“GOODEVENING,”saidLucy.ButtheFaunwassobusypickingupitsparcelsthatatfirstitdidnotreply.Whenithadfinisheditmadeheralittlebow.
“Goodevening,goodevening,”saidtheFaun.“Excuseme-Idon’twanttobeinquisitive-butshouldIberightinthinkingthatyouareaDaughterofEve?”
“Myname’sLucy,”saidshe,notquiteunderstandinghim。
“Butyouare-forgiveme-youarewhattheycallagirl?”askedtheFaun.
“OfcourseI’magirl,”saidLucy.
“YouareinfactHuman?”
“OfcourseI’mhuman,”saidLucy,stillalittlepuzzled.
“Tobesure,tobesure,”saidtheFaun.“Howstupidofme!ButI’veneverseenaSonofAdamoraDaughterofEvebefore.Iamdelighted.Thatistosay-”andthenitstoppedasifithadbeengoingtosaysomethingithadnotintendedbuthadrememberedintime.“Delighted,delighted,”itwenton.“Allowmetointroducemyself.MynameisTumnus.”
“Iamverypleasedtomeetyou,Mr。Tumnus,”saidLucy。
“AndmayIask,OLucyDaughterofEve,”saidMr。Tumnus,“howyouhavecomeintoNarnia?”
“Narnia?What’sthat?”saidLucy.
“ThisisthelandofNarnia,”saidtheFaun,“wherewearenow;allthatliesbetweenthelamp-postandthegreatcastleofCairParavelontheeasternsea.Andyou-youhavecomefromthewildwoodsofthewest?”
“I-Igotinthroughthewardrobeinthespareroom,”saidLucy.
“Ah!”saidMr。Tumnusinarathermelancholyvoice,“ifonlyIhadworkedharderatgeographywhenIwasalittleFaun,Ishouldnodoubtknowallaboutthosestrangecountries.Itistoolatenow.”
“Buttheyaren’tcountriesatall,”saidLucy,almostlaughing。“It’sonlyjustbackthere-atleast-I’mnotsure.Itissummerthere.”
“Meanwhile,”saidMr。Tumnus,“itiswinterinNarnia,andhasbeenforeversolong,andweshallbothcatchcoldifwestandheretalkinginthesnow.DaughterofEvefromthefarlandofSpareOomwhereeternalsummerreignsaroundthebrightcityofWarDrobe,howwoulditbeifyoucameandhadteawithme?”
“Thankyouverymuch,Mr。Tumnus,”saidLucy.“ButIwaswonderingwhetherIoughttobegettingback.”
“It’sonlyjustroundthecorner,”saidtheFaun,“andthere’llbearoaringfire-andtoast-andsardines-andcake.”
“Well,it’sverykindofyou,”saidLucy.“ButIshan’tbeabletostaylong.”
“Ifyouwilltakemyarm,DaughterofEve,”saidMr。Tumnus,“Ishallbeabletoholdtheumbrellaoverbothofus.That’stheway。Now-offwego.”
AndsoLucyfoundherselfwalkingthroughthewoodarminarmwiththisstrangecreatureasiftheyhadknownoneanotheralltheirlives.
Theyhadnotgonefarbeforetheycametoaplacewherethegroundbecameroughandtherewererocksallaboutandlittlehillsupandlittlehillsdown.AtthebottomofonesmallvalleyMr。Tumnusturnedsuddenlyasideasifheweregoingtowalkstraightintoanunusuallylargerock,butatthelastmomentLucyfoundhewasleadingherintotheentranceofacave.Assoonastheywereinsideshefoundherselfblinkinginthelightofawoodfire.ThenMr。Tumnusstoopedandtookaflamingpieceofwoodoutofthefirewithaneatlittlepairoftongs,andlitalamp.“Nowweshan’tbelong,”hesaid,andimmediatelyputakettleon.
Lucythoughtshehadneverbeeninanicerplace.Itwasalittle,dry,cleancaveofreddishstonewithacarpetonthefloorandtwolittlechairs(“oneformeandoneforafriend,”saidMr。Tumnus)andatableandadresserandamantelpieceoverthefireandabovethatapictureofanoldFaunwithagreybeard.InonecornertherewasadoorwhichLucythoughtmustleadtoMr。Tumnus’sbedroom,andononewallwasashelffullofbooks。Lucylookedatthesewhilehewassettingouttheteathings.TheyhadtitleslikeTheLifeandLettersofSilenusorNymphsandTheirWaysorMen,MonksandGamekeepers,AStudyinPopularLegendorIsManaMyth?
“Now,DaughterofEve!”saidtheFaun.
Andreallyitwasawonderfultea.Therewasanicebrownegg,lightlyboiled,foreachofthem,andthensardinesontoast,andthenbutteredtoast,andthentoastwithhoney,andthenasugar-toppedcake.AndwhenLucywastiredofeatingtheFaunbegantotalk.Hehadwonderfultalestotelloflifeintheforest.HetoldaboutthemidnightdancesandhowtheNymphswholivedinthewellsandtheDryadswholivedinthetreescameouttodancewiththeFauns;aboutlonghuntingpartiesafterthemilk-whitestagwhocouldgiveyouwishesifyoucaughthim;aboutfeastingandtreasure-seekingwiththewildRedDwarfsindeepminesandcavernsfarbeneaththeforestfloor;andthenaboutsummerwhenthewoodsweregreenandoldSilenusonhisfatdonkeywouldcometovisitthem,andsometimesBacchushimself,andthenthestreamswouldrunwithwineinsteadofwaterandthewholeforestwouldgiveitselfuptojollificationforweeksonend.“Notthatitisn’talwayswinternow,”headdedgloomily。Thentocheerhimselfuphetookoutfromitscaseonthedresserastrangelittleflutethatlookedasifitweremadeofstrawandbegantoplay.AndthetuneheplayedmadeLucywanttocryandlaughanddanceandgotosleepallatthesametime.Itmusthavebeenhourslaterwhensheshookherselfandsaid:
“Oh,Mr。Tumnus-I’msosorrytostopyou,andIdolovethattune-butreally,Imustgohome.Ionlymeanttostayforafewminutes.”
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