“WAKEup,Digory,wakeup,Fledge,”camethevoiceofPolly.“Ithasturnedintoatoffeetree.Andit’stheloveliestmorning.”
Thelowearlysunshinewasstreamingthroughthewoodandthegrasswasgreywithdewandthecobwebswerelikesilver.Justbesidethemwasalittle,verydar—kwoodedtree,aboutthesizeofanappletree.Theleaveswerewhitishandratherpapery,liketheherbcalledhonesty,anditwasloadedwithlittlebrownfruitsthatlookedratherlikedates.
“Hurrah!”saidDigory.“ButI’mgoingtohaveadipfirst.”Herushedthroughafloweringthicketortwodowntotheriver’sedge.Haveyoueverbathedinamountainriverthatisrunninginshallowcataractsoverredandblueandyellowstoneswiththesunonit?Itisasgoodasthesea:insomewaysalmostbetter.Ofcourse,hehadtodressagainwithoutdryingbutitwaswellworthit.Whenhecameback,Pollywentdownandhadherbathe;atleastshesaidthatwaswhatshe’dbeendoing,butweknowshewasnotmuchofaswimmerandperhapsitisbestnottoasktoomanyquestions.Fledgevisitedtherivertoobutheonlystoodinmidstream,stoopingdownforalongdrinkofwaterandthenshakinghismaneandneighingseveraltimes.
PollyandDigorygottoworkonthetoffee-tree.Thefruitwasdelicious;notexactlyliketoffee-softerforonething,andjuicy-butlikefruitwhichremindedoneoftoffee.Fledgealsomadeanexcellentbreakfast;hetriedoneofthetoffeefruitsandlikeditbutsaidhefeltmorelikegrassatthathourinthemorning.Thenwithsomedifficultythechildrengotonhisbackandthesecondjourneybegan.
Itwasevenbetterthanyesterday,partlybecauseeveryonewasfeelingsofresh,andpartlybecausethenewlyrisensunwasattheirbacksand,ofcourse,everythinglooksnicerwhenthelightisbehindyou.Itwasawonderfulride.Thebigsnowymountainsroseabovethemineverydirection.Thevalleys,farbeneaththem,weresogreen,andallthestreamswhichtumbleddownfromtheglaciersintothemainriverweresoblue,thatitwaslikeflyingovergiganticpiecesofjewellery.Theywouldhavelikedthispartoftheadventuretogoonlongerthanitdid。Butquitesoontheywereallsniffingtheairandsaying“Whatisit?”and“Didyousmellsomething?”and“Where’sitcomingfrom?”Foraheavenlysmell,warmandgolden,asiffromallthemostdeliciousfruitsandflowersoftheworld,wascominguptothemfromsomewhereahead.
“It’scomingfromthatvalleywiththelakeinit,”saidFledge.
“Soitis,”saidDigory.“Andlook!There’sagreenhillatthefarendofthelake.Andlookhowbluethewateris.”
“ItmustbethePlace,”saidallthree.
Fledgecamelowerandlowerinwidecircles.Theicypeaksroseuphigherandhigherabove.Theaircameupwarmerandsweetereverymoment,sosweetthatitalmostbroughtthetearstoyoureyes.Fledgewasnowglidingwithhisgreatwingsspreadoutmotionlessoneachside,andhisgreathoofspawingfortheground.Thesteepgreenhillwasrushingtowardsthem.Amomentlaterhealightedonitsslope,alittleawkwardly.Thechildrenrolledoff,fellwithouthurtingthemselvesonthewarm,finegrass,andstooduppantingalittle.
Theywereaboutthree-quartersofthewayupthehill,andsetoutatoncetoclimbtothetop.(Idon’tthinkFledgecouldhavemanagedthiswithouthiswingstobalancehimandtogivehimthehelpofaflutternowandthen.)Allroundtheverytopofthehillranahighwallofgreenturf.Insidethewalltreesweregrowing.Theirbrancheshungoutoverthewall;theirleavesshowednotonlygreenbutalsoblueandsilverwhenthewindstirredthem.Whenthetravellersreachedthetoptheywalkednearlyallthewayrounditoutsidethegreenwallbeforetheyfoundthegates:highgatesofgold,fastshut,facingdueeast.
UptillnowIthinkFledgeandPollyhadhadtheideathattheywouldgoinwithDigory.Buttheythoughtsonolonger.Youneversawaplacewhichwassoobviouslyprivate.Youcouldseeataglancethatitbelongedtosomeoneelse.Onlyafoolwoulddreamofgoinginunlesshehadbeensentthereonveryspecialbusiness.Digoryhimselfunderstoodatoncethattheotherswouldn’tandcouldn’tcomeinwithhim.Hewentforwardtothegatesalone.
Whenhehadcomecloseuptothemhesawwordswrittenonthegoldwithsilverletters;somethinglikethis:
Comeinbythegoldgatesornotatall,
Takeofmyfruitforothersorforbear,
Forthosewhostealorthosewhoclimbmywall,
Shallfindtheirheart’sdesireandfinddespair.
“Takeofmyfruitforothers,”saidDigorytohimself.“Well,that’swhatI’mgoingtodo.ItmeansImustn’teatanymyself,Isuppose.Idon’tknowwhatallthatjawinthelastlineisabout.Comeinbythegoldgates.Wellwho’dwanttoclimbawallifhecouldgetinbyagates!Buthowdothegatesopen?”Helaidhishandonthemandinstantlytheyswungapart,openinginwards,turningontheirhingeswithouttheleastnoise.
Nowthathecouldseeintotheplaceitlookedmoreprivatethanever.Hewentinverysolemnly,lookingabouthim.Everythingwasveryquietinside.Eventhefountainwhichrosenearthemiddleofthegardenmadeonlythefaintestsound.Thelovelysmellwasallroundhim!itwasahappyplacebutveryserious.
Heknewwhichwastherighttreeatonce,partlybecauseitstoodintheverycentreandpartlybecausethegreatsilverappleswithwhichitwasloadedshonesoandcastalightoftheirowndownontheshadowyplaceswherethesunlightdidnotreach.Hewalkedstraightacrosstoit,pickedanapple,andputitinthebreastpocketofhisNorfolkjacket.Buthecouldn’thelplookingatitandsmellingitbeforeheputitaway.
Itwouldhavebeenbetterifhehadnot.Aterriblethirstandhungercameoverhimandalongingtotastethatfruit.Heputithastilyintohispocket;buttherewereplentyofothers.Coulditbewrongtotasteone?Afterall,hethought,thenoticeonthegatemightnothavebeenexactlyanorder;itmighthavebeenonlyapieceofadvice-andwhocaresaboutadvice?Orevenifitwereanorder,wouldhebedisobeyingitbyeatinganapple?Hehadalreadyobeyedthepartabouttakingone“forothers”.
Whilehewasthinkingofallthishehappenedtolookupthroughthebranchestowardsthetopofthetree.There,onabranchabovehishead,awonderfulbirdwasroosting.Isay“roosting”becauseitseemedalmostasleep;perhapsnotquite.Thetiniestslitofoneeyewasopen.Itwaslargerthananeagle,itsbreastsaffron,itsheadcrestedwithscarlet,anditstailpurple.
“Anditjustshows,”saidDigoryafterwardwhenhewastellingthestorytotheothers,“thatyoucan’tbetoocarefulinthesemagicalplaces.Youneverknowwhatmaybewatchingyou.”ButIthinkDigorywouldnothavetakenanappleforhimselfinanycase.ThingslikeDoNotStealwere,Ithink,hammeredintoboys’headsagooddealharderinthosedaysthantheyarenow.Still,wecanneverbecertain.
Digorywasjustturningtogobacktothegateswhenhestoppedtohaveonelastlookaround.Hegotaterribleshock.Hewasnotalone.There,onlyafewyardsawayfromhim,stoodtheWitch.Shewasjustthrowingawaythecoreofanapplewhichshehadeaten.Thejuicewasdarkerthanyouwouldexpectandhadmadeahorridstainroundhermouth.Digoryguessedatoncethatshemusthaveclimbedinoverthewall.Andhebegantoseethattheremightbesomesenseinthatlastlineaboutgettingyourheart’sdesireandgettingdespairalongwithit.FortheWitchlookedstrongerandprouderthanever,andeven,inaway,triumphant;butherfacewasdeadlywhite,whiteassalt.
AllthisflashedthroughDigory’smindinasecond;thenhetooktohisheelsandranforthegatesashardashecouldpelt;theWitchafterhim.Assoonashewasout,thegatesclosedbehindhimoftheirownaccord.Thatgavehimtheleadbutnotforlong.Bythetimehehadreachedtheothersandwasshoutingout“Quick,geton,Polly!Getup,Fledge”,theWitchhadclimbedthewall,orvaultedoverit,andwasclosebehindhimagain.
“Staywhereyouare,”criedDigory,turningroundtofaceher,“orwe’llallvanish.Don’tcomeaninchnearer.”
“Foolishboy,”saidtheWitch.“Whydoyourunfromme?Imeanyounoharm.Ifyoudonotstopandlistentomenow,youwillmisssomeknowledgethatwouldhavemadeyouhappyallyourlife.”
“WellIdon’twanttohearit,thanks,”saidDigory.Buthedid.
“Iknowwhaterrandyouhavecomeon,”continuedtheWitch.“ForitwasIwhowasclosebesideyouinthewoodslastnightandheardallyourcounsels.Youhavepluckedfruitinthegardenyonder.Youhaveitinyourpocketnow.Andyouaregoingtocarryitback,untasted,totheLion;forhimtoeat,forhimtouse.Yousimpleton!Doyouknowwhatthatfruitis?Iwilltellyou.Itistheappleofyouth,theappleoflife.Iknow,forIhavetastedit;andIfeelalreadysuchchangesinmyselfthatIknowIshallnevergrowoldordie.Eatit,Boy,eatit;andyouandIwillbothliveforeverandbekingandqueenofthiswholeworld-orofyourworld,ifwedecidetogobackthere.”
“Nothanks,”saidDigory,“Idon’tknowthatIcaremuchaboutlivingonandonaftereveryoneIknowisdead.I’dratherliveanordinarytimeanddieandgotoHeaven.”
“ButwhataboutthisMotherofyourswhomyoupretendtoloveso?”
“What’sshegottodowithit?”saidDigory.
“Doyounotsee,Fool,thatonebiteofthatapplewouldhealher?Youhaveitinyourpocket.WeareherebyourselvesandtheLionisfaraway.UseyourMagicandgobacktoyourownworld.AminutelateryoucanbeatyourMother’sbedside,givingherthefruit.Fiveminuteslateryouwillseethecolourcomingbacktoherface.Shewilltellyouthepainisgone.Soonshewilltellyoushefeelsstronger.Thenshewillfallasleep-thinkofthat;hoursofsweetnaturalsleep,withoutpain,withoutdrugs.Nextdayeveryonewillbesayinghowwonderfullyshehasrecovered.Soonshewillbequitewellagain.Allwillbewellagain.Yourhomewillbehappyagain.Youwillbelikeotherboys.”
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