all　talked　it　over。

〃weve　fallen　on　our　feet　and　no　mistake；〃　said　peter。　〃this　is　going　to　be　　perfectly　splendid。　that　old　chap　will　let　us　do　anything　we　like。”

〃i　think　hes　an　old　dear；〃　said　susan。

〃oh；　e　off　it！〃　said　edmund；　who　was　tired　and　pretending　not　to　be　　tired；　which　always　made　him　bad…tempered。　〃dont　go　on　talking　like　that。”

〃like　what？〃　said　susan；　〃and　anyway；　its　time　you　were　in　bed。”

〃trying　to　talk　like　mother；〃　said　edmund。　〃and　who　are　you　to　say　when　im　　to　go　to　bed？　go　to　bed　yourself。”

〃hadnt　we　all　better　go　to　bed？〃　said　lucy。　〃theres　sure　to　be　a　row　if　　were　heard　talking　here。”

〃no　there　wont；〃　said　peter。　〃i　tell　you　this　is　the　sort　of　house　where　　no　ones　going　to　mind　what　we　do。　anyway；　they　wont　hear　us。　its　about　ten　minutes　walk　　from　here　down　to　that　dining…room；　and　any　amount　of　stairs　and　passages　in　　between。”

〃whats　that　noise？〃　said　lucy　suddenly。　it　was　a　far　larger　house　than　she　　had　ever　been　in　before　and　the　thought　of　all　those　long　passages　and　rows　of　doors　　leading　into　empty　rooms　was　beginning　to　make　her　feel　a　little　creepy。

〃its　only　a　bird；　silly；〃　said　edmund。

〃its　an　owl；〃　said　peter。　〃this　is　going　to　be　a　wonderful　place　for　　birds。　i　shall　go　to　bed　now。　i　say；　lets　go　and　explore　tomorrow。　you　might　find　anything　in　a　　place　like　this。

did　you　see　those　mountains　as　we　came　along？　and　the　woods？　there　might　be　　eagles。

there　might　be　stags。　therell　be　hawks。”

〃badgers！〃　said　lucy。　　　〃foxes！〃　said　edmund。　　　〃rabbits！〃　said　susan。　　　but　when　next　morning　came　there　was　a　steady　rain　falling；　so　thick　that　　when　you　looked　out　of　the　window　you　could　see　neither　the　mountains　nor　the　woods　　nor　even　the　stream　in　the　garden。

〃of　course　it　would　be　raining！〃　said　edmund。　they　had　just　finished　their　　breakfast　with　the　professor　and　were　upstairs　in　the　room　he　had　set　apart　for　them　…　a　　long；　low　room　with　two　windows　looking　out　in　one　direction　and　two　in　another。

〃do　stop　grumbling；　ed；〃　said　susan。　〃ten　to　one　itll　clear　up　in　an　hour　　or　so。　and　in　the　meantime　were　pretty　well　off。　theres　a　wireless　and　lots　of　books。”

〃not　for　me〃said　peter；　〃im　going　to　explore　in　　the　house。”

everyone　agreed　to　this　and　that　was　how　the　adventures　began。　it　was　the　　sort　of　house　that　you　never　seem　to　e　to　the　end　of；　and　it　was　full　of　unexpected　　places。　the　first　few　doors　they　tried　led　only　into　spare　bedrooms；　as　everyone　had　expected　　that　they　would；　but　soon　they　came　to　a　very　long　room　full　of　pictures　and　there　　they　found　a　suit　of　armour；　and　after　that　was　a　room　all　hung　with　green；　with　a　harp　in　　one　corner；　and　then　came　three　steps　down　and　five　steps　up；　and　then　a　kind　of　little　　upstairs　hall　and　a　door　that　led　out　on　to　a　balcony；　and　then　a　whole　series　of　rooms　that　　led　into　each　other　and　were　lined　with　books　…　most　of　them　very　old　books　and　some　　bigger　than　a　bible　in　a　church。　and　shortly　after　that　they　looked　into　a　room　that　was　　quite　empty　except　for　one　big　wardrobe；　the　sort　that　has　a　looking…glass　in　the　door。　　there　was　nothing　else　in　the　room　at　all　except　a　dead　blue…bottle　on　the　window…　sill。　　　〃nothing　there！〃　said　peter；　and　they　all　trooped　out　again　…　all　except　　lucy。　she　stayed　behind　because　she　thought　it　would　be　worth　while　trying　the　door　of　the　　wardrobe；　even　though　she　felt　almost　sure　that　it　would　be　locked。　to　her　surprise　it　　opened　quite　easily；　and　two　moth…balls　dropped　out。

looking　into　the　inside；　she　saw　several　coats　hanging　up　…　mostly　long　fur　　coats。　there　was　nothing　lucy　liked　so　much　as　the　smell　and　feel　of　fur。　she　　immediately　stepped　into　the　wardrobe　and　got　in　among　the　coats　and　rubbed　her　face　against　　them；　leaving　the　door　open；　of　course；　because　she　knew　that　it　is　very　foolish　to　shut　　oneself　into　any　wardrobe。　soon　she　went　further　in　and　found　that　there　was　a　second　row　of　　coats　hanging　up　behind　the　first　one。　it　was　almost　quite　dark　in　there　and　she　　kept　her　arms　stretched　out　in　front　of　her　so　as　not　to　bump　her　face　into　the　back　of　　the　wardrobe。　she　took　a　step　further　in　…　then　two　or　three　steps　always　expecting　to　feel　　woodwork　against　the　tips　of　her　fingers。　but　she　could　not　feel　it。

〃this　must　be　a　simply　enormous　wardrobe！〃　thought　lucy；　going　still　　further　in　and　pushing　the　soft　folds　of　the　coats　aside　to　make　room　for　her。　then　she　　noticed　that　there　was　something　crunching　under　her　feet。　〃i　wonder　is　that　more　mothballs？〃　　she　thought；　stooping　down　to　feel　it　with　her　hand。　but　instead　of　feeling　the　hard；　　smooth　wood　of　the　floor　of　the　wardrobe；　she　felt　something　soft　and　powdery　and　　extremely　cold。　〃this　is　very　queer；〃　she　said；　and　went　on　a　step　or　two　further。

next　moment　she　found　that　what　was　rubbing　against　her　face　and　hands　was　　no　longer　soft　fur　but　something　hard　and　rough　and　even　prickly。　〃why；　it　is　just　　like　branches　of　trees！〃　exclaimed　lucy。　and　then　she　saw　that　there　was　a　light　ahead　of　　her；　not　a　few　inches　away　where　the　back　of　the　wardrobe　ought　to　have　been；　but　a　long　　way　off。

something　cold　and　soft　was　falling　on　her。　a　moment　later　she　found　that　　she　was　standing　in　the　middle　of　a　wood　at　night…time　with　snow　under　her　feet　and　　snowflakes　falling　through　the　air。

lucy　felt　a　little　frightened；　but　she　felt　very　inquisitive　and　excited　as　　well。　she　looked　back　over　her　shoulder　and　there；　between　the　dark　tree　trunks；　she　could　　still　see　the　open　doorway　of　the　wardrobe　and　even　catch　a　glimpse　of　the　empty　room　　from　which　she　had　set　out。　（she　had；　of　course；　left　the　door　open；　for　she　knew　that　　it　is　a　very　silly　thing　to　shut　oneself　into　a　wardrobe。）　it　seemed　to　be　still　daylight　　there。　〃i　can　always　get　back　if　anything　goes　wrong；〃　thought　lucy。　she　began　to　walk　forward；　　crunch…crunch　over　the　snow　and　through　the　wood　towards　the　other　light。　in　about　　ten　minutes　she　reached　it　and　found　it　was　a　lamp…post。　as　she　stood　looking　at　it；　　wondering　why　there　was　a　lamp…post　in　the　middle　of　a　wood　and　wondering　what　to　do　　next；　she　heard　a　pitter　patter　of　feet　ing　towards　her。　and　soon　after　that　a　very　　strange　person　stepped　out　from　among　the　trees　into　the　light　of　the　lamp…post。

he　was　only　a　little　taller　than　lucy　herself　and　he　carried　over　his　head　　an　umbrella；　white　with　snow。　from　the　waist　upwards　he　was　like　a　man；　but　his　legs　　were　shaped　like　a　goats　（the　hair　on　them　was　glossy　black）　and　instead　of　feet　he　　had　goats　hoofs。

he　also　had　a　tail；　but　lucy　did　not　notice　this　at　first　because　it　was　　neatly　caught　up　over　the　arm　that　held　the　umbrella　so　as　to　keep　it　from　trailing　in　the　　snow。　he　had　a　red　woollen　muffler　round　his　neck　and　his　skin　was　rather　reddish　too。　he　　had　a　strange；　but　pleasant　little　face；　with　a　short　pointed　beard　and　curly　hair；　and　　out　of　the　hair　there　stuck　two　horns；　one　on　each　side　of　his　forehead。　one　of　his　hands；　as　i　　have　said；　held　　

the　umbrella：　in　the　other　arm　he　carried　several　brown…paper　parcels。　what　　with　the　parcels　and　the　snow　it　looked　just　as　if　he　had　been　doing　his　christmas　　shopping。　he　was　a　faun。　and　when　he　saw　lucy　he　gave　such　a　start　of　surprise　that　he　　dropped　all　his　parcels。

〃goodness　gracious　me！〃　exclaimed　the　faun。

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CHAPTER　TWO

　生
what　lucy　found　there　　〃good　evening；〃　said　lucy。　but　the　faun　was　so　busy　picking　up　its　parcels　　that　at　first　it　did　not　reply。　when　it　had　finished　it　made　her　a　little　bow。

〃good　evening；　good　evening；〃　said　the　faun。　〃excuse　me　…　i　dont　want　to　　be　inquisitive　…　but　should　i　be　right　in　thinking　that　you　are　a　daughter　of　eve？”

〃my　names　lucy；〃　said　she；　not　quite　understanding　him。

〃but　you　are　…　forgive　me　…　you　are　what　they　call　a　girl？〃　said　the　faun。

〃of　course　im　a　girl；〃　said　lucy。

〃you　are　in　fact　human？”

〃of　course　im　human；〃　said　lucy；　still　a　little　puzzled。

〃to　be　sure；　to　be　sure；〃　said　the　faun。　〃how　stupid　of　me！　but　ive　never　　seen　a　son