奇书网

CHAPTER TEN THE SPELL BEGINS TO BREAK（第2页）

&oLulythee（thoughreallyitwashoursandhourslater）whenshewokeupfeelingalittleddreadfullystiffandthinkinghowshewouldlikeahotbath。Theofloigherdsawthecolddaylightinginthroughthemouthofthecave。Butimmediatelyafterthatsheakeindeed，andsowaseveryotheywereallsittingupwiththeirmouthsandeyeswideopeoasoundwhichwastheverysoundthey'dallbeenthinkingof（aimesimaginingtheyheard）duringtheirwalklastnight。Itwasasoundofjinglingbells。

Mr。Beaverwasoutofthecavelikeaflashthemome。Perhapsyouthink，asLucythoughtforamoment，thatthiswasaverysillythingtodo?Butitwasreallyaverysensibleone。Heknewhebletothetopofthebankamongbushesabeingseeedaboveallthingstoseeitch'ssledgewehersallsatiingaheywaitednearlyfivemiheyheardsomethingthatfrightehemverymuch。Theyheardvoices。“Oh，”thoughtLucy，“he'sbeenseen。She'scaughthim!”

&heirsurprisewheheyheardMr。Beaver'svoigtothemfromjustoutsidethecave。

“It'sallright，”hewasshouti，Mrs。Beaver。eout，SonsandDaughtersofAdam。It'sallright!Itisn'tHer!”Thiswasbadgrammarofcourse，butthatishowbeaverstalkwheed;Imean，inNarnia—inourworldtheyusuallydon'ttalkatall。

SoMrs。Beaverandthedlingoutofthecave，allblinki，ahalloverthem，andlookiyandunbrushedahthesleepintheireyes。

“eon!”criedMr。Beaver，whowasalmostdangwithdelight。“eahisisanastyknockfortheWitch!Itlooksasifherpowerisalreadyg。”

“Whatdoyoumean，Mr。Beaver?”paheyallscrambledupthesteepbaogether。

“Didn'tItellyou，”answeredMr。Beaver，“thatshe'dmadeitalwayswinteramas?Didn'tItellyou?Well，justeandsee!”

Aheyanddidsee。

Itwasasledge，anditwasreihbellsontheirharheywerefarbiggerthach'sreiheywerebrown。Andoapersonwhomeveryohemomeeyesonhim。Hewasahugemaninabrightredrhtashollyberries）withahoodthathadfuriaebeardthatfelllikeafoamywaterfalloverhischest。

EveryonekhoughyouseepeopleofhissortonlyinNarnia，youseepiaalkedabouteveninourworld—theworldonthissideofthewardrobedoor。ButwhenyoureallyseetheminNarniaitisratherdifferehepicturesofFatherChristmasinourworldmakehimlookonlyfunnyandjolly。Butnowthattheactuallystoodlookingathimtheydidn'tfinditquitelikethat。Hewassobig，andsoglad，atheyallbecamequitestill。Theyfeltveryglad，butalsosolemn。

“I'veeatlast，”saidhe。“Shehaskeptmetime，butIhavegotinatlast。Aslanisoagicisweakening。”

Arunningthroughherthatdeepshiverofgladnesswhilygetifysolemnandstill。

“Andnow，”saidFatherChristmas，“foryourpresents。Thereisaersewingmars。Beaver。IwilldropitinyourhouseasIpass。”

“Ifyouplease，sir，”saidMrs。Beaver，makingacurtsey。“It'slockedup。”

“Loakeome，”saidFatherChristmas。“Andasforyou，Mr。Beaver，whehomeyouwillfindyourdamfinishedandmendedaoppedandaed。”

Mr。Beaverleasedthatheopenedhismouthverywideandthenfoundhe'tsayanythingatall。

&er，Adam'sSon，”saidFatherChristmas。

“Here，sir，”saidPeter。

“Theseareyourpresents，”wastheaheyaretoolsnottoys。Thetimetousethemisperhapshahemwell。”Withthesewordshehaerashieldandasword。Theshieldwasthecolorofsilverandacrossitthererampedaredlihtasaripestrawberryatthemomentwhenyoupickit。ThehiltoftheswordwasofgoldandithadasheathandaswordbeltahingitwasjusttherightsizeaforPetertouse。Peterwassilentandsolemhesegifts，forhefelttheywereaveryseriouski。

“Susan，Eve'sDaughter，”saidFatherChristmas。“Theseareforyou，”andhehandedherabowandaquiverfullofarrowsandalittleivoryhorn。“Youmustusethebowoneed，”hesaid，“forIdoofightile。Itdoesnoteasilymiss。Athishorntoyourlipsandblowit，then，whereveryouare，Ithinkhelpofsomekindwilletoyou。”

Lastofallhesaid，“Lucy，Eve'sDaughter，”andLucycamefaveheralittlebottleofwhatlookedlikeglass（butpeoplesaidafterwardthatitwasmadeofdiamond）andasmalldagger。“Inthisbottle，”hesaid，“thereisadeofthejuieofthefireflrowiainsofthesun。Ifyouoranyofyourfriendsishurt，afewdropsofthiswillrestorethem。Andthedaggeristodefeneed。Foryoualsoarehebattle。”

“Why，sir?”saidLucy。“Ithink—Idon'tknow—butIthinkIch。”

“Thatis，”hesaid。“Butbattlesareuglywhe。Andnow”—herehesuddenlylookedlessgrave—“hereissomethiforyouall!”aout（Isupposefromthebigbagathisbaobodyquitesawhimdoit）alargetraygfivedsaupsugar，ajugofdagreatbigteapotallsizzlingandpipinghot。The“MerryChristmas!LorueKing!”andcrackedhiswhip，ahereihesledgeaofsightbeforeahattheyhadstarted。

&erhadjustdrawnhisswordoutofitssheathandwasshowingittoMr。Beaver，whenMrs。Beaversaid:“hen!Don'tstandtalkihetea'sgotcold。Justlikemen。eaocarrythetraydownandwe'llhavebreakfast。WhatamercyIthoughtthebread-knife。”

SodowheywentandbacktothedMr。BeavereofthebreadandhamintosandwidMrs。Beaverpouredouttheteaandeveryohemselves。ButloheyhadfihemselvesMr。Beaversaid，“Timetobemovingonnow。”