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CHAPTER THIRTEEN AN UNEXPECTED MEETING（第1页）

CHAPTERTHIRTEEEDMEETING

“，Digory，，Fledge，”camethevoiceofPolly。“Ithasturoatoffeetree。Andit'stheloveliestm。”

Thelowearlysureamingthroughthewoodandthegrassandthecobwebswerelikesilver。Justbesidethemwasalittle，verydarkwoodedtree，aboutthesizeofaheleaveswerewhitishandratherpapery，liketheherbesty，anditwasloadedwithlittlebrownfruitsthatlookedratherlikedates。

“Hurrah!”saidDigory。“ButI'mgoingtohaveadipfirst。”Herushedthroughaflthicketortwodowntotheriver'sedge。Haveyoueverbathedinamouisrunninginshallowcataractsoverredandblueaohesunonit?Itisasgoodasthesea:insomewaysalmostbetter。Ofcourse，hehadtainwithbutitorthit。Whenhecameback，Pollywentdownahe;atleastshesaidthatwaswhatshe'dbeendoing，butasnotmueraisbestnottoasktoomaioedtherivertoobutheonlystoodioopingddrihenshakinghismaneandneighiimes。

PollyandDigottoworkoree。Thefruitwasdeliotexactlyliketoffee—softerforohing，andjuicy—butlikefruitwhidedooffee。Fledgealsomadeabreakfast;hetriedooffeefruitsasaidhefeltmrassatthathourinthem。Thenwithsomedifficultythegotonhisbadtheseeybegan。

Itwasevehaerday，partlybecauseeveryonewasfeelingsofresh，andpartlybecausethenewlyrisensunwasattheirbad，ofcourse，everythinglookshelightisbehindyou。Itwasawonderfulride。Thebigsnowymountaihemiion。Thevalleys，farbehem，weresogreen，areamswhichtumbleddlaainriverweresoblue，thatitwaslikeflyiicpiecesofjewellery。Theywouldhavelikedthispartoftheadveogoodid。Butquitesoontheywereallsniffingtheairandsaying“Whatisit?”and“Didyousmellsomething?”and“Where'sit?”Foraheavenlysmell，warmandgolden，asiffromallthemostdeliciousfruitsaheworld，wasinguptothemfromsome>

“It'sthatvalleywiththelakeinit，”saidFledge。

“Soitis，”saidDigory。“Andlook!There'sagreenhillatthefarendofthelake。Andlookhowbluethewateris。”

“ItmustbethePlace，”saidallthree。

Fledgecamelowerandlowerinwidecircles。Theicypeaksroseuphigherandhigherabove。Theaircameupwarmeraereverymomeitalmhtthetearstoyoureyes。Fledgewasnowglidingwithhiswimotionlessoneachside，andhishoofspawingfroueepgreenhillwasrushingtowardthem。Amomentlaterhealightedonitsslope，alittleawkwardly。Therolledoff，fellwiththemselvesrass，andstooduppantingalittle。

&hree-quartersofthethehill，aooclimbtothetop。（Idon'tthinkFledgecouldhavemahiswithouthiswingstobalandtogivehimthehelpofaflutternowandthen。）Allrouopofthehillranahighwallofgreenturf。Ireesweregrowing。Theirbrangoutoverthewall;theirleavesshowednotoalsoblueahewihem。Wheravellersreachedthetoptheywalkednearlyallthewayrounditoutsidethegreeheyfoues:highgatesofgold，fastshut，fagdueeast。

UptillnowIthinkFledgeandPollyhadhadtheideathattheywouldgoinwithDigory。Buttheythoughtsonolonger。Youneversalacewhichwassoobviouslyprivate。Youcouldseeataglabeloosomeoneelse。Onlyafoolwoinginunlesshehadbeehereonveryspeess。Digoryhimselfuoheotherswouldn'tandeinwithhim。Hewentforwardtothegatesalone。

Whenhehadecloseuptothemhesarittehsilverletters;somethihis:

&hegoldgatesornotatall，Takeofmyfruitforothersorforbear，ForthosewhostealorthosewhoclimbmywallShallfi'sdesireandfinddespair。

“Takeofmyfruitforothers，”saidDigorytohimself。“Well，that'swhatI'mgoingtodo。ItmeansImustanymyself，Isuppose。Idon'tknowwhatallthatjawili。eies。Wellwho'dwanttoclimbawallifhecouldgetinbyagates。'Buthowdothegatesopen?”Helaidhishandonthem:andinstantlytheyseninginwards，turningeswithouttheleastnoise。

Nowthathecouldseeilookedmoreprivatethainverysolemnly，lookingabouthim。Everythiihefountainwhiearthemiddleofthegardehefaisound。Thelovelysmellwasallroundhim:itlacebutveryserious。

Hekneastherighttreeatolybecauseitstoodierandpartlybecausethegreatsilverapplesasloadedshonesoandcastalightoftheirowndownontheshadowyplaceswherethesunlightdidnotreach。Hewalkedstraightacrosstoit，piapple，andputitipocketofhisNorfolkjacket。Buthe'thelplookingatitabeforeheputita>

Itwouldhavebeeerifhehadhirstandhungerandalongingtotastethatfruit。Heputithastilyintohispocket;buttherewereplentyofothers。Coulditbewrongtotasteoerall，hethought，thehegatemightnothavebeelyamighthavebeenonlyapieceofadvidwhocaresaboutadvice?Orevenifitwereanorder，wouldhebedisobeyiinganapple?Hehadalreadyobeyedthepartabouttakihers“。

&hinkingofallthishehappeolhthebraowardthetopofthetree。There，onabranchabovehishead，awonderfulbirdwasroosting。Isay“roostiseemedalmostasleep;perhapsiofoneeyeen。Itwaslargerthasbreastsaffroedwithsditstailpurple。

“Anditjustshows，”saidDigoryafterastelliotheothers，“thatyou'tbetoothesemagicalplaeverknowwhatmaybewatgyou。”ButIthinkDigorywouldakenanappleforhimselfihiStealwere，Ithioboys'headsagooddealharderihaill，weeverbe。

Digorywasjustturningtogobacktothegateswheoppedtohaveolookarouerribleshock。Hewashere，onlyafewyardsawayfromhim，stoodtheWitch。Shewasjustthrowingawaytheapplewhichshehadeaten。Thejuicewasdarkerthanyouwouldexpedhadmadeahorridstaih。Diguessedatoshemusthaveoverthewall。Aoseethattheremightbesomeselastligetti'sdesireaingdespairalongwithit。FortheWitchlerahanever，andeven，inahant;butherfacewasdeadlywhite，whiteassalt。

AllthisflashedthroughDigory'smiheohisheelsandraesashardashecouldpelt;theWitchafterhim。Assoo，thegatesclosedbehindhimoftheiravehimtheleadbutn。Bythetimehehadreachedtheothersandwasshoutingout“Qui，Polly!Getup，Fledge“，theWitchhadclimbedthewall，orvaultedoverit，andwasclosebehindhimagain。