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chater even a day with the beaver（第2页）

Sothechildrenallgotclosetogetherandwalkeduptothetreeandinbehindit，andthere，sureenough，theyfoundtheBeaver；butitstilldrewback，sayingtotheminahoarsethroatywhisper，“Furtherin，comefurtherin．Rightinhere．We’renotsafeintheopen！”Onlywhenithadledthemintoadarkspotwherefourtreesgrewsoclosetogetherthattheirboughsmetandthebrownearthandpineneedlescouldbeseenunderfootbecausenosnowhadbeenabletofallthere，diditbegintotalktothem．

“AreyoutheSonsofAdamandtheDaughtersofEve？”itsaid。

“We’resomeofthem，”saidPeter．

“S-s-s-sh！”saidtheBeaver，“notsoloudplease．We’renotsafeevenhere．”

“Why，whoareyouafraidof？”saidPeter．“There’snooneherebutourselves．”

“Therearethetrees，”saidtheBeaver．“They’realwayslistening．Mostofthemareonourside，buttherearetreesthatwouldbetrayustoher；youknowwhoImean，”anditnoddeditsheadseveraltimes．

“Ifitcomestotalkingaboutsides，”saidEdmund，“howdoweknowyou’reafriend？”

“Notmeaningtoberude，Mr。Beaver，”addedPeter，“butyousee，we’restrangers．”

“Quiteright，quiteright，”saidtheBeaver．“Hereismytoken。”Withthesewordsithelduptothemalittlewhiteobject。Theyalllookedatitinsurprise，tillsuddenlyLucysaid，“Oh，ofcourse．It’smyhandkerchief-theoneIgavetopoorMr。Tumnus．”

“That’sright，”saidtheBeaver．“Poorfellow，hegotwindofthearrestbeforeitactuallyhappenedandhandedthisovertome。HesaidthatifanythinghappenedtohimImustmeetyouhereandtakeyouonto-”HeretheBeaver’svoicesankintosilenceanditgaveoneortwoverymysteriousnods．Thensignallingtothechildrentostandasclosearounditastheypossiblycould，sothattheirfaceswereactuallytickledbyitswhiskers，itaddedinalowwhisper-

“TheysayAslanisonthemove-perhapshasalreadylanded．”

Andnowaverycuriousthinghappened．NoneofthechildrenknewwhoAslanwasanymorethanyoudo；butthemomenttheBeaverhadspokenthesewordseveryonefeltquitedifferent．Perhapsithassometimeshappenedtoyouinadreamthatsomeonesayssomethingwhichyoudon’tunderstandbutinthedreamitfeelsasifithadsomeenormousmeaning-eitheraterrifyingonewhichturnsthewholedreamintoanightmareorelsealovelymeaningtoolovelytoputintowords，whichmakesthedreamsobeautifulthatyourememberitallyourlifeandarealwayswishingyoucouldgetintothatdreamagain．Itwaslikethatnow．AtthenameofAslaneachoneofthechildrenfeltsomethingjumpinitsinside．Edmundfeltasensationofmysterioushorror．Peterfeltsuddenlybraveandadventurous．Susanfeltasifsomedelicioussmellorsomedelightfulstrainofmusichadjustfloatedbyher．AndLucygotthefeelingyouhavewhenyouwakeupinthemorningandrealizethatitisthebeginningoftheholidaysorthebeginningofsummer．

“AndwhataboutMr。Tumnus，”saidLucy；“whereishe？”

“S-s-s-sh，”saidtheBeaver，“nothere．Imustbringyouwherewecanhavearealtalkandalsodinner．”

NooneexceptEdmundfeltanydifficultyabouttrustingthebeavernow，andeveryone，includingEdmund，wasverygladtoheartheword“dinner”．Theythereforeallhurriedalongbehindtheirnewfriendwholedthematasurprisinglyquickpace，andalwaysinthethickestpartsoftheforest，foroveranhour．Everyonewasfeelingverytiredandveryhungrywhensuddenlythetreesbegantogetthinnerinfrontofthemandthegroundtofallsteeplydownhill．Aminutelatertheycameoutundertheopensky（thesunwasstillshining）andfoundthemselveslookingdownonafinesight．

Theywerestandingontheedgeofasteep，narrowvalleyatthebottomofwhichran-atleastitwouldhavebeenrunningifithadn’tbeenfrozen-afairlylargeriver．Justbelowthemadamhadbeenbuiltacrossthisriver，andwhentheysawiteveryonesuddenlyrememberedthatofcoursebeaversarealwaysmakingdamsandfeltquitesurethatMr。Beaverhadmadethisone．Theyalsonoticedthathenowhadasortofmodestexpressiononhis，face-thesortoflookpeoplehavewhenyouarevisitingagardenthey’vemadeorreadingastorythey’vewritten．SoitwasonlycommonpolitenesswhenSusansaid，“Whatalovelydam！”AndMr。Beaverdidn’tsay“Hush”thistimebut“Merelyatrifle！Merelyatrifle！Anditisn’treallyfinished！”

Abovethedamtherewaswhatoughttohavebeenadeeppoolbutwasnow，ofcourse，alevelfloorofdarkgreenice．Andbelowthedam，muchlowerdown，wasmoreice，butinsteadofbeingsmooththiswasallfrozenintothefoamyandwavyshapesinwhichthewaterhadbeenrushingalongattheverymomentwhenthefrostcame．Andwherethewaterhadbeentricklingoverandspurtingthroughthedamtherewasnowaglitteringwalloficicles，asifthesideofthedamhadbeencoveredalloverwithflowersandwreathsandfestoonsofthepurestsugar．Andoutinthemiddle，andpartlyontopofthedamwasafunnylittlehouseshapedratherlikeanenormousbeehiveandfromaholeintheroofsmokewasgoingup，sothatwhenyousawit（especiallyifyouwerehungry）youatoncethoughtofcookingandbecamehungrierthanyouwerebefore．

Thatwaswhattheotherschieflynoticed，butEdmundnoticedsomethingelse．Alittlelowerdowntherivertherewasanothersmallriverwhichcamedownanothersmallvalleytojoinit．Andlookingupthatvalley，Edmundcouldseetwosmallhills，andhewasalmostsuretheywerethetwohillswhichtheWhiteWitchhadpointedouttohimwhenhepartedfromheratthelamp-postthatotherday．Andthenbetweenthem，hethought，mustbeherpalace，onlyamileofforless．AndhethoughtaboutTurkishDelightandaboutbeingaKing（“AndIwonderhowPeterwilllikethat？”heaskedhimself）andhorribleideascameintohishead．

“Hereweare，”saidMr。Beaver，“anditlooksasifMrs。Beaverisexpectingus．I’llleadtheway．Butbecarefulanddon’tslip．”

Thetopofthedamwaswideenoughtowalkon，thoughnot（forhumans）averyniceplacetowalkbecauseitwascoveredwithice，andthoughthefrozenpoolwaslevelwithitononeside，therewasanastydroptothelowerriverontheother．AlongthisrouteMr。Beaverledtheminsinglefilerightouttothemiddlewheretheycouldlookalongwayuptheriverandalongwaydownit．Andwhentheyhadreachedthemiddletheywereatthedoorofthehouse．

“Hereweare，Mrs。Beaver，”saidMr。Beaver，“I’vefoundthem．HerearetheSonsandDaughtersofAdamandEve”-andtheyallwentin．

ThefirstthingLucynoticedasshewentinwasaburringsound，andthefirstthingshesawwasakindlookingoldshe-beaversittinginthecornerwithathreadinhermouthworkingbusilyathersewingmachine，anditwasfromitthatthesoundcame．Shestoppedherworkandgotupassoonasthechildrencamein．

“Soyou’vecomeatlast！”shesaid，holdingoutbothherwrinkledoldpaws．“Atlast！TothinkthateverIshouldlivetoseethisday！Thepotatoesareonboilingandthekettle’ssingingandIdaresay，Mr。Beaver，you’llgetussomefish．”

“ThatIwill，”saidMr。Beaver，andhewentoutofthehouse（Peterwentwithhim），andacrosstheiceofthedeeppooltowherehehadalittleholeintheicewhichhekeptopeneverydaywithhishatchet．Theytookapailwiththem．Mr。Beaversatdownquietlyattheedgeofthehole（hedidn’tseemtominditbeingsochilly），lookedhardintoit，thensuddenlyshotinhispaw，andbeforeyoucouldsayJackRobinsonhadwhiskedoutabeautifultrout．Thenhediditalloveragainuntiltheyhadafinecatchoffish．

MeanwhilethegirlswerehelpingMrs。BeavertofillthekettleandlaythetableandcutthebreadandputtheplatesintheoventoheatanddrawahugejugofbeerforMr。Beaverfromabarrelwhichstoodinonecornerofthehouse，andtoputonthefrying-panandgetthedrippinghot．LucythoughttheBeavershadaverysnuglittlehomethoughitwasnotatalllikeMr。Tumnus’scave．Therewerenobooksorpictures，andinsteadofbedstherewerebunks，likeonboardship，builtintothewall．Andtherewerehamsandstringsofonionshangingfromtheroof，andagainstthewallsweregumbootsandoilskinsandhatchetsandpairsofshearsandspadesandtrowelsandthingsforcarryingmortarinandfishing-rodsandfishing-netsandsacks．Andtheclothonthetable，thoughveryclean，wasveryrough．