《獅子女巫與魔衣櫥》第10章:魔法開始破了
Now we must go back to Mr and Mrs Beaver and the three other children. As soon as Mr Beaver said, "There's no time to lose," everyone began bundling themselves into coats, except Mrs Beaver, who started picking up sacks and laying them on the table and said: "Now, Mr Beaver, just reach down that ham. And here's a packet of tea, and there's sugar, and some matches. And if someone will get two or three loaves out of the crock over there in the corner."
"What are you doing, Mrs Beaver?" exclaimed Susan.
"Packing a load for each of us, dearie," said Mrs Beaver very coolly. "You didn't think we'd set out on a journey with nothing to eat, did you?"
"But we haven't time!" said Susan, buttoning the collar of her coat. "She may be here any minute."
"That's what I say," chimed in Mr Beaver.
"Get along with you all," said his wife. "Think it over, Mr Beaver. She can't be here for quarter of an hour at least."
"But don't we want as big a start as we can possibly get," said Peter, "if we're to reach the Stone Table before her?"
"You've got to remember that, Mrs Beaver," said Susan. "As soon as she has looked in here and finds we're gone she'll be off at top speed."
"That she will," said Mrs Beaver. "But we can't get there before her whatever we do, for she'll be on a sledge and we'll be walking."
"Then - have we no hope?" said Susan.
"Now don't you get fussing, there's a dear," said Mrs Beaver, "but just get half a dozen clean handkerchiefs out of the drawer. 'Course we've got a hope. We can't get there before her but we can keep under cover and go by ways she won't expect and perhaps we'll get through."
"That's true enough, Mrs Beaver," said her husband. "But it's time we were out of this."
"And don't you start fussing either, Mr Beaver," said his wife. "There. That's better. There's five loads and the smallest for the smallest of us: that's you, my dear," she added, looking at Lucy.
"Oh, do please come on," said Lucy.
"Well, I'm nearly ready now," answered Mrs Beaver at last, allowing her husband to help her into; her snow-boots. "I suppose the sewing machine's took heavy to bring?"
"Yes. It is," said Mr Beaver. "A great deal too heavy. And you don't think you'll be able to use it while we're on the run, I suppose?"
"I can't abide the thought of that Witch fiddling with it," said Mrs Beaver, "and breaking it or stealing it, as likely as not."
"Oh, please, please, please, do hurry!" said the three children. And so at last they all got outside and Mr Beaver locked the door ("It'll delay her a bit," he said) and they set off, all carrying their loads over their shoulders.
The snow had stopped and the moon had come out when they began their journey. They went in single file - first Mr Beaver, then Lucy, then Peter, then Susan, and Mrs Beaver last of all. Mr Beaver led them across the dam and on to the right bank of the river and then along a very rough sort of path among the trees right down by the river-bank. The sides of the valley, shining in the moonlight, towered up far above them on either hand. "Best keep down here as much as possible," he said. "She'll have to keep to the top, for you couldn't bring a sledge down here."
It would have been a pretty enough scene to look at it through a window from a comfortable armchair; and even as things were, Lucy enjoyed it at first. But as they went on walking and walking - and walking and as the sack she was carrying felt heavier and heavier, she began to wonder how she was going to keep up at all. And she stopped looking at the dazzling brightness of the frozen river with all its waterfalls of ice and at the white masses of the tree-tops and the great glaring moon and the countless stars and could only watch the little short legs of Mr Beaver going pad-pad-pad-pad through the snow in front of her as if they were never going to stop. Then the moon disappeared and the snow began to fall once more. And at last Lucy was so tired that she was almost asleep and walking at the same time when suddenly she found that Mr Beaver had turned away from the river-bank to the right and was leading them steeply uphill into the very thickest bushes. And then as she came fully awake she found that Mr Beaver was just vanishing into a little hole in the bank which had been almost hidden under the bushes until you were quite on top of it. In fact, by the time she realized what was happening, only his short flat tail was showing.
Lucy immediately stooped down and crawled in after him. Then she heard noises of scrambling and puffing and panting behind her and in a moment all five of them were inside.
"Wherever is this?" said Peter's voice, sounding tired and pale in the darkness. (I hope you know what I mean by a voice sounding pale.)
"It's an old hiding-place for beavers in bad times," said Mr Beaver, "and a great secret. It's not much of a place but we must get a few hours' sleep."
"If you hadn't all been in such a plaguey fuss when we were starting, I'd have brought some pillows," said Mrs Beaver.
It wasn't nearly such a nice cave as Mr Tumnus's, Lucy thought - just a hole in the ground but dry and earthy. It was very small so that when they all lay down they were all a bundle of clothes together, and what with that and being warmed up by their long walk they were really rather snug. If only the floor of the cave had been a little smoother! Then Mrs Beaver handed round in the dark a little flask out of which everyone drank something - it made one cough and splutter a little and stung the throat, but it also made you feel deliciously warm after you'd swallowed it and everyone went straight to sleep.
It seemed to Lucy only the next minute (though really it was hours and hours later) when she woke up feeling a little cold and dreadfully stiff and thinking how she would like a hot bath. Then she felt a set of long whiskers tickling her cheek and saw the cold daylight coming in through the mouth of the cave. But immediately after that she was very wide awake indeed, and so was everyone else. In fact they were all sitting up with their mouths and eyes wide open listening to a sound which was the very sound they'd all been thinking of (and sometimes imagining they heard) during their walk last night. It was a sound of jingling bells.
Mr Beaver was out of the cave like a flash the moment he heard it. Perhaps you think, as Lucy thought for a moment, that this was a very silly thing to do? But it was really a very sensible one. He knew he could scramble to the top of the bank among bushes and brambles without being seen; and he wanted above all things to see which way the Witch's sledge went. The others all sat in the cave waiting and wondering. They waited nearly five minutes. Then they heard something that frightened them very much. They heard voices. "Oh," thought Lucy, "he's been seen. She's caught him!"
Great was their surprise when a little later, they heard Mr Beaver's voice calling to them from just outside the cave.
"It's all right," he was shouting. "Come out, Mrs Beaver. Come out, Sons and Daughters of Adam. It's all right! It isn't Her!" This was bad grammar of course, but that is how beavers talk when they are excited; I mean, in Narnia - in our world they usually don't talk at all.
So Mrs Beaver and the children came bundling out of the cave, all blinking in the daylight, and with earth all over them, and looking very frowsty and unbrushed and uncombed and with the sleep in their eyes.
"Come on!" cried Mr Beaver, who was almost dancing with delight. "Come and see! This is a nasty knock for the Witch! It looks as if her power is already crumbling."
"What do you mean, Mr Beaver?" panted Peter as they all scrambled up the steep bank of the valley together.
"Didn't I tell you," answered Mr Beaver, "that she'd made it always winter and never Christmas? Didn't I tell you? Well, just come and see!"
And then they were all at the top and did see.
It was a sledge, and it was reindeer with bells on their harness. But they were far bigger than the Witch's reindeer, and they were not white but brown. And on the sledge sat a person whom everyone knew the moment they set eyes on him. He was a huge man. in a bright red robe (bright as hollyberries) with a hood that had fur inside it and a great white beard, that fell like a foamy waterfall over his chest.
Everyone knew him because, though you see people of his sort only in Narnia, you see pictures of them and hear them talked about even in our world - the world on this side of the wardrobe door. But when you really see them in Narnia it is rather different. Some of the pictures of Father Christmas in our world make him look only funny and jolly. But now that the children actually stood looking at him they didn't find it quite like that. He was so big, and so glad, and so real, that they all became quite still. They felt very glad, but also solemn.
"I've come at last," said he. "She has kept me out for a long time, but I have got in at last. Aslan is on the move. The Witch's magic is weakening."
And Lucy felt running through her that deep shiver of gladness which you only get if you are being solemn and still.
"And now," said Father Christmas, "for your presents. There is a new and better sewing machine for you, Mrs Beaver. I will drop it in your house as, I pass."
"If you please, sir," said Mrs Beaver, making a curtsey. "It's locked up."
"Locks and bolts make no difference to me," said Father Christmas. "And as for you, Mr Beaver, when you get home you will find your dam finished and mended and all the leaks stopped and a new sluicegate fitted."
Mr Beaver was so pleased that he opened his mouth very wide and then found he couldn't say anything at all.
"Peter, Adam's Son," said Father Christmas.
"Here, sir," said Peter.
"These are your presents," was the answer, "and they are tools not toys. The time to use them is perhaps near at hand. Bear them well." With these words he handed to Peter a shield and a sword. The shield was the colour of silver and across it there ramped a red lion, as bright as a ripe strawberry at the moment when you pick it. The hilt of the sword was of gold and it had a sheath and a sword belt and everything it needed, and it was just the right size and weight for Peter to use. Peter was silent and solemn as he received these gifts, for he felt they were a very serious kind of present.
"Susan, Eve's Daughter," said Father Christmas. "These are for you," and he handed her a bow and a quiver full of arrows and a little ivory horn. "You must use the bow only in great need," he said, "for I do not mean you to fight in the battle. It does not easily miss. And when you put this horn to your lips; and blow it, then, wherever you are, I think help of some kind will come to you."
Last of all he said, "Lucy, Eve's Daughter," and Lucy came forward. He gave her a little bottle of what looked like glass (but people said afterwards that it was made of diamond) and a small dagger. "In this bottle," he said, "there is cordial made of the juice of one of the fireflowers that grow in the mountains of the sun. If you or any of your friends is hurt, a few drops of this restore them. And the dagger is to defend yourse at great need. For you also are not to be in battle."
"Why, sir?" said Lucy. "I think - I don't know but I think I could be brave enough."
"That is not the point," he said. "But battles are ugly when women fight. And now" - here he suddenly looked less grave - "here is something for the moment for you all!" and he brought out (I suppose from the big bag at his back, but nobody quite saw him do it) a large tray containing five cups and saucers, a bowl of lump sugar, a jug of cream, and a great big teapot all sizzling and piping hot. Then he cried out "Merry Christmas! Long live the true King!" and cracked his whip, and he and the reindeer and the sledge and all were out of sight before anyone realized that they had started.
Peter had just drawn his sword out of its sheath and was showing it to Mr Beaver, when Mrs Beaver said:
"Now then, now then! Don't stand talking there till the tea's got cold. Just like men. Come and help to carry the tray down and we'll have breakfast. What a mercy I thought of bringing the bread-knife."
So down the steep bank they went and back to the cave, and Mr Beaver cut some of the bread and ham into sandwiches and Mrs Beaver poured out the tea and everyone enjoyed themselves. But long before they had finished enjoying themselves Mr Beaver said, "Time to be moving on now."
“你在幹什麼呀，海狸太太？”蘇珊叫道。
“給我們每個人收拾一份東西，小寶貝，”海狸太太十分冷靜地說，“你們不想上路時沒東西吃吧？”
“可我們沒時間了！”蘇珊說着扣上大衣領上的扣子， “她隨時都可能到這兒的。”
“我就是這麼說的。”海狸先生插嘴說。
“你們別胡說，”它妻子說，“好好想想，海狸先生。她至少要在一刻鐘以後才能到。。
“如果我們要趕在她前頭先到石桌那兒，”彼得說，“我們不是要儘可能搶先一步嗎？”
“你得記住一點，海狸太太，”蘇珊說，“她到這兒一看，發現我們走了，就會飛速離開的。”
“她會的，”海狸太大說，“不過我們無論如何也趕不到她前面，因爲她乘着雪橇，我們是走着去的。”
“那麼——我們就沒希望了？”蘇珊說。
“好了，你們乖，別大驚小怪，”海狸太太說，“請從那個抽屜裏拿出六條幹淨手絹吧。我們當然還有一線希望。我們趕不到她前面，不過我們可以隱蔽起來，走一條她意想不到的路，也許能成功。”
“對極了，海狸太太，”它丈夫說，“不過該是我們動身的時候了。”
“你也別大驚小怪的，海狸先生，”它妻子說，“瞧，這樣就好些了。這兒有四份東西，最小的一份就給我們當中最小的一個：那就是你，寶貝兒。”她看着露茜加了一句。
“哦，求你快點吧。”露茜說。
“好吧，現在我差不多都準備好了。”海狸太大終於回答說，一面讓丈夫幫它穿上雪地靴，“我想，縫紉機太重，帶不了吧？”
“是啊，太重了，”海狸先生說，“重得不得了。我看我們趕路你總不見得能用上縫紉機吧？”
“想到妖婆亂動我的縫紉機我就受不了，”海狸太太說． “她八成會把縫紉機弄壞或偷走。”
“哦，請快點吧！請快點吧！”三個孩子說。就這樣他們才終於出了門，海狸先生鎖上門。(“這會耽誤她一點時間。”它說。)他們就此出發了，大家都把自己的一份行李扛在肩上。
他們上路時雪已經停了，月亮也出來了。他們排成單行走着——海狸先生走在頭裏，隨後是露茜，再後是彼得、蘇珊，海狸太太走在末尾。海狸先生帶他們穿過堤壩，走到河的右岸，然後走到河岸下面樹叢裏一條崎嶇不平的小路上。月光照耀下，山谷兩邊的峭坡高聳入雲。
“最好儘可能在下面走，”海狸先生說，“她只能從上面走，因爲不能把雪橇趕到下面來。”
如果是坐在安逸的扶手椅裏，往窗外眺望，看到的也許算得上是一幅美景；儘管事情到了這個地步，露茜開頭對這兒還是很欣賞的。不過隨着他們走啊走的，她背上的口袋也越來越重了，她開始懷疑自己怎麼堅持得下去。河面以及水簾子都結了冰，她不再去看那條亮得耀眼的冰河，也不去看樹頂上大團大團的雪，以及那光芒四射的大月亮和數不清的星星，只看着前面海狸先生那短小的腿在雪地裏啪噠啪噠地走，彷彿永遠也停不下來似的。接着月亮不見了，雪又開始下了。最後露茜累得幾乎是邊走邊睡了。突然，她發現海狸先生離開河岸往右走，領着他們奮力爬上陡峭的山坡，走進密集的灌木叢中。等到她完全清醒過來，她發現海狸先生鑽進山坡上的一個小洞裏，那個洞幾乎完全被灌木叢遮住，一直走到洞口才看得見。事實上等她明白是怎麼回事，已經只看得見它那扁扁的短尾巴了。
露茜趕緊彎下腰跟着它爬了進去。接着她聽到身後急急忙忙爬行的聲音和喘氣聲，不一會兒，他們五個都進了洞。
“這到底是哪兒呀？”彼得說，黑暗中他的聲音聽上去又疲倦又乏力。(我希望你們知道我說的聲音乏力是什麼意思。
“這是海狸遇難時一個老的藏身處，”海狸先生說，“是一大祕密。地方雖不怎麼樣，不過我們一定得睡上幾小時。”
“要不是你們動身時都那麼手忙腳亂，我本來可以帶幾個枕頭來的。”海狸太太說。
這兒跟圖姆納斯先生的石窟可相差太遠了，露茜想着——只是一個洞，不過洞裏還算乾燥，而且是泥土地。洞非常小，因此當他們全都躺下時，就成了一大堆皮毛和衣服。這樣躺着，再加上他們長途跋涉身上也暖和了，他們果真覺得相當舒服。要是這洞裏的地稍微平整一點就更好了。隨後海狸太太在黑暗中傳過來一個小小的長頸瓶子，每個人都就着瓶子喝了一口——喝了這東西叫人直嗆．嗓子眼火辣辣的，不過嚥下肚去以後倒使人感到暖和得舒心——
大家立刻就睡着了。
露茜覺得似乎只過了片刻(雖然實際上已是好幾小時以後了)，她一覺醒來感到身子有點冷，而且僵硬得可怕，心想能洗個熱水澡該有多好。隨後她就覺得有一束長鬍子撩在臉蛋上怪癢癢的，又看到洞口有冰涼的陽光照進來。這一來她當然立刻完全清醒了，而且大家也都醒了。事實上他們全都坐了起來，眼睛嘴巴都張得大大的，傾聽着他們昨晚走路時一直想着的聲音(有時他們還想象着聽到了呢)。那就是鈴鐺的聲音。
海狸先生一聽見聲音頓時就鑽出洞去。也許你會像露茜當時所想的那樣，覺得它這麼做是犯傻了。其實這麼做倒是很聰明的。它知道自己能躲在山坡頂上的灌木叢中不讓人看見；最主要的是它想看看妖婆的雪橇往哪條路走。其他幾個都坐在山洞裏等着，滿腹疑慮。他們大概等了五分鐘。接着聽見了什麼動靜，嚇得他們要命。他們聽見了說話聲；
“哦，”露茜想，“它被發現了。她逮住它了！”
出乎意外的是，過了一會兒，他們竟聽見海狸先生的聲音在洞口叫他們了。
沒事兒，”它大聲叫道，“出來吧，海狸太太。出來吧，亞當和夏娃的兒女們。沒事兒，原來它不是她！”這句話當然有點不通，不過海狸激動起來就是那麼說話的；我是說在納尼亞——在我們的世界裏海狸通常是根本不說話的。
於是海狸太太和孩子們就匆匆忙忙走出洞來，大家在陽光下直眨眼睛，身上全是土，看上去髒兮兮的，又沒梳洗過，個個都睡眼惺鬆。
“來吧！”海狸先生叫道，它高興得幾乎要跳舞了，“來看哪，這對妖婆是個沉重的打擊！看來她的權力已經完蛋了。”
“你到底什麼意思，海狸先生？”他們大家一齊爬上了陡峭的山坡時，彼得喘着氣問。
“我不是告訴過你們嗎？”海狸先生回答說，“她把這兒變得一年到頭都是冬天，而且從來不過聖誕節。我不是告訴過你們嗎？好吧，你們來看哪！”
於是他們全都站在山坡頂上，放眼望去。
只見一輛雪橇，有幾隻馴鹿，挽具上掛着鈴鐺。不過這些馴鹿比妖婆的馴鹿大多了，它們也不是白鹿，而是棕色的鹿。雪橇上坐着一個人，大家一見這人就認識了。他個頭高大，身穿一件鮮紅的袍子(像冬青果那麼紅)，戴一頂裏面有皮毛的風帽，一部白色的大鬍子像滿是泡沫的水簾子垂在胸前。人人都認識他，儘管只是在納尼亞才見到他這種人．但甚至在我們的世界裏——就是在衣櫃門這一邊的世界裏——我們也見過他們的畫像，聽人談起過他們。不過一旦你在納尼亞真正看到他們，這就不大一樣了。在我們的世界裏，有些聖誕老人的畫片把他畫得只是外貌有趣、逗人而已。不過現在孩子們真正站在他面前瞧着他，就覺得並不完全是這樣。他是那麼魁梧，那麼高興，那麼真實，他們全都靜了下來。他們感到非常高興，但也非常嚴肅。
“我終於來了，”他說，“她把我趕走多年了，但我終於進來了。阿斯蘭在行動，妖婆的魔法在減弱。”
露茜只覺得渾身上下快活得顫抖起來，這種感覺只有在你心情莊嚴而寧靜時纔會有。
“好了，”聖誕老人說，“給你們禮物吧。海狸太太，給你一臺更好的新縫紉機，我路過你們家時會把縫紉機送去的。”
“請別見怪，先生，”海狸太太說着行了個屈膝禮，“房子鎖上了。”
“鎖和門閂對我沒什麼關係。”聖誕老人說，“至於你嘛、海狸先生，等你回到家，就會看到你的堤壩完工了，修好了，所有裂縫都不漏了，還配上了一道新的水閘門。”
海狸先生高興得嘴巴張得老大，什麼話也說不出來。
“彼得，亞當的兒子。”聖誕老人說。
“在，先生。”彼得說。
“這些是你的禮物，”聖誕老人說，“是工具，而不是玩具。用上這些東西的時候也許就快到了，好好帶着吧。”說着他遞給彼得一把劍和一面盾。盾是銀色的，當中有一隻撲騰的紅獅，就像剛摘下的熟草莓那麼紅。劍柄是金鑄的，還配有劍鞘和佩劍用的腰帶，以及一切用劍必備的東西，而且劍的尺寸和重量對彼得也正合適。彼得接過這些禮物時默默無言，態度嚴肅，因爲他覺得這是一份十分莊嚴的禮物。
“蘇珊，夏娃的女兒，”聖誕老人說，“這些是給你的。”他遞給她一張弓、一隻裝滿箭的箭袋和一隻小小的象牙號角。
“你必須在緊急時才能使用這弓箭，”他說，“因爲我無意讓你去打仗。這弓箭百發百中。一旦你拿起這隻號角，吹響了，不管你在哪兒，我想你都會得到幫助。”
最後他才說，“露茜，夏娃的女兒。”露茜走上前去。他給她一隻小瓶子，看上去好像是玻璃的(不過事後人們說那瓶子是鑽石做的)和一把小匕首。“在這個瓶子裏，”他說，“有一種妙藥，是用長在太陽之山上的一種火花的汁提煉的。如果你或是你哪個朋友受了傷，灑上幾滴就能治好。這把匕首是給你在緊急時自衛的。因爲你也用不着打仗。”
“怎麼，先生，”露茜說，“我想——我不知道——不過我想，我會夠勇敢的。”
“不是那個意思，”他說，“讓女人打仗是醜陋的。現在呢，”——說到這兒他突然看上去不那麼嚴肅了——“還有一些東西是眼下給你們大家的！”他拿出(我猜是從他背上那隻大口袋裏拿出來的，不過沒人看見他怎麼拿的)一隻大托盤，上面有五套杯碟，一鉢方糖，一罐奶油，一隻嘶嘶直響的滾燙大茶壺。接着他叫道：“聖誕快樂！真命國王萬歲！”說着一揚鞭子，他們還沒看清他已經動身了，他就駕着馴鹿拉的雪橇走得沒影了。
彼得剛從劍鞘裏抽出劍給海狸先生看，海狸太太就說：
“好了，好了，別站在那兒說話，說得茶涼了。像個男人的樣子。來幫幫忙把托盤搬下去，我們就要吃早餐了。幸虧我想到把麪包刀帶來了。”
於是他們走下陡峭的山坡，回到洞裏，海狸先生切了點麪包和火腿，做成夾肉麪包，海狸太太斟茶，大家吃得津津有味。不過沒等他們好好享用多久，海狸先生就說，“現在是行動的時候了。”
