Adventure in NARNIA (32)

Adventure in NARNIA (32)

" Ha ! " said the Queen, speaking more to herself than to him.
" A door. A door from the world of men ! I have heard of such things. This may wreck all. But he is only one, and he is easily dealt with. "

As she spoke these words she rose from her seat and looked Edmund full in the face, her eyes flaming; at the same moment she raised her wand.

Edmund felt sure that she was going to do something dreadful but he seemed unable to move.

Then, just as he gave himself up for lost, she appeared to change her mind.

" My poor child," she said in quite a different voice, " how cold you look ! Come and ait with me here on the sledge and I will put my mantle round you and we will talk. "

Edmund did not like this arrangement at all but he dared not disobey; he stepped onto the sledge and sat at her feet, and she put a fold of her fur mantle round him and tucked it well in.

" Perhaps something hot to drink ? " said the Queen.
" Should you like that ? "

" yes, please, your majesty, " said Edmund whose teeth were chattering.

(32/50)    

Adventure in NARNIA (33)

Adventure in NARNIA (33)

The Queen took from somewhere among her wrappings a very small bottle which looked as if it were made of copper.

Then holding out her arm, she let one drop from it on the snow beside the sledge.

Edmund saw the drop for a second in mid-air shining like a diamond.

But the moment it touched the snow there was a hissing sound and there stood a jeweled cup full of something that steamed.

The dwarf immediately took this and handed it to Edmund with a bow and a smile, not a very nice smile.



Edmund felt much better as he began to sip the hot drink. 
It was something he had never tasted before, very sweet and foamy and creamy, and it warmed him right down to his toes.

" It is dull, Son of Adam, to drink without eating, " said the Queen presently.
" What would you like best to eat ? "

" Turkish delight, please, your Majesty, " said Edmund. 

(33/50)

Adventure in NARNIA (34)

Adventure in NARNIA (34)

The Queen let another drop fall from her bottle on to the snow, and instantly there appeared a round box, tied with green silk ribbon, which, when opened, turned out to contain several pounds of the best Turkish Delight.

Each piece was sweet and light to the very centre and Edmund had never tastedanything more delicious.
He was quite warm now, and very comfortable.

While he was eating, the Queen kept asking him questions.
At farst Edmund tried to remember that it is rude to speak with one's mouth full, but soon he forgot about this and thought oly of trying to shovel down as much Turkish Delight  as he could, and the more he ate the more he wanted to eat, and he never asked himself why the queen should be so inquisitive.

She got him to tell her that he had one brother and two sisters, and that one of his sisters had already been in Narnia and had met a Faun there, and that no one except himself  and his brother and his sisters knew anything about Narnia.

(34/50)    

Adventure in NARNIA (35)

Adventure in NARNIA (35)

She seemed especially interested in the fact that there were four of them, and kept on coming back to it.

" You are sure there are just four of you ? "she asked.
" Two Son of Adam and two Daughter of Eve neither  more nor less ? " and  Edmund, with his mouth full of Turkish Delight, kept on saying, " Yes, I told you that before, " and forgetting  to call her, " Your majesty ", but she didn't seem to mind now.

At last the Turkish Delight  was all finished and Edmund was looking very hard at the empty box and wishing that she would ask him whether he would like some more.

Probably the Queen knew quite well what he thinking, for she knew, though Edmund did not, that this was enchanted Turkish Delight and that anyone who hadonce tasted it would want more and more of it, and would even, if they were allowed , go on eating till they killed themselves.

But she did not offer him any more.
Instead, she said to him;
"Son of Adam, I should so much like to see your brother and your two sisters. Will you bring them to see me ? "

" I'll try, " said Edmund, still looking at the empty box.

(35/50) 

Adventure in NARNIA (36)

Adventure in NARNIA (36)

"Because, if you did come again ー bringing them with you of course ー I'd be able to give you some more Turkish Delight. I can't do it now, the magic will only work once. In my own house it would be another matter. "

" Why, can't we go to your house now ? "said Edmund.
When he had first got on to the sledge he had been afraid she might drive away with him to some unknown place from which he would not be able to get back; but he forgotten about that fear now.

"It is a lovely place, my house, " said the Queen.
" I am sure you would like it. There are whole rooms full of Turkish delight, and what's more, I have no children of my own. I want a nice boy whom I could bring up as a Prince and who would be king of Narnia when I am gone. While he was Prince he would wear a gold crown and eat Turkish Delight all day long., and you are much the cleverest and handsomest young man I've ever met. I think I would like to make you the prince ー some day, when you bring the others to visit me. "

(36/50) 

Adventure in NARNIA (37)

Adventure in NARNIA (37)

" Why not now ? " said Edmund.
His face had become very red and his mouth and fingers were sticky.
He did not look either clever or handsome, whatever the Queen might say.

" Oh, but if I took you there now, "said she, " I shouldn't see your brother and your sisters. I very much want to know your charming relations. You are to be the Prince and -later on - the King; that is understood. But you must have courtiers and nobles. I will make your brother a duke and your sisters duchesses. "

" There's nothing special about them, " said Edmund, " and anyway, I could always bring them some other time. "

" Ah, but once you were in my house, " said the Queen, "you might forget all about them. You would be enjoy yourself so much that you wouldn't want the bother of going to fetch them. No, You must go back to your own country now and come to me another day, with them, you understand.  It is no good coming without them. "

"But I don't even know the way back to my own country, " pleaded Edmund.

"That's easy, " answered the Queen.
" Do you see that lamp ? "
She pointed with her wand and Edmund turned and saw the same lamp-post under which Lucy had met the Faun.

" Straight on, beyond that, is the way to the World of Men. "       

(37/50)
皆様へ。
最初に申し上げましたように、
昨年11月に原作の著作権期間が満了し、著作権がきれたことを契機に、ナルニア国物語の「The Lion, The Witch and the Wardrobe」をAdventure in Narnia として連載しているのですが、これまでのところは原作と全く同一で言い換えなどはしておりません。
少し長く、複雑な文も、そのままお出ししています。
ここまでは、飛ばしたり言い換えたりしますと原作の雰囲気が壊れるため、原文通り転記しています。

しかし、１日１分では、原作の「巻」一冊全部をそのまま写す企図ではなく、途中のどこかで章などを飛ばしたり途中で終了する予定なのです(その場合は明記します)。
少し面倒な表現部分はありますが、しばらく、おつきあいくださいますよう、お願い申し上げます。
もうしばらくしますとEdmund はLucy と再会するのですが、ただ、残念ながら、アスランはなかなか出てきません。
では　また。

Adventure in NARNIA (38)

Adventure in NARNIA (38)

"And now look the other way " ー here she pointed in the opposite direction ー " and tell me if you can see two little hills rising above the trees. "

" I think I can, " said Edmund.

" Well, my house is between those two hills. So next time you come you have only to find the lamp-post  and look for those two hills and walk through the wood till you reach my house. But remember ー you must bring the others with you. I might have to be very angry with you if you came alone. "

" I'll do my best, " said Edmund.

" And, by the way, " said the Queen, " you needn't tell them about me. It would be fun to keep it a secret between us two, wouldn't it ? Make it a surprise for them. Just bring them along to the two hills ー a clever boy like you will easily think of some excuse for doing that ー and when you come to my house you could just say, " Let's see who lives here', or something like that. I am sure that would be best. If your sister has met one of the fauns, she may have heard strange stories about me ー nasty stories that might make her afraid to come to me. Fauns will say anything, you know, and now ー "

" Please, please, " said Edmund suddenly, " please couldn't I have just one piece o Turkish Delight to eat on the way home ? "

" No, no, " said the Queen with a laugh,  " you must wait till next time. "
While she spoke, she signaled to the dwarf to drove on, but as the sledge swept away out of sight, the Queen waved to Edmund, calling out, " Next time ! Next time ! Don't forget. Come soon. "

Edmund was still staring after the sledge when he heard someone calling his own name, and looking round he saw Lucy coming towards him from another part of wood.

" Oh, Edmund ! " she cried, " So you7ve got in too ! Isn't it wonderful, and now ー "

(38/50)     

Adventure in NARNIA (39)

Adventure in NARNIA (39)

" All right, " said Edmund, " I see you were right and it is a magic wardrobe after all. I'll say I'm sorry if you like. But where on earth have you been all this time ?  I've been looking for you everywhere. "

" If I'd known you had got in I'd have waited for you, " said Lucy, who was too happy and excited to notice how snappishly Edmund spke or how flushed and strange his face was.

" I've been having lunch with dear Mr Tumnus, the Faun, and he's very well and the white Witch has done nothing to him for letting me go, so he thinks she can't have found out and perhaps everything is going to be all right after all. "

" The White Witch ? " said Edmund; " who's she ? "

" She is a perfectly terrible person, " said Lucy.
" She calls herself the Queen of Narnia though she has no right to be queen at all., and all the fauns and Dryads and Naiads and Dwarf and Animals ー at least all the good ones ー simply hate her. And she can turn people stone and do all kinds of horrible things. and she has made a magic so that it is always winter in Narnia ー always winter, but it never gets to Christmas.  And she drives about on a sledge, drawn by reindeer, with her wand in her hand and a crown on her head. "

Edmund was already feeling uncomfortable from having eaten too many sweets, and when he head that the Lady he had made friends with was a dangerous witch he felt even more uncomfortable.

But he still wanted to taste that Turkish Delight again more than he wanted anything else.

" who told you all that stuff about the white Witch ? " he asked.

" Mr Tumnus, the Faun, " said Lucy.

(39/50)     
    

Adventure in NARNIA (40)

Adventure in NARNIA (40)

" you can't always believe what Fauns say, " said Edmund, truing to sound as if he knew far more about them than Lucy.

" Who said so ? "

" Everyone knows it, " said Edmund; ask anybody you like. But it's pretty poor sport standing here in the snow. Let's go home. "

" Yes, let's, " said Lucy.
" Oh, Edmund, I am glad you've got in too. The others will have to believe in Narnia now that both of us have been there. What fun it will be. "

But Edmund secretly thought that it would not be as good fun for him as for her. He would have to admit that Lucy had ben right, before all the others, and he felt sure the others would all be on the side of the Fauns and the animals; but he was already more than half on the side of the witch.
He did not know what he would say, or how he would keep his secret once they were all talking about Narnia.

By this time they had walked a good way.
Then suddenly they felt coats around them instead of branches and the next moment they were both standing outside the wardrobe in the empty room.

" I say, " said Lucy, " you do look awful, Edmund.  Don't you feel well ? "

" I'm all right, " said Edmund, but this was not true. He was feeling very sick.

" Come on, then, " said Lucy, " let’s find the others. What a lot we shall have to tell them. And what a lot of adventures we shall have now that we're all in it together. "

(40/50)  
次回より、新章に入ります。

こちらは、1月29日予定の分です。予約投稿、日付を間違えました。      

Adventure in NARNIA (41)

Adventure in NARNIA (41)

Chapter5
Back on This Side of the door
   
Because the game of hide and seek was still going on, it took Edmund and Lucy some time to find the others.
But when at last they were all together ( which happened in the long room, where the suit of armour  was ) Lucy burst out:
" Peter ! Susan ! It's all true. Edmund has seen it too. There is a country you can get to through the wardrobe.  Edmund and I both got in. We met one another in there, in the wood. Go on, Edmund, tell them all about it. "

" What's all this about, Ed ? " said Peter.

And now we come to one of the nastiest things in this story.
Up to that moment Edmund had been feeling sick, and sulky, and annoyed with Lucy for being right, but he hadn't made up his mind what to do.

When Peter suddenly asked him the question he decided all at once to do the meanest and most spiteful thing he could think of.
He decided to let Lucy down.

" Tell us Ed, " said Susan.

And Edmund gave a very superior look as if he were far older than Lucy (there was really only a year's difference ) and then a little snigger and said, " Oh, yes, Lucy and I have been playing ー pretending that all her story about a country in the wardrobe is true. Just for fun, of course. There's nothing there really. "

Poor Lucy gave Edmund one look and rushed out of the room.

(41/50)    

Adventure in NARNIA (42)

Adventure in NARNIA (42)

Edmund, who was becoming a nastier person every minute, thought that he had scored a great success, and went on at once to say, " There she goes again. what's the matter with her ?  That's the worst of young kids, they always ー "

" Look here, " said Peter, turning on him savagely
"shut up ! You've been perfectly beastly to Lu every since she started  this nonsense about the wardrobe, and now you go playing games with her about it and setting her off again. I believe you did it simply out of spite. "

" But it's all nonsense, " said Edmund, very taken aback.

"Of course it's all nonsense, " said Peter, " that's just the point. Lu was perfectly all right when we left home, but sure we've been down here she seems to be either going queer in the head or else turning into a most frightful liar. But whichever it is, what good do you think you'll do by jeering and nagging at her one day and encouraging her the next ? "

" I thought ー I thought ー " said Edmund, but he couldn't think of anything to say.

(42/50)  
遅くなりました。これから少しの間、兄弟間と老教授を交えての話になります。    

Adventure in NARNIA (43)

Adventure in NARNIA (43)

" You didn't think anything at all, " said Peter, " it's just spite. You've always liked beastly to anyone smaller than yourself; we've seen that at school before now. "

" Do stop it, " said Susan; " it won't make things any better having a row between you two. Let's go and find Lucy. "

It was not surprising that when they found Lucy, a good deal later, everyone could see that she had been crying.  Nothing they could say to her made any difference. She stuck to her story and said;
" I don't care what you think, and I don't care what you say. You can tell the Professor or you can write to Mother or you can do anything you like. I know I've met a Faun in there and ー I wish I'd stayed there and you are all beasts, beasts. "

It was an un pleasant evening. Lucy was miserable and Edmund was beginning to feel that his plan wasn't working as well as he had expected.

The two older ones were really beginning to think that Lucy was out of her mind. They stood in the passage talking about it in whispers long after she had gone to bed.

The result was the next morning they decided that they really would go and tell the whole thing to the Professor.
" He'll write to Father if he thinks there is really something wrong with Lu, " said peter; " it's getting beyond us. "

So they went and knocked at the study door, and the Professor said, " Come in, " and got up and found chairs for them and said he was quite at their disposal.

(43/50)            

Adventure in NARNIA (44)

Adventure in NARNIA (44)

Then he sat listening to them with the tips of his fingers pressed together and never interrupting, till they had finished the whole story.

After that he said nothing for quite a long time.
Then he cleared his throat and said the last thing either of them expected:
" How do you know, "  he asked,  "  that your sister's story is not true ? "

" Oh, but ー " began Susan, and then stopped.

Anyone could see from the  old man's face that he was perfectly serious.

Then Susan pulled herself together and said, " But Edmund said they had only been pretending. "

" That is point, " said the Professor, " which certainly deserves consideration; very caeful consideration. For instance ー if you will excuse me for asking the question ー does your experience lead you to regard your brother or your sister as the more reliable ? I mean, which is the more truthful ? "

" That's just the funny thing about it, sir, " said Peter. " Up till now, I'd have said Lucy every time. "

" And what do you think ?. my dear ? " said the Professor, turning to Susan.

" Well, " said Susan, " in general, I'd say the same as Peter, but this couldn't be true ー all this about the wood and faun. "

" That is more than I know, " said the Professor, " and a charge of lying against someone whom you have always found truthful is a very serious thing; a very serious thing indeed. "

" We were afraid it mightn't even be lying, " said Susan; " we thought there might be something wrong with Lucy. "

" Madness, you mean ? " said the Professor quite coolly.
" Oh, you can make your minds easy about that. One has only to look at her and talk to her to see that she is not mad. "

" But then, " said Susan, and stopped. she had never dreamed that a grown-up would talk like the professor and didn't know what to think.

" Logic ! " said the Professor, half to himself.

" Why didn't they teach logic at these school ? There are only three possibilities. Either your sister is telling lies, or she is mad, or she is telling the truth. You know she didn't tell lies and it is obvious that she is not mad.   For the moment then and unless any further evidence turns up, we must assume that she is telling the truth. "

(44/50)

Adventure in NARNIA (45)

Adventure in NARNIA (45)



Susan looked at him very hard and was quite sure from the expression on his face that he was not making fun of them.

" But how could it be true, sir ? " said Peter.

" Why do you say that ? " asked the professor.

" Well. for one thing, " said peter, " if it was real why couldn't everyone find this country every time they go to the wardrobe ?  I mean, there was nothing there when we looked; even Lucy didn't pretend there was. "  

" What has that to do with it ? " said the Professor.

" Well. sir, if things are real, they're there all the time. "

" Are they ? " said the professor; and Peter did not know quite what to say.

" But there was no time, " said Susan.
" Lucy had had no time to have gone anywhere, even if there was such a place. She came running after us the very moment, and she pretended to have been away for hours. "

" That is the very thing that makes her story so likely to be true, " sadi the Professor.
" If there really is a door in this house that leads to some other world ( and I should warn you that this is a very strange house, and even I know very little about it ) ー if, I say, she had got into another world, I should not be at all surprised to find that the other world had a separate time of its own; so that however long you stayed there it would never take up any of our time.  On the other hand, I don't think many girls of her age would invent that idea for themselves. If she had been pretending, she would have hidden for a reasonable time before coming out and telling her story. "

" But do you really mean it, sir ? " said peter, " that there could be other worlds ー all over the place, just round the corner ー like that ? "

" Nothing is more probable, "  said the Professor, taking off his spectacles and beginning to polish them, while he muttered to himself, " I wonder what they do teach them at these schools. "

(45/50)
     

Adventure in NARNIA (46)

Adventure in NARNIA (46)

" But what are we to do ? " said Susan. She felt that the conversation was beginning to get off the point.

" My dear young lady, " said the Professor, suddenly  looking up with a very sharp expression at both of them, " there are one plan which no one has yet suggested and which is well worth trying. "

" What's that ? " said Susan.

" We might all try minding our own business, " said he. And that was the end of that conversation. 

After this, things were a good deal better for Lucy.
Peter saw to it that Edmund stopped jeering at her, and neither she nor anyone else felt incline to talk about the wardrobe at all.

It had become a rather alarming subject.
And so for a time it looked as if all the adventures were coming to an ends; but that was not to be.

This house of the Professor ー which even he knew so little about ー was so old and famous that people from all over England used to come and ask permission to see over it.
It was the sort of house that is mentioned on guide books and even in histories; and well it might be, for all manner of stories were told about it, some of them even stranger than the one I am telling you now.  

And when parties of sightseers arrived and asked to see the house, the Professor always gave them permission, and Mrs Macready, the housekeeper, showed them round, telling them about the pictures and the armour, and the rare books in the library.

Mrs Macready was not fond of children, and did not like to be interrupted when she was telling visitors all the things she knew.

She had said to Susan and Peter almost on the first morning ( along with a good many other instructions ),
" And please remember you’re to keep out of the way　whenever I’m taking a party over the house. " 

(46/50)  
今回と次回は少し長いのですが、次回以降、今度は４人揃ってNarnia へと新たな冒険に出かける事になります。
 

Adventure in NARNIA (47)

Adventure in NARNIA (47)

"Just as if any of us would want to waste half the morning trailing round with a crowd of strange grown-ups ! "  said Edmund, and the other three thought the same.  
That was how the adventures began for the third time.

A few morning later Peter and Edmund were looking at the suit of armour and wondering if they could take it to bits when the two girls rushed into the room sand said, " Look out ! Here comes the Macready and a whole gang with her. "

" Sharp's the word, " said Peter, and all four made off through the door at the far end of the room.
But when they had got out into the Green Room and beyond it, into the library, they suddenly heard voice ahead of them, and realized that Mrs Macready must bringing her party of sightseers up the back stairs ー instead of up the front stairs as they had expected.

And after that ー whether it was that they lost their heads, or that Mrs Macready was trying to catch them, or some magic in the house had come to life and was chasing them into Narnia ー they seemed to find themselves being followed everywhere, until at last Susan said, " Oh, bother those trippers ! Here ー Let's go into the Wardrobe Room till they've passed. No one will follow us in there. "

But the moment they were inside they heard the voices in the passage ーand then someone fumbling at the door ー and then they saw the handle turning.

" Quick ! " said Peter.
" There's nowhere else, " and flung open the wardrobe.
All four of them bundled inside it and sat there, panting, in the dark.
Peter held the door closed but did not shut it; for, of course, he remembered, as every sensible person does, that you should never, never shut yourself up in a wardrobe.

Next

Chapter 6
Into the forest

(47/50)
こちらは、２月5日分の予約投稿だったのですが、ソネット不調にて、なぜか(46)と同時に出てしまいましたので、明日２月５日は休止させていただきます。

Adventure in NARNIA (48)

Adventure in NARNIA (48)

Chapter 6
Into the forest

I wish the Macready would hurry up and take all those people away, " said Susan presently.
" I'm getting horribly cramped. "

"And what a filthy smell of camphor ! " said Edmund.

" I expect the pockets of those coats are full of it, " said Susan, " to keep away the moths. "

" There's something sticking into my back, " said the Peter.

" And isn't it cold ? " said Susan.

" Now you mentioned it, it is cold, " said Peter, and hang it all, it's wet too. What's the matter with this place ? I'm sitting on something wet. It's getting wetter every minute. " He struggled to his feet.

" Let's go out, " said Edmund. " They've gone.

" O-o-oh ! " said Susan suddenly, and everyone asked her what was the matter.
" I'm sitting against a tree, " said Susan, " and look ! It's getting light ー over there. "

" By jove, you're right, " said Peter, " and look there ー and there. It's trees all round. And this wet stuff is snow. Why, I do believe we've got into Lucy's wood after all. "

And now there was no mistaking it and all four children stood blinking in the daylight of a winter day. Behind them were coats hanging on pegs, in front of them were snow-covered trees.

Peter turned at once to Lucy.
" I apologize for not believing you, " he said. " I'm sorry. Will you shake hands ? "

" Of course, " said Lucy, and did.

" And now, " said Susan, " what do we do next ? "

" Do ? , " said Peter. " Why, go and explore the wood. "

" Ugh ! " said Susan, stamping her feet. " It's pretty cold. What about putting on some of these coats ? "

" They're not ours, " said Peter doubtfully.

" I'm sure nobody would mind, " said Susan; " it isn't as if we wanted to take them out of the house; we shan't take them even out of the wardrobe. "

" I never thought of that, Su, " said Peter. " Of course, now you put it that way, I see. No one could say you had bagged coat as long as you leave it in the wardrobe where you found it. And I suppose this whole country is in the wardrobe. "

(48/50)
      

Adventure in NARNIA (49)

Adventure in NARNIA  (49)

They immediately carried out Susan's very sensible plan. The coats were rather too big for them so that they came down to their heels and looked more like royal robes tan coats when they had put them on.

But they all felt a good deal warmer and each thought the others looked brtter in their new get-upand more suitable to the landscape.

" We can pretend we are Aretic explores, " said Lucy.

"This is going to be exciting enough without pretending, " said Peter, as he began leading the way toward into the forest.
There were heavy, darkish clouds overhead and it looked as if there might be more snow before night.

" I say, " began to Edmund presently, " oughtn't we to be bearing a bit more to the left, that is, if we are aiming for the lamp-post ? " He had forgotten for the moment that he mustpretend never to have been in the wood before.
The moment the words were out of his mouth he realized that he had given himself away.
Everyone stopped; everyone stared at him.

Peter whispered,
" So you really were here, " he said, " that time Lu said she'd met you in here ー and you made out she was telling lies. "

There was a dead silence.

" Well, of all the poisonous little beasts ー " said Peter, and shrugged his shoulders and  said no more.

There seemed, indeed, no more to say, and presently the four resumed their journey; but Edmund was saying to himself, " I'll pay you all out for this, you pack of stuck-up, self-satisfied prigs. "

" Where are we going anyway ? " said Susan, chiefly for the sake of changing the subject.

" I think Lu ought to be the leader, " said Peter; " goodness knows she deserve it. where will you take us, Lu ? "

" What about going to see Mr Tumnus ? " said Lucy.
" He's the nice Faun I told you about. "

(49/50)
こちらは、６日(きょう)夕刻に打ちまして、明日７日にでるはずの設定だったのですが、日付を間違えて、今日に。ですので、またまたで恐縮ですが、明日のNARNIA は休止させてください。   

タグ：やさしい洋書 Narnia やさしい英語

Adventure in NARNIA (50)

Adventure in NARNIA (50)

Everyone agreed to this and off they went, walking briskly and stamping their feet.

Lucy proved a good leader.
At fast she wondered whether she would be able to find the way, but she recognized an odd-looking tree in one place  and stump in another  and brought them on to where the ground became uneven and into the little valley and at last to the very door o Mr Tumnus's cave.

But there a terrible surprise awaited them.

The door had been wrenched off its hinges and broken to bits.
Inside, the cave was dark and cold and had the damp feel and smell of a place that had not been lived in for several days.

Snow had drifted in rom the doorway and was heaped on the floor. mixed with something black, which turned out to be the charred sticks and ashes from the fire.

Someone had apparently flung it about the room and then stamped it out.
The crockery lay smashed on the floor and the picture of the Faun's father had been slashed into shreds with a knife.

" This is a pretty good wash-out, " said Edmund; " not much good coming here. "

(50/50→50/60)
今回で50回ですが、どうも途中ですので、一応、あと10回程度続きます。現在、全体の1/3が進行したところです。
残念ながら、この追加で、一旦掲載は中断する予定です。何卒、宜しくお願い申し上げます。      

Adventure in NARNIA (51)

Adventure in NARNIA (51)



" What is this ? " said Peter, stooping down.
He had just noticed a piece of paper, which had been nailed through the carpet to the floor.

" Is there anything written on it ? " asked Susan.

" Yes, I think there is, " answered Peter, " but I can't read it in this light. Let's get out into the open air. "

They all went out in the daylight and crowed round Peter as he read out the following words.

The former occupant of these premises, the Faun Tumnus, is under arrest and awaited his trial on a charge of High Treason against her Imperial Majesty Jadis, Queen of Narnia, Chatelaine of Cair Paravel, Empress of the Lone Islands, etc, also of comforting her said Majesty's enemies, harbouring spies, and fraternizing with humans.

signed MAUGRIM, Captain of the secret Police,
LONG LIVE THE QUEEN !

The children stared at each other.

" I don't know that I'm going to like this place after all, " said Susan.

" Who is this Queen, Lu ? " said Peter.
" Do you know anything about her ? "

(51/60)  　 

タグ：Narnia 優しい英語 やさしい洋書 やさしい英語

Adventure in NARNIA (52)

Adventure in NARNIA (52)

" She isn't a real queen at all, " answered Lucy; " she's a horrible witch, the White Witch. Everyone ー all the wood people ー hate her. She has made an enchantment over the whole country so that it is always winter here and never Christmas. "

" I ー I wonder if there's any point in going on, " said Susan.
" I mean, it doesn't seem particularly safe here and it looks as if it won't be much fun either. And it's getting colder every minute, and we've brought nothing to eat. What about just gong home ? "

" Oh, but we can't, we can't, " said Lucy suddenly; " don't you see ? We can't just go home, not after this. It is all on my account that the poor Faun has got into this trouble. He hide me from the Witch and showed me the way back. That's what it means by comforting the Queen's enemies and fraternizing with humans. We simply must try to rescue him. "

(52/60) 

Adventure in NARNIA (53)

Adventure in NARNIA (53)

" A lot we could do ! " said Edmund, " when we haven't even got anything to eat ! "

" Shut up ー you ! " said Peter, who was still very angry with Edmund.
" What do you think, Susan ? "

" I've horrid feeling that Lu is right, " said Susan. 
" I don't want to go a step further and I wish we'd never come. But I think we must try to do something for Mr Whatever-his -name is ー I mean the Faun. "

" That's what I feel too, " said Peter.
" I'm worried about having no food with us. I'd vote for going back and getting something from the larder, only there doesn't seem to be any certainly of getting into this country again when once you've got out of it. I think we'll have to go on. "

" So do I, " said both the girls.

" If only we knew where the poor chap was imprisoned ! " said Peter. 

They were all still wondering what to do next, when Lucy said, " Look ! There's a robin, with such a red breast. It's the first bird I've seen here. I say ー I wonder, can birds talk in Narnia ? It almost looks as if it wanted to say something to us. "

Then she turned to the Robin and said, " Please, can you tell us where Tumnus the Faun has been taken to ? "

(53/60) 
もう少し(2~3日)で次章に入ります。
Chapter7 A Day with the Beavers
Chapter8 What happened after dinner
この第8章で、Narniaナルニアの重大な秘密の一端とAslanの存在が明らかになりますので、１日１分は、勝手ながら、第8章末まで続けたいと思います。第8章末で、ちょうど本書の約半分(97ページ/203ページ)で、１日１分の進行ペースでは、残り約30回ぐらいの見込みです。

Adventure in NARNIA (54)

Adventure in NARNIA (54)

As she said this she took a step towards the bird.

It at once flew away but only as far as to the next tree.
There it perched and looked at them very hard as if it understood all they been saying.

Almost without noticing that they had done so, they four children went a step or two nearer to it.

At this the Robin flew away again to the next tree and once more looked at them very hard. ( You couldn't have found a robin with a redder chest or brighter eye. )

" Do you know, " said Lucy, " I really believe he means us to follow him. "

"I've an idea he does, " said Susan.
" What do you think, Peter. "

"Well, we might as well try it, " answered Peter.

The Robin appeared to understand the matter thoroughly.
It kept going from tree to tree, always a few yards ahead of them, but always so near that they could easily follow it.

In this way it led them on, slightly downhill.
Wherever the Robin alighted a little shower of snow would fall off the branch.

Presently the clouds parted overhead and the winter sun came out and the snow all around them grew dazzlingly bright.

(54/60)       

Adventure in NARNIA (55)

Adventure in NARNIA (55)

They had been traveling in this way for about half an hour, with the two girls in front, when Edmund said to Peter, " If you're not still too high and mighty to talk to me, I've something to say which you'd better listen to. "

" What is it ? " asked Peter.

" Hush ! Not so loud, " said Edmund, " there's no good frightening the girls. But have you realized what we're doing ? "

" What ? " said Peter, lowering his voice to a whisper.

" We're following a guide we know nothing about. How do we know which side that bird is on ?  Why shouldn't it be leading us into a trap ? "

" That's a nasty idea. Still ー a robin, you know. They're good birds in all the stories I've ever read. I'm sure a robin wouldn't be on the wrong side. "

" If it comes to that, which is the right side ? How do we know that the fauns are in the right and the Queen ( yes, I know we've been told she's a witch ) is in the wrong ? We don't really know anything about either. "

" The Faun saved Lucy. "

" He said he did, But how do we know ? And there's another thing too. Has anyone the least idea of the way home from here ? "

" Great Scott, " said Peter.
" I hadn't thought of that. "

And no chance od dinner either, " said Edmund.

(55/60)
次回(明日)より、Chapter 7  A Day with the Beavers に入ります。

Adventure in NARNIA (56)

 

Adventure in NARNIA (56)

Chapter 7
A Day with the Beavers

While the two boys were whispering behind, both the girls suddenly cried, " Oh ! " and stopped.

" The robin ! " cried Lucy.
" The robin. It's flown away. "
And so it had ー right out of sight.

" And now what are you to do ? " said Edmund, giving Peter a look which was as much as to say.
" What did I tell you ? " 

" Sh ! Look ! " said Susan.

" What ? " said Peter.

" There's something moving among the trees over there to the left. "

They all stared as hard as they could, and no one felt very comfortable.

" There it goes again, " said Susan presently.

" I saw it that time too, " said Peter.
" It's still there. It's just gone behind that big tree. "

" What is it ? " asked Lucy, trying very hard not to sound nervous.

" Whatever it is, " said Peter, " it's dodging us. It's something that doesn't want to be seen. "

" Let's go home, " said Susan.
And then, though nobody said it out loud, everyone suddenly realized the same fact that Edmund had whispered to Peter at the end of the last chapter.
They were lost.

(56/?)   

Adventure in NARNIA (57)

Adventure in NARNIA (57)

" What's it like ? " said Lucy.

" It's ー it's a kind of animal, " said Susan, and then, " Look ! Look ! Quick ! There it is. "

They all saw it this time, a whiskered fully face which had looked out at them from behind a tree.



But this time it didn't immediately draw back.
Instead, the animal put its paw against its mouth just as human put their finger on their lips when they are signaling to you be quiet.



Then it disappeared again.
The children all stood holding their breath.

A moment later the stranger came out from behind the tree, glanced all round as if it were afraid someone was watching, said, " Hush, " made signs to them to join it in the thicker bit of wood where it was standing, and then once more disappeared.

"I know what it is, " said Peter; " it's a beaver.  I saw the tail. "

" It wants us to go to it, " said Susan, " and it is warning us not to make a noise. "

" I know, " said Peter.
" The question is, are we to go to it or not ? What do you think, Lu?"  

" I think it's a nice beaver, " said Lucy.

(57)  

Adventure in NARNIA (58)

 

Adventure in NARNIA (58)

" Yes, but how do we know ? " said Edmund.

" Shan't we have to risk it ? " said Susan.
" I mean, it's no good just standing here and I feel I want some dinner. "

At this moment the Beaver again popped its head out from behind the tree and beckoned earnestly to them.

" Come on, " said Peter, " let's  give it a try. All keep close together.  We ought to be a match for one beaver if it turns out to be an enemy. "

So the children all got close together and walked up to the tree and in behind it, and there, sure enough, they found the Beaver; but it still drew back, saying to them in a hoarse throaty whisper, "  Further in, come further in. Right in here. We're not safe in the open ! "

Only when it had led them into a dark spot where trees grew so close together that their boughs met  and the brown earth and pine needles could be seen underfoot because no snow had been able to fall there, did it begun to talk to them.

" Are you the Sons of Adam and the Daughters of Eve ? " it said.

(58/?)  

 

Adventure in NARNIA (59)

Adventure in NARNIA (59)

" We are some of them, " said Peter.

" S-s-s-sh! " said the Beaver. "
" Not so loud, please. We're not safe even here, "

" Why, who are you afraid of ? " said Peter.
" There's no one here but ourselves. "

" There are trees, " said the Beaver.
" They're always listening. Most of them are on oue side, but there are trees that would betray us to here; you know who I mean, " and it nodded its head several times.

" If it comes to talking about sides, "said Edmund, " how do we know you're a friend ? "

" Not meaning to be rude, Mr Beaver, " added Peter, " but you see, we're strangers. "

" Quite right, quite right, " said the Beaver.
" Here is my token. "
With these words it held up to them little white object.

They all looked at it in surprise till suddenly Lucy said.
" Oh, of course. It's my handkerchief ー the one I gave to poor Mr Tumnus. "

" That's right, " said the Beaver.
" Poor fellow, he got wind of the arrest before it actually happened and handed this over to me. He said that if anything happened to him I must meet you here and take you on to ー "
Here the Beaver's voice sank into silence and it gave one or two very mysterious nods.

(59/?)

Adventure in NARNIA (60)

Adventure in NARNIA (60)

Then, signaling to the children to stand as close around it as they possibly could, so that their faces were actually tickled by its whiskers, it added in a low whisper ー
" They say Aslan is on the move ー perhaps has already landed. "

And now a very curious thing happened. None of the  children knew who Aslan was any more than you do; but the moment the Beaver had spoken these words everyone felt quite different. 

Perhaps it has sometimes happened to you in a dream  that someone says something which you don't understand but in the dream it feels as if it has enormous meaning, ー either a terrifying one which turns the whole dream into a nightmare or else a lovely meaning too lovely to put into words, which makes the dream so beautiful that you remember it all your life and are always wishing you could get into that dream again.  

It was like that now.
At the name of Aslan each one of the children felt something jump in its inside.  

(60/?)
今回は、Perhaps 以降 かなりの長文で意味の取りにくい文が含まれているのですが、全体の構造を考えるよりは、ひとくくり・ひとくくりづつ、前から順にお読みいただければ、と思います。

Adventure in NARNIA (61)

Adventure in NARNIA (61)

Edmund felt a sensation of mysterious horror.

Peter felt suddenly brave and adventurous.

Susan felt as if some delicious smell or some delightful strain o music had just floated by her.

And Lucy got the feeling you have when you wake up in the morning and realize that it is the beginning of the holidays or the beginning of summer.

" And what about Mr Tumnus, " said Lucy; " Where is he ? "

" S-s-s-sh, " said the Beaver, " not here. I must bring you where we can have a real talk and also dinner. "

No one except Edmund felt any difficulty about trusting the Beaver now, and everyone, including Edmund, was very glad to hear the word " dinner ".

They therefore all hurried along behind their new friend who led them at a surprisingly quick pace, and always in the thickest parts of the forest, for over an hour.

Everyone was feeling very tired and very hungry when suddenly the trees began to get thinner in front of them and the ground to fall steeply downhill.

A minute later they came out under the open sky ( the sun was still shining ) and found themselves looking down on a fine sight.

(61/?)