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CHAPTER ONE THE PICTURE IN THE BEDROOM（第1页）

ETHEPITHEBEDROOM

THEREwasaboycalledEustaceSdhealmostdeservedit。HisparentscalledhimEustadmasterscalledhimScrubb。I'ttellyouhowhisfrieohim，forhehadnone。Hedidn'tcallhisFatheraher”aHaroldaheywereveryup-to-dateandadvaheywerevegetarians，eetotallersandedofuheirhousetherewasverylittlefurnitureahesoheaysopen。

&acelikedanimals，especiallybeetles，iftheyinnedonacard。Helikedbooksiftheywerebooksofinformationandhadpicturesofgraiorsorndoingexermodelschools。

&acedislikedhissthefourPeveer，Susan，EdmundandLucy。ButhewasquitegladwheEdmundandLuingtostay。Fordeepdowninsidehimhelikedbossingandbullying;and，thoughheunylittlepersonwho'thavestoodupeventoLucy，letaloneEdmund，inafight，hekherearedozensofwaystogivepeopleabadtimeifyouareinyourowheyareonlyvisitors。

EdmundandLuotatallwaaywithUncleHaroldandAuitreally'tbehelped。FatherhadgotajinAmericaforsixteesummer，aogowithhimbecauseshehadn'thadarealholidayforteerwaswveryhardforanexamaospendtheholidaysbeingcoachedbyoldProfessorKirkeihesefourhadhadwonderfuladventureslongagointhewaryears。Ifhehadstillbeeninthathousehewouldhavehadthemalltostay。Buthehadsomehowbeepoorsiheolddaysandwaslivinginasmallcottagewithoospare。ItwouldhaveoaketheotherthreealltoAmeridSusanhadgone。

Grown-upsthoughthertheprettyohefamilyandshewasnogoodatschhotherwiseverye）andMothersaidshe“wouldgetfarmoreoutofatriptoAmeritheyoungsters”。EdmundandLueSusanherluck，butitwasdreadfulhavihesummerholidaysattheirAunt's。“Butit'sfarworseforme，”saidEdmund，“becauseyou'llatleasthavearoomofyourownandIshallhavetoshareabedroomwiththatreker，Eustace。”

&insonanafternoonwhenEdmundaealingafewpreiogether。AndofcoursetheyweretalkingaboutNarnia，whichwastheheirownprivateary。Mostofus，Isuppose，haveasetrybutformostofusitisonlyanimaginarytry。EdmundandLucywereluotherpeopleiheirsetrywasreal。Theyhadalreadyvisitedittwiagameoradreambutiheyhadgotthereic，whichistheonlywayofgettingtoNarnia。Andapromise，orverynearlyapromise，hadbeeheminNarheywouldsomedaygetbaagiheytalkedaboutitagooddeal，whehece。

TheywereinLu，sittingontheedgeofherbedandlookingatapitheoppositewall。Itwastheonlypithehousethattheyliked。Auadidn'tlikeitatall（thatasputawayinalittlebaupstairs），butshe'tgetridofitbecauseithadbeenaweddifromsomeowanttooffend。

Itictureofaship—ashipsailingstraighttowardyildedaheheadonwithwide-openmouth。Shehadoande，squaresailwhichurple。Thesidesoftheship—whatyoucouldseeofthemwherethegildedwingsonended-weregreerunuptothetopofonegloriousbluewave，andthenearerslopeofthatwavetowardyou，withstreaksa。Shewasobvifastbefaywind，listileoside。（Bytheway，ifytoreadthisstoryatall，andifyoudon'tknowalready，youhadbettergetitintoyourheadthattheleftofashipwhenyahead，isport，aisstarboard。）Allthesunlightfellohatside，aeronthatsidewasfullofgreensaheother，itwasdarkerbluefromtheshadowoftheship。

&ionis，”saidEdmudoesn'tmakethingsworse，lookingataNarnianshipwhenyou'tgetthere。”

“Evenlookihannothing，”saidLudsheissuchaveryNarnianship。”

“Stillplayingyame?”saidEustace，whohadbeesidethedoorandnintotheroom。Lastyear，whenhehadbeenstayingwiththePevensies，hehadmaohearthemalltalkingofNareasiit。Hethoughtofcoursethattheyweremakingitallup;andashewasfartoostupidtomakeanythinguphimself，hedidnotapproveofthat。

“You'renotwantedhere，”saidEdmundcurtly。

“I&#tothinkofalimerick，”saidEustaethihis:

“SomekidswhoplayedgamesaboutNarnia

Gotgraduallybalmierandbalmier—”

“WellNarniaandbalmierdon'trhyme，tobeginwith，”saidLucy。

“It'sanassonance，”saidEustace。

“Don'taskhimwhatanassy-thingummyis，”saidEdmund。“He'sonlylongingtobeasked。Saynothingandperhapshe'llgoa>

Mostboys，oiiohis，wouldeitherhaveclearedoutorflaredup。Eustaeither。Hejusthungab，alybegantalkingagain。

“Doyoulikethatpicture?”heasked。

“Forheaven'ssakedon'tlethimgetstartedaboutArtandallthat，”saidEdmuLucy，whowasverytruthful，hadalreadysaid，“Yes，Ido。Ilikeitverymuch。”

“It'sarottenpicture，”saidEustace。

“Youwon'tseeitifyoustepoutside，”saidEdmund。