The_Complete_Chronicles_of_Narnia_(volumes_1-7,_in_order_of_publication)

the apple. Your Father need never know. No one in your world need know anything
about this whole story. You needn't take the little girl back with you, you know."
That was where the Witch made her fatal mistake. Of course Digory knew that Polly
could get away by her own ring as easily as he could get away by his. But apparently the
Witch didn't know this. And the meanness of the suggestion that he should leave Polly
behind suddenly made all the other things the Witch had been saying to him sound false
and hollow. And even in the midst of all his misery, his head suddenly cleared, and he
said (in a different and much louder' voice):
"Look here; where do you come into all this? Why are you so precious fond of my
Mother all of a sudden? What's it got to do with you? What's your game?"
"Good for you, Digs," whispered Polly in his ear. "Quick! Get away now." She hadn't
dared to say anything all through the argument because, you see, it wasn't her Mother
who was dying.
"Up then," said Digory, heaving her on to Fledge's back and then scrambling up as
quickly as he could. The horse spread its wings.
"Go then, Fools," called the Witch. "Think of me, Boy, when you lie old and weak and
dying, and remember how you threw away the chance of endless youth! It won't be
offered you again."
They were already so high that they could only just hear her. Nor did the Witch waste any
time gazing up at them; they saw her set off northward down the slope of the hill.
They had started early that morning and what happened in the garden had not taken very
long, so that Fledge and Polly both said they would easily get back to Narnia before
nightfall. Digory never spoke on the way back, and the others were shy of speaking to
him. He was very sad and he wasn't even sure all the time that he had done the right
thing; but whenever he remembered the shining tears in Aslan's eyes he became sure.
All day Fledge flew steadily with untiring wings; eastward with the river to guide him,
through the mountains and over the wild wooded hills, and then over the great waterfall
and down, and down, to where the woods of Narnia were darkened by the shadow of the
mighty cliff, till at last, when the sky was growing red with sunset behind them, he saw a
place where many creatures were gathered together by the riverside. And soon he could
see Aslan himself in the midst of them. Fledge glided down, spread out his four legs,
closed his wings, and landed cantering. Then he pulled up. The children dismounted.
Digory saw all the animals, dwarfs, satyrs, nymphs, and other things drawing back to the
left and right to make way for him. He walked up to Aslan, handed him the apple and
said:
"I've brought you the apple you wanted, sir."