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there was a dead silence except for the noise of a very young badger crying and its mother trying to make it keep quiet。
〃and now heres another thing；〃 the ape went on； fitting a fresh nut into its cheek； 〃i hear some of the horses are saying； lets hurry up and get this job of carting timber over as quickly as we can； and then well be free again。 well； you can get that idea out of your heads at once。 and not only the horses either。 everybody who can work is going to be made to work in future。 aslan has it all settled with the king of calormen … the tisroc； as our dark faced friends the calormenes call him。 all you horses and bulls and donkeys are to be sent down into calormen to work for your living … pulling and carrying the way horses and such…like do in other countries。 and all you digging animals like moles and rabbits and dwarfs are going down to work in the tisrocs mines。 and …鈥�
〃no； no； no；〃 howled the beasts。 〃it cant be true。 aslan would never sell us into slavery to the king of calormen。鈥�
〃none of that！ hold your noise！〃 said the ape with a snarl。 〃who said anything about slavery？ you wont be slaves。 youll be paid … very good wages too。 that is to say； your pay will be paid into aslans treasury and he will use it all for everybodys good。〃 then he glanced； and almost winked； at the chief calormene。 the calormene bowed and replied； in the pompous calormene way： 〃most sapient mouthpiece of aslan； the tisroc （may he…live…forever） is wholly of one mind with your lordship in this judicious plan。鈥�
〃there！ you see！〃 said the ape。 〃its all arranged。 and all for your own good。 well be able； with the money you earn； to make narnia a country worth living in。 therell be oranges and bananas pouring in … and roads and big cities and schools and offices and whips and muzzles and saddles and cages and kennels and prisons … oh； everything。鈥�
〃but we dont want all those things；〃 said an old bear。 〃we want to be free。 and we want to hear aslan speak himself。鈥�
〃now dont you start arguing；〃 said the ape； 〃for its a thing i wont stand。 im a man： youre only a fat； stupid old bear。 what do you know about freedom？ you think freedom means doing what you like。 well； youre wrong。 that isnt true freedom。 true freedom means doing what i tell you。鈥�
〃h…n…n…h；〃 grunted the bear and scratched its head； it found this sort of thing hard to understand。
〃please； please；〃 said the high voice of a woolly lamb； who was so young that everyone was surprised he dared to speak at all。
〃what is it now？〃 said the ape。 〃be quick。鈥�
〃please；〃 said the lamb； 〃i cant understand。 what have we to do with the calormenes？
we belong to aslan。 they belong to tash。 they have a god called tash。 they say he has four arms and the head of a vulture。 they kill men on his altar。 i dont believe theres any such person as tash。 but if there was； how could aslan be friends with him？鈥�
all the animals cocked their heads sideways and all their bright eyes flashed towards the ape。 they knew it was the best question anyone had asked yet。
the ape jumped up and spat at the lamb。
〃baby！〃 he hissed。 〃silly little bleater！ go home to your mother and drink milk。 what do you understand of such things？ but the others； listen。 tash is only another name for aslan。 all that old idea of us being right and the calormenes wrong is silly。 we know better now。 the calormenes use different words but we all mean the same thing。 tash and aslan are only two different names for you know who。 thats why there can never be any quarrel between them。 get that into your heads； you stupid brutes。 tash is aslan： aslan is tash。鈥�
you know how sad your own dogs face can look sometimes。 think of that and then think of all the faces of those talking beasts … all those honest； humble； bewildered birds； bears； badgers； rabbits； moles； and mice … all far sadder than that。 every tail was down； every whisker drooped。 it would have broken your heart with very pity to see their faces。
there was only one who did not look at all unhappy。
it was a ginger cat … a great big tom in the prime of life … who sat bolt upright with his tail curled round his toes； in the very front row of all the beasts。 he had been staring hard at the ape and the calormene captain all the time and had never once blinked his eyes。
〃excuse me；〃 said the cat very politely； 〃but this interests me。 does your friend from calormen say the same？鈥�
〃assuredly；〃 said the calormene。 〃the enlightened ape … man； i mean … is in the right。
aslan means neither less nor more than tash。鈥�
〃especially； aslan means no more than tash？〃 suggested the cat。
〃no more at all；〃 said the calormene； looking the cat straight in the face。
〃is that good enough for you； ginger？〃 said the ape。
〃oh certainly；〃 said ginger coolly。 〃thank you very much。 i only wanted to be quite clear。 i think i am beginning to understand。鈥�
up till now the king and jewel had said nothing： they were waiting until the ape should bid them speak； for they thought it was no use interrupting。 but now； as tirian looked round on the miserable faces of the narnians； and saw how they would all believe that aslan and tash were one and the same； he could bear it no longer。
〃ape；〃 he cried with a great voice； 〃you lie damnably。 you lie like a calormene。 you lie like an ape。鈥�
he meant to go on and ask how the terrible god tash who fed on the blood of his people could possibly be the same as the good lion by whose blood all narnia was saved。 if he had been allowed to speak； the rule of the ape might have ended that day； the beasts might have seen the truth and thrown the ape down。 but before he could say another word two calormenes struck him in the mouth with all their force； and a third； from behind； kicked his feet from under him。 and as he fell； the ape squealed in rage and terror。
〃take him away。 take him away。 take him where he cannot hear us； nor we hear him。
there tie him to a tree。 i will … i mean； aslan will … do justice on him later。鈥�
w锛穡锛氾紵
CHAPTER FOUR
锝炲皬 璇磘 xt 澶诲爞
what happened that night
the king was so dizzy from being knocked down that he hardly knew what was happening until the calormenes untied his wrists and put his arms straight down by his sides and set him with his back against an ash tree。 then they bound ropes round his ankles and his knees and his waist and his chest and left him there。 what worried him worst at the moment … for it is often little things that are hardest to stand … was that his lip was bleeding where they had hit him and he couldnt wipe the little trickle of blood away although it tickled him。
from where he was he could still see the little stable on the top of the hill and the ape sitting in front of it。 he could just hear the apes voice still going on and； every now and then； some answer from the crowd； but he could not make out the words。
〃i wonder what theyve done to jewel；〃 thought the king。
presently the crowd of beasts broke up and began going away in different directions。
some passed close to tirian。 they looked at him as if they were both frightened and sorry to see him tied up but none of them spoke。 soon they had all gone and there was silence in the wood。 then hours and hours went past and tirian became first very thirsty and then very hungry； and as the afternoon dragged on and turned into evening； he became cold too。 his back was very sore。 the sun went down and it began to be twilight。
when it was almost dark tirian heard a light pitter…patter of feet and saw some small creatures ing towards him。 the three on the left were mice； and there was a rabbit in the middle： on the right were two moles。 both these were carrying little bags on their backs which gave them a curious look in the dark so that at first he wondered what kind of beasts they were。 then； in a moment； they were all standing up on their hind legs； laying their cool paws on his knees and giving his knees snuffly animal kisses。 （they could reach his knees because narnian talking beasts of that sort are bigger than the dumb beasts of the same kind in england。）
〃lord king！ dear lord king；〃 said their shrill voices； 〃we are so sorry for you。 we darent untie you because aslan might be angry with us。 but weve brought you your supper。鈥�
at once the first mouse climbed nimbly up till he was perched on the rope that bound tirians chest and was wrinkling his blunt nose in front of tirians face。 then the second mouse climbed up and hung on just below the first mouse。 the other beasts stood on the ground and began handing things up。
〃drink； sire； and then youll find you are able to eat；〃 said the topmost mouse； and tirian found that a little wooden cup was being held to his lips。 it was only the size of an egg cup so that he had hardly tasted the wine in it before it was empty。 but then the mouse passed it down and the others re…filled it and it was passed up again and tirian emptied it a second time。 in this way they went on till he had quite a good drink； which was all the better for ing in little doses； for that is more thirst…quenching than one long draught。
〃here is cheese； sire；〃 said the first mouse； 〃but not very much； for fear it would make you too thirsty。〃 and after the cheese they fed him with oat…cakes and fresh butter； and then with some more wine。
〃now hand up the water；〃 said the first mouse； 〃and ill wash the kings face。 there is blood on it。鈥�
then tirian felt something like a tiny sponge dabbing his face； and it was most refreshing。
〃little friends；〃 said tirian； 〃how can i thank you for all this？鈥�
〃you neednt； you neednt；〃 said the little voices。 〃what else could we do？ we dont want any other king。 were your people。 if it was only the ape and the calormenes who were against you we would have fought till we were cut into pieces before wed let them tie you up。 we would； we would indeed。 but we cant go against aslan。鈥�
〃do you think it really is aslan？〃 asked the king。
〃oh yes； yes；〃 said the rabbit。 〃he came out of the stable last night。 we all saw him。鈥�
〃what was he like？〃 said the king。
〃like a terrible； great lion； to be sure；〃 said one of the mice。
〃and you think it is really aslan who is killing the wood…nymphs and making you all slaves to the king of calormen？鈥�
〃ah； thats bad； isnt it？〃 said the second mouse。 〃it would have been better if wed died before all this began。 but theres no doubt about it。 everyone says it is aslans orders。
and weve seen him。 we didnt think aslan would be like that。 why； we … we wanted him to e back to narnia。鈥�
〃he seems to have e back very angry this time；〃 said the first mouse。 〃we must all have done something dreadfully wrong without knowing it。 he must be punishing us for something。 but i do think we might be told what it was！鈥�
〃i suppose what were doing now may be wrong；〃 said the rabbit。
〃i dont care if it is；〃 said one of the moles。 〃id do it again。鈥�
but the others said； 〃oh hush；〃 and 〃do be careful；〃 and then they all said； 〃were sorry； dear king； but we must go back now。 it would never do for us to be caught here。鈥�
〃leave me at once； dear beasts；〃 said tirian。 〃i would not for all narnia bring any of you into danger。鈥�
〃goodnight； goodnight；〃 said the beasts； rubbing their noses against his knees。 〃we will e back … if we can。〃 then they all pattered away and the wood seemed darker and colder and lonelier than it had been before they came。
the stars came out and time went slowly on … imagine how slowly … while that last king of narnia stood stiff and sore and upright against the tree in his bonds。 but at last something happened。
far away there appeared a red light。 then it disappeared for a moment and came back again； bigger and stronger。 then he could see dark shapes going to and fro on this side of the light and carrying bundles and throwing them down。 he knew now what he was looking at。 it was a bonfire； newly lit； and people were throwing bundles of brushwood on to it。 presently it blazed up and tirian could see that it was on the very top of the hill。
he could see quite clearly the stable behind it； all lit up in the