迪文小说

chater ne by caldrn l（第1页）

INthelastdaysofNarnia，faruptothewestbeyondLanternWasteandclosebesidethegreatwaterfall，therelivedanApe。Hewassooldthatnoonecouldrememberwhenhehadfirstcometoliveinthoseparts，andhewasthecleverest，ugliest，mostwrinkledApeyoucanimagine。Hehadalittlehouse，builtofwoodandthatchedwithleaves，upintheforkofagreattree，andhisnamewasShift。TherewereveryfewTalkingBeastsorMenorDwarfs，orpeopleofanysort，inthatpartofthewood，butShifthadonefriendandneighbourwhowasadonkeycalledPuzzle。Atleasttheybothsaidtheywerefriends，butfromthewaythingswentonyoumighthavethoughtPuzzlewasmorelikeShift’sservantthanhisfriend。Hedidallthework。Whentheywenttogethertotheriver，ShiftfilledthebigskinbottleswithwaterbutitwasPuzzlewhocarriedthemback。WhentheywantedanythingfromthetownsfurtherdowntheriveritwasPuzzlewhowentdownwithemptypanniersonhisbackandcamebackwiththepanniersfullandheavy。AndallthenicestthingsthatPuzzlebroughtbackwereeatenbyShift;forasShiftsaid，“Yousee，Puzzle，Ican’teatgrassandthistleslikeyou，soit’sonlyfairIshouldmakeitupinotherways。”AndPuzzlealwayssaid，“Ofcourse，Shift，ofcourse。Iseethat。”Puzzlenevercomplained，becauseheknewthatShiftwasfarclevererthanhimselfandhethoughtitwasverykindofShifttobefriendswithhimatall。AndifeverPuzzledidtrytoargueaboutanything，Shiftwouldalwayssay，“Now，Puzzle，Iunderstandwhatneedstobedonebetterthanyou。Youknowyou’renotclever，Puzzle。”AndPuzzlealwayssaid，“No，Shift。It’squitetrue。I’mnotclever。”ThenhewouldsighanddowhateverShifthadsaid．

OnemorningearlyintheyearthepairofthemwereoutwalkingalongtheshoreofCaldronPool。CaldronPoolisthebigpoolrightunderthecliffsatthewesternendofNarnia。Thegreatwaterfallpoursdownintoitwithanoiselikeeverlastingthunder，andtheRiverofNarniaflowsoutontheotherside。ThewaterfallkeepsthePoolalwaysdancingandbubblingandchurningroundandroundasifitwereontheboil，andthatofcourseishowitgotitsnameofCaldronPool。ItisliveliestintheearlyspringwhenthewaterfallisswollenwithallthesnowthathasmeltedoffthemountainsfromupbeyondNarniaintheWesternWildfromwhichtherivercomes。AndastheylookedatCaldronPoolShiftsuddenlypointedwithhisdark，skinnyfingerandsaid，

“Look!What’sthat？”

“What’swhat？”saidPuzzle．

“Thatyellowthingthat’sjustcomedownthewaterfall。Look!Thereitisagain，it’sfloating。Wemustfindoutwhatitis。”

“Mustwe？”saidPuzzle．

“Ofcoursewemust，”saidShift。“Itmaybesomethinguseful。JusthopintothePoollikeagoodfellowandfishitout。Thenwecanhaveaproperlookatit。”

“HopintothePool？”saidPuzzle，twitchinghislongears．

“Wellhowarewetogetitifyoudon’t？”saidtheApe．

“But-but，”saidPuzzle，“wouldn’titbebetterifyouwentin？Because，yousee，it’syouwhowantstoknowwhatitis，andIdon’tmuch。Andyou’vegothands，yousee。You’reasgoodasaManoraDwarfwhenitcomestocatchingholdofthings。I’veonlygothoofs。”

“Really，Puzzle，”saidShift，“Ididn’tthinkyou’deversayathinglikethat。Ididn’tthinkitofyou，really。”

“Why，whathaveIsaidwrong？”saidtheAss，speakinginratherahumblevoice，forhesawthatShiftwasverydeeplyoffended。“AllImeantwas-”

“Wantingmetogointothewater，”saidtheApe。“Asifyoudidn’tknowperfectlywellwhatweakchestsApesalwayshaveandhoweasilytheycatchcold!Verywell。Iwillgoin。I’mfeelingcoldenoughalreadyinthiscruelwind。ButI’llgoin。Ishallprobablydie。Thenyou’llbesorry。”AndShift’svoicesoundedasifhewasjustgoingtoburstintotears．

“Pleasedon’t，pleasedon’t，pleasedon’t，”saidPuzzle，halfbraying，andhalftalking。“Inevermeantanythingofthesort，Shift，reallyIdidn’t。YouknowhowstupidIamandhowIcan’tthinkofmorethanonethingatatime。I’dforgottenaboutyourweakchest。OfcourseI’llgoin。Youmustn’tthinkofdoingityourself。Promisemeyouwon’t，Shift。”

SoShiftpromised，andPuzzlewentcloppety-cloponhisfourhoofsroundtherockyedgeofthePooltofindaplacewherehecouldgetin。Quiteapartfromthecolditwasnojokegettingintothatquiveringandfoamingwater，andPuzzlehadtostandandshiverforawholeminutebeforehemadeuphismindtodoit。ButthenShiftcalledoutfrombehindhimandsaid：“PerhapsI’dbetterdoitafterall，Puzzle。”AndwhenPuzzleheardthathesaid，“No，no。Youpromised。I’minnow，”andinhewent．

Agreatmassoffoamgothiminthefaceandfilledhismouthwithwaterandblindedhim。Thenhewentunderaltogetherforafewseconds，andwhenhecameupagainhewasinquiteanotherpartofthePool。Thentheswirlcaughthimandcarriedhimroundandroundandfasterandfastertillittookhimrightunderthewaterfallitself，andtheforceofthewaterplungedhimdown，deepdown，sothathethoughthewouldneverbeabletoholdhisbreathtillhecameupagain。Andwhenhehadcomeupandwhenatlasthegotsomewherenearthethinghewastryingtocatch，itsailedawayfromhimtillittoogotunderthefallandwasforceddowntothebottom。Whenitcameupagainitwasfurtherfromhimthanever。Butatlast，whenhewasalmosttiredtodeath，andbruisedalloverandnumbwithcold，hesucceededingrippingthethingwithhisteeth。Andouthecamecarryingitinfrontofhimandgettinghisfronthoofstangledupinit，foritwasasbigasalargehearthrug，anditwasveryheavyandcoldandslimy．

HeflungitdowninfrontofShiftandstooddrippingandshiveringandtryingtogethisbreathback。ButtheApeneverlookedathimoraskedhimhowhefelt。TheApewastoobusygoingroundandroundtheThingandspreadingitoutandpattingitandsmellingit。Thenawickedgleamcameintohiseyeandhesaid：

“Itisalion’sskin。”

“Ee-auh-auh-oh，isit？”gaspedPuzzle．

“NowIwonder。。。Iwonder。。。Iwonder，”saidShifttohimself，forhewasthinkingveryhard．

“Iwonderwhokilledthepoorlion，”saidPuzzlepresently。“Itoughttobeburied。Wemusthaveafuneral。”