15.05.2015 Views

The_Complete_Chronicles_of_Narnia_(volumes_1-7,_in_order_of_publication)

The_Complete_Chronicles_of_Narnia_(volumes_1-7,_in_order_of_publication)

The_Complete_Chronicles_of_Narnia_(volumes_1-7,_in_order_of_publication)

SHOW MORE
SHOW LESS

You also want an ePaper? Increase the reach of your titles

YUMPU automatically turns print PDFs into web optimized ePapers that Google loves.

At Beaversdam they re-crossed the river and came east aga<strong>in</strong> along the southern bank.<br />

<strong>The</strong>y came to a little cottage where a child stood <strong>in</strong> the doorway cry<strong>in</strong>g. "Why are you<br />

cry<strong>in</strong>g, my love?" asked Aslan. <strong>The</strong> child, who had never seen a picture <strong>of</strong> a lion, was not<br />

afraid <strong>of</strong> him. "Auntie's very ill," she said. "She's go<strong>in</strong>g to die." <strong>The</strong>n Aslan went to go <strong>in</strong><br />

at the door <strong>of</strong> the cottage, but it was too small for him. So, when he had got his head<br />

through, he pushed with his shoulders (Lucy and Susan fell <strong>of</strong>f when he did this) and<br />

lifted the whole house up and it fell backwards and apart. And there, still <strong>in</strong> her bed,<br />

though the bed was now <strong>in</strong> the open air, lay a little old woman who looked as if she had<br />

Dwarf blood <strong>in</strong> her. She was at death's door, but when she opened her eyes and saw the<br />

bright, hairy head <strong>of</strong> the lion star<strong>in</strong>g <strong>in</strong>to her face, she did not scream or fa<strong>in</strong>t. She said,<br />

"Oh, Aslan! I knew it was true. I've been wait<strong>in</strong>g for this all my life. Have you come to<br />

take me away?"<br />

"Yes, Dearest," said Aslan. "But not the long journey yet." And as he spoke, like the flush<br />

creep<strong>in</strong>g along the underside <strong>of</strong> a cloud at sunrise, the colour came back to her white face<br />

and her eyes grew bright and she sat up and said, "Why, I do declare I feel that better. I<br />

th<strong>in</strong>k I could take a little breakfast this morn<strong>in</strong>g."<br />

"Here you are, mother," said Bacchus, dipp<strong>in</strong>g a pitcher <strong>in</strong> the cottage well and hand<strong>in</strong>g it<br />

to her. But what was <strong>in</strong> it now was not water but the richest w<strong>in</strong>e, red as red-currant jelly,<br />

smooth as oil, strong as beef, warm<strong>in</strong>g as tea, cool as dew.<br />

"Eh, you've done someth<strong>in</strong>g to our well," said the old woman. "That makes a nice<br />

change, that does." And she jumped out <strong>of</strong> bed.<br />

"Ride on me," said Aslan, and added to Susan and Lucy, "You two queens will have to<br />

run now."<br />

"But we'd like that just as well," said Susan. And <strong>of</strong>f they went aga<strong>in</strong>.<br />

And so at last, with leap<strong>in</strong>g and danc<strong>in</strong>g and s<strong>in</strong>g<strong>in</strong>g, with music and laughter and roar<strong>in</strong>g<br />

and bark<strong>in</strong>g and neigh<strong>in</strong>g, they all came to the place where Miraz's army stood fl<strong>in</strong>g<strong>in</strong>g<br />

down their swords and hold<strong>in</strong>g up their hands, and Peter's army, still hold<strong>in</strong>g their<br />

weapons and breath<strong>in</strong>g hard, stood round them with stern and glad faces. And the first<br />

th<strong>in</strong>g that happened was that the old woman slipped <strong>of</strong>f Aslan's back and ran across to<br />

Caspian and they embraced one another; for she was his old nurse.<br />

CHAPTER FIFTEEN<br />

ASLAN MAKES A DOOR IN THE AIR<br />

AT the sight <strong>of</strong> Aslan the cheeks <strong>of</strong> the Telmar<strong>in</strong>e soldiers became the colour <strong>of</strong> cold<br />

gravy, their knees knocked together, and many fell on their faces. <strong>The</strong>y had not believed

Hooray! Your file is uploaded and ready to be published.

Saved successfully!

Ooh no, something went wrong!