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CHAPTER ONE BY CALDRON POOL（第1页）

EBYPOOL

IdaysofNarnia，faruptothewestbeyoeahegreatwaterfall，therelivedanApe。Hewassooldthatnooneberwhenhehadfirstetoliveis，ahecleverest，ugliest，mosteyoue。Hehadalittlehouse，builtofwoodahleaves，upinthefreattree，andhisnamewasShift。TherewereveryfewTalkisorMenorDeopleofanysort，inthatpartofthewood，butShifthadonefriendandneighbourwhowasadonkeycalledPuzzle。Atleasttheybothsaidtheywerefriends，butfromthewaythionyoumighthavethoughtPuzzlewasmorelikeShift'sservantthanhisfriend。Hedidallthework。Whehertotheriver，Shiftfilledthebigskihwaterbutituzzlewhocarriedthembatheywahingfromthetowheriverituzzleypanniersonhisbadcamebackwiththepanniersfullandheavy。AhingsthatPuzzlebroughtbackwereeatenbyShift;forasShiftsaid，“Yousee，Puzzle，I'teatgrassandthistleslikeyou，soit'sonlyfairIshouldmakeitupinotheruzzlealwayssaid，“Ofcourse，Shift，ofcourse。Iseethat。”Puzzleneverplained，becausehekShiftwasfarclevererthanhimselfaitwasverykindofShifttobefriendswithhimatall。AndifeverPuzzledidtrytueaboutanything，Shiftwouldalwayssay，“Now，Puzzle，Iuaobedohanyou。Youknowyou'renotclever，Puzzle。”AndPuzzlealwayssaid，“No，Shift。It'squitetrue。I'mhenhewouldsighanddowhateverShifthadsaid。

earlyihepairofthemwereoutwalkingalongtheshoreofPool。PoolisthebigphtuhecliffsatthewesternendofNaroursdownintoitwithaiheRiverofNarniaflowsoutohesthePoolalwaysdandbubblingandgroundandroundasifitwereontheboil，andthatofcourseishowitgotitsnameofPool。ItisliveliestintheearlysprierfallisswollenwithallthesnowthathasmeltedoffthemountainsfromupbeyondNarernWildfromwhichtheriveres。AndastheylookedatPoolShiftsuddehhisdark，skinnyfingerandsaid，“Look!What'sthat?”

“What'suzzle。

“Thatyellowthingthat'sjustedowerfall。Look!Thereitisagain，it'sfloatifindoutwhatitis。”

“Mustuzzle。

“Ofust，”saidShift。“ItmaybesomethihopintothePoollikeagoodfellowandfishitout。Thenerlookatit。”

“HopintothePool?”saidPuzzle，twitghislongears。

“etogetitifyoudon't?”saidtheApe。

“But—but，”saidPuzzle，“wouldn'titbebetterifyouwentin?Because，yousee，it'syouwhowantstoknowwhatitis，andIdon'tmudyou'vegothands，yousee。YoodasaManoraDwarfwhegholdofthings。I'veonlygothoofs。”

“Really，Puzzle，”saidShift，“Ididn'tthinkyou'deversayathi。Ididn'tthinkitofyou，really。”

“Why，whathaveIsaidwrong?”saidtheAss，speakinginratherahumblevoice，forhesawthatShiftwasverydeeplyoffended。“AllImeant>

“Waogoier，”saidtheApe。“Asifyoudidn'tklyeakchestsApesalwayshaveaheycatchcold!Verywell。Iwillgoin。I'mfeelingoughalreadyinthisd。ButI'llgoin。Ishallprobablydie。Thenyou'llbesorry。”AndShift'svoidedasifhewasjustgoingtoburstintotears。

“Pleasedon't，pleasedon't，pleasedon't，”saidPuzzle，halfbraying，andhalftalkianythi，Shift，reallyIdidn't。YouknowhowstupidIamandhowI'tthihaatime。I&#ottenaboutyourweakchest。OfcourseI'llgoin。Youmustn'tthinkofdoingityourself。Promisemeyouwon't，Shift。”

SoShiftpromised，acloppety-hisfourhoofsreofthePooltofindaplacewherehecouldgetifromthecolditwasothatquiveringandfoaminguzzlehadtostandandshiverforawholeminutebeforehemadeuphismindtodoit。ButthenShiftbehindhimandsaid:“PerhapsI'dbetterdoitafterall，Puzzle。”Andwhehathesaid，“No，no。Youpromised。I'minnow，”a。

&massoffoamgothiminthefadfilledhismouthwithwateraheuherforafewsedagainhewasiherpartofthePool。Thentheswirlcaughthimandcarriedhimroundandroundandfasterathtuerfallitself，andtheforceofthelungedhimdown，deepdown，sothathethoughthewouldoholdhisbreathtillhecameupagain。Andahegotsomewherehiryingtocatch，itsailedawayfromhimtillittoogotuhefallandwasfortothebottom。againitwasfurtherfromhimthalast，whenhewasalmosttiredtodeath，andbruisedalloverandnumbwithcold，hesugrippihingwithhisteeth。Andouthecamegitinfrontofhimainghisfronthoofstangledupinit，foritwasasbigasalargehearthrug，anditwasveryheavyanddslimy。

&downinfrontofShiftandstandshiveringandtryihisbreathback。ButtheApeneverlookedathimoraskedhimhowhefelt。TheApewastoobusygoingroundandrouhingaoutandpattingita。Thenawickedgleamtohiseyeandhesaid:

“Itisalion'sskin。”

“Ee—auh—auh—oh，isit?”gaspedPuzzle。

“NowIwonder。。。Iwonder。。。Iwonder，”saidShifttohimself，forhewasthinkingveryhard。

“Iwonderwhokilledthepoorlion，”saidPuzzlepresently。“Itoughttobeburied。Wemusthaveafuneral。”

“Oh，itwasn'taTalkingLion，”saidShift。“Youbotheraboutthat。TherearenoTalkisupbeyondtheFalls，upiernWild。Thisskinmusthavebelooadumb，wildlion。”

This，bytheway，wastrue。AHunter，aMan，hadkilledahislionsomewhereupiernWildseveralmothatdoesn'teintothisstory。

“Allthesame，Shift，”saidPuzzle，“eveniftheskioadumb，wildlion，oughtn'twetogiveitadetburial?Imeaalllionsrather—well，rathersolemn?BecauseofyouknowWho。Don'tyousee?”

“Don'tyideasintoyourhead，Puzzle，”saidShift。“Because，youknow，thinkingisn&#point。We'llmakethisskinintoafinewarmwiforyou。”

“Oh，Idon'tthinkI'dlikethat，”saidtheDowouldlook—ImeaherBeastsmightthink—thatistosay，Ishouldn'tfeel—”

“Whatareyoutalkingabout?”saidShift，sghimselftheasApesdo。

“Idon'tthinkitwouldberespectfultotheGreatLion，toAslanhimself，ifaaboutdressedupinalion-skin，”saidPuzzle。

“Nowdon'tstandarguing，please，”saidShift。“Whatdoesanasslikeyouknowaboutthingsofthatsort?Youknowyoodatthinking，Puzzle，sowhydon'tyouletmedforyou?Whydon'tyoutreatmeasItreatyou?Idon'tthinkId。Iknowyou'rebetteratsomethingsthanIam。That'swhyIletyougointothePool;Iknewyou'ddoitbetterthawhy'tIhavemyturethingIdyouIobeallowedtodoanythiurnandturnabout。”