APanther,whichhadbeenwashingitsface,stoppedforamomenttosay,“Well,iftheyare,they’renothinglikesogoodasthefirstone.Atleast,1don’tseeanythingveryfunnyaboutthem.”Ityawnedandwentonwithitswash.
“Oh,please,”saidDigory.“I’minsuchahurry.IwanttoseetheLion.”
AllthistimetheCabbyhadbeentryingtocatchStrawberry’seye.Nowhedid.“Now,Strawberry,oldboy,”hesaid.“Youknowme.Youain’tgoingtostandthereandsayasyoudon’tknowme.”
“What’stheThingtalkingabout,Horse?”saidseveralvoices。
“Well,”saidStrawberryveryslowly,Idon’texactlyknow,Ithinkmostofusdon’tknowmuchaboutanythingyet.ButI’veasortofideaI’veseenathinglikethisbefore.I’veafeelingIlivedsomewhereelse-orwassomethingelse-beforeAslanwokeusallupafewminutesago.It’sallverymuddled.Likeadream.Buttherewerethingslikethesethreeinthedream.”
“What?”saidtheCabby.“Notknowme?Mewhatusedtobringyouahotmashofaneveningwhenyouwasoutofsorts?Mewhatrubbedyoudownproper?Mewhatneverforgottoputyourclothonyouifyouwasstandinginthecold?Iwouldn’t,avethoughtitofyou,Strawberry.”
“Itdoesbegintocomeback,”saidtheHorsethoughtfully.“Yes.Letmethinknow,letmethink.Yes,youusedtotieahorridblackthingbehindmeandthenhitmetomakemerun,andhoweverfarIranthisblackthingwouldalwaysbecomingrattle-rattlebehindme.”
“Weadourlivingtoearn,see,”saidtheCabby.“Yoursthesameasmine.Andifthere‘adn’tbeennoworkandnowhipthere’d’avebeennostable,nohay,nomash,andnooats.ForyoudidgetatasteofoatswhenIcouldaffordem,whichnoonecandeny.”
“Oats?”saidtheHorse,prickinguphisears.“Yes,Iremembersomethingaboutthat.Yes,Iremembermoreandmore.Youwerealwayssittingupsomewherebehind,andIwasalwaysrunninginfront,pullingyouandtheblackthing.IknowIdidallthework.”
“Summer,Igrantyou,”saidtheCabby.“‘Otworkforyouandacoolseatforme.Butwhataboutwinter,oldboy,whenyouwaskeepingyourselfwarmandIwassittinguptherewithmyfeetlikeiceandmynosefairpinchedoffmewiththewind,andmy’andsthatnumbIcouldn’t‘ardly’oldthereins?”
“Itwasahard,cruelcountry,”saidStrawberry.“Therewasnograss.Allhardstones.”
“Tootrue,mate,tootrue!”saidtheCabby.“A’ardworlditwas.Ialwaysdidsaythosepaving-stonesweren’tfaironany’oss.That’sLunn’on,thatis.Ididn’tlikeitnomorethanwhatyoudid.Youwereacountry’oss,andIwasacountryman.Usedtosinginthechoir,Idid,downat’one.Buttherewasn’talivingformethere.”
“Ohplease,please,”saidDigory.“Couldwegeton?TheLion’sgettingfurtherandfurtheraway.AndIdowanttospeaktohimsodreadfullybadly.”
“Look,ere,Strawberry,”saidtheCabby.“Thisyounggen’leman,assomethingonhismindthathewantstotalktotheLionabout;’imyoucallAslan.Supposeyouwastolet’imrideonyourback(which’e’dtakeitverykindly)andtrot’imovertowheretheLionis.Andmeandthelittlegirlwillbefollowingalong.”
“Ride?”saidStrawberry.“Oh,Iremembernow.Thatmeanssittingonmyback.Irememberthereusedtobealittleoneofyoutwo-leggerswhousedtodothatlongago.Heusedtohavelittlehard,squarelumpsofsomewhitestuffthathegaveme.Theytasted-oh,wonderful,sweeterthangrass.”
“Ah,that’dbesugar,”saidtheCabby.
“Please,Strawberry,”beggedDigory,“do,doletmegetupandtakemetoAslan.”
“Well,Idon’tmind,”saidtheHorse.“Notforonceinaway.Upyouget.”
“GoodoldStrawberry,”saidtheCabby.“‘Ere,young’un,I’llgiveyoualift.”DigorywassoononStrawberry’sback,andquitecomfortable,forhehadriddenbare-backbeforeonhisownpony.
“Now,dogeeup,Strawberry,”hesaid.
“Youdon’thappentohaveabitofthatwhitestuffaboutyou,Isuppose?”saidtheHorse.
“No.I’mafraidIhaven’t,”saidDigory.
“Well,itcan’tbehelped,”saidStrawberry,andofftheywent。
AtthatmomentalargeBulldog,whohadbeensniffingandstaringveryhard,said:
“Look.Isn’tthereanotherofthesequeercreatures—overthere,besidetheriver,underthetrees?”
ThenalltheanimalslookedandsawUncleAndrew,standingverystillamongtherhododendronsandhopinghewouldn’tbenoticed.
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