CHAPTER NINE HOW THEY DISCOVERED SOMETHING WORTH KNOWING（第1页）

IHEYDISETHINGWORTHKNOWING

&hersadmittedafterwardthatJillhadbeeday。AssoonastheKiofthehuntingpartyhadsetoff，shebeganmakingatourofthewholedaskiions，butallinsuot，babyishwaythatnoonecouldsuspectherofadesign。Thuewasill，youcouldhardlysayshetalked:sheprattledandgiggled。Shemadelovetoeveryohegrooms，theporters，thehousemaids，theladies-in-waiting，andtheelderlygiantlordswhosehunti。Shesubmittedtobeingkissedabyanynumberofgiantesses，manyofwhomseemedsorryforherandcalledher“apoorlittlething”thoughhemexplainedwhy。Shemadeespedswiththeddiscoveredtheall-importantfacttherewasascullerydoorwhichletyhtheouterwall，sothatyoudidocrossthecourtyardorpassthegreatgatehouse。Ishepreteobegreedy，asofscrapswhichthedssdelightedtogiveher。Butupstairsamongtheladiessheaskedquestionsabouthowshewouldbedressedfreatfeast，andhowlongshewouldbeallowedtositup，ahershewoulddahsomevery，verysmallgiant。Amadeherhotalloverwheafterward）shewouldputherheadononesideinanidiotiwhi-ups，giantahoughtveryfetdshakeherdfidget，andsay，“Oh，Idowishitwastht，don'tyou?Doyouthiimewillgoquicklytillthen?”Aessessaidsheerfectlittledarling;ahemdabbedtheireyeswithenormoushandkerchiefsasiftheyweregoingtocry。

“They'redearlittlethingsatthatage，”saidooaseemsalmostapity。。。”

SdPuddleglumbothdidtheirbest，butgirlsdothatkindofthihanboys。EvenboysdoitbetterthanMarsh-wiggles。

AtluhinghappenedwhichmadeallthreeofthemmoreanxiousthaoleavethecastleoftheGes。Theyhadluhallatalittletableoftheirowhefireplace。Atabiggertable，abouttwentyyardsaway，halfadozenoldgiantswerelung。Theirversationwassonoisy，andsohighupihatthesoontookiceofitthanyouwouldofhootersoutsidethewindowortraffioisesiheywereeatingison，akindoffoodwhichJillhadedbefore，andshewaslikingit。

Suddeurhem，andhisfaesopalethatyoucouldseethepaleuralmuddinessofhisplexion。Hesaid:

“Doherbite。”

“What&#?”askedtheotherter。

“Didn'tyouhearwhatthosegiantsweresaying?‘That'saenderhaunison，'saidohenthatstagwasaliar，'saidanother。‘Why?'saidthefirstone。‘Oh，'saidtheother。‘Theysaythatwhenhewascaughthesaid，Don'tkillme，I'mtough。Youwon'tlikeme。'”ForamomentJilldidhefullmeaningofthis。ButshedidwhenScrubb'seyesopehhorrorandhesaid:

“Sowe'vebeealkingstag。”

Thisdiscoverydidn'thaveexactlythesameeffeallofthem。Jill，tothatworld，wassorryforthepandthoughtitrotteohavekilledhim。Scrubb，whohadbeeninthatworldbeforeandhadatleastoalkiashisdearfriehorrified;asyoumightfeelaboutamurder。ButPuddleglum，whowasNarnianborn，wassidfaiasyouwouldfeelifyoufoundyouhadeatenababy。

“We&#httheangerofAslanohat'swhatesofothesigns。We'reunderacurse，Iexpect。Ifitouldbethebestthingwecoulddo，totaketheseknivesaoouro>

AndgraduallyevenJillcametoseeitfromhispoianyrate，hemwantedanymorelundassooitsafetheycreptquietlyoutofthehall。

Itihattimeofthedayonwhichtheirhopesofesded，andallbeervous。Theyhungaboutinpassagesahingstobeequiet。Thegiaonadreadfullylohemealwasover。Thebaldoellingastory。Whenthatwasover，thethreetravellersdawdleddow。Buttherewerestillplentyofgialeastinthescullery，andputtingthingsaway。Itwasagonizing，waitingtillthesefiheirjobsand，oheirhaaway。Atlastonlyoneoldgiantesswasleftintheroom。Shepotteredabout，a，andatlastthethreetravellersrealizedwithhorrorthatshedidogoa>

“Well，dearies，”shesaidtothem。“Thatjob'sabh。Let'sputthekettlethere。That'llmakeaeapresently。NowIhavealittlebitofarest。Justlookintothescullery，likegoodpoppets，ahebackdoorisopen。”

&is，”saidScrubb。

“That&#ht。IalensoasPussandout，thep。”

&downononedputherfeetuponanother。

“Idon'tknowasImightn'thavefortywinks，”saidthegiantess。“Ifonlythatblaringpartydoesn'tebacktoosoon。”

Alltheirspiritsleapedupwheioyeddownagaiiohehuntingparty。

&heyusuallyeback?”askedJill。

“Youell，”saidthegiathere;goaforabit，mydearies。”

&edtothefarededoutintothescullerythereahegiantesshadnotsatup，openedhereyes，andbrushedawayafly。“Don'ttryittillwe'resureshe'sreallyasleep，”whisperedScrubb。“Orit'llsp。”Sotheyallhuddledatthekitd，waitingandwatg。Thethoughtthatthehuebaymomentwasterrible。Aesswasfidgety。Wheshehadreallygoosleep，shemoved。

“I'tbearthis，”thoughtJill。Todistrad，shebeganlookingabouther。Justinfrontofherwasawidetablewithtie-dishesonit，aheyie-dishesofcourse。Jillthoughtthatshecouldliedownjustfortablyihem。Thensheclimbeduponthebeabletolookatthebook。Sheread:

MALLARD。Thisdeliciousbirdbeavarietyof>

“It'sacookerybook，”thoughtJillwithoutmuterest，andglancedoverhershiantess'seyeswereshutbutshedidn'tlookasifshewereproperlyasleep。Jillglathebook。Ithabetidattheveryryherheartseemedtostopbeating;Itran

MAlittlebipedhaslongbeenvaluedasadelicasatraditionalpartoftheAutum，aweenthefisha。Ea。。。

butsheotbeartoreadaurnedrouesshadandwashavingafitofg。Jilloihebook。Theyalsomouhebehehugepages。ScrubbwasstillreadingabouthowtoenwhenPuddleglumpoiherybelowit。Itwaslikethis:

MARSH-WIGGLE。Someauthoritiesrejeimalaltogetherasunfitfiants'ptiosstringydmuddyflavour。Theflavour，hreatlyreducedif-Jilltouchedhisfeet，andScrubb's，gently。Allthreelookedbackatthegiahwasslightlyopenaherecameasoundwhichatthatmomentwasmorewelthananymusiored。Andnowitwasaquestionoftiptoework，notoofast，hardlydarithroughthescullery（giantsculleriessmellhorrid），outatlastintothepalesunlightofawiernoon。

&thethlittlepathlydown。And，thaherightsideofthecastle;theouswasinsight。Iestheywerebathebroad，steeproadwhithemaihecastle。Theywerealsoinfullviewfrlewindowonthatside。Ifithadbeewo，orfivewindowsthere'dbeareasohatbelookingout。Buttherewerehaheyoo，thattheroadonwhichtheywere，ahegrouhemayRuinous，didn'tofferasmuchcoveraswouldhideafox;itwasallcrassandpebblesandflatstoomakemattersworse，theywerehesthatthegiantshadprovidedforthemlastPuddleglum，whomnothingwouldfit。Jillworeavividgreehertoolongforher，aastlefrihwhitefur。Scrubbhadscarletstogs，bluetunidcloak，agold-hiltedsword，aheredbo。