按键盘上方向键 ← 或 → 可快速上下翻页，按键盘上的 Enter 键可回到本书目录页，按键盘上方向键 ↑ 可回到本页顶部！
————未阅读完？加入书签已便下次继续阅读！
ick as he can。 with a rider ive a chance to get through。 thats where you can help me。 on the other hand； you cant get very far on those two silly legs of yours （what absurd legs humans have！） without being overtaken。 but on me you can outdistance any other horse in this country。 thats where i can help you。 by the way； i suppose you know how to ride？鈥�
〃oh yes； of course；〃 said shasta。 〃at least； ive ridden the donkey。鈥�
〃ridden the what？〃 retorted the horse with extreme contempt。 （at least； that is what he meant。 actually it came out in a sort of neigh … 〃ridden the wha…ha…ha…ha… ha。〃 talking horses always bee more horsy in accent when they are angry。）
〃in other words；〃 it continued； 〃you cant ride。 thats a drawback。 ill have to teach you as we go along。 if you cant ride； can you fall？鈥�
〃i suppose anyone can fall；〃 said shasta。
〃1 mean can you fall and get up again without crying and mount again and fall again and yet not be afraid of falling？鈥�
〃i … ill try；〃 said shasta。 〃poor little beast；〃 said the horse in a gentler tone。 〃i forget youre only a foal。 well make a fine rider of you in time。 and now … we mustnt start until those two in the but are asleep。 meantime we can make our plans。 my tarkaan is on his way north to the great city； to tashbaan itself and the court of the tisroc …鈥�
〃i say；〃 put in shasta in rather a shocked voice； 〃oughtnt you to say ‘may he live for ever？鈥�
〃why？〃 asked the horse。 〃im a free narnian。 and why should i talk slaves and fools talk？ i dont want him to live for ever； and i know that hes not going to live for ever whether i want him to or not。 and i can see youre from the free north too。 no more of this southern jargon between you and me！ and now； back to our plans。 as i said； my human was on his way north to tashbaan。鈥�
〃does that mean wed better go to the south？鈥�
〃i think not；〃 said the horse。 〃you see； he thinks im dumb and witless like his other horses。 now if i really were； the moment i got loose id go back home to my stable and paddock； back to his palace which is two days journey south。 thats where hell look for me。 hed never dream of my going on north on my own。 and anyway he will probably think that someone in the last village who saw him ride through has followed us to here and stolen me。鈥�
〃oh hurrah！〃 said shasta。 〃then well go north。 ive been longing to go to the north all my life。鈥�
〃of course you have；〃 said the horse。 〃thats because of the blood thats in you。 im sure youre true northern stock。 but not too loud。 i should think theyd be asleep soon now。鈥�
〃id better creep back and see；〃 suggested shasta。
〃thats a good idea；〃 said the horse。 〃but take care youre not caught。鈥�
it was a good deal darker now and very silent except for the sound of the waves on the beach； which shasta hardly noticed because he had been hearing it day and night as long as he could remember。 the cottage； as he approached it； showed no light。 when he listened at the front there was no noise。 when he went round to the only window； he could hear； after a second or two； the familiar noise of the old fishermans squeaky snore。
it was funny to think that if all went well he would never hear it again。 holding his breath and feeling a little bit sorry； but much less sorry than he was glad； shasta glided away over the grass and went to the donkeys stable； groped along to a place he knew where the key was hidden； opened the door and found the horses saddle and bridle which had been locked up there for the night。 he bent forward and kissed the donkeys nose。 〃im sorry we cant take you；〃 he said。
〃there you are at last；〃 said the horse when he got back to it。 〃i was beginning to wonder what had bee of you。鈥�
〃i was getting your things out of the stable；〃 replied shasta。 〃and now； can you tell me how to put them on？鈥�
for the next few minutes shasta was at work； very cautiously to avoid jingling； while the horse said things like； 〃get that girth a bit tighter；〃 or 〃youll find a buckle lower down；鈥�
or 〃youll need to shorten those stirrups a good bit。〃 when all was finished it said： 〃now； weve got to have reins for the look of the thing； but you wont be using them。 tie them to the saddle…bow： very slack so that i can do what i like with my head。 and； remember … you are not to touch them。鈥�
〃what are they for； then？〃 asked shasta。
〃ordinarily they are for directing me；〃 replied the horse。 〃but as i intend to do all the directing on this journey； youll please keep your hands to yourself。 and theres another thing。 im not going to have you grabbing my mane。鈥�
〃but i say；〃 pleaded shasta。 〃if im not to hold on by the reins or by your mane； what am i to hold on by？鈥�
〃you hold on with your knees；〃 said the horse。 〃thats the secret of good riding。 grip my body between your knees as hard as you like； sit straight up； straight as a poker； keep your elbows in。 and by the way； what did you do with the spurs？鈥�
〃put them on my heels； of course；〃 said shasta。 〃i do know that much。鈥�
〃then you can take them off and put them in the saddlebag。 we may be able to sell them when we get to tashbaan。 ready？ and now i think you can get up。鈥�
〃ooh！ youre a dreadful height；〃 gasped shasta after his first； and unsuccessful； attempt。
〃im a horse； thats all；〃 was the reply。 〃anyone would think i was a haystack from the way youre trying to climb up me！ there； thats better。 now sit up and remember what i told you about your knees。 funny to think of me who has led cavalry charges and won races having a potato…sack like you in the saddle！ however； off we go。〃 it chuckled； not unkindly。
and it certainly began their night journey with great caution。 first of all it went just south of the fishermans cottage to the little river which there ran into the sea； and took care to leave in the mud some very plain hoof…marks pointing south。 but as soon as they were in the middle of the ford it turned upstream and waded till they were about a hundred yards farther inland than the cottage。 then it selected a nice gravelly bit of bank which would take no footprints and came out on the northern side。 then； still at a walking pace； it went northward till the cottage； the one tree； the donkeys stable； and the creek … everything； in fact； that shasta had ever known … had sunk out of sight in the grey summer…night darkness。 they had been going uphill and now were at the top of the ridge … that ridge which had always been the boundary of shastas known world。 he could not see what was ahead except that it was all open and grassy。 it looked endless： wild and lonely and free。
〃i say！〃 observed the horse。 〃what a place for a gallop； eh！鈥�
〃oh dont lets；〃 said shasta。 〃not yet。 i dont know how to … please； horse。 i dont know your name。鈥�
〃breehy…hinny…brinny…hooky…hah；〃 said the horse。
〃ill never be able to say that；〃 said shasta。 〃can i call you bree？鈥�
〃well； if its the best you can do； i suppose you must；〃 said the horse。 〃and what shall i call you？鈥�
〃im called shasta。鈥�
〃hm；〃 said bree。 〃well； now； theres a name thats really hard to pronounce。 but now about this gallop。 its a good deal easier than trotting if you only knew； because you dont have to rise and fall。 grip with your knees and keep your eyes straight ahead between my ears。 dont look at the ground。 if you think youre going to fall just grip harder and sit up straighter。 ready？ now： for narnia and the north。鈥�
xiaoshuot锛竧锛宑o锛�
CHAPTER TWO
锛诲皬。璇础。xt锛惧ぉ锛夊爞锛�
a wayside adventure it was nearly noon on the following day when shasta was wakened by something warm and soft moving over his face。 he opened his eyes and found himself staring into the long face of a horse； its nose and lips were almost touching his。 he remembered the exciting events of the previous night and sat up。 but as he did so he groaned。
〃ow； bree；〃 he gasped。 〃im so sore。 all over。 i can hardly move。鈥�
〃good morning； small one；〃 said bree。 〃i was afraid you might feel a bit stiff。 it cant be the falls。 you didnt have more than a dozen or so； and it was all lovely； soft springy turf that must have been almost a pleasure to fall on。 and the only one that might have been nasty was broken by that gorse bush。 no： its the riding itself that es hard at first。
what about breakfast？ ive had mine。鈥�
〃oh bother breakfast。 bother everything；〃 said shasta。 〃i tell you i cant move。〃 but the horse nuzzled at him with its nose and pawed him gently with a hoof till he had to get up。
and then he looked about him and saw where they were。 behind them lay a little copse。
before them the turf； dotted with white flowers； sloped down to the brow of a cliff。 far below them； so that the sound of the breaking waves was very faint； lay the sea。 shasta had never seen it from such a height and never seen so much of it before； nor dreamed how many colours it had。 on either hand the coast stretched away； headland after headland； and at the points you could see the white foam running up the rocks but making no noise because it was so far off。 there were gulls flying overhead and the heat shivered on the ground； it was a blazing day。 but what shasta chiefly noticed was the air。 he couldnt think what was missing； until at last he realized that there was no smell of fish in it。 for of course； neither in the cottage nor among the nets； had he ever been away from
that smell in his life。 and this new air was so delicious； and all his old life seemed so far away； that he forgot for a moment about his bruises and his aching muscles and said： 〃i say； bree； didnt you say something about breakfast？鈥�
〃yes； i did；〃 answered bree。 〃i think youll find something in the saddle… bags。 theyre over there on that tree where you hung them up last night … or early this morning； rather。鈥�
they investigated the saddle…bags and the results were cheering… a meat pasty； only slightly stale； a lump of dried figs and another lump of green cheese； a little flask of wine； and some money； about forty crescents in all； which was more than shasta had ever seen。
while shasta sat down … painfully and cautiously … with his back against a tree and started on the pasty； bree had a few more mouthfuls of grass to keep him pany。
〃wont it be stealing to use the money？〃 asked shasta。
〃oh；〃 said the horse； looking up with its mouth full of grass； 〃i never thought of that。 a free horse and a talking horse mustnt steal； of course。 but i think its all right。 were prisoners and captives in enemy country。 that money is booty； spoil。 besides； how are we to get any food for you without it？ i suppose； like all humans； you wont eat natural food like grass and oats。鈥�
〃i cant。鈥�
〃ever tried？鈥�
〃yes； i have。 i cant get it down at all。 you couldnt either if you were me。鈥�
〃youre rum little creatures； you humans；〃 remarked bree。
when shasta had finished his breakfast （which was by far the nicest he had ever eaten）； bree said； 〃i think ill have a nice roll before we put on that saddle again。〃 and he proceeded to do so。 〃thats good。 thats very good；〃 he said； rubbing his back on the turf and waving all four legs in the air。 〃you ought to have one too； shasta；〃 he snorted。 〃its most refreshing。鈥�
but shasta burst out laughing and said；〃you do look funny when youre on your back！鈥�
〃i look nothing of the sort；〃 said bree。 but then suddenly he rolled round on his side； raised his head and looked hard at shasta； blowing a little。
〃does it really look funny？〃 he asked in an anxious voice。
〃yes； it does；〃 replied shasta。 〃but what does it matter？鈥�
〃you dont think； do you；〃 said bree； 〃that it might be a thing talking horses never do … a silly； clownish trick ive learned from the dumb ones？ it would be dreadful to find； when i get back to narnia； that ive picked up a lot of low； bad habits。 what do you think； shasta？ honestly； now。 dont spare my feelings。 should you think the real； free horses … the talking kind … do roll？鈥�
〃how should i know？ anyway i dont think i should bother about it if i were you。 weve got to get there first。 do you know the way？鈥�
〃i know my way to tashbaan。 after that es the desert。