按键盘上方向键 ← 或 → 可快速上下翻页，按键盘上的 Enter 键可回到本书目录页，按键盘上方向键 ↑ 可回到本页顶部！
————未阅读完？加入书签已便下次继续阅读！
〃dont you believe it；〃 said the ape。 〃and even if it was true； times have changed。 aslan says hes been far too soft with you before； do you see？ well； he isnt going to be soft any more。 hes going to lick you into shape this time。 hell teach you to think hes a tame lion！鈥�
a low moaning and whimpering was heard among the beasts； and； after that； a dead silence which was more miserable still。
〃and now theres another thing you got to learn；〃 said the ape。 〃i hear some of you are saying im an ape。 well； im not。 im a man。 if i look like an ape； thats because im so very old： hundreds and hundreds of years old。 and its because im so old that im so wise。 and its because im so wise that im the only one aslan is ever going to speak to。
he cant be bothered talking to a lot of stupid animals。 hell tell me what youve got to do； and ill tell the rest of you。 and take my advice； and see you do it in double quick time； for he doesnt mean to stand any nonsense。鈥�
there was a dead silence except for the noise of a very young badger crying and its mother trying to make it keep quiet。
〃and now heres another thing；〃 the ape went on； fitting a fresh nut into its cheek； 〃i hear some of the horses are saying； lets hurry up and get this job of carting timber over as quickly as we can； and then well be free again。 well； you can get that idea out of your heads at once。 and not only the horses either。 everybody who can work is going to be made to work in future。 aslan has it all settled with the king of calormen … the tisroc； as our dark faced friends the calormenes call him。 all you horses and bulls and donkeys are to be sent down into calormen to work for your living … pulling and carrying the way horses and such…like do in other countries。 and all you digging animals like moles and rabbits and dwarfs are going down to work in the tisrocs mines。 and …鈥�
〃no； no； no；〃 howled the beasts。 〃it cant be true。 aslan would never sell us into slavery to the king of calormen。鈥�
〃none of that！ hold your noise！〃 said the ape with a snarl。 〃who said anything about slavery？ you wont be slaves。 youll be paid … very good wages too。 that is to say； your pay will be paid into aslans treasury and he will use it all for everybodys good。〃 then he glanced； and almost winked； at the chief calormene。 the calormene bowed and replied； in the pompous calormene way： 〃most sapient mouthpiece of aslan； the tisroc （may he…live…forever） is wholly of one mind with your lordship in this judicious plan。鈥�
〃there！ you see！〃 said the ape。 〃its all arranged。 and all for your own good。 well be able； with the money you earn； to make narnia a country worth living in。 therell be oranges and bananas pouring in … and roads and big cities and schools and offices and whips and muzzles and saddles and cages and kennels and prisons … oh； everything。鈥�
〃but we dont want all those things；〃 said an old bear。 〃we want to be free。 and we want to hear aslan speak himself。鈥�
〃now dont you start arguing；〃 said the ape； 〃for its a thing i wont stand。 im a man： youre only a fat； stupid old bear。 what do you know about freedom？ you think freedom means doing what you like。 well； youre wrong。 that isnt true freedom。 true freedom means doing what i tell you。鈥�
〃h…n…n…h；〃 grunted the bear and scratched its head； it found this sort of thing hard to understand。
〃please； please；〃 said the high voice of a woolly lamb； who was so young that everyone was surprised he dared to speak at all。
〃what is it now？〃 said the ape。 〃be quick。鈥�
〃please；〃 said the lamb； 〃i cant understand。 what have we to do with the calormenes？
we belong to aslan。 they belong to tash。 they have a god called tash。 they say he has four arms and the head of a vulture。 they kill men on his altar。 i dont believe theres any such person as tash。 but if there was； how could aslan be friends with him？鈥�
all the animals cocked their heads sideways and all their bright eyes flashed towards the ape。 they knew it was the best question anyone had asked yet。
the ape jumped up and spat at the lamb。
〃baby！〃 he hissed。 〃silly little bleater！ go home to your mother and drink milk。 what do you understand of such things？ but the others； listen。 tash is only another name for aslan。 all that old idea of us being right and the calormenes wrong is silly。 we know better now。 the calormenes use different words but we all mean the same thing。 tash and aslan are only two different names for you know who。 thats why there can never be any quarrel between them。 get that into your heads； you stupid brutes。 tash is aslan： aslan is tash。鈥�
you know how sad your own dogs face can look sometimes。 think of that and then think of all the faces of those talking beasts … all those honest； humble； bewildered birds； bears； badgers； rabbits； moles； and mice … all far sadder than that。 every tail was down； every whisker drooped。 it would have broken your heart with very pity to see their faces。
there was only one who did not look at all unhappy。
it was a ginger cat … a great big tom in the prime of life … who sat bolt upright with his tail curled round his toes； in the very front row of all the beasts。 he had been staring hard at the ape and the calormene captain all the time and had never once blinked his eyes。
〃excuse me；〃 said the cat very politely； 〃but this interests me。 does your friend from calormen say the same？鈥�
〃assuredly；〃 said the calormene。 〃the enlightened ape … man； i mean … is in the right。
aslan means neither less nor more than tash。鈥�
〃especially； aslan means no more than tash？〃 suggested the cat。
〃no more at all；〃 said the calormene； looking the cat straight in the face。
〃is that good enough for you； ginger？〃 said the ape。
〃oh certainly；〃 said ginger coolly。 〃thank you very much。 i only wanted to be quite clear。 i think i am beginning to understand。鈥�
up till now the king and jewel had said nothing： they were waiting until the ape should bid them speak； for they thought it was no use interrupting。 but now； as tirian looked round on the miserable faces of the narnians； and saw how they would all believe that aslan and tash were one and the same； he could bear it no longer。
〃ape；〃 he cried with a great voice； 〃you lie damnably。 you lie like a calormene。 you lie like an ape。鈥�
he meant to go on and ask how the terrible god tash who fed on the blood of his people could possibly be the same as the good lion by whose blood all narnia was saved。 if he had been allowed to speak； the rule of the ape might have ended that day； the beasts might have seen the truth and thrown the ape down。 but before he could say another word two calormenes struck him in the mouth with all their force； and a third； from behind； kicked his feet from under him。 and as he fell； the ape squealed in rage and terror。
〃take him away。 take him away。 take him where he cannot hear us； nor we hear him。
there tie him to a tree。 i will … i mean； aslan will … do justice on him later。鈥�
w锛穡锛氾紵
CHAPTER FOUR
锝炲皬 璇磘 xt 澶诲爞
what happened that night
the king was so dizzy from being knocked down that he hardly