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〃buck up； bree；〃 said cor。 〃its far worse for me than for you。 you arent going to be educated。 i shall be learning reading and writing and heraldry and dancing and history and music while youll be galloping and rolling on the hills of narnia to your hearts content。鈥�
〃but thats just the point；〃 groaned bree。 〃do talking horses roll？ supposing they dont？
i cant bear to give it up。 what do you think； hwin？鈥�
〃im going to roll anyway；〃 said hwin。 〃i dont suppose any of them will care two lumps of sugar whether you roll or not。鈥�
〃are we near that castle？〃 said bree to cor。
〃round the next bend；〃 said the prince。
〃well；〃 said bree； 〃im going to have a good one now： it may be the last。 wait for me a minute。鈥�
it was five minutes before he rose again； blowing hard and covered with bits of bracken。
〃now im ready；〃 he said in a voice of profound gloom。 〃lead on； prince cor； narnia and the north。鈥�
but he looked more like a horse going to a funeral than a long…lost captive returning to home and freedom。
w w w。x iaoshu otx t。c o m
CHAPTER FIFTEEN
锛屽皬璇达伎t锛縳t澶╁爞
rsh the ridiculous
the next turn of the road… brought them out from among the trees and there； across green lawns； sheltered from the north wind by the high wooded ridge at its back； they saw the castle of anvard。 it was very old and built of a warm； reddish…brown stone。
before they had reached the gate king lune came out to meet them； not looking at all like araviss idea of a king and wearing the oldest of old clothes； for he had just e from making a round of the kennels with his huntsman and had only stopped for a moment to wash his doggy hands。 but the bow with which he greeted aravis as he took her hand would have been stately enough for an emperor。
〃little lady；〃 he said； 〃we bid you very heartily wele。 if my dear wife were still alive we could make you better cheer but could not do it with a better will。 and i am sorry that you have had misfortunes and been driven from your fathers house； which cannot but be a grief to you。 my son cor has told me about your adventures together and all your valour。鈥�
〃it was he who did all that； sir；〃 said aravis。 〃why； he rushed at a lion to save me。鈥�
〃eh； whats that？〃 said king lune； his face brightening。 〃i havent heard that part of the story。鈥�
then aravis told it。 and cor； who had very much wanted the story to be known； though he felt he couldnt tell it himself； didnt enjoy it so much as he had expected； and indeed felt rather foolish。 but his father enjoyed it very much indeed and in the course of the next few weeks told it to so many people that cor wished it had never happened。
then the king turned to hwin and bree and was just as polite to them as to aravis； and asked them a lot of questions about their families and where they had lived in narnia before they had been captured。 the horses were rather tongue…tied for they werent yet used to being talked to as equals by humans grown…up humans； that is。 they didnt mind aravis and cor。
presently queen lucy came out from the castle and joined them and king lune said to aravis； 〃my dear； here is a loving friend of our house； and she has been seeing that your apartments are put to rights for you better than i could have done it。鈥�
〃youd like to e and see them； wouldnt you？〃 said lucy； kissing aravis。 they liked each other at once and soon went away together to talk about araviss bedroom and araviss boudoir and about getting clothes for her； and all the sort of things girls do talk about on such an occasion。
after lunch； which they had on the terrace （it was cold birds and cold game pie and wine and bread and cheese）； king lune ruffled up his brow and heaved a sigh and said； 〃heigh…ho！ we have still that sorry creature rsh on our hands； my friends； and must needs resolve what to do with him。鈥�
lucy was sitting on the kings right and aravis on his left。 king edmund sat at one end of the table and the lord darrin faced him at the other。 dar and peridan and cor and corin were on the same side as the king。
〃your majesty would have a perfect right to strike off his head；〃 said peridan。 〃such an assault as he made puts him on a level with assassins。鈥�
〃it is very true；〃 said edmund。 〃but even a traitor may mend。 i have known one that did。鈥�
and he looked very thoughtful。
〃to kill this rsh would go near to raising war with the tisroc；〃 said darrin。
〃a fig for the tisroc；〃 said king lune。 〃his strength is in numbers and numbers will never cross the desert。 but i have no stomach for killing men （even traitors） in cold blood。 to have cut his throat in the battle would have eased my heart mightily； but this is a different thing。鈥�
〃by my counsel；〃 said lucy； 〃your majesty shall give him another trial。 let him go free on strait promise of fair dealing in the future。 it may be that he will keep his word。鈥�
〃maybe apes will grow honest； sister；〃 said edmund。 〃but； by the lion； if he breaks it again； may it be in such time and place that any of us could swap off his head in clean battle。鈥�
〃it shall be tried；〃 said the king： and then to one of the attendants； 〃send for the prisoner； friend。鈥�
rsh was brought before them in chains。 to look at him anyone would have supposed that he had passed the night in a noisome dungeon without food or water； but in reality he had been shut up in quite a fortable room and provided with an excellent supper。 but as he was sulking far too furiously to touch the supper and had spent the whole night stamping and roaring and cursing； he naturally did not now look his best。
〃your royal highness needs not to be told；〃 said king lune； 〃that by the law of nations as well as by all reasons of prudent policy； we have as good right to your head as ever one mortal man had against another。 nevertheless； in consideration of your youth and the ill nurture； devoid of all gentilesse and courtesy； which you have doubtless had in the land of slaves and tyrants； we are disposed to set you free； unharmed； on these conditions： first； that…鈥�
〃curse you for a barbarian dog！〃 spluttered rsh。 〃do you think i will even hear your conditions？ faugh！ you talk very largely of nurture and i know not what。 its easy； to a man in chains； ha！ take off these vile bonds； give me a sword； and let any of you who dares then debate with me。鈥�
nearly all the lords sprang to their feet； and corin shouted：
〃father！ can i box him？ please。鈥�
〃peace！ your majesties！ my lords！〃 said king lune。 〃have we no more gravity among us than to be so chafed by the taunt of a pajock？ sit down； corin； or shaft leave the table。
i ask your highness again； to hear our conditions。鈥�
〃i hear no conditions from barbarians and sorcerers；〃 said rsh。 〃not one of you dare touch a hair of my head。 every insult you have heaped on me shall be paid with oceans of narnian and archenlandish blood。 terrible shall the vengeance of the tisroc be： even now。 but kill me； and the burnings and torturings in these northern lands shall bee a tale to frighten the world a thousand years hence。 beware！ beware！ beware！
the bolt of tash falls from above！鈥�
〃does it ever get caught on a hook half…way？〃 asked corin。
〃shame； corin；〃 said the king。 〃never taunt a man save when he is stronger than you： then； as you please。鈥�
〃oh you foolish rsh；〃 sighed lucy。
next moment cor wondered why everyone at the table had risen and was standing perfectly still。 of course he did the same himself。 and then he saw the reason。 aslan was among them though no one had seen him ing。 rsh started as the immense shape of the lion paced softly in between him and his accusers。
〃rsh；〃 said aslan。 〃take heed。 your doom is very near； but you may still avoid it。
forget your pride （what have you to be proud of？） and your anger （who has done you wrong？） and accept the mercy of these good kings。鈥�
then rsh rolled his eyes and spread out his mouth into a horrible； long mirthless grin like a shark； and wagged his ears up and down （anyone can learn how to do this if they take the trouble）。 he had always found this very effective in calormen。 the bravest had trembled when he made these faces； and ordinary people had fallen to the floor； and sensitive people had often fainted。 but what rsh hadnt realized is that it is very easy to frighten people who know you can have them boiled alive the moment you give the word。 the grimaces didnt look at all alarming in archenland； indeed lucy only thought rsh was going to be sick。
〃demon！ demon！ demon！〃 shrieked the prince。 〃i know you。 you are the foul fiend of narnia。 you are the enemy of the gods。 learn who i am； horrible phantasm。 i am descended from tash； the inexorable； the irresistible。 the curse of tash is upon you。
lightning in the shape of scorpions shall be rained on you。 the mountains of narnia shall be ground into dust。 the…鈥�
〃have a care； rsh；〃 said aslan quietly。 〃the doom is nearer now： it is at the door： it has lifted the latch。鈥�
〃let the skies fall；〃 shrieked rsh。 〃let the earth gape！ let blood and fire obliterate the world！ but be sure i will never desist till i have dragged to my palace by her hair the barbarian queen； the daughter of dogs； the …鈥�
〃the hour has struck；〃 said aslan： and rsh saw； to his supreme horror； that everyone had begun to laugh。
they couldnt help it。 rsh had been wagging his ears all the time and as soon as aslan said； 〃the hour has struck！〃 the ears began to change。 they grew longer and more pointed and soon were covered with grey hair。 and while everyone was wondering where they had seen ears like that before； rshs face began to change too。 it grew longer； and thicker at the top and larger eyed； and the nose sank back into the face （or else the face swelled out and became all nose） and there was hair all over it。 and his arms grew longer and came down in front of him till his hands were resting on the ground： only they werent hands； now； they were hoofs。 and he was standing on all fours； and his clothes disappeared； and everyone laughed louder and louder （because they couldnt help it） for now what had been rsh was； simply and unmistakably； a donkey。 the terrible thing was that his human speech lasted just a moment longer than his human shape； so that when he realized the change that was ing over him； he screamed out： 〃oh； not a donkey！ mercy！ if it were even a horse … een … a hor … eeh … auh； eeh…auh。鈥�
and so the words died away into a donkeys bray。
〃now hear me； rsh；〃 said aslan。 〃justice shall be mixed with mercy。 you shall not always be an ass。鈥�
at this of course the donkey twitched its ears forward and that also was so funny that everybody laughed all the more。 they tried not to； but they tried in vain。
〃you have appealed to tash；〃 said aslan。 〃and in the temple of tash you shall be healed。
you must stand before the altar of tash in tashbaan at the great autumn feast this year and there； in the sight of all tashbaan； your asss shape will fall from you and all men will know you for prince rsh。 but as long as you live； if ever you go more than ten miles away from the great temple in tashbaan you shall instantly bee again as you now are。 and from that second change there will be no return。鈥�
there was a short silence and then they all stirred and looked at one another as if they were waking from sleep。 aslan was gone。 but there was a brightness in the air and on the grass； and a joy in their hearts； which assured them that he had been no dream： and anyway； there was the donkey in front of them。
king lune was the kindest…hearted of men and on seeing his enemy in this regrettable condition he forgot all his anger。
〃your royal highness；〃 he said。 〃i am most truly sorry that things have e to this extremity。 your highness will bear witness that it was none of our doing。 and of course we shall be delighted to provide your highness with shipping back to tashbaan for the … er … treatment which aslan has prescribed。 you shall have every fort which your highnesss situation allows： the best of the cattleboats … the freshest carrots and thistles …鈥�
but a deafening bray from the donkey and a wel