CHAPTER TEN THE RETURN OF THE LION（第2页）

Theyreachedthefirwoodwhichhadcausedthemsomuchtroublewhileitwasstilldaylight，andbivouaahollowjustaboveit。Itwastedithefirewood;butitwasgrahefireblazedupandtheybeganprodugthedampandsmearypareatwhichwouldhavebeeractivetoanyoneentthedayindoors。TheDlecookery。Eachapple（theystillhadafewofthese）inbear'smeat—asifitwastobeappledumplieadofpastry，onlymuchthidspikedonasharpstidthehejuiceoftheappleworkedallthroughthemeat，likeapplesauceork。Bearthathaslivedtoomualsisnotverybearthathashadplentyofhoneyandfruitisext，andthisturobethatsortofbear。Itwasatrulygloriousmeal。And，ofo—onlylyingbadwatgthesmokefromTrumpkin'spipeae&#sandg。EveryoehopefulnowaboutfindingKingorrowaingMirazinafewdays。Itmaynothavebeehemtofeellikethis，buttheydid。

Theydroppedofftosleepoallprettyquickly。

Lucywokeoutofthedeepestsleepyoue，withthefeelingthatthevoiceshelikedbestintheworldhadbeengheratfirstitwasherfather'svoice，butthatdideright。Theiteter'svoice，butthatdideither。Shedidnotwabecauseshewasstilltired—oraryshewaswonderfullyrestedandalltheacheshadgonefromherbobecauseshefeltsoextremelyhappyandfortable。ShewaslhtupattheNarnianmoon，whichislargerthanours，aarrysky，fortheplacewheretheyhadbivouackedarativelyopen。

“Lucy，”camethe，her'svoiorPeter's。Shesatup，tremblibutnotwithfear。Themoonwasshtthatthewholeforestlandsdherwasalmostasclearasday，thoughitlookedwilder。Behihefirwood;awaythtthejaggedcliff-topsonthefarsidee;straightahead，opengrasstladeanaboutabow-shotaway。Lucylookedveryhardatthetreesofthatglade。

“Why，Idobelievethey&#，”shesaidtoherself。“They&#about。”

&up，herheartbeatingwildly，aowardthem。Therewaslyaheglade，anoisesuchastreesmakeinahighwind，thoughtherewasnowindtowaslyanordiher。Lucyfelttherewasatu，butsheotcateahanshehadbeechthewordswhereeshadsoalkedthtbefore。Buttherewas，atleast，alilt;shefeltherowingtodanearer。AndnowtherewasnodoubtthatthetreeswerereallymovingmovinginandhoherasifinaplitrydandIsuppose，”thoughtLutreesdabeavery，verytrydandeed。'）Shewasalmostamongthemnow。

&reeshelookedatseemedatfirstglareeatallbutahugemanwithashaggybeardabushesofhair。Shewasnhtened:shehadseensugsbefore。Butwhenshelookedagainhewashhewasstillmoving。You'tseewhetherhehadfeetorroots，ofcourse，betreesmovetheydon'twalkonthesurfaceoftheearth;theywadeinitaswedoihesamethiheverytreeshelookedat。Atoheyseemedtobethefrieandgiantessformswhichthetree-peopleputonwhensomegoodmagichascalledthemintofulllife:heyalllookedliketreesagaiheylookedliketrees，itwaslikestrangelyhumantrees，aheylookedlikepeople，itwaslikestrangelybrandleafypeople—ahatqueerlilting，rustling，errynoise。

“Theyarealmostawake，notquite，”saidLuewsheherselfake，widerthananyoneusuallyis。

&fearlesslyinamongthem，dangherselfassheleapedthiswayandthattoavoidbeingrunintobythesehugepartshewasonlyhalfihem。Shewabeyoosomethiwasfrombeyohedearvoicehadcalled。

&throughthem（halfwwhethershehadbeeopushbranchesaside，ortotakehandsiwithbigdaoopedtoreachher）fortheywerereallyaringoftreesrouralopeeppedtheirshiftingoflovelylightsandshadows。

Acircleofgrass，smoothasalawhereyes，withdarktreesdangallroundit。Andthen—ohjoy!Forhewasthere:thehugeLion，shihemoonlight，withhishugeblackshadowuhhim。

Butforthemovementofhistailhemighthavebeenastonelion，butLueverthoughtofthat。Sheoppedtothiherhewasafriendlylionorohim。Shefeltherheartwouldburstifshelostamoment。Ahihatshewaskissinghimandputtingherarmsasfarroundhisneckasshedburyingherfathebeautifulriessofhismane。

“Aslan，Aslan。DearAslan，”sobbedLucy。“Atlast。”

&beastrolledoveroLucyfell，halfsittingandhalflyiweenhisfrontpaws。Hebentforwardandjusttouosewithhistongue。Hiswarmbreathcameallrazedupinte>

“Wele，child，”hesaid。

“Aslan，”saidLucy，“yer。”

“Thatisbecauseyouareolder，littleone，”answeredhe。

“Notbecauseyouare?”

“Iamnot。Buteveryyearyougrow，youwillfindmebigger。”

Foratimesheythatshedidnoteak。ButAslanspoke。

“Lucy，”hesaid，“wemustnotlieheref。Youhaveworkinhand，andmuchtimehasbeenlosttoday。”

“Yes，wasn'titashame?”saidLucy。“Isawyht。Theywouldn'tbelieveme。They'reallso—”FromsomewheredeepinsideAslan'sbodytherecamethefaisuggestionofagrowl。

“I'msorry，”saidLuderstoodsomeofhismoods。“Ididn'tmeantihers。Butitwasn'tmyfaultany>

TheLioraightintohereyes。

“Oh，Aslan，”saidLucy。“Youdon'tmeanitwas?HowcouldI—I'thavelefttheothersaoyoualone，howcouldI?Don'tlookatmelikethat。。。ohwell，IsupposeIcould。Yes，anditwouldn'thavebeenalone，Iknow，notifIwaswithyou。Butwhatwouldhavebeenthegood?”

Aslansaidnothing。

“Youmean，”saidLucyratherfaintly，“thatitwouldhaveturallright—somehow?Buthow?Please，Aslan!AmInottoknow?”

“Toknoouldhavehappened，child?”saidAslan。“No。Nobodyisevertoldthat。”

“Ohdear，”saidLucy。

“Butanyonedoutwhaten，”saidAslan。“Ifyougobacktotheothersnow，ahemup;ahemyouhaveseenmeagain;andthatyoumustallgetupatone—whaten?Thereisonlyonewayoffindingout。”

“Doyoumeanthatiswhatyouwaodo?”gaspedLucy。