THE SILVER CHAIR-第28章

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it　eerie　too；　and　full　of　good　magic　as　the　witchs　thrumming　had　　been　full　of　bad　magic　…　made　her　feel　it　all　the　more。

all　this　takes　a　long　time　to　tell；　but　of　course　it　took　a　very　short　time　　to　see。　jill　turned　almost　at　once　to　shout　down　to　the　others；　〃i　say！　its　all　right。　were　　out；　and　were　home。〃　but　the　reason　she　never　got　further　than　〃i　say〃　was　this。　circling　　round　and　round　the　dancers　was　a　ring　of　dwarfs；　all　dressed　in　their　finest　　clothes；　mostly　scarlet　with　fur…lined　hoods　and　golden　tassels　and　big　furry　top…boots。　as　they　　circled　round　they　were　all　diligently　throwing　snowballs。　（those　were　the　white　things　　that　jill　had　　

seen　flying　through　the　air。）　they　werent　throwing　them　at　the　dancers　as　　silly　boys　might　have　been　doing　in　england。　they　were　throwing　them　through　the　dance　　in　such　perfect　time　with　the　music　and　with　such　perfect　aim　that　if　all　the　　dancers　were　in　exactly　the　right　places　at　exactly　the　right　moments；　no　one　would　be　hit。　　this　is　called　the　great　snow　dance　and　it　is　done　every　year　in　narnia　on　the　first　　moonlit　night　when　there　is　snow　on　the　ground。　of　course　it　is　a　kind　of　game　as　well　as　a　　dance；　because　every　now　and　then　some　dancer　will　be　the　least　little　bit　wrong　and　get　a　　snowball　in　the　face；　and　then　everyone　laughs。　but　a　good　team　of　dancers；　dwarfs；　and　　musicians　will　keep　it　up　for　hours　without　a　single　hit。　on　fine　nights　when　the　　cold　and　the　drum…taps；　and　the　hooting　of　the　owls；　and　the　moonlight；　have　got　into　their　　wild；　woodland　blood　and　made　it　even　wilder；　they　will　dance　till　daybreak。　i　wish　you　　could　see　it　for　yourselves。

what　had　stopped　jill　when　she　got　as　far　as　the　say　of　〃i　say〃　was　of　　course　simply　a　fine　big　snowball　that　came　sailing　through　the　dance　from　a　dwarf　on　the　　far　side　and　got　her　fair　and　square　in　the　mouth。　she　didnt　in　the　least　mind；　twenty　　snowballs　would　not　have　damped　her　spirits　at　that　moment。　but　however　happy　you　are　　feeling；　you　cant　talk　with　your　mouth　full　of　snow。　and　when；　after　considerable　　spluttering；　she　could　speak　again；　she　quite　forgot　in　her　excitement　that　the　others；　down　in　　the　dark；　behind　her；　still　didnt　know　the　good　news。　she　simply　leaned　as　far　out　of　the　　hole　as　she　could；　and　yelled　to　the　dancers。

〃help！　help！　were　buried　in　the　hill。　e　and　dig　us　out。”

the　narnians；　who　had　not　even　noticed　the　little　hole　in　the　hillside；　　were　of　course　very　surprised；　and　looked　about　in　several　wrong　directions　before　they　found　　out　where　the　voice　was　ing　from。　but　when　they　caught　sight　of　jill　they　all　came　　running　towards　her；　and　as　many　as　could　scrambled　up　the　bank；　and　a　dozen　or　more　hands　　were　stretched　up　to　help　her。　and　jill　caught　hold　of　them　and　thus　got　out　of　　the　hole　and　came　slithering　down　the　bank　head　first；　and　then　picked　herself　up　and　　said：　　〃oh；　do　go　and　dig　the　others　out。　there　are　three　others；　besides　the　　horses。　and　one　of　them　is　prince　rilian。”

she　was　already　in　the　middle　of　a　crowd　when　she　said　this；　for　besides　　the　dancers　all　sorts　of　people　who　had　been　watching　the　dance；　and　whom　she　had　not　seen　　at　first；　came　running　up。　squirrels　came　out　of　the　trees　in　showers；　and　so　did　　owls。　hedgehogs　came　waddling　as　fast　as　their　short　legs　would　carry　them。　bears　and　　badgers　followed　at　a　slower　pace。　a　great　panther；　twitching　its　tail　in　excitement；　was　　the　last　to　join　the　party。

but　as　soon　as　they　understood　what　jill　was　saying；　they　all　became　　active。　〃pick　and　shovel；　boys；　pick　and　shovel。　off　for　our　tools！〃　said　the　dwarfs；　and　　dashed　away　into　the　woods　at　top　speed。　〃wake　up　some　moles；　theyre　the　chaps　for　digging。　　theyre　quite　as　good　as　dwarfs；〃　said　a　voice。　〃what　was　that　she　said　about　　prince　rilian？〃　said　another。　〃hush！〃　said　the　panther。　〃the　poor　childs　crazed；　and　no　wonder　　after　being　　

lost　inside　the　hill。　she　doesnt　know　what　shes　saying。〃　〃thats　right；〃　　said　an　old　bear。

〃why；　she　said　prince　rilian　was　a　horse！〃　〃no；　she　didnt；〃　said　a　　squirrel；　very　pert。

〃yes；　she　did；〃　said　another　squirrel；　even　perter。

〃its　quite　t…t…t…true。　d…d…dont　be　so　silly；〃　said　jill。　she　spoke　like　　that　because　her　teeth　were　now　chattering　with　the　cold。

immediately　one　of　the　dryads　flung　round　her　a　furry　cloak　which　some　　dwarf　had　dropped　when　he　rushed　to　fetch　his　mining　tools；　and　an　obliging　faun　　trotted　off　among　the　trees　to　a　place　where　jill　could　see　firelight　in　the　mouth　of　a　cave；　　to　get　her　a　hot　drink。　but　before　it　came；　all　the　dwarfs　reappeared　with　spades　and　pick…　axes　and　charged　at　the　hillside。　then　jill　heard　cries　of　〃hi！　what　are　you　doing？　　put　that　sword　down；〃　and　〃now；　young　un：　none　of　that；〃　and；　〃hes　a　vicious　one；　now；　　isnt　he？〃　jill　hurried　to　the　spot　and　didnt　know　whether　to　laugh　or　cry　when　she　saw　　eustaces　face；　very　pale　and　dirty；　projecting　from　the　blackness　of　the　hole；　and　　eustaces　right　hand　brandishing　a　sword　with　which　he　made　lunges　at　anyone　who　came　near　him。

for　of　course　eustace　had　been　having　a　very　different　time　from　jill　　during　the　last　few　minutes。　he　had　heard　jill　cry　out　and　seen　her　disappear　into　the　unknown。　　like　the　prince　and　puddleglum；　he　thought　that　some　enemies　had　caught　her。　and　　from　down　below　he　didnt　see　that　the　pale；　blueish　light　was　moonlight。　he　thought　　the　hole　would　lead　only　into　some　other　cave；　lit　by　some　ghostly　phosphorescence　and　　filled　with　goodness…knows…what　evil　creatures　of　the　underworld。　so　that　when　he　had　　persuaded　puddleglum　to　give　him　a　back；　and　drawn　his　sword；　and　poked　out　his　head；　　he　had　really　been　doing　a　very　brave　thing。　the　others　would　have　done　it　first　　if　they　could；　but　the　hole　was　too　small　for　them　to　climb　through。　eustace　was　a　little　　bigger；　and　a　lot　clumsier；　than　jill；　so　that　when　he　looked　out　he　bumped　his　head　against　　the　top　of　the　hole　and　brought　a　small　avalanche　of　snow　down　on　his　face。　and　so；　when　　he　could　see　again；　and　saw　dozens　of　figures　ing　at　him　as　hard　as　they　could　run；　　it　is　not　surprising　that　he　tried　to　ward　them　off。

〃stop；　eustace；　stop；〃　cried　jill。　〃theyre　all　friends。　cant　you　see？　　weve　e　up　in　narnia。　everythings　all　right。”

then　eustace　did　see；　and　apologized　to　the　dwarfs　（and　the　dwarfs　said　not　　to　mention　it）；　and　dozens　of　thick；　hairy；　dwarfish　hands　helped　him　out　just　as　they　　had　helped　jill　out　a　few　minutes　before。　then　jill　scrambled　up　the　bank　and　put　her　head　　in　at　the　dark　opening　and　shouted　the　good　news　in　to　the　prisoners。　as　she　turned　away　　she　heard　puddleglum　mutter。　〃ah；　poor　pole。　its　been　too　much　for　her；　this　last　　bit。　turned　her　head；　i　shouldnt　wonder。　shes　beginning　to　see　things。”

jill　rejoined　eustace　and　they　shook　one　another　by　both　hands　and　took　in　　great　deep　breaths　of　the　free　midnight　air。　and　a　warm　cloak　was　brought　for　eustace　　and　hot　drinks；　for　both。　while　they　were　sipping　it；　the　dwarfs　had　already　got　　all　the　snow　and　all　the　sods　off　a　large　strip　of　the　hillside　round　the　original　hole；　and　　the　pickaxes　and　spades　were　now　going　as　merrily　as　the　feet　of　fauns　and　dryads　had　been　　going　in　the　　

dance　ten　minutes　before。　only　ten　minutes！　yet　already　it　felt　to　jill　and　　eustace　as　if　all　their　dangers　in　the　dark　and　heat　and　general　smotheriness　of　the　earth　　must　have　been　only　a　dream。　out　here；　in　the　cold；　with　the　moon　and　the　huge　stars　　overhead　（narnian　stars　are　nearer　than　stars　in　our　world）　and　with　kind；　merry　faces　all　　round　them；　one　couldnt　quite　believe　in　underland。

before　they　had　finished　their　hot　drinks；　a　dozen　or　so　moles；　newly　waked　　and　still　very　sleepy；　and　not　well　pleased；　had　arrived。　but　as　soon　as　they　　understood　what　it　was　all　about；　they　joined　in　with　a　will。　even　the　fauns　made　themselves　　useful　by　carting　away　the　earth　in　little　barrows；　and　the　squirrels　danced　and　　leaped　to　and　fro　in　great　excitement；　though　jill　never　found　out　exactly　what　they　thought　　they　were　doing。

the　bears　and　owls　contented　themselves　with　giving　advice；　and　kept　on　　asking　the　children　if　they　wouldnt　like　to　e　into　the　cave　（that　was　where　jill　　had　seen　the　firelight）　and　get　warm　and　have　supper。　but　the　children　couldnt　bear　to　　go　without　seeing　their　friends　set　free。

no　one　in　our　world　can　work　at　a　job　of　that　sort　as　dwarfs　and　talking　　moles　work　in　narnia；　but　then；　of　course；　moles　and　dwarfs　dont　look　on　it　as　work。　　they　like　digging。　it　was　therefore　not　really　long　before　they　had　opened　a　great　　black　chasm　in　the　hillside。　and　out　from　the　blackness　into　the　moonlight　…　this　would　　have　been　rather　dreadful　if　one　hadnt　known　who　they　were　came；　first；　the　long；　leggy；　　steeple…hatted　figure　of　the　marsh…wiggle；　and　then；　leading　two　great　horses；　rilian　the　　prince　himself。

as　puddleglum　appeared　shouts　broke　out　on　every　side：　〃why；　its　a　wiggle　　…　why；　its　old　puddleglum　…　old　puddleglum　from　the　eastern　marshes　…　what　ever　have　　you　been　doing；　puddleglum？　…　thereve　been　search…parties　out　for　you　…　the　lord　　trumpkin　has　been　putting　up　notices　theres　a　reward　offered！〃　but　all　this　died　away；　　all　in　one　moment；　into　dead　silence；　as　quickly　as　the　noise　di