CHAPTER TWO JILL IS GIVEN A TASK（第1页）

CHAPTERTWOJILLISGIVENATASK

WITHOUTaglaJilltheliosfeetablow。Then，asifsatisfiedwithitswork，itturalkedslowlyaway，batotheforest。

“Itmustbeadream，itmust，itmust，”saidJilltoherself。“I'lliitwasn't，andshedidn't。

“Idowishwe'dhisdreadfulplace，”saidJill。“Idon'tbelieveSewathanIdo。Orifhedid，hehadmeherewithmewhatitwaslike。It'snotmyfaulthefelloverthatcliff。Ifhe'dleftmealoneweshouldbothbeallright。”ThensherememberedagaiScrubbhadgivenwhenhefell，andburstintotears。

gisallrightinitswaywhileitlasts。Butyouhavetostopsooer，aillhavetodecidewhattodo。WhenJillstopped，shefoundshewasdreadfullythirsty。Shehadbeenlyingfaward，aup。Thebirdshadgingandthereerfeceexall，persistentsound，whichseemedtooddistanceaway。Shelistenedcarefully，asureitwasthes>

Jillgotupandlookedroundherverycarefully。Therewasnosignofthelion;butthereweresomahatitmighteasilybequiteclosewithit。Forallshekbeseveralliowasverybadnoluckeduphercoandlookfwater。Shewentoealingtreetotree，andstoppingtopeerroueverystep。

Thewoodwassostillthatitwasnotdifficulttodecidewherethesoundwas。Itgrewclearereverymomentahaed，sheopengladeaream，brightasglass，runningacrosstheturfastohrowawayfromher。Butalthoughthesightofthewatermadeherfeelteierthanbefore，shedidn'trushforwardanddrioodasstillasifshehadbeeone，

withhermouthwideopen。Andshehadaverygoodreason;justonthissideofthestreamlaythelion。

Itlaywithitsheadraisedanditstwofore-pawsoutinfrontofit，liketheliarSquare。Shekohadseeseyeslhtintohersforamomeurnedaway—asifitkewellanddidn'tthinkmuchofher。

“IfIrunaway，it'llbeaftermeihoughtJill。“AndifIgoon，Ishallrunstraightintoitsmouth。”Anyway，she'thavemovedifshehadtried，andshe'ttakehereyesoffit。Howlongthislasted，sheotbesure;itseemedlikehours。Abecamesobadthatshealmostfeltshewouldnotmihelionifonlyshecouldbesureofgettingamouthfulofwaterfirst。

“Ifyou'rethirsty，youmaydrink。”

&hefirstwordsshehadheardsinceScrubbhadspokeheedgeofthecliff。Forasedshestaredhereandthere，wokehevoicesaidagain，“Ifyouarethirsty，eanddrink，”andofcoursesherememberedwhatScrubbhadsaidaboutanimalstalkinginthatotherworld，awasthelionspeaking。Anyway，shehadseenitslipsmovethistime，andthevoiotlikeaman's。Iter，wilder，aofheavy，goldedidnotmakeheraehanshehadbeemadeherfrighteheradifferent>

&thirsty?”saidtheLion。

“I'mdyingofthirst，”saidJill。

“Thendrink，”saidtheLion。

“MayI—indgoingawaywhileIdo?”saidJill。

TheLiohisonlybyalookandaverylowgrowl。AndasJillgazedatitsmotionlessbulk，sherealizedthatshemightaswellhaveaskedthewholemountaintomoveasideforherce。

Thedelicihestreamwasdrivinghernearlyfrantic。

“Willyoupromisenotto—doanythingtome，ifIdoe?”saidJill。

“Imakenopromise，”saidtheLion。

Jillwassothirstynowthat，withoutnotigit，shehadeastepnearer。

“Doyoueatgirls?”shesaid。

“Ihavesgirlsandboys，womenandmen，kingsaiesandrealms，”saidtheLion。Itdidn'tsaythisasifitwereboasting，norasifitweresorry，norasifitwereangry。Itjustsaidit。

“Idaren'teanddrink，”saidJill。

“Thenyouwilldieofthirst，”saidtheLion。

“Ohdear!”saidJill，iepnearer。“IsupposeImustgoandlookforareamthen。”

“Thereisream，”saidtheLion。

ItneveroccurredtoJilltodisbelievetheLion—noonewhohadseenhissternfacecoulddothat—andhermindsuddeselfup。Itwasthewshehadeverhadtodo，butshewentforwardtothestream，kdown，andbegansgupwaterinherhand。Itwasthewatershehadevertasted。Youdidn'todrinkmuchofit，foritquehirstatonce。BeforeshetasteditshehadbeeomakeadashawayfromtheLioshehadfinished。Now，sherealizedthatthiswouldbeohemofall。Shegotupandstoodtherewithherlipsstillwetfr。

“ehere，”saidtheLioo。Shewasalmostbetweenitsfrontpawsnow，lhtintoitsface。Butshe'tstandthatf;shedroppedhereyes。

“HumanChild，”saidtheLioheBoy?”

“Hefelloverthecliff，”saidJill，andadded，“Sir。”Shedidn'tkocallhim，anditsouoothing。

“Howdidheetodothat，HumanChild?”

&ryingtostopmefromfalling，Sir。”