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the horse and his boy_c·s·刘易斯-第章

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yself a second time to the stabbing; but hwin  came near to me and put her head in between me and the dagger and discoursed to me most  excellent reasons and rebuked me as a mother rebukes her daughter。 and now my wonder  was so great that i forgot about killing myself and about ahoshta and said; ‘o my  mare; how have you learned to speak like one of the daughters of men? and hwin told  me what is known to all this pany; that in narnia there are beasts that talk; and  how she herself was stolen from thence when she was a little foal。 she told me also of the  woods and waters of narnia and the castles and the great ships; till i said; ‘in the  name of tash and azaroth and zardeenah lady of the night; i have a great wish to be in that  country of narnia。 ‘o my mistress; answered the mare; ‘if you were in narnia you  would be happy; for in that land no maiden is forced to marry against her will。  〃and when we had talked together for a great time hope returned to me and i  rejoiced that i had not killed myself。 moreover it was agreed between hwin and me  that we should steal ourselves away together and we planned it in this fashion。 we  returned to my fathers house and i put on my gayest clothes and sang and danced before my  father and pretended to be delighted with the marriage which he had prepared for me。  also i said to him; ‘o my father and o the delight of my eyes; give me your licence and  permission to go with one of my maidens alone for three days into the woods to do secret  sacrifices to zardeenah; lady of the night and of maidens; as is proper and customary for  damsels when they must bid farewell to the service of zardeenah and prepare  themselves for marriage。 and he answered; ‘o my daughter and o the delight of my eyes; so  shall it be。  〃but when i came out from the presence of my father i went immediately to  the oldest of his slaves; his secretary; who had dandled me on his knees when i was a  baby and loved me more than the air and the light。 and i swore him to be secret and begged  him to write a certain letter for me。 and he wept and implored me to change my  resolution but in the end he said; ‘to hear is to obey; and did all my will。 and i sealed the  letter and hid it in my bosom。鈥

〃but what was in the letter?〃 asked shasta。

〃be quiet; youngster;〃 said bree。 〃youre spoiling the story。 shell tell  us all about the letter in the right place。 go on; tarkheena。鈥

〃then i called the maid who was to go with me to the woods and perform the  rites of zardeenah and told her to wake me very early in the morning。 and i became  merry with her and gave her wine to drink; but i had mixed such things in her cup that  i knew she must sleep for a night and a day。 as soon as the household of my father had  mitted themselves to sleep i arose and put on an armour of my brothers which i  always kept in my chamber in his memory。 i put into my girdle all the money i had and  certain choice jewels and provided myself also with food; and saddled the mare with my own  hands and rode away in the second watch of the night。 i directed my course not to the  woods where my father supposed that i would go but north and east to tashbaan。

〃now for three days and more i knew that my father would not seek me; being  deceived by the words i had said to him。 and on the fourth day we arrived at the  city of azim balda。 now azim balda stands at the meeting of many roads and from it the  posts of the tisroc (may he live for ever) ride on swift horses to every part of the  empire: and it is one of the rights and privileges of the greater tarkaans to send messages by  them。 i therefore went to the chief of the messengers in the house of imperial posts in azim  balda and said; ‘o dispatcher of messages; here is a letter from my uncle ahoshta  tarkaan to kidrash tarkaan lord of calavar。 take now these five crescents and cause it  to be sent to him。 and the chief of the messengers said; ‘to hear is to obey。  〃this letter was feigned to be written by ahoshta and this was the  signification of the writing: ‘ahoshta tarkaan to kidrash tarkaan; salutation and peace。 in the  name of tash the irresistible; the inexorable。 be it known to you that as i made my  journey towards your house to perform the contract of marriage between me and your daughter  aravis tarkheena; it pleased fortune and the gods that i fell in with her in the  forest when she had ended the rites and sacrifices of zardeenah according to the custom of  maidens。 and when i learned who she was; being delighted with her beauty and discretion;  i became inflamed with love and it appeared to me that the sun would be dark to me  if i did not marry her at once。 accordingly i prepared the necessary sacrifices and  married your daughter the same hour that i met her and have returned with her to my own  house。 and we both pray and charge you to e hither as speedily as you may that we  may be delighted with your face and speech; and also that you may bring with you  the dowry of my wife; which; by reason of my great charges and expenses; i require  without delay。

and because thou and i are brothers i assure myself that you will not be  angered by the haste of my marriage which is wholly occasioned by the great love i bear  your daughter。

and i mit you to the care of all the gods。  〃as soon as i had done this i rode on in all haste from azim balda; fearing  no pursuit and expecting that my father; having received such a letter; would send  messages to ahoshta or go to him himself; and that before the matter was discovered i should be  beyond tashbaan。 and that is the pith of my story until this very night when i was  chased by lions and met you at the swimming of the salt water。鈥

〃and what happened to the girl … the one you drugged?〃 asked shasta。

〃doubtless she was beaten for sleeping late;〃 said aravis coolly。 〃but she  was a tool and spy of my stepmothers。 i am very glad they should beat her。鈥

〃i say; that was hardly fair;〃 said shasta。

〃i did not do any of these things for the sake of pleasing you;〃 said  aravis。

〃and theres another thing i dont understand about that story;〃 said  shasta。 〃youre not grown up; i dont believe youre any older than i am。 i dont 
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