CHAPTER SEVEN THE HILL OF THE STRANGE TRENCHES（第2页）

“Oh，look，look，look，”criedJillandpoiurned，andeveryonesaw。Somewayofftothenorth，andagooddealhigherupthaablelandonwhichtheystood，alishadappeared。Thistime，evenmoreobviouslytharavellershadseebefore，theys:smallerwindowsthatmadeohinkdelis，andlargerwindowsthatmadeohihallswithfiresrohandhotsouporjuiokiable。

“Harfang!”exclaimedScrubb。

“That'sallveryuddleglum。“ButwhatIwassaying>

“Oh，shutup，”saidJillcrossly。“Wehaven'tamomenttolose。Don'tyourememberwhattheLadysaidabupsoearly?Wemustgettherei，wemust。We'lldieifwe'reshutoutonahis。”

&islyanight，，”begathetwobothsaid，“eon，”aumblingforwardontheslipperytablelandasquicklyastheirlegswouldcarrythem。TheMarsh-wigglefollowedthem:stilltalking，butnowthattheywereftheirwayintothewindagain，theyothaveheardhimeveniftheyhadwao。Andtheydidn'twahinkingofbathsandbedsandhotdrinks;andtheideaofingttoolateaoutwasalmostunbearable。

Iheirhaste，ittookthemaloocrosstheflattopofthathill。Aheyhadcrossedit，therewerestillseveralledgestoonthefarside。ButatlasttheyreachedthebottomandcouldseewhatHarfangwaslike。

Itstoodonahighdismanytowerswasmehousethanacastle。Obviously，theGesfearednoattack。Theresisidewallquiteclosetotheground—athingnoonewouldhaveinaseriousfortress。Therewereevenoddlittledoorshereaitwouldbequiteeasytogetinandoutofthecastlewithoutghthecourtyard。ThisraisedthespiritsofJillandScrubb。Itmadethewholeplaorefriendlyandlessf。

Atfirsttheheightahecragfrightepreseicedthattherewasaneasierohattheroadwounduptowardit。Itwasaterribleclimb，afterthejourheyhadalreadyhad，andJillnearlygaveup。SdPuddleglumhadtohelpherforthelasthundredyards。

Butiheystoodbeforethecastlegate。Theportcullisaeopen。

&iredyouare，ittakessomeotoagiant'sfrontdoor。InspiteofallhispreviainstHarfang，ituddleglumwhoshowedme。

“Steadypaow，”hesaid。“Don'tlhteeveryoudo。We'vedothingintheworldbyingatall:butnowthatwearehere，we'dbestputaboldfait。”

Withthesewordshestrodeforwardieway，stoodstilluhearchwheretheechowouldhelphisvoidcalledoutasloudashecould。

“Huestswhoseeklodging。”

Andaitingforsomethingtohappeookoffhishataheheavymassofsnowwhichhadgatheredonitswidebrim。

“Isay，”whisperedScrubbtoJill。“Hemaybeawetblahehasplentyofpludcheek。”

Adooropeadeliciousglht，aerappeared。Jillbitherlipsforfearsheshouldscream。Heerfeousgiant;thatistosay，hewasrathertallerthanothiallasatelegraphpole。Hehadbristlyredhair，aleatherjerkiesfastenedalloveritsoastomakeakindofmailshirt，bareknees（veryhairyihieesooopeddownaPuddleglum。

“Andwhatsortofcreaturedoyoucallyourself，”hesaid。

Jillteinbothhands。“Please，”shesaid，shoutingupatthegiant。“TheLadyoftheGreeestheKileGiants，awoSoutherhisMarsh-wiggle（hisname'sPuddleglum）toyourAutum。—Ifit'squitet，ofcourse，”sheadded。

“Oho!”saidthePorter。“That'squiteadifferentstory。ein，littlepeople，ein。You'dbesteintothelodgewhileI'msendingwordtohisMajesty。”Helookedatthewithcuriosity。“Bluefaces，”hesaid。“Ididn'tkhat'tyself。ButIdaresayyoulookquiteoolesfales，theydosay。”

“Ourfalybluewithcold，”saidJill。“We'renotthiscolorreally。”

“Theneiwarm。ein，littleshrimps，”saidthePorter。Theyfollowedhimintothelodge。Andthoughitwasratherterribletohearsuchabigdshutbehiheyfotaboutitassoohethingtheyhadbeenlongingforeversiimelastnight—afire。Andsuchafire!Itlookedasiffourorfivewholetreeswereblazingonit，anditwassohotthey'tgowithinyardsofit。Buttheyallfloppeddownonthebrickfloor，asheycouldbeartheheat，asighsofrelief。

“Now，youngster，”saidthePortertiantwhohadbeensittinginthebackoftheratthevisitorstillitlookedasifhiseyeswouldstartoutofhishead，“runacrosswiththismessagetotheHouse。”AJillhadsaidtohim。Theyiant，afterafinalstare，aguffaw，lefttheroom。

“Ny，”saidthePortertoPuddleglum，“youlookasifyouwantedsup。”HeproducedablackbottleverylikePuddleglum'sown，butabouttwentytimeslarger。“Letmesee，letmesee，”saidthePorter。“I'tgiveyouacuporyou'lldrowmesee。Thissalt-cellarwillbejustthething。YoumentioheHouse。Thesilverwillkeepoingoverhere，andit'snotmyfault。”

&-cellarwasnotverylikenarrowera，aeagolum，whesetitdownonthefloorbesidehim。TheexpectedPuddleglumtorefuseit，distrustileGiahemuttered，“It'sratherlatetobethinkiionsnowthatwe'reihedoorshutbehindus。”Thenhesheliquor。“Smellsallright，”hesaid。“Butthat'snothingtogoby。Bettermakesure，”andtookasip。“Tastesallright，too，”hesaid。“Butitmightdothatatthefirstsip。Howdoesitgooersip。“Ah!”hesaid。“Butisitthesameallthewaydown?”andtookahere'llbesomethingnastyatthebottom，Ishouldn'twonder，”hesaid，ahedrink。Helickedhislipsahe，“This'llbeatest，yousee。IfIcurlup，orburst，orturnintoalizard，orsomething，thenyou'llknownottotakeanythingtheyofferyou。”Butthegiant，whotohearthethingsPuddleglumhadbeensayingunderhisbreath，roaredwithlaughterandsaid，“Why，Froggy，you'reamaita

“Notaman。。。Marsh-wiggle，”repliedPuddleglumiindistifrogeither:Marshwiggle。”

Atthatmomentthedooropehemandtheyiantsaying，“They&#otothethroonce。”

ThestoodupbutPuddleglumremaiingandsaid，“Marsh-wiggle。Marsh-wiggle。VeryrespectableMarsh-wiggle。Respectowiggle。”

“Showthemtheway，young'un，”saidthegiantPorter。“You'dbettercarryFroggy。He'shadadropmorethan'sgoodforhim。”

“Nwithme，”saidPuddleglum。“N。Nwithme。I'marespectabiggle。”

Buttheyounggiantcaughthimupbythewaistahetofollow。Inthisuheycrossedthecourtyard。Puddleglum，heldi'sfist，andvaguelykigtheair，didlylookverylikeafrog。Buttheyhadlittletimetohis，fortheysreatdoorwayofthemaiheirheartsbeatihanusual—aeringalongseveralcorridorsatatrottokeepupwiththegiant'spaselvesblinkiofanenormousrlowedandafireroaredohandbothwerereflethegildingofroofandiantsthantheytstoodoandright，allinmagrobes;andontwothrohefarend，sattwohugeshapesthatappearedtobetheKingandQueen。

Abouttwehethroopped。SdJillmadeanatatabow（girlsarenottaughthowtocurtseyatExperimeheyounggiaPuddleglumdownonthefloor，wherehecollapsedintoasortofsittingposition。Withhislonglimbshelooked，totellthetruth，unonlylikealargespider。