THE VOYAGE OF THE DAWN TREADER-第21章

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u　see　they　had　made　me　　invisible　too　and　being　invisible　always　makes　me　so　sleepy。　heigh…ho　…　there　im　yawning　　again。　are　you　hungry？”

〃well；　perhaps　i　am　a　little；〃　said　lucy。　〃ive　no　idea　what　the　time　is。”

〃e；〃　said　the　magician。　〃all　times　may　be　soon　to　aslan；　but　in　my　home　　all　hungry　times　are　one　oclock。”

he　led　her　a　little　way　down　the　passage　and　opened　a　door。　passing　in；　　lucy　found　herself　in　a　pleasant　room　full　of　sunlight　and　flowers。　the　table　was　bare　　when　they　　

entered；　but　it　was　of　course　a　magic　table；　and　at　a　word　from　the　old　man　　the　tablecloth；　silver；　plates；　glasses　and　food　appeared。

〃i　hope　that　is…what　you　would　like；〃　said　he。　〃i　have　tried　to　give　you　　food　more　like　the　food　of　your　own　land　than　perhaps　you　have　had　lately。”

〃its　lovely；〃　said　lucy；　and　so　it　was；　an　omelette；　piping　hot；　cold　lamb　　and　green　peas；　a　strawberry　ice；　lemonsquash　to　drink　with　the　meal　and　a　cup　of　chocolate　　to　follow。

but　the　magician　himself　drank　only　wine　and　ate　only　bread。　there　was　　nothing　alarming　about　him；　and　lucy　and　he　were　soon　chatting　away　like　old　　friends。

〃when　will　the　spell　work？〃　asked　lucy。　〃will　the　duffers　be　visible　again　　at　once？”

〃oh　yes；　theyre　visible　now。　but　theyre　probably　all　asleep　still；　they　　always　take　a　rest　in　the　middle　of　the　day。”

〃and　now　that　theyre　visible；　are　you　going　to　let　them　off　being　ugly？　　will　you　make　them　as　they　were　before？”

〃well；　thats　rather　a　delicate　question；〃　said　the　magician。　〃you　see；　　its　only　they　who　think　they　were　so　nice　to　look　at　before。　they　say　theyve　been　uglified；　　but　that　isnt　what　i　called　it。　many　people　might　say　the　change　was　for　the　better。”

〃are　they　awfully　conceited？”

〃they　are。　or　at　least　the　chief　duffer　is；　and　hes　taught　all　the　rest　to　　be。　they　always　believe　every　word　he　says。”

〃wed　noticed　that；〃　said　lucy。

〃yes　…　wed　get　on　better　without　him；　in　a　way。　of　course　i　could　turn　him　　into　something　else；　or　even　put　a　spell　on　him　which　would　make　them　not　　believe　a　word　he　said。　but　i　dont　like　to　do　that。　its　better　for　them　to　admire　him　than　　to　admire　nobody。”

〃dont　they　admire　you？〃　asked　lucy。

〃oh；　not　me；〃　said　the　magician。　〃they　wouldnt　admire　me。”

〃what　was　it　you　uglified　them　for　…　i　mean；　what　they　call　uglified？”

〃well；　they　wouldnt　do　what　they　were　told。　their　work　is　to　mind　the　　garden　and　raise　food　…　not　for　me；　as　they　imagine；　but　for　themselves。　they　wouldnt　do　it　　at　all　if　i　didnt　make　them。　and　of　course　for　a　garden　you　want　water。　there　is　a　beautiful　　spring　about　half　a　mile　away　up　the　hill。　and　from　that　spring　there　flows　a　stream　　which　es　right　past　the　garden。　all　i　asked　them　to　do　was　to　take　their　water　from　the　　stream　instead　of　trudging　up　to　the　spring　with　their　buckets　two　or　three　times　a　day　and　　tiring　themselves　　

out　besides　spilling　half　of　it　on　the　way　back。　but　they　wouldnt　see　it。　　in　the　end　they　refused　point　blank。”

〃are　they　as　stupid　as　all　that？〃　asked　lucy。

the　magician　sighed。　〃you　wouldnt　believe　the　troubles　ive　had　with　them。　　a　few　months　ago　they　were　all　for　washing　up　the　plates　and　knives　before　　dinner：　they　said　it　saved　time　afterwards。　ive　caught　them　planting　boiled　potatoes　to　save　　cooking　them　when　they　were　dug　up。　one　day　the　cat　got　into　the　dairy　and　twenty　of　　them　were　at　work　moving　all　the　milk　out；　no　one　thought　of　moving　the　cat。　but　i　see　　youve　finished。　lets　go　and　look　at　the　duffers　now　they　can　be　looked　at。”

they　went　into　another　room　which　was　full　of　polished　instruments　hard　to　　understand　…　such　as　astrolabes；　orreries；　chronoscopes；　poesimeters；　choriambuses　and　　theodolinds　…　and　here；　when　they　had　e　to　the　window；　the　magician　said；　〃there。　　there　are　your　duffers。”

〃i　dont　see　anybody；〃　said　lucy。　〃and　what　are　those　mushroom　things？”

the　things　she　pointed　at　were　dotted　all　over　the　level　grass。　they　were　　certainly　very　like　mushrooms；　but　far　too　big　…　the　stalks　about　three　feet　high　and　the　　umbrellas　about　the　same　length　from　edge　to　edge。　when　she　looked　carefully　she　noticed　　too　that　the　stalks　joined　the　umbrellas　not　in　the　middle　but　at　one　side　which　gave　an　　unbalanced　look　to　them。　and　there　was　something　…　a　sort　of　little　bundle　…　lying　on　　the　grass　at　the　foot　of　each　stalk。　in　fact　the　longer　she　gazed　at　them　the　less　like　　mushrooms　they　appeared。　the　umbrella　part　was　not　really　round　as　she　had　thought　at　　first。　it　was　longer　than　it　was　broad；　and　it　widened　at　one　end。　there　were　a　great　many　of　　them；　fifty　or　more。

the　clock　struck　three。

instantly　a　most　extraordinary　thing　happened。　each　of　the　〃mushrooms〃　　suddenly　turned　upside…down。　the　little　bundles　which　had　lain　at　the　bottom　of　the　stalks　　were　heads　and　bodies。　the　stalks　themselves　were　legs。　but　not　two　legs　to　each　body。　　each　body　had　a　single　thick　leg　right　under　it　（not　to　one　side　like　the　leg　of　a　one…　legged　man）　and　at　the　end　of　it；　a　single　enormous　foot…a　broadtoed　foot　with　the　toes　curling　up　　a　little　so　that　it　looked　rather　like　a　small　canoe。　she　saw　in　a　moment　why　they　had　　looked　like　mushrooms。　they　had　been　lying　flat　on　their　backs　each　with　its　single　leg　　straight　up　in　the　air　and　its　enormous　foot　spread　out　above　it。　she　learned　afterwards　　that　this　was　their　ordinary　way　of　resting；　for　the　foot　kept　off　both　rain　and　sun　and　　for　a　monopod　to　lie　under　its　own　foot　is　almost　as　good　as　being　in　a　tent。

〃oh；　the　funnies；　the　funnies；〃　cried　lucy；　bursting　into　laughter。　〃did　　you　make　them　like　that？”

〃yes；　yes。　i　made　the　duffers　into　monopods；〃　said　the　magician。　he　too　was　　laughing　till　the　tears　ran　down　his　cheeks。　〃but　watch；〃　he　added。

it　was　worth　watching。　of　course　these　little　one…footed　men　couldnt　walk　　or　run　as　we　do。　they　got　about　by　jumping；　like　fleas　or　frogs。　and　what　jumps　they　　made！　as　if　each　big　foot　were　a　mass　of　springs。　and　with　what　a　bounce　they　came　down；　　that　was　what　made　the　thumping　noise　which　had　so　puzzled　lucy　yesterday。　for　now　they　　were　jumping　in　all　directions　and　calling　out　to　one　another；　〃hey；　lads！　were　　visible　again。”

〃visible　we　are；〃　said　one　in　a　tasselled　red　cap　who　was　obviously　the　　chief　monopod。

〃and　what　i　say　is；　when　chaps　are　visible；　why；　they　can　see　one　another。”

〃ah；　there　it　is；　there　it　is；　chief；〃　cried　all　the　others。　〃theres　the　　point。　no　ones　got　a　clearer　head　than　you。　you　couldnt　have　made　it　plainer。”

〃she　caught　the　old　man　napping；　that　little　girl　did；〃　said　the　chief　　monopod。　〃weve　beaten　him　this　time。”

〃just　what　we　were；　going　to　say　ourselves；〃　chimed　the　chorus。　〃youre　　going　stronger　than　ever　today；　chief。　keep　it　up；　keep　it　up。”

〃but　do　they　dare　to　talk　about　you　like　that？〃　said　lucy。　〃they　seemed　to　　be　so　afraid　of　you　yesterday。　dont　they　know　you　might　be　listening？”

〃thats　one　of　the　funny　things　about　the　duffers；〃　said　the　magician。　〃one　　minute　they　talk　as　if　i　ran　everything　and　overheard　everything　and　was　extremely　　dangerous。　the　next　moment　they　think　they　can　take　me　in　by　tricks　that　a　baby　would　see　　through　…　bless　them！”

〃will　they　have　to　be　turned　back　into　their　proper　shapes？〃　asked　lucy。　　〃oh；　i　do　hope　it　wouldnt　be　unkind　to　leave　them　as　they　are。　do　they　really　mind　very　　much？　they　seem　pretty　happy。　i　say　…　look　at　that　jump。　what　were　they　like　before？”

〃mon　little　dwarfs；〃　said　he。　〃nothing　like　so　nice　as　the　sort　you　have　　in　narnia。”

〃it　would　be　a　pity　to　change　them　back；〃　said　lucy。　〃theyre　so　funny：　and　　theyre　rather　nice。　do　you　think　it　would　make　any　difference　if　i　told　them　that？”

〃im　sure　it　would　…　if　you　could　get　it　into　their　heads。”

〃will　you　e　with　me　and　try？”

〃no；　no。　youll　get　on　far　better　without　me。”

〃thanks　awfully　for　the　lunch；〃　said　lucy　and　turned　quickly　away。　she　ran　　down　the　stairs　which　she　had　e　up　so　nervously　that　morning　and　cannoned　into　　edmund　at　　

the　bottom。　all　the　others　were　there　with　him　waiting；　and　lucys　　conscience　smote　her　when　she　saw　their　anxious　faces　and　realized　how　long　she　had　forgotten　　them。

〃its　all　right；〃　she　shouted。　〃everythings　all　right。　the　magicians　a　　brick　…　and　ive　seen　him　…　aslan。”

after　that　she　went　from　them　like　the　wind　and　out　into　the　garden。　here　　the　earth　was　shaking　with　the　jumps　and　the　air　ringing　with　the　shouts　of　the　monopods。　　both　were　redoubled　when　they　caught　sight　of　her。

〃here　she　es；　here　she　es；〃　they　cried。　〃three　cheers　for　the　little　　girl。　ah！　she　put　it　across　the　old　gentleman　properly；　she　did。”

〃and　were　extremely　regrettable；〃　said　the　chief　monopod；　〃that　we　cant　　give　you　the　pleasure　of　seeing　us　as　we　were　before　we　were　uglified；　for　you　wouldnt　　believe　the　difference；　and　thats　the　truth；　for　theres　no　denying　were　mortal　ugly　　now；　so　we　wont　deceive　you。”

〃eh；　that　we　are；　chief；　that　we　are；〃　echoed　the　others；　bouncing　like　so　　many　toy　balloons。　〃youve　said　it；　youve　said　it。”

〃but　i　dont　think　you　are　at　all；〃　said　lucy；　shouting　to　make　herself　　heard。　〃i　think　you　look　very　nice。”

〃hear　her；　hear　her；〃　said　the　monopods。　〃true　for　you；　m