CHAPTER TEN
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THE SPELL BEGINS TO BREAK Now we must go bar and Mrs Beaver and the three other children. As soon as Mr Beaver said, "Theres no time to lose," everyone began bundling themselves into coats, except Mrs Beaver, who started pig up sacks and laying them oable and said: "Now, Mr Beaver, just reach down that ham. And heres a packet of tea, and theres sugar, and some matches. And if someone will get two or three loaves out of the crock over there in the er.”"What are you doing, Mrs Beaver?" exclaimed Susan.
"Pag a load for each of us, dearie," said Mrs Beaver very coolly. "You didnt think wed set out on a journey with nothing to eat, did you?”
"But we havent time!" said Susan, buttoning the collar of her coat. "She may be here any minute.”
"Thats what I say," chimed in Mr Beaver.
"Get along with you all," said his wife. "Think it over, Mr Beaver. She t be here for quarter of an hour at least.”
"But dont we want as big a start as ossibly get," said Peter, "if were to reach the Stoable before her?”
"Youve got to remember that, Mrs Beaver," said Susan. "As soon as she has looked in here and finds were gone shell be off at top speed.”
"That she will," said Mrs Beaver. "But we t get there before her whatever we do, for shell be on a sledge and well be walking.”
"Then - have we no hope?" said Susan.
"Now dont you get fussing, theres a dear," said Mrs Beaver, "but just get half a dozen handkerchiefs out of the drawer. Course weve got a hope. We t get there before her but we c<samp></samp>an keep under cover and go by ways she wont exped perhaps well get through.”
"Thats true enough, Mrs Beaver," said her husband. "But its time we were out of this.”
"And dont you start fussiher, Mr Beaver," said his wife. "There. Thats better.
Theres five loads and the smallest for the smallest of us: thats you, my dear," she added, looking at Lucy.
"Oh, do please e on," said Lucy.
"Well, Im nearly ready now," answered Mrs Beaver at last, allowing her husband to help her into; her snow-boots. "I suppose the sewing maes took heavy t?”
"Yes. It is," said Mr Beaver. "A great deal too heavy. And you dont think youll be able to use it while were on the run, I suppose?”
"I t abide the thought of that Witch fiddling with it," said Mrs Beaver, "and breaking it or stealing it, as likely as not.”
"Oh, please, please, please, do hurry!" said the three children. And so at last they all got outside and Mr Beaver locked the door ("Itll delay her a bit," he said) and they set off, all carrying their loads over their shoulders.
The snow had stopped and the moon had e out when they began their jourhey went in single file - first Mr Beaver, then Lucy, theer, then Susan, and Mrs Beaver last of all. Mr Beaver led them across the dam and on to the right bank of the river and then along a very rough sort of path among the trees right down by the river-bank. The sides of the valley, shining in the moonlight, towered up far above them oher hand.
"Best keep down here as much as possible," he said. "Shell have to keep to the top, for you couldnt bring a sledge down here.”
It would have been a pretty enough se to look at it through a window from a fortable armchair; and even as things were, Lujoyed it at first. But as they went on walking and walking - and walking and as the sack she was carryi heavier and heavier, she began to wonder how she was going to keep up at all. And she stopped looking at the dazzling brightness of the frozen river with all its waterfalls of id at the white masses of the tree-tops and the great glaring moon and the tless stars and could only watch the little short legs of Mr Beaver going pad-pad-pad-pad through the snow in front of her as if they were never going to stop. Then the moon disappeared and the snow began to fall once more. And at last Lucy was so tired that she was almost asleep and walking at the same time when suddenly she found that Mr Beaver had turned away from the river-bank to the right and was leading them steeply uphill into the very thickest bushes. And then as she came fully awake she found that Mr Beaver was just vanishing into a little hole in the bank which had been almost hidden uhe bushes until you were quite on top of it. In fact, by the time she realized what was happening, only his short flat tail was showing.
Lucy immediately stooped down and crawled in after him. Then she heard noises of scrambling and puffing and panting behind her and in a moment all five of them were inside.
"Wherever is this?" said Peters voice, sounding tired and pale in the darkness. (I hope you know what I mean by a voice sounding pale.) "Its an old hiding-place for beavers in bad times," said Mr Beaver, "and a great secr...
Its not much of a place but we must get a few hours sleep.”
"If you hadnt all been in such a plaguey fuss when we were starting, Id have brought some pillows," said Mrs Beaver.
It wasnt nearly such a nice cave as Mr Tumnuss, Lucy thought - just a hole in the ground but dry ahy. It was very small so that when they all lay down they were all a bundle of clothes together, and what with that and being warmed up by their long walk they were really rather snug. If only the floor of the cave had been a little smoother! Then Mrs Beaver handed round in the dark a little flask out of which everyone drank something - it made one cough and splutter a little and stung the throat, but it also made you feel deliciously warm after youd swallowed it and everyo straight to sleep.
It seemed to Luly the mihough really it was hours and hours later) when she woke up feeling a little cold and dreadfully stiff and thinking how she would like a hot bath. Then she felt a set of long whiskers tig her cheek and saw the cold daylight ing in through the mouth of the cave. But immediately after that she was very wide awake indeed, and so was everyone else. In fact they were all sitting up with their mouths and eyes wide open listening to a sound which was the very sound theyd all been thinking of (and sometimes imagining they heard) during their walk last night. It was a sound of jingling bells.
Mr Beaver was out of the cave like a flash the moment he heard it. Perhaps you think, as Lucy thought for a moment, that this was a very silly thing to do? But it was really a very sensible one. He knew he could scramble to the top of the bank among bushes and brambles without being seen; and he wanted above all things to see which way the Witchs sledge went. The others all sat in the cave waiting and w. They waited nearly five mihen they heard something that frightehem very much. They heard voices. "Oh," thought Lucy, "hes been seen. Shes caught him!”
Great was their surprise when a little later, they heard Mr Beavers voice calling to them from just outside the cave.
"Its all right," he was shouting. "e out, Mrs Beaver. e out, Sons and Daughters of Adam. Its all right! It isnt Her!" This was bad grammar of course, but that is how beavers talk when they are excited; I mean, in Narnia - in our world they usually dont talk at all.
So Mrs Beaver and the children came bundling out of the cave, all blinking in the daylight, and with earth all over them, and looking very frowsty and unbrushed and unbed and with the sleep in their eyes.
"e on!" cried Mr Beaver, who was almost dang with delight. "e and see! This is a nasty knock for the Witch! It looks as if her power is already crumbling.”
"What do you mean, Mr Beaver?" panted Peter as they all scrambled up the steep bank of the valley together.
"Didnt I tell you," answered Mr Beaver, "that shed made it always winter and never Christmas? Didnt I tell you? Well, just e and see!”
And then they were all at the top and did see.
It was a sledge, and it was reindeer with bells on their harness. But they were far bigger thachs reindeer, and they were not white but brown. And on the sledge sat a person whom everyone khe moment they set eyes on him. He was a huge man. in a bright red robe (bright as hollyberries) with a hood that had fur i and a great white beard, that fell like a foamy waterfall over his chest.
Everyone knew him because, though you see people of his sort only in Narnia, you see pictures of them ahem talked about even in our world - the world on this side of the wardrobe door. But when you really see them in Narnia it is rather different. Some of the pictures of Father Christmas in our world make him look only funny and jol<bdi></bdi>ly. But now that the children actually stood looking at him they didnt find it quite like that. He was so big, and so glad, and so real, that they all became quite still. They felt very glad, but also solemn.
"Ive e at last," said he. "She has kept me out for a long time, but I have got in at last.
Aslan is on the move. The Witchs magic is weakening.”
And Lucy felt running through her that deep shiver of gladness which you only get if you are being solemn and still.
"And now," said Father Christmas, "for your presents. There is a new and better sewing mae for you, Mrs Beaver. I will drop it in your house as, I pass.”
"If you please, sir," said Mrs Beaver, making a curtsey. "Its locked up.”
"Locks and bolts make no differeo me," said Father Christmas. "And as for you, Mr Beaver, when you get home you will find your dam finished and mended and all the leaks stopped and a new sluicegate fitted.”
Mr Beaver was so pleased that he opened his mouth very wide and then found he couldnt say anything at all.
"Peter, Adams Son," said Father Christmas.
"Here, sir," said Peter.
"These are your presents," was the answer, "and they are tools not toys. The time to use them is perhaps near at hand. Bear them well." With these words he hao Peter a shield and a sword. The shield was the colour o<s></s>f silver and across it there ramped a red lion, as bright as a ripe strawberry at the moment when you pick it. The hilt of the sword
was of gold and it had a sheath and a sword belt and everything it needed, and it was just<samp></samp> the right size a for Peter to use. Peter was silent and solemn as he received these gifts, for he felt they were a very serious kind of present.
"Susan, Eves Daughter," said Father Christmas. "These are for you," and he handed her a bow and a quiver full of arrows and a little ivory horn. "You must use the bow only i need," he said, "for I do not mean you to fight itle. It does not easily miss.
And when you put this horn to your lips; and blow it, then, wherever you are, I think help of some kind will e to you.”
Last of all he said, "Lucy, Eves Daughter," and Lucy came forward. He gave her a little bottle of what looked like glass (but people said afterwards that it was made of diamond) and a small dagger. "In this bottle," he said, "there is cordial made of the juice of one of the fireflowers that grow in the mountains of the sun. If you or any of your friends is hurt, a few drops of this restore them. And the dagger is to defend yourse at great need. For you also are not to be in battle.”
"Why, sir?" said Lucy. "I think - I dont know but I think I could be brave enough.”
"That is not the point," he said. "But battles are ugly when women fight. And now" - here he suddenly looked less grave - "here is something for the moment for you all!" and he brought out (I suppose from the big bag at his back, but nobody quite saw him do it) a large tray taining five cups and saucers, a bowl of lump sugar, a jug of cream, and a great big teapot all sizzling and piping hot. Then he cried out "Merry Christmas! Long live the true King!" and cracked his whip, and he and the reindeer and the sledge and all were out of sight before anyone realized that they had started.
Peter had just drawn his sword out of its sheath and was showing it to Mr Beaver, when Mrs Beaver said: "Now then, now then! Dont stand talking there till the teas got cold. Just like men. e ao carry the tray down and well have breakfast. What a mercy I thought ing the bread-knife.”
So doweep bank they went and back to the cave, and Mr Beaver cut some of the bread and ham into sandwiches and Mrs Beaver poured out the tea and everyone ehemselves. But long before they had finished enjoying themselves Mr Beaver said, "Time to be moving on now.”
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