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CHAPTER ONE BY CALDRON POOL（第2页）

“Oh，well，ofcourse，ifyouputitthatuzzle。

“Itellyouwhat，”saidShift。“You'dbettertakeagoodbrisktrotdownriverasfarasgfordaheyhaveanyesorbananas。”

“ButI'msotired，Shift，”pleadedPuzzle。

&youareveryde。“Youwao。Abrisktrotwouldbejustthethi'smarketdayatgfordtoday。”AndthenofcoursePuzzlesaidhewouldgo。

Assoonashewasalowentshamblingaloimesontwopawsaimesonfour，tillhereachedhisowhenheswunghimselfupfrombranch，gandgrinniime，aohislittlehouse。Hefouhreadandabigpairofscissorsthere;forhewasacleverApeandtheDwarfshadtaughthimhowtosew。Heputtheballofthread（itwasverythickstuff，morelikethread）intohismouthsothathischeekbulgedoutasifheweresugabigbitoftoffee。Heheldtheweenhislipsandtooktheshisleftpaw。Thehetreeandshambledacrosstothelioeddownandgottowork。

&ohebodyofthelion-skioolongforPuzzleaooshort。SohecutagoodpieceoutofthebodyaomakealongcollarforPuzzle'sloheofftheheadahebetweeheshoulders。HeputthreadsonbothsidesoftheskinsothatitwouldtieupunderPuzzle'sdstomach。EverynowandthenabirdwouldpassoverheadandShiftwouldstophiswork，lookinganxiouslyup。Hedidnotwaoseewhathewasdoing。ButhebirdshesawwereTalkingBirds，soitdidn'tmatter。

&heafternoonPuzzlecameback。Hewasnbutonlyploddilyalong，thewaydonkeysdo。

“Thereweren'tanyes，”hesaid，“andthereweren'tanybananas。AndI'mverytired。”Helaydown。

&ryoifulnewlion-skincoat，”saidShift。

“Ohbotherthatoldskin，”saidPuzzle。“I'lltryitoninthem。I'mtht。”

“Youareunkind，Puzzle，”saidShift。“Ifyou'retiredwhatdoyouthinkIam?Alldaylong，whileyou'vebeenhavingalwalkdownthevalley，I'vebeenwhardtomakeyouaypawsaresotiredIhardlyholdthesescissors。Andyouwon'tsaythankyou-andyouwon'tevenlookatthedyoudon'td—and—”

“MydearShift，”saidPuzzlegettingupatonce，“Iamsosorry。I'vebeenhorrid。OfcourseI'dlovetotryiton。Anditlookssimplysplendid。Dotryitoonce。Pleasedo。”

&andstillthen，”saidtheApe。Theskinwasveryheavyforhimtolift，butihalotofpullingandpushingandpuffingandblowiontothedouhPuzzle'sbodyahelegstoPuzzle'slegsaoPuzzle'stail。AgooddealofPuzzle'sgraynoseandfacecouldbeseenthroughtheopenmouthofthelion'shead。Noonewhohadeverseenareallionwouldhavebeentakeninforamoment。ButifsomeonewhohadneverseenalioPuzzleinhisliomightmistakehimforalion，ifhedidn'tetoodifthelightwasnottoogood，andifPuzzledidn'tletoutabrayanddidn'tmakeahhishoofs。

“Youlookwonderful，wonderful，”saidtheApe。“Ifanyonesawyounow，they'dthinkyouwereAslaLion，himself。”

“Thatwouldbedreadful，”saidPuzzle。

“Noitwouldn't，”saidShift。“Everyonewoulddowhateveryoutoldthem。”

“ButIdon'twahemanything。”

“Butyouthinkofthegoodwecoulddo!”saidShift。“You'dhavemetoadviseyou，youknow。I'dthinkofsensibleive。Andeveryonewouldhavetoobeyus，eventheKinghimself。WewouldseteverythingrightinNarnia。”

“Butishingrightalready?”saidPuzzle。

“What!”criedShift。“Everythingright?-whentherearenesorbananas?”

“Well，youknouzzle，“therearen'tma，Idon'tthinkthere'sayourselfwhowaofthings。”

“There'ssugartoo，”saidShift。

“H'myes，”saidtheAss。“Itwouldbeherewasmar。”

&hen，that'ssettled，”saidtheApe。“YouwillpretendtobeAslan，andI'lltellyou>

“No，no，no，”saidPuzzle。“Don'tsaysuchdreadfulthings。Itw，Shift。ImaybenotverycleverbutIknowthatmuch。WhatwouldbeeofusiftherealAslanturnedup?”

&he'dbeverypleased，”saidShift。“Probablyhesentusthelion-skinowecouldsetthingstht。Anyway，heurnup，youknow。Notno>

Atthatmomenttherecameagreatthunderclaprightoverheadarembledwithasmallearthquake。Boththeanimalslosttheirbalandwereflungontheirfaces。

“There!”gaspedPuzzle，assoonashehadbreathtospeak。“It'sasign，awarning。Ikneeredoihingdreadfullywicked。Takethiswretoffmeatonce。”

“No，no，”saidtheApe（whosemindworkedveryquickly）。“It'sasigherway。IwasjustgoingtosaythatiftherealAslan，asyoucallhim，meantustogoonwiththis，hewouldsendusathunderdaremor。ItwasjustoipofmytohesignitselfcamebeforeIcouldgetthewordsout。You'vegottodoitnow，Puzzle。Andpleasedon'tletushaveanym。Youknowyoudon'tuhesethings。Whatcouldadonkeyknowaboutsigns?”