Veryquietlythetwogirlsgropedtheirwayamongtheothersleepersandcreptoutofthetent.Themoonlightwasbrightandeverythingwasquitestillexceptforthenoiseoftheriverchatteringoverthestones.ThenSusansuddenlycaughtLucy’sarmandsaid,“Look!”Onthefarsideofthecampingground,justwherethetreesbegan,theysawtheLionslowlywalkingawayfromthemintothewood.Withoutawordtheybothfollowedhim。
Heledthemupthesteepslopeoutoftherivervalleyandthenslightlytotheright-apparentlybytheverysameroutewhichtheyhadusedthatafternoonincomingfromtheHilloftheStoneTable。Onandonheledthem,intodarkshadowsandoutintopalemoonlight,gettingtheirfeetwetwiththeheavydew.HelookedsomehowdifferentfromtheAslantheyknew.Histailandhisheadhunglowandhewalkedslowlyasifhewerevery,verytired.Then,whentheywerecrossingawideopenplacewheretherewherenoshadowsforthemtohidein,hestoppedandlookedround.Itwasnogoodtryingtorunawaysotheycametowardshim.Whentheywerecloserhesaid,
“Oh,children,children,whyareyoufollowingme?”
“Wecouldn’tsleep,”saidLucy-andthenfeltsurethatsheneedsaynomoreandthatAslanknewalltheyhadbeenthinking.“Please,maywecomewithyou-whereveryou’regoing?”askedSusan.
“Well-”saidAslan,andseemedtobethinking.Thenhesaid,“Ishouldbegladofcompanytonight.Yes,youmaycome,ifyouwillpromisetostopwhenItellyou,andafterthatleavemetogoonalone.”
“Oh,thankyou,thankyou.Andwewill,”saidthetwogirls。
ForwardtheywentagainandoneofthegirlswalkedoneachsideoftheLion.Buthowslowlyhewalked!Andhisgreat,royalheaddroopedsothathisnosenearlytouchedthegrass.Presentlyhestumbledandgavealowmoan.
“Aslan!DearAslan!”saidLucy,“whatiswrong?Can’tyoutellus?”
“Areyouill,dearAslan?”askedSusan.
“No,”saidAslan.“Iamsadandlonely.LayyourhandsonmymanesothatIcanfeelyouarethereandletuswalklikethat.”
Andsothegirlsdidwhattheywouldneverhavedaredtodowithouthispermission,butwhattheyhadlongedtodoeversincetheyfirstsawhim——buriedtheircoldhandsinthebeautifulseaoffurandstrokeditand,sodoing,walkedwithhim.AndpresentlytheysawthattheyweregoingwithhimuptheslopeofthehillonwhichtheStoneTablestood.Theywentupatthesidewherethetreescamefurthestup,andwhentheygottothelasttree(itwasonethathadsomebushesaboutit)Aslanstoppedandsaid,
“Oh,children,children.Hereyoumuststop.Andwhateverhappens,donotletyourselvesbeseen.Farewell.”
Andboththegirlscriedbitterly(thoughtheyhardlyknewwhy)andclungtotheLionandkissedhismaneandhisnoseandhispawsandhisgreat,sadeyes.Thenheturnedfromthemandwalkedoutontothetopofthehill.AndLucyandSusan,crouchinginthebushes,lookedafterhim,andthisiswhattheysaw.
AgreatcrowdofpeoplewerestandingallroundtheStoneTableandthoughthemoonwasshiningmanyofthemcarriedtorcheswhichburnedwithevil-lookingredflamesandblacksmoke。Butsuchpeople!Ogreswithmonstrousteeth,andwolves,andbull-headedmen;spiritsofeviltreesandpoisonousplants;andothercreatureswhomIwon’tdescribebecauseifIdidthegrownupswouldprobablynotletyoureadthisbook-CruelsandHagsandIncubuses,Wraiths,Horrors,Efreets,Sprites,Orknies,Wooses,andEttins.InfactherewereallthosewhowereontheWitch’ssideandwhomtheWolfhadsummonedathercommand.Andrightinthemiddle,standingbytheTable,wastheWitchherself.
AhowlandagibberofdismaywentupfromthecreatureswhentheyfirstsawthegreatLionpacingtowardsthem,andforamomenteventheWitchseemedtobestruckwithfear.Thensherecoveredherselfandgaveawildfiercelaugh.
“Thefool!”shecried.“Thefoolhascome.Bindhimfast.”
LucyandSusanheldtheirbreathswaitingforAslan’sroarandhisspringuponhisenemies.Butitnevercame.FourHags,grinningandleering,yetalso(atfirst)hangingbackandhalfafraidofwhattheyhadtodo,hadapproachedhim.“Bindhim,Isay!”repeatedtheWhiteWitch.TheHagsmadeadartathimandshriekedwithtriumphwhentheyfoundthathemadenoresistanceatall.Thenothers-evildwarfsandapes-rushedintohelpthem,andbetweenthemtheyrolledthehugeLionoveronhisbackandtiedallhisfourpawstogether,shoutingandcheeringasiftheyhaddonesomethingbrave,though,hadtheLionchosen,oneofthosepawscouldhavebeenthedeathofthemall.Buthemadenonoise,evenwhentheenemies,strainingandtugging,pulledthecordssotightthattheycutintohisflesh.ThentheybegantodraghimtowardstheStoneTable.
“Stop!”saidtheWitch.“Lethimfirstbeshaved.”
AnotherroarofmeanlaughterwentupfromherfollowersasanogrewithapairofshearscameforwardandsquatteddownbyAslan’shead.Snip-snip-snipwenttheshearsandmassesofcurlinggoldbegantofalltotheground.Thentheogrestoodbackandthechildren,watchingfromtheirhiding-place,couldseethefaceofAslanlookingallsmallanddifferentwithoutitsmane.Theenemiesalsosawthedifference.
“Why,he’sonlyagreatcatafterall!”criedone.
“Isthatwhatwewereafraidof?”saidanother.
AndtheysurgedroundAslan,jeeringathim,sayingthingslike“Puss,Puss!PoorPussy,”and“Howmanymicehaveyoucaughttoday,Cat?”and“Wouldyoulikeasaucerofmilk,Pussums?”
“Oh,howcanthey?”saidLucy,tearsstreamingdownhercheeks.“Thebrutes,thebrutes!”fornowthatthefirstshockwasovertheshornfaceofAslanlookedtoherbraver,andmorebeautiful,andmorepatientthanever.
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