&hanyouofrushedforwardtotheGoldeheyhadallitsleavesstrippedoff,asbraornofftoo,beforeyoucouldsayJason。Andnowthecouldseethatitdidnotmerelylookgoldenbutwasofreal,softgold。Ithadupfromthehalf-snswhichhadfallenoutofUndrew'spohewasturnedupsidedown;justasthesilverhadgrownupfromthehalf-seemed,pilesofdrybrushwoodforfuel,alittleanvil,hammers,tongs,andbellowswereproduextmoment(howthosedwarfslovedtheirwork!)thefirewasblazing,thebell,thegoldwasmelting,thehammerswereg。TwoMoles,whomAslaodig(hattheylikedbest)earlierintheday,pouredoutapileofpreesatthedwarfs'feet。Uhegersofthelittlesmithstwostookshape—notugly,heavythingslikemodernEuropeans,butlight,delicate,beautifullyshapedcirclesthatyoucouldreallywearandlooknicerbywearing。TheKing'swassetwithrubiesandtheQueen's>
&heshadbeeheriverAslanmadeFrankandHelenkneelbeforehimahetheirheads。Thenhesaid,“RiseupKingandQueenofNarherofmanykingsthatshallbeinNarniaandtheIslesandArd。Bejustandmerdbrave。Theblessingisuponyou。”
Theneveryonecheeredorbayedhedortrumpetedorclappeditswingsandtheroyalpairstoodlookingsolemnandalittleshy,butalltheheirshyness。AndwhileDigorywasstillgheheardthedeepvoiceofAslanbesidehim,saying:“Look!”
Everyoeditshead,andtheneverybreathofwondera。Alittlewayovertheirheads,theysawatreewhichhadlyherebefore。Itmusthavegrowswiftlyasaflagriseswhenyoupullituponaflagstaff,whiletheywereallbusiedaboutthe。Itsspreadingbraocastalightratherthanashade,andsilverapplespeepedoutlikestarsfromundereveryleaf。Butitwasthesmellwhichit,evehesight,thathadmadeeveryonedrawih。Foramomentonecouldhardlythinkaboutanythingelse。
“SonofAdam,”saidAslan,“youhavesownwell。Andyou,NarbeyourfirstcaretoguardthisTree,foritisyourShield。TheWitItoldyouhasfledfarawayihoftheworld;shewilllivererindarkMagic。ButwhilethatTreeflourishesshewilloNarewithinahuheTree,foritssmell,whichisjoyandlifeaoyou,isdeathandhorroraoher。”
EveryoariheTreewhenAslansuddenlyswungroueringgoldengleamsoflightfromhismaneashedidso)andfixedhislargeeyesonthe。“Whatisit,?”hesaid,fhtthemiandnudgiher。
“Oh—Aslan,sir,”saidDigred,“Ifottotellyou。TheWitchhasalreadyeatehoseapples,ohesamekindthatTreegrewfrom。”Hehadn'treallysaidallhewasthinking,butPollyatoforywasalwaysmuchmoreafraidthansheoflookingafool。)
“Sowethought,Aslahattheremustbesomemistake,andshe'treallymihoseapples。”
“Whydoyouthinkthat,DaughterofEve?”askedtheLion。'
“Well,sheateone。”
“Child,”hereplied,“thatiswhyalltherestarenowahorrortoher。Thatisenstothosewhopludeatfruitsatthewrohewrongway。Thefruitisgood,buttheyloatheiteverafter。”
“OhIsee,”saidPolly。“AndIsupposebecauseshetookitintheon'tworkforher。Imeanitwon'tmakeheralwaysyoungandallthat?”
“Alas,”saidAslan,shakiwill。Thingsalwayswtotheirnature。Shehaswo'sdesire;shehasurengthandendlessdayslikeagoddess。Butlengthofdayswithaisohofmiseryandalreadyshebeginstoknowit。Allgetwhattheywaalwayslikeit。”
“I—Ieonemyself,Aslan,”saidDigory。“WouldI—”
“Youwould,child,”saidAslan。“Forthefruitalwaysworks—itmustwork—butitdoesnotilyforanywhopluckitattheirownwill。IfanyNarniaolenanappleaheretoproteia,itroteia。ButitwouldhavedonesobymakingNarniairongandcruelempirelikeotthekindlylaobe。Aemptedyoutod,myso?”
“Yes,AslaedmetotakeaoMother。”
&hen,thatitwouldhavehealedher;butnottoyourjoyorhers。Thedaywouldhaveewhenbothyouandshewouldhavelookedbadsaiditwouldhavebeeodieinthatillness。”
AndDigorycouldsaynothing,fortearsandhegaveupallhopesofsavinghisMother'slife;butatthesametimehekheLioehattheremightbethierribleeventhanlosingsomeoneyoulovebydeath。Butnoeakingagain,almostinawhisper:
“Thatiswhatened,child,withastoleisnotwhatennow。WhatIgiveyounjoy。Itwillnot,inyiveendlesslife,butitluapplefromtheTree。”
ForasedDigorycouldhardlyuand。Itwasasifthewholeworldhadturandupsidedown。Andthen,likesomeoneinadream,hewaswalkingacrosstotheTree,andtheKingandQueenwereghimauresweregtoo。HepluckedtheappleandputitinhispohecamebacktoAslan。
“Please,”hesaid,“maywegohomenow?”Hehadfottentosay“Thankyou“,buthemeantit,andAslaood。