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The_Complete_Chronicles_of_Narnia_(volumes_1-7,_in_order_of_publication)

The_Complete_Chronicles_of_Narnia_(volumes_1-7,_in_order_of_publication)

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"Don't you go talk<strong>in</strong>g about th<strong>in</strong>gs you don't understand, Nikabrik," said Trufflehunter.<br />

"You Dwarfs are as forgetful and changeable as the Humans themselves. I'm a beast, I<br />

am, and a Badger what's more. We don't change. We hold on. I say great good will come<br />

<strong>of</strong> it. This is the true K<strong>in</strong>g <strong>of</strong> <strong>Narnia</strong> we've got here: a true K<strong>in</strong>g, com<strong>in</strong>g back to true<br />

<strong>Narnia</strong>. And we beasts remember, even if Dwarfs forget, that <strong>Narnia</strong> was never right<br />

except when a son <strong>of</strong> Adam was K<strong>in</strong>g."<br />

"Whistles and whirligigs! Trufflehunter," said Trumpk<strong>in</strong>. "You don't mean you want to<br />

give the country to Humans?"<br />

"I said noth<strong>in</strong>g about that," answered the Badger. "It's not Men's country (who should<br />

know that better than me?) but it's a country for a man to be K<strong>in</strong>g <strong>of</strong>. We badgers have<br />

long enough memories to know that. Why, bless us all, wasn't the High K<strong>in</strong>g Peter a<br />

Man?"<br />

"Do you believe all those old stories?" asked Trumpk<strong>in</strong>.<br />

"I tell you, we don't change, we beasts," said Trufflehunter. "We don't forget. I believe <strong>in</strong><br />

the High K<strong>in</strong>g Peter and the rest that reigned at Cair Paravel, as firmly as I believe <strong>in</strong><br />

Aslan himself."<br />

"As firmly as that, I dare say," said Trumpk<strong>in</strong>. "But who believes <strong>in</strong> Aslan nowadays?"<br />

"I do," said Caspian. "And if I hadn't believed <strong>in</strong> him before, I would now. Back there<br />

among the Humans the people who laughed at Aslan would have laughed at stories about<br />

Talk<strong>in</strong>g Beasts and Dwarfs. Sometimes I did wonder if there really was such a person as<br />

Aslan: but then sometimes I wondered if there were really people like you. Yet there you<br />

are."<br />

"That's right," said Trufflehunter. "You're right, K<strong>in</strong>g Caspian. And as long as you will be<br />

true to Old <strong>Narnia</strong> you shall be my K<strong>in</strong>g, whatever they say. Long life to your Majesty."<br />

"You make me sick, Badger," growled Nikabrik. "<strong>The</strong> High K<strong>in</strong>g Peter and the rest may<br />

have been Men, but they were a different sort <strong>of</strong> Men. This is one <strong>of</strong> the cursed<br />

Telmar<strong>in</strong>es. He has hunted beasts for sport. Haven't you, now?" he added, round<strong>in</strong>g<br />

suddenly on Caspian.<br />

"Well, to tell you the truth, I have," said Caspian. "But they weren't Talk<strong>in</strong>g Beasts."<br />

"It's all the same th<strong>in</strong>g," said Nikabrik.<br />

"No, no, no," said Trufflehunter. "You know it isn't. You know very well that the beasts<br />

<strong>in</strong> <strong>Narnia</strong> nowadays are different and are no more than the poor dumb, witless creatures<br />

you'd f<strong>in</strong>d <strong>in</strong> Calormen or Telmar. <strong>The</strong>y're smaller too. <strong>The</strong>y're far more different from us<br />

than the half-Dwarfs are from you."

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