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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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F<strong>in</strong>ally, when a whole crowd <strong>of</strong> animals came rush<strong>in</strong>g towards him, he turned and ran for<br />

his life. And now anyone could see that the air <strong>of</strong> that young world was really do<strong>in</strong>g the<br />

old gentleman good. In London he had been far too old to run: now, he ran at a speed<br />

which would have made him certa<strong>in</strong> to w<strong>in</strong> the hundred yards' race at any Prep school <strong>in</strong><br />

England. His coattails fly<strong>in</strong>g out beh<strong>in</strong>d him were a f<strong>in</strong>e sight. But <strong>of</strong> course it was no<br />

use. Many <strong>of</strong> the animals beh<strong>in</strong>d him were swift ones; it was the first run they had ever<br />

taken <strong>in</strong> their lives and they were all long<strong>in</strong>g to use their new muscles. "After him! After<br />

him!" they shouted. "Perhaps he's that Neevil! Tally-ho! Tantivy! Cut him <strong>of</strong>f! Round<br />

him up! Keep it up! Hurrah!"<br />

In a very few m<strong>in</strong>utes some <strong>of</strong> them got ahead <strong>of</strong> him. <strong>The</strong>y l<strong>in</strong>ed up <strong>in</strong> a row and barred<br />

his way. Others hemmed him <strong>in</strong> from beh<strong>in</strong>d. Wherever he looked he saw terrors. Antlers<br />

<strong>of</strong> great elks and the huge face <strong>of</strong> an elephant towered over him. Heavy, serious-m<strong>in</strong>ded<br />

bears and boars grunted beh<strong>in</strong>d him. Cool-look<strong>in</strong>g leopards and panthers with sarcastic<br />

faces (as he thought) stared at him and waved their tails. What struck him most <strong>of</strong> all was<br />

the number <strong>of</strong> open mouths. <strong>The</strong> animals had really opened their mouths to pant; he<br />

thought they had opened their mouths to eat him.<br />

Uncle Andrew stood trembl<strong>in</strong>g and sway<strong>in</strong>g this way and that. He had never liked<br />

animals at the best <strong>of</strong> times, be<strong>in</strong>g usually rather afraid <strong>of</strong> them; and <strong>of</strong> course years <strong>of</strong><br />

do<strong>in</strong>g cruel experiments on animals had made him hate and fear them far more.<br />

"Now, sir," said the Bulldog <strong>in</strong> his bus<strong>in</strong>ess-like way, "are you animal, vegetable, or<br />

m<strong>in</strong>eral?" That was what it really said; but all Uncle Andrew heard was "Gr-r-rarrh-ow!"<br />

CHAPTER ELEVEN<br />

DIGORY AND HIS UNCLE ARE BOTH IN TROUBLE<br />

You may th<strong>in</strong>k the animals were very stupid not to see at once that Uncle Andrew was<br />

the same k<strong>in</strong>d <strong>of</strong> creature as the two children and the Cabby. But you must remember that<br />

the animals knew noth<strong>in</strong>g about clothes. <strong>The</strong>y thought that Polly's frock and Digory's<br />

Norfolk suit and the Cabby's howlet hat were as much parts <strong>of</strong> them as their own fur and<br />

feathers. <strong>The</strong>y wouldn't have known even that those three were all <strong>of</strong> the same k<strong>in</strong>d if<br />

they hadn't spoken to them and if Strawberry had not seemed to th<strong>in</strong>k so. And Uncle<br />

Andrew was a great deal taller than the children and a good deal th<strong>in</strong>ner than the Cabby.<br />

He was all <strong>in</strong> black except for his white waistcoat (not very white by now), and the great<br />

grey mop <strong>of</strong> his hair (now very wild <strong>in</strong>deed) didn't look to them like anyth<strong>in</strong>g they had<br />

seen <strong>in</strong> the three other humans. So it was only natural that they should be puzzled. Worst<br />

<strong>of</strong> all, he didn't seem to be able to talk.

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