CHAPTER TWELVE
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SHASTA IN NARNIA "WAS it all a dream?" wondered Shasta. But it couldnt have been a dream for there in the grass before<q>?</q> him he saw the deep, large print of the Lions frht paw. It took ones breath away to think of the weight that could make a footprint like that. But there was something more remarkable than the size about it. As he looked at it, water had already filled the bottom of it. Soon it was full to the brim, and then overflowing, and a little stream was running downhill, past him, over the grass.Shasta stooped and drank - a very long drink - and then dipped his fa and splashed his head. It was extremely cold, and clear as glass, and refreshed him very much. After that he stood up, shaking the water out of his ears and flinging the wet hair back from his forehead, and began to take stock of his surroundings.
Apparently it was still very early m. The sun had only just risen, and it had risen out of the forests which he san and far away on his right. The try j which he was looking at was absolutely o him. It was t a green valley-land dotted with trees through which he caught the gleam of a river that wound away roughly to the North-West. On the far side of the valley there were high and even rocky hills, but they were lower than the mountains he had seeerday. Then he began to guess where he was.
He turned and looked behind him and saw that the slope on which he was standing beloe of far higher mountains.
"I see," said Shasta to himself. "Those are the big mountaiween Arland and Narnia. I was on the°. other side of them yesterday. I must have e through the pass in the night. What luck that I hit it! - at least it wasnt luck at all really, it was Him. And now Im in Narnia.”
He turned and unsaddled his horse and took off its bridle - "Though you are a perfectly horrid horse," he said. It took no notice of this remark and immediately begaing grass. That horse had a very low opinion of Shasta.
"I wish I could eat grass!" thought Shasta. "Its no good going back to Anvard, itll all be besieged. Id better get lower down into the valley and see if I get anything to eat.”
So he went on downhill (the thick dew was cruelly cold to his bare feet) till he came into a wood. There was a kind of track running through it and he had not followed this for many minutes when he heard a thid rather wheezy voice saying to him.
"Good m, neighbour.”
Shasta looked round eagerly to find the speaker and presently saw a small, prickly person with a dark face who had just e out from among the trees. At least, it was small for a person but very big indeed for a hedgehog, which was what it was.
"Good m," said Shasta. "But Im not a neighbour. In fact Im a stranger in these parts.”
"Ah?" said the Hedgehog inquiringly.
"Ive e over the mountains - from Arland, you know.”
"Ha, Arland," said the Hedgehog. "Thats a terrible long way. Never been there myself.”
"And I think, perhaps," said Shasta, "someone ought to be told that theres an army of savage etag Anvard at this very moment.”
"You dont say so!" answered the Hedgehog. "Well, think of that. And they do say that en is hundreds and thousands of miles away, right at the worlds end, across a great sea of sand.”
"Its not nearly as far as you think," said Shasta. "And oughtnt something to be done about this atta Anvard? Oughtnt yh King to be told?”
"Certain sure, something ought to be done about it," said the Hedgehog. "But you see Im just on my way to bed food days sleep. Hullo, neighbour!”
The last words were addressed to an immense biscuitcoloured rabbit whose head had just popped up from somewhere beside the path. The Hedgehog immediately told the Rabbit what it had just learned from Shasta. The Rabbit agreed that this was very remarkable news and that somebody ought to tell someone about it with a view to doing something.
And so it went on. Every few mihey were joined by other creatures, some from the branches overhead and some from little underground houses at their feet, till the party sisted of five rabbits, a squirrel, ties, a goat-foot faun, and a mouse, who all talked at the same time and all agreed with the Hedgehog. For the truth was that in that golden age whed the Winter had gone aer the High King ruled at Cair Paravel, the smaller woodland people of Narnia were so safe and happy that they were getting a little careless.
Presently, however, two more practical people arrived itle wood. One was a Red Dwarf whose name appeared to be Duffle. The other was a stag, a beautiful lordly creature with wide liquid eyes, dappled flanks and legs so thin and graceful that they looked as if you could break them with two fingers.
"Lion alive!" roared the Dwarf as soon as he had heard the news. "And if thats so, why are we all standing still, chattering? E Anvard! News must be sent to Cair Paravel at ohe army must be called out. Narnia must go to the aid of King Lune.”
"Ah!" said the Hedgehog. "But you wont find the High King at the Cair. Hes away to the North troung those giants. And talking of giants, neighbours, that puts me in mind -”
"Wholl take our message?" interrupted the Dwarf. "Anyone here got more speed than me?”
"Ive got speed," said the Stag. "Whats my message? How many enes?”
"Two hundred: under Prince Rabadash. And -" But the Stag<s></s> was already away - all fs off the ground at once, and in a moment its white stern had disappeared among the remoter trees.
"Wonder where hes going," said a Rabbit. "He wont find the High King at Cair Paravel, you know.”
"Hell find Queen Lucy," said Duffle. "And then hullo! Whats wrong with the Human? It looks pretty green. Why, I do believe its quite faint. Perhaps its mortal hungry. When did you last have a meal, youngster?”
"Yesterday m," said Shasta weakly.
"e on, then, e on," said the Dwarf, at ohrowing his thick little arms round Shastas waist to support him. "Why, neighbours, we ought all to be ashamed of ourselves! You e with me, lad. Breakfast! Better than talking.”
With a great deal of bustle, muttering reproaches to itself, the Dwarf half led and half supported Shasta at a great speed further into the wood and a little downhill. It was a longer walk than Shasta wa that moment and his legs had begun to feel very shaky before they came out from the trees on to bare hillside. There they found a little house with a smoking ey and an open door, and as they came to the doorway Duffle called out, "Hey, brothers! A visitor for breakfast.”
And immediately, mixed with a sizzling sound, there came to Shasta a simply delightful smell. It was one he had never smelled in his life before, but I hope you have. It was, in fact, the smell of ba and eggs and mushrooms all frying in a pan.
"Mind your head, lad," said Duffle a moment too late, for Shasta had already bashed his forehead against the low lintel of the door. "Now," tihe Dwarf, "sit you down.
The tables a bit low for you, but theools low too. Thats right. And heres pe - and heres a jug of cream - and heres a spoon.”
By the time Shasta had finished his pe, the Dwarfs two brothers (whose names were Rogin and Bricklethumb) were putting the dish of ba and eggs and mushrooms, and the coffee pot and the hot milk, and the toast, oable.
It was all new and wonderful to Shasta for ene food is quite different. He didnt even know what the slices of brown stuff were, for he had never seen toast before. He didnt know what the yellow soft thing they smeared ooast was, because in en you nearly always get oil instead of butter. And the house itself was quite different from the dark, frowsty, fish-smelling but of Arsheesh and from the pillared and carpeted halls in the palaces of Tashbaan. The roof was very low, and everything was made of wood, and there was a cuckoo-clod a red-and-white checked table-cloth and a bowl of wild flowers and little curtains ohick-paned windows. It was also rather troublesome <u></u>having to use dwarf cups and plates and knives and forks. This meant that helpings were very small, but then there were a great many helpings, so that Shastas plate or cup was being filled every moment, and every moment the Dwarfs themselves were saying, "Butter please", or "Another cup of coffee," or "Id like a few more mushrooms," or "What about frying an or so?" And when at last they had all eaten as much as they possibly could the three Dwarfs drew lots for who would do the washing-up, and Rogin was the unlucky ohen Duffle and Bricklethumb took Shasta outside to a bench which ran against the cottage wall, and they all stretched out their legs and gave a great sigh of te and the two Dwarfs lit their pipes. The dew was off the grass now and the sun was warm; indeed, if there hadnt been a light breeze, it would have been too hot.
"Now, Stranger," said Duffle, "Ill show you the lie of the land. You see nearly all South Narnia from here, and were rather proud of the view. Right away on your left,
beyond those near hills, you just see the Western Mountains. And that round hill away on yht is called the Hill of the Stoable. Just beyond -”
But at that moment he was interrupted by a snore from Shasta who, what with his nights journey and his excellent breakfast, had gone fast asleep. The kindly Dwarfs, as soon as they noticed this, began making signs to each other not to wake him, and indeed did so much whispering and nodding aing up and -tiptoeing away that they certainly would have waked him if he had beeired.
He slept pretty well -nearly all day but woke up in time for supper. The beds in that house were all too small for him but they made him a fine bed of heather on the floor, and he irred nor dreamed all night. m they had just finished breakfast when they heard a shrill, exg sound from outside.
"Trumpets!" said all the Dwarfs, as they and Shasta all came running out.
The trumpets sounded again: a new o Shasta, not huge and solemn like the horns of <tt>?９9lｉb.t>Tashbaan nay and merry like King Lunes hunting horn, but clear and sharp and valiant. The noise was ing from the woods to the East, and soon there was a noise of horse-hoofs mixed with it. A moment later the head of the n came into sight.
First came the Lord Peridan on a bay horse carrying the great banner of Narnia - a red lion on a green ground. Shasta knew him at ohen came three people riding abreast, two o chargers and one on a pony. The two on the chargers were King Edmund and a fair-haired lady with a very merry face who wore a helmet and a mail shirt and carried a bow across her shoulder and a quiver full of arrows at her side. ("The Queen Lucy," whispered Duffle.) But the one on the pony was . After that came the main body of the army: men on ordinary horses, men on Talking Horses (who didnt mind being ridden on proper occasions, as when Narnia went to war), taurs, stern, hard-bitten bears, great Talking Dogs, and last of all six giants. For there are good giants in Narnia. But though he khey were on the right side Shasta at first could hardly bear to look at them; there are some things that take a lot of getting used to.
Just as the King and Queen reached the cottage and the Dwarfs began making low bows to them, King Edmund called out, "Now, friends! Time for a halt and a morsel!" and at ohere was a great bustle of people dismounting and haversacks being opened and versation beginning when came running up to Shasta and seized both his hands and cried, "What! You here! So you got through all right? I am glad. Now we shall have some sport.
And isnt it luck! We only got into harbour at Cair Paravel yesterday m and the very first person who met us was Chervy the Stag with all this news of an atta Anvard. Dont you think -”
"Who is yhnesss friend?" said King Edmund who had just got off his horse.
"Dont you see, Sire?" said . "Its my double: the boy you mistook me for at Tashbaan.”
"Why, so he is your double," exclaimed Queen Lucy. "As like as two twins. This is a marvellous thing.”
"Please, your Majesty," said Shasta to King Edmund, "I was no traitor, really I wasnt.
And I couldnt help hearing your plans. But Id never have dreamed of telling them to your enemies.”
"I know now that you were no traitor, boy," said King Edmund, laying his hand on Shastas head. "But if you would not be taken for one, aime try not to hear whats meant for other ears. But alls well.”
After that there was so much bustle and talk and ing and going that Shasta for a few minutes lost sight of and Edmund and Lucy. But was the sort of boy whom one is sure to hear of pretty soon and it wasnt very long before Shasta heard King Edmund saying in a loud voice: "By the Lions Mane, prihis is too much! Will yhness never be better? You are more of a hearts-scald than our whole army together! Id as lief have a regiment of hors in my and as you.”
Shasta wormed his way through the crowd and there saw Edmund, looking very angry indeed, looking a little ashamed of himself, and a strange Dwarf sitting on the ground making faces. A couple of fauns had apparently just been helping it out of its armour.
"If I had but my cordial with me," Queen Lucy was saying, "I could soohis. But the High King has so strictly charged me not to carry it only to the wars and to keep it only freat extremities!”
What had happened was this. As soon as had spoken to Shasta, s elbow had been plucked by a Dwarf in the army called Thornbut.
"What is it, Thornbut?" had said.
"Your Royal Highness," said Thornbut, drawing him aside, "our march today will bring us through the pass and right to your royal fathers castle. We may be in battle before night.”
"I know," said . "Isnt it splendid!”
"Splendid or not," said Thornbut, "I have the strictest orders from King Edmund to see to it that yhness is not in the fight. You will be allowed to see it, and thats treat enough for yhnesss little years.”
"Oh what nonsense!" burst out. "Of course Im going to fight. Why, the Queen Lucys going to be with the archers.”
"The Queens grace will do as she pleases," said Thornbut. "But you are in my charge.
Either I must have your solemn and princely word that youll keep your pony beside mine - not half a neck ahead - till I give yhness leave to depart: or else - it is his Majestys word - we must go with our wrists tied together like two prisoners.”
"Ill knock you down if you try to bind me," said .
"Id like to see yhness do it," said the Dwarf.
That was quite enough for a boy like and in a sed he and the Dwarf were at it hammer and tongs. It would have been an even match for, though had longer arms and more height, the Dwarf was older and tougher. But it was never fought out (thats the worst of fights on a rough hillside) for by very bad luck Thornbut trod on a loose stone, came flat down on his nose, and found wheried to get up that he had sprained his ankle: a real excruciating sprain which would keep him from walking or riding for at least a fht.
"See what yhness has done," said King Edmund. "Deprived us of a proved warrior on the very edge of battle.”
"Ill take his place, Sire," said .
"Pshaw," said Edmund. "No one doubts your ce. But a boy in battle is a danger only to his own side.”
At that moment the King was called away to attend to something else, and , after apologizing handsomely to the Dwarf, rushed up to Shasta and whispered, "Quick. Theres a spare pony now, and the Dwarfs armour. Put it on before aices.”
"What for?" said Shasta.
"Why, so that you and I fight itle of course! Dont you want to?”
"Oh - ah, yes, of course," said Shasta. But he hadhinking of doing so at all, and began to get a most unfortable prickly feeling in his spine.
"Thats right," said . "Over your head. Now the sword-belt. But we must ride he tail of the n and keep as quiet as mice. Ohe battle begins everyone will be far too busy to notice us.”
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