The_Complete_Chronicles_of_Narnia_(volumes_1-7,_in_order_of_publication)

"Anyone can go in," he said. "But, one at a time. Who'll go first? He didn't say he was
feeling very kind. He's been licking his lips a lot since he swallowed up the wicked King
the other night. He's been growling a good deal this morning. I wouldn't much like to go
into that stable myself tonight. But just as you please. Who'd like to go in first? Don't
blame me if he swallows you whole or blasts you into a cinder with the mere terror of his
eyes. That's your affair. Now then! Who's first? What about one of you Dwarfs?"
"Dilly, dilly, come and be killed!" sneered Griffle. "How do we know what you've got in
there?"
"Ho-ho!" cried the Ape. "So you're beginning to think there's something there, eh? Well,
all you Beasts were making noise enough a minute ago. What's struck you all dumb?
Who's going in first?"
But the Beasts all stood looking at one another and began backing away from the stable.
Very few tails were wagging now. The Ape waddled to and fro jeering at them. "Ho-hoho!"
he chuckled. "I thought you were all so eager to see Tashlan face to face! Changed
your mind, eh?"
Tirian bent his head to hear something that Jill was trying to whisper in his ear. "What do
you think is really inside the stable?" she said. "Who knows?" said Tirian. "Two
Calormenes with drawn swords, as likely as not, one on each side of the door." "You
don't think," said Jill, "it might be . . . you know . . . that horrid thing we saw?" "Tash
himself?" whispered Tirian. "There's no knowing. But courage, child: we are all between
the paws of the true Aslan."
Then a most surprising thing happened. Ginger the Cat said in a cool, clear voice, not at
all as if he was excited, "I'll go in, if you like."
Every creature turned and fixed its eyes on the Cat. "Mark their subtleties, Sire," said
Poggin to the King. "This cursed cat is in the plot, in the very centre of it. Whatever is in
the stable will not hurt him, I'll be bound. Then Ginger will come out again and say that
he has seen some wonder."
But Tirian had no time to answer him. The Ape was calling the Cat to come forward.
"Ho-ho!" said the Ape. "So you, a pert Puss, would look upon him face to face. Come on,
then! I'll open the door for you. Don't blame me if he scares the whiskers off your face.
That's your affair."
And the Cat got up and came out of its place in the crowd, walking primly and daintily,
with its tail in the air, not one hair on its sleek coat out of place. It came on till it had
passed the fire and was so close that Tirian, from where he stood with his shoulder
against the end-wall of the stable, could look right into its face. Its big green eyes never
blinked. ("Cool as a cucumber," muttered Eustace. "It knows it has nothing to fear.") The
Ape, chuckling and making faces, shuttled across beside the Cat: put up his paw: drew