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chater fifteen rabadah the ridicu（第2页）

"Haveacare，Rabadash，"saidAslanquietly。"Thedoomisnearernow:itisatthedoor:ithasliftedthelatch。"

"Lettheskiesfall，"shriekedRabadash。"Lettheearthgape!Letbloodandfireobliteratetheworld!ButbesureIwillneverdesisttillIhavedraggedtomypalacebyherhairthebarbarianqueen，thedaughterofdogs，the—"

"Thehourhasstruck，"saidAslan:andRabadashsaw，tohissupremehorror，thateveryonehadbeguntolaugh。

Theycouldn'thelpit。RabadashhadbeenwagginghisearsallthetimeandassoonasAslansaid，"Thehourhasstruck!"theearsbegantochange。Theygrewlongerandmorepointedandsoonwerecoveredwithgreyhair。Andwhileeveryonewaswonderingwheretheyhadseenearslikethatbefore，Rabadash'sfacebegantochangetoo。Itgrewlonger，andthickeratthetopandlargereyed，andthenosesankbackintotheface（orelsethefaceswelledoutandbecameallnose）andtherewashairalloverit。Andhisarmsgrewlongerandcamedowninfrontofhimtillhishandswererestingontheground:onlytheyweren'thands，now，theywerehoofs。Andhewasstandingonallfours，andhisclothesdisappeared，andeveryonelaughedlouderandlouder（becausetheycouldn'thelpit）fornowwhathadbeenRabadashwas，simplyandunmistakably，adonkey。Theterriblethingwasthathishumanspeechlastedjustamomentlongerthanhishumanshape，sothatwhenherealizedthechangethatwascomingoverhim，hescreamedout:

"Oh，notaDonkey!Mercy!Ifitwereevenahorse—e'en—ahor—eeh—auh，eeh—auh。"Andsothewordsdiedawayintoadonkey'sbray。

"Nowhearme，Rabadash，"saidAslan。"Justiceshallbemixedwithmercy。YoushallnotalwaysbeanAss。"

AtthisofcoursetheDonkeytwitcheditsearsforwardandthatalsowassofunnythateverybodylaughedallthemore。Theytriednotto，buttheytriedinvain。

"YouhaveappealedtoTash，"saidAslan。"AndinthetempleofTashyoushallbehealed。YoumuststandbeforethealtarofTashinTashbaanatthegreatAutumnFeastthisyearandthere，inthesightofallTashbaan，yourasssshapewillfallfromyouandallmenwillknowyouforPrinceRabadash。Butaslongasyoulive，ifeveryougomorethantenmilesawayfromthegreattempleinTashbaanyoushallinstantlybecomeagainasyounoware。Andfromthatsecondchangetherewillbenoreturn。"

Therewasashortsilenceandthentheyallstirredandlookedatoneanotherasiftheywerewakingfromsleep。Aslanwasgone。Buttherewasabrightnessintheairandonthegrass，andajoyintheirhearts，whichassuredthemthathehadbeennodream:andanyway，therewasthedonkeyinfrontofthem。

KingLunewasthekindest-heartedofmenandonseeinghisenemyinthisregrettableconditionheforgotallhisanger。

"YourroyalHighness，"hesaid。"Iammosttrulysorrythatthingshavecometothisextremity。YourHighnesswillbearwitnessthatitwasnoneofourdoing。AndofcourseweshallbedelightedtoprovideyourHighnesswithshippingbacktoTashbaanforthe—er—treatmentwhichAslanhasprescribed。YoushallhaveeverycomfortwhichyourHighnessssituationallows:thebestofthecattle-boats—thefreshestcarrotsandthistles—"

ButadeafeningbrayfromtheDonkeyandawell-aimedkickatoneoftheguardsmadeitclearthatthesekindlyofferswereungratefullyreceived。

Andhere，togethimoutoftheway，IdbetterfinishoffthestoryofRabadash。He（orit）wasdulysentbackbyboattoTashbaanandbroughtintothetempleofTashatthegreatAutumnFestival，andthenhebecameamanagain。Butofcoursefourorfivethousandpeoplehadseenthetransformationandtheaffaircouldnotpossiblybehushedup。AndaftertheoldTisrocsdeathwhenRabadashbecameTisrocinhisplaceheturnedoutthemostpeaceableTisrocCalormenhadeverknown。Thiswasbecause，notdaringtogomorethantenmilesfromTashbaan，hecouldnevergoonawarhimself:andhedidntwanthisTarkaanstowinfameinthewarsathisexpense，forthatisthewayTisrocsgetoverthrown。Butthoughhisreasonswereselfish，itmadethingsmuchmorecomfortableforallthesmallercountriesroundCalormen。Hisownpeopleneverforgotthathehadbeenadonkey。Duringhisreign，andtohisface，hewascalledRabadashthePeacemaker，butafterhisdeathandbehindhisbackhewascalledRabadashtheRidiculous，andifyoulookhimupinagoodHistoryofCalormen（trythelocallibrary）youwillfindhimunderthatname。AndtothisdayinCalormeneschools，ifyoudoanythingunusuallystupid，youareverylikelytobecalled"asecondRabadash"。

MeanwhileatAnvardeveryonewasverygladthathehadbeendisposedofbeforetherealfunbegan，whichwasagrandfeastheldthateveningonthelawnbeforethecastle，withdozensoflanternstohelpthemoonlight。Andthewineflowedandtalesweretoldandjokeswerecracked，andthensilencewasmadeandtheKingspoetwithtwofiddlerssteppedoutintothemiddleofthecircle。AravisandCorpreparedthemselvestobebored，fortheonlypoetrytheyknewwastheCalormenekind，andyouknownowwhatthatwaslike。Butattheveryfirstscrapeofthefiddlesarocketseemedtogoupinsidetheirheads，andthepoetsangthegreatoldlayofFairOlvinandhowhefoughttheGiantPireandturnedhimintostone（andthatistheoriginofMountPire—itwasatwo-headedGiant）andwontheLadyLilnforhisbride;andwhenitwasovertheywisheditwasgoingtobeginagain。AndthoughBreecouldn'tsinghetoldthestoryofthefightatZalindreh。AndLucytoldagain（theyhadall，exceptAravisandCor，hearditmanytimesbuttheyallwanteditagain）thetaleoftheWardrobeandhowsheandKingEdmundandQueenSusanandPetertheHighKinghadfirstcomeintoNarnia。

Andpresently，aswascertaintohappensoonerorlater，KingLunesaidifwastimeforyoungpeopletobeinbed。"Andtomorrow，Cor，"headded，"shaltcomeoverallthecastlewithmeandseetheestresandmarkallitsstrengthandweakness:foritwillbethinetoguardwhenI'mgone。"

"ButCorinwillbetheKingthen，Father，"saidCor。

"Nay，lad，"saidKingLune，"thouartmyheir。Thecrowncomestothee。"

"ButIdon'twantit，"saidCor。"I'dfarrather—"

"Tisnoquestionwhatthouwantest，Cor，norIeither。'Tisinthecourseoflaw。"

"Butifwe'retwinswemustbethesameage。"

"Nay，"saidtheKingwithalaugh。"Onemustcomefirst。

ArtCorin'selderbyfulltwentyminutes。Andhisbettertoo，let'shope，thoughthat'snogreatmastery。"AndhelookedatCorinwithatwinkleinhiseyes。

"But，Father，couldn'tyoumakewhicheveryouliketobethenextKing?"

"No。Theking'sunderthelaw，forit'sthelawmakeshimaking。Hastnomorepowertostartawayfromthycrownthananysentryfromhispost。"

"Ohdear，"saidCor。"Idon'twanttoatall。AndCorin—Iammostdreadfullysorry。Ineverdreamedmyturningupwasgoingtochiselyououtofyourkingdom。"

"Hurrah!Hurrah!"saidCorin。"Ishan'thavetobeKing。Ishan'thavetobeKing。I'llalwaysbeaprince。It'sprinceshaveallthefun。"

"Andthat'struerthanthybrotherknows，Cor，"saidKingLune。"Forthisiswhatitmeanstobeaking:tobefirstineverydesperateattackandlastineverydesperateretreat，andwhenthere'shungerintheland（asmustbenowandtheninbadyears）towearfinerclothesandlaughlouderoverascantiermealthananymaninyourland。"

WhenthetwoboysweregoingupstairstobedCoragainaskedCorinifnothingcouldbedoneaboutit。AndCorinsaid:

"Ifyousayanotherwordaboutit，I'll-I'llknockyoudown。"Itwouldbenicetoendthestorybysayingthatafterthatthetwobrothersneverdisagreedaboutanythingagain，butIamafraiditwouldnotbetrue。Inrealitytheyquarrelledandfoughtjustaboutasoftenasanyothertwoboyswould，andalltheirfightsended（iftheydidntbegin）withCorgettingknockeddown。Forthough，whentheyhadbothgrownupandbecomeswordsmen，Corwasthemoredangerousmaninbattle，neitherhenoranyoneelseintheNorthCountriescouldeverequalCorinasaboxer。ThatwashowhegothisnameofCorinThunder—Fist;andhowheperformedhisgreatexploitagainsttheLapsedBearofStormness，whichwasreallyaTalkingBearbuthadgonebacktoWildBearhabits。CormclimbeduptoitslairontheNarniansideofStormnessonewinterdaywhenthesnowwasonthehillsandboxeditwithoutatime-keeperforthirty-threerounds。Andattheenditcouldntseeoutofitseyesandbecameareformedcharacter。

Aravisalsohadmanyquarrels（and，Imafraid，evenfights）withCor，buttheyalwaysmadeitupagain:sothatyearslater，whentheyweregrownup，theyweresousedtoquarrellingandmakingitupagainthattheygotmarriedsoastogoondoingitmoreconveniently。AndafterKingLunesdeaththeymadeagoodKingandQueenofArchenlandandRamtheGreat，themostfamousofallthekingsofArchenland，wastheirson。BreeandHwinlivedhappilytoagreatageinNarniaandbothgotmarriedbutnottooneanother。AndtherewerentmanymonthsinwhichoneorbothofthemdidntcometrottingoverthepasstovisittheirfriendsatAnvard。

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