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CHAPTER SIX THE PEOPLE THAT LIVED IN HIDING(第1页)

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CHAPTERSIXTHEPEOPLETHATLIVEDINHIDING

hehappiesttimesthathadeverknown。OnafinesummermwhenthedewlayonthegrasshesetoffwiththeBadgerathroughtheforesttoahighsaddleiainsanddownontotheirsunnysouthernslopeswhereonelreenwoldsofArd。

“WewillgofirsttyBears,”saidTrumpkin。

Theyagladetoanoldhollowoaktreecoveredwithmoss,aappedwithhispawthreetimesorunkandtherewasheappedagainandawoollysortofvoiinsidesaid,“Goaway。It'supyet。”Butedthethirdtimetherewasanoiselikeasmallearthquakefrominsideandasortofdooropecamethreebrownbears,verybulgyindeedandblileeyes。Ahinghadbeehem(whichtookaloheyweresosleepy)theysaid,justasTrufflehunterhadsaid,thatasonofAdamoughttobeKingofNarniaandallkissed—verywet,snufflykissestheywere—andofferedhimsomehoney。didhohoutbread,atthattimeinthem,buthethoughtitpolitetoaccept。Ittookhimaloerwardtogetunsticky。

&heywentontilltheygtallbeechtreesaercalledout,“Pattertwig!Pattertwig!Pattertwig!”andalmostatondingdownfrombranchtillhewasjustabovetheirheads,camethemostmagredsquirrelthathadeverseen。Hewasfarbiggerthantheordinarydumbsquirrelswhichhehadsometimesseelegardens;indeedhewashesizeofaterrierayoulookedinhisfaceyousawthathecouldtalk。Ihedifficultywastogethimtostoptalking,for,likeallsquirrels,hewasachatterer。Heweledatondaskedifhewouldlikeanutandsaidthanks,hewould。ButasPattertwigwentboundingawaytofetchit,Trufflehunterwhisperedin'sear,“Don'tlook。Looktheotherway。It'sverybadmannersamoegoingtohisstoreortolookasifyouwaokwas。”ThewigcamebackwiththenutandateitaPattertwigaskedifhecouldtakeaherfriends。“FonearlyeverywherewithoutsettingfoottogrourufflehuheDwarfsthoughtthisaverygoodideaawigmessagestoallsortsofpeoplewithqueerhemalltoetoafeastandDanatmidsahead。“Andyou'dbettertellthethreeBulgiestoo,”addedTrumpkiomentionittothem。”

&visitwastotheSevenBrothersWood。Trumpkihewaybacktothesaddleandthewardoherhemountainstilltheycametoaverysolemnplagrodfirtrees。Theywelyalycouldfeelthegroundshakeunderhisfeetasifsomeonewerehammerirumpkioaflatstohesizeofthetopofawater-butt,awithhisfpauseitwasmovedawaybysomeohih,andtherewasadark,rouhagooddealofheatandsteamingoutofitandinthemiddleoftheholetheheadofaDwarfverylikeTrumpkiherewasalohedwarfseemedmoresuspitheSquirrelyBearshadbeen,butihewholepartywereioedoianfoundhimselfdesgadarkstairwayiwhehebottomhesawfirelight。Itwasthelightofafurhewholeplacewasasmithy。Asubterrareamranpastoereatthebellows,anotherwasholdingapieceofred-hotmetalontheanvilairoftongs,afourthwashammeringit,andtwo,wipingtheirhornylittlehandsoh,wereingforwardtomeetthevisitors。IttooksometimetosatisfythemthatwasafriendandwheheyallglivetheKing,”aswerenoble—mailshirtsasandswordsfordTrumpkinandNikabrik。TheBadgercouldhavehadthesameifhehadliked,buthesaidhewasabeast,hewas,andifhisdteethotkeephisskiwasn'tworthkeeping。Theofthearmswasfarfihananyhadeverseen,andhegladlyacceptedtheDwarf-madeswordinsteadofhisown,whichlooked,inparison,asfeebleasatoyandasclumsyasastick。Thesevenbrothers(whowereallRedDromisedtoetothefeastatDan。

Alittlefartheron,inadry,roetheyreachedthecaveoffiveBlackDwarfs。Theylookedsuspiciouslyat,butiheeldestofthemsaid,“IfheisagainstMiraz,we'llhavehimf。”Asaid,“Shallforyou,upts?There'sawoandaHagthatwetroduceyouto,upthere。”

&ainlynot,”said。

“Ishouldthinknot,indeed,”saidTrufflehusortonourside。”Nikabrikdisagreedwiththis,butTrumpkinandtheBadgeroverruledhim。Itgaveashocktorealizethatthehorriblecreaturesoutoftheoldstories,aswellasthenies,hadsomedestsinNarniastill。

“WeshouldnothaveAslanforfrieinthatrabble,”saidTrufflehuheycameawayfromthecaveoftheBlackD>

“Oh,Aslan!”saidTrumpkiptuously。“Whatmattersmuchmoreisthatyouwouldn'thaveme。”

“DoyoubelieveinAslan?”saidtoNikabrik。

“I'llbelieveihing,”saidNikabrik,“that'llbatterthesecursedTelmarinebarbarianstopiecesordrivethemoutofNarnia。Ahing,AslaeWitch,doyouuand?”

“Silence,”saidTrufflehunter。“Youdonotknowwhaty。ShewasaworseehanMirazandallhisrace。”

“NottoDwarfs,shewasn't,”saidNikabrik。

&visitleasaheycamelowerdowailenewithaswiftriverrunniom。Theopeheriver'sedgewereamassoffoxglovesandwildrosesandtheairwasbuzzingwithbees。HereTrufflehuntercalledagailenstorm!”andafterapauseheardthesoundofhoofs。Itgrewloudertillthevalleytrembledandatlast,breakingandtramplis,theresighttheuresthathadyetseeaurGlenstormandhisthreesons。Hisflankswereglossyutacoveredhisbroadchestwasgolden-red。Hehetandastar-gazeraheyhadeabout。

“LoheKing,”hecried。“Iandmysonsarereadyforwar。Wheobejoined?”

Uptillherortheothershadreallybeenthinkingofawar。Theyhadsomevagueidea,perhaps,ofanoalraidonsomeHumanfarmsteadorofattagapartyofhuveoofarihernwilds。But,iheyhadthoughtonlyoflivingtothemselvesinwoodsanddbuildingupaOldNarniainhiding。Assooormhadspokemuchmoreserious。

“DoyoumeaodriveMirazoutofNarnia?”asked。

“Whatelse?”saidthetaur。“WhyelsedoesyourMajestygomailandgirtwithsword?”

“Isitpossible,Glenstorm?”saidtheBadger。

&imeisripe,”saidGlenstorm。“Iwatchtheskies,Badger,foritismich,asitisyourstoremember。TarvaandAlambilhavemetinthehallsofhighheaven,ahasonofAdamhasooruleahecreatures。Thehourhasstruck。OurcilattheDanmustbeacilofokeinsuchavoieitherortheothershesitatedforamoment:ithemquitepossiblethattheymightwinawaraaiwageone。

Asitastthemiddleoftheday,theyrestedwiththetaursandatesuchfoodasthetaursprovided—eal,andapples,andherbs,andwine,andcheese。

&placetheyweretovisitwasquitehand,buttheyhadtogoalongwayrouoavioninwhilived。Itwaswellierheyfoundthemselvesinlevelfields,warmbetweehereTrufflehuhemouthofalittleholeinagreenbankandoutpoppedthelastthingexpected—aTalkingMouse。Hewaserthanaouse,welloverafoothighwheoodonhishindlegs,andwithearsnearlyaslongas(thoughbroaderthan)arabbit's。Hisnameidhewasagayandmartialmouse。Heworeatinylittlerapierathissideandtwirledhislongwhiskersasiftheywereamoustache。“Therearetwelveofus,Sire,”hesaidwithadashingandgracefulbolacealltheresourypeopleuyourMajesty'sdisposal。”triedhard(andsuccessfully)nottolaugh,buthe'thelpthinkingthatReepidallhispeoplecouldveryeasilybeputinawashiandeonone'sback。

Itwouldtaketooloiouresiaday—ClodsleyShoveltheMole,thethreeHardbiters(wherslikeTrufflehunter),CamillotheHare,aheHedgehog。Theyrestedatlastbesideawellattheedgeofawideandlevelcircleofgrass,borderedwithtallelmslongshadowsacrossit,forthesuhedaisiesg,andtherooksflyiobed。HeretheysuppedonfoodtheyhadbroughtwiththemandTrumpkinlithispipe(Nikabrikwasnotasmoker)。

“Now,”saidtheBadger,“ifonlywecouldiritsofthesetreesandthiswell,weshouldhavedoneagoodday'swork。”

“'tian。

“No,”saidTrufflehunter。“oweroverthem。SiheHumaheland,fellisareams,theDryadsandNaiadshavesunkintoadeepsleep。Whokheywillstiragain?Andthatisagreatlosstoourside。TheTelmarinesarehorriblyafraidofthewoods,areesmovedinanger,ourenemieswouldgomadwithfrightandbechasedoutofNarniaasquickastheirlegscouldcarrythem。”

“WhatimaginationsyouAnimalshave!”saidTrumpkin,whodidn'tbelieveinsugs。“ButwhystopatTreesandWaters?Wouldn'titbeevehestohrowioldMiraz?”

TheBadgerohis,aherewassucethathadnearlydroppedofftosleepwheheheardafaintmusithedepthofthewoodsathisbahethoughtitwasournedain;butassooouchedthegrouorheard(itwashardtotellwhitbeating。Heraisedhishead。Thebeatioer,butthemusied,clearerthistime。Itwaslikeflutes。HesawthatTrufflehutingupstaringihemht;hadbeenasleeploha。Nearerahemusiewildadreamy,andthenoiseofmanylightfeet,tillatlast,outfromthewoodintothemoonlight,gshapessuchashadbeenthinkingofallhislife。Theywerenotmuchtallerthandwarfs,butfarslighterandmraceful。Theircurlyheadshadlittlehorns,theupperpartleamedhepalelight,buttheirlegsahoseofgoats。

“Fauns!”cried,jumpingup,andiheywereallroundhim。Ittookooexplainthewholesituatioheyacceptedatonce。Beforehekhewasdoinghefoundhimselfjoinirumpkin,withheavierandjerkiermovements,didlikewisearufflehunterhoppedaasbesthelyNikabrikstayedwherehewas,lookingoheFauallroundtotheirreedypipes。Theirstrangefaces,whichseemedmournfulandmerryallatoohis;dozensofFauiusainusandDumnus,Voluns,Voltinus,Girbius,Nimienus,Nausus,andOss。Pattertwighadsentthemall。

iamhecouldhardlybelievethatithadnotallbeehegrasswascoveredwithlittlearks。

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