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CHAPTER FOUR THE DWARF TELLS OF PRINCE CASPIAN（第1页）

PRINCECASPIANlivedinagreatcastleinthecentreofNarniawithhisuncle，Miraz，theKingofNarnia，andhisaunt，whohadredhairandwascalledQueenPrunaprismia．HisfatherandmotherweredeadandthepersonwhomCaspianlovedbestwashisnurse，andthough（beingaprince）hehadwonderfultoyswhichwoulddoalmostanythingbuttalk，helikedbestthelasthourofthedaywhenthetoyshadallbeenputbackintheircupboardsandNursewouldtellhimstories．

Hedidnotcaremuchforhisuncleandaunt，butabouttwiceaweekhisunclewouldsendforhimandtheywouldwalkupanddowntogetherforhalfanhourontheterraceatthesouthsideofthecastle．Oneday，whiletheyweredoingthis，theKingsaidtohim，

“Well，boy，wemustsoonteachyoutorideanduseasword．YouknowthatyourauntandIhavenochildren，soitlooksasifyoumighthavetobeKingwhenI’mgone．Howshallyoulikethat，eh？”

“Idon’tknow，Uncle，”saidCaspian．

“Don’tknow，eh？”saidMiraz．“Why，Ishouldliketoknowwhatmoreanyonecouldwishfor！”

“Allthesame，Idowish，”saidCaspian．

“Whatdoyouwish？”askedtheKing．

“Iwish—Iwish—IwishIcouldhavelivedintheOldDays，”saidCaspian．（Hewasonlyaverylittleboyatthetime．）

UptillnowKingMirazhadbeentalkinginthetiresomewaythatsomegrown-upshave，whichmakesitquiteclearthattheyarenotreallyinterestedinwhatyouaresaying，butnowhesuddenlygaveCaspianaverysharplook．

“Eh？What’sthat？”hesaid．“Whatolddaysdoyoumean？”

“Oh，don’tyouknow，Uncle？”saidCaspian．“Wheneverythingwasquitedifferent．Whenalltheanimalscouldtalk，andtherewerenicepeoplewholivedinthestreamsandthetrees．NaiadsandDryadstheywerecalled．AndtherewereDwarfs．AndtherewerelovelylittleFaunsinallthewoods．Theyhadfeetlikegoats．And—”

“That’sallnonsense，forbabies，”saidtheKingsternly．“Onlyfitforbabies，doyouhear？You’regettingtoooldforthatsortofstuff．Atyourageyououghttobethinkingofbattlesandadventures，notfairytales．”

“Oh，buttherewerebattlesandadventuresinthosedays，”saidCaspian．“Wonderfuladventures．OncetherewasaWhiteWitchandshemadeherselfQueenofthewholecountry．Andshemadeitsothatitwasalwayswinter．AndthentwoboysandtwogirlscamefromsomewhereandsotheykilledtheWitchandtheyweremadeKingsandQueensofNarnia，andtheirnameswerePeterandSusanandEdmundandLucy．Andsotheyreignedforeversolongandeveryonehadalovelytime，anditwasallbecauseofAslan—”

“Who’she？”saidMiraz．AndifCaspianhadbeenaverylittleolder，thetoneofhisuncle’svoicewouldhavewarnedhimthatitwouldbewisertoshutup．Buthebabbledon，

“Oh，don’tyouknow？”hesaid．“AslanisthegreatLionwhocomesfromoverthesea．”

“Whohasbeentellingyouallthisnonsense？”saidtheKinginavoiceofthunder．Caspianwasfrightenedandsaidnothing．

“YourRoyalHighness，”saidKingMiraz，lettinggoofCaspian’shand，whichhehadbeenholdingtillnow，“Iinsistuponbeinganswered．Lookmeintheface．Whohasbeentellingyouthispackoflies？”

“N-Nurse，”falteredCaspian，andburstintotears．

“Stopthatnoise，”saidhisuncle，takingCaspianbytheshouldersandgivinghimashake．“Stopit．Andneverletmecatchyoutalking-orthinkingeither-aboutallthosesillystoriesagain．ThereneverwerethoseKingsandQueens．HowcouldtherebetwoKingsatthesametime？Andthere’snosuchpersonasAslan．Andtherearenosuchthingsaslions．Andthereneverwasatimewhenanimalscouldtalk．Doyouhear？”

“Yes，Uncle，”sobbedCaspian．

“Thenlet’shavenomoreofit，”saidtheKing．Thenhecalledtooneofthegentlemen-in-waitingwhowerestandingatthefarendoftheterraceandsaidinacoldvoice，“ConductHisRoyalHighnesstohisapartmentsandsendHisRoyalHighness’snursetomeATONCE．”

NextdayCaspianfoundwhataterriblethinghehaddone，forNursehadbeensentawaywithoutevenbeingallowedtosaygood-byetohim，andhewastoldhewastohaveaTutor．

Caspianmissedhisnurseverymuchandshedmanytears;andbecausehewassomiserable，hethoughtabouttheoldstoriesofNarniafarmorethanbefore．HedreamedofDwarfsandDryadseverynightandtriedveryhardtomakethedogsandcatsinthecastletalktohim．Butthedogsonlywaggedtheirtailsandthecatsonlypurred．

CaspianfeltsurethathewouldhatethenewTutor，buywhenthenewTutorarrivedaboutaweeklaterheturnsouttobethesortofpersonitisalmostimpossiblenottolike．Hewasthesmallest，andalsothefattest，manCaspianhadeverseen．Hehadalong，silvery，pointedbeardwhichcamedowntohiswaist，andhisface，whichwasbrownandcoveredwithwrinkles，lookedverywise，veryugly，andverykind．Hisvoicewasgraveandhiseyesweremerrysothat，untilyougottoknowhimreallywell，itwashardtoknowwhenhewasjokingandwhenhewasserious．HisnamewasDoctorCornelius．

OfallhislessonswithDoctorCorneliustheonethatCaspianlikedbestwasHistory．Uptillnow，exceptforNurse’sstories，hehadknownnothingabouttheHistoryofNarnia，andhewasverysurprisedtolearnthattheroyalfamilywerenewcomersinthecountry.

“ItwasyourHighness’sancestor，CaspiantheFirst，”saidDoctorCornelius，“whofirstconqueredNarniaandmadeithiskingdom．Itwashewhobroughtallyournationintothecountry．YouarenotnativeNarniansatall．YouareallTelmarines—thatis，youallcamefromtheLandofTelmar，farbeyondtheWesternMountains．ThatiswhyCaspiantheFirstiscalledCaspiantheConqueror．”

“Please，Doctor，”askedCaspianoneday，“wholivedinNarniabeforeweallcamehereoutofTelmar？”

“Nomen—orveryfew—livedinNarniabeforetheTelmarinestookit，”saidDoctorCornelius．

“Thenwhodidmygreat-great-grandcestersconquer？”

“Whom，notwho，yourHighness，”saidDoctorCornelius．“PerhapsitistimetoturnfromHistorytoGrammar．”

“Ohplease，notyet！”saidCaspian．

“Imean，wasn’tthereabattle？WhyishecalledCaspiantheConqueroriftherewasnobodytofightwithhim？”

“IsaidtherewereveryfewmeninNarnia，”saidtheDoctor，lookingatthelittleboyverystrangelythroughhisgreatspectacles．

ForamomentCaspianwaspuzzledandthensuddenlyhisheartgavealeap．“Doyoumean，”hegasped，“thattherewereotherthings？Doyoumeanitwaslikeinthestories？Werethere-？”

“Hush！”saidDoctorCornelius，layinghisheadveryclosetoCaspian’s．“Notawordmore．Don’tyouknowyourNursewassentawayfortellingyouaboutOldNarnia？TheKingdoesn’tlikeit．Ifhefoundmetellingyousecrets，you’dbewhippedandIshouldhavemyheadcutoff．”

“Butwhy？”askedCaspian．

“1tishightimeweturnedtoGrammarnow，”saidDoctorCorneliusinaloudvoice．“WillyourRoyalHighnessbepleasedtoopenPulverulentusSiccusatthefourthpageofhisGrammaticalgardenortheArbourofAccidencepleasantlieopen’dtoTenderWits？”

Afterthatitwasallnounsandverbstilllunchtime，butIdon’tthinkCaspianlearnedmuch．Hewastooexcited．HefeltsurethatDoctorCorneliuswouldnothavesaidsomuchunlesshemeanttotellhimmoresoonerorlater．

Inthishewasnotdisappointed．AfewdayslaterhisTutorsaid，“TonightIamgoingtogiveyoualessoninAstronomy．Atdeadofnighttwonobleplanets，TarvaandAlambil，willpasswithinonedegreeofeachother．Suchaconjunctionhasnotoccurredfortwohundredyears，andyourHighnesswillnotlivetoseeitagain．Itwillbebestifyougotobedalittleearlierthanusual．Whenthetimeoftheconjunctiondrawsnear，Iwillcomeandwakeyou．”

Thisdidn’tseemtohaveanythingtodowithOldNarnia，whichwaswhatCaspianreallywantedtohearabout，butgettingupinthemiddleofthenightisalwaysinterestingandhewasmoderatelypleased．Whenhewenttobedthatnight，hethoughtatfirstthathewouldnotbeabletosleep;buthesoondroppedoffanditseemedonlyafewminutesbeforehefeltsomeonegentlyshakinghim．

请勿开启浏览器阅读模式，否则将导致章节内容缺失及无法阅读下一章。

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