“WELLdone,”saidAslaninavoicethatmadetheearthshake.ThenDigoryknewthatalltheNarnianshadheardthosewordsandthatthestoryofthemwouldbehandeddownfromfathertosoninthatnewworldforhundredsofyearsandperhapsforever.Buthewasinnodangeroffeelingconceitedforhedidn’tthinkaboutitatallnowthathewasfacetofacewithAslan.ThistimehefoundhecouldlookstraightintotheLion’seyes.Hehadforgottenhistroublesandfeltabsolutelycontent.
“Welldone,sonofAdam,”saidtheLionagain.“Forthisfruityouhavehungeredandthirstedandwept.NohandbutyoursshallsowtheseedoftheTreethatistobetheprotectionofNarnia.Throwtheappletowardstheriverbankwherethegroundissoft.”
Digorydidashewastold.Everyonehadgrownsoquietthatyoucouldhearthesoftthumpwhereitfellintothemud.
“Itiswellthrown,”saidAslan.“LetusnowproceedtotheCoronationofKingFrankofNarniaandHelenhisQueen.”
Thechildrennownoticedthesetwoforthefirsttime.Theyweredressedinstrangeandbeautifulclothes,andfromtheirshouldersrichrobesflowedoutbehindthemtowherefourdwarfshelduptheKing’strainandfourrivern—ymphstheQueen’s.Theirheadswerebare;butHelenhadletherhairdownanditmadeagreatimprovementinherappearance.Butitwasneitherhairnorclothesthatmadethemlooksodifferentfromtheiroldselves.Theirfaceshadanewexpression,especiallytheKing’s.AllthesharpnessandcunningandquarrelsomenesswhichhehadpickedupasaLondoncabbyseemedtohavebeenwashedaway,andthecourageandkindnesswhichhehadalwayshadwereeasiertosee.Perhapsitwastheairoftheyoungworldthathaddoneit,ortalkingwithAslan,orboth.
“Uponmyword,”whisperedFledgetoPolly.“Myoldmaster’sbeenchangednearlyasmuchasIhave!Why,he’sarealmasternow.”
“Yes,butdon’tbuzzinmyearlikethat,”saidPolly.“Itticklesso.”
“Now,”saidAslan,“someofyouundothattangleyouhavemadewiththosetreesandletusseewhatweshallfindthere.”
Digorynowsawthatwherefourtreesgrewclosetogethertheirbrancheshadallbeenlacedtogetherortiedtogetherwithswitchessoastomakeasortofcage.ThetwoElephantswiththeirtrunksandafewdwarfswiththeirlittleaxessoongotitallundone.Therewerethreethingsinside.Onewasayoungtreethatseemedtobemadeofgold;thesecondwasayoungtreethatseemedtobemadeofsilver;butthethirdwasamiserableobjectinmuddyclothes,sittinghunchedupbetweenthem.
“Gosh!”whisperedDigory.“UncleAndrew!”
Toexplainallthiswemustgobackabit.TheBeasts,youremember,hadtriedplantingandwateringhim.Whenthewateringbroughthimtohissenses,hefoundhimselfsoakingwet,burieduptohisthighsinearth(whichwasquicklyturningintomud)andsurroundedbymorewildanimalsthanhehadeverdreamedofinhislifebefore.Itisperhapsnotsurprisingthathebegantoscreamandhowl.Thiswasinawayagoodthing,foritatlastpersuadedeveryone(eventheWarthog)thathewasalive.Sotheydughimupagain(histrouserswereinareallyshockingstatebynow).Assoonashislegswerefreehetriedtobolt,butoneswiftcurloftheElephant’strunkroundhiswaistsoonputanendtothat.EveryonenowthoughthemustbesafelykeptsomewheretillAslanhadtimetocomeandseehimandsaywhatshouldbedoneabouthim.Sotheymadeasortofcageorcoopallroundhim.Theythenofferedhimeverythingtheycould;thinkoftoeat.
TheDonkeycollectedgreatpilesofthistlesandthrewthemin,butUncleAndrewdidn’tseemtocareaboutthem.TheSquirrelsbombardedhimwithvolleysofnutsbutheonlycoveredhisheadwithhishandsandtriedtokeepoutoftheway.Severalbirdsflewtoandfrodeligentlydroppingwormsonhim.TheBearwasespeciallykind.Duringtheafternoonhefoundawildbees’nestandinsteadofeatingithimself(whichhewouldverymuchliketohavedone)thisworthycreaturebroughtitbacktoUncleAndrew.Butthiswasinfacttheworstfailureofall.TheBearlobbedthewholestickymassoverthetopoftheenclosureandunfortunatelyithitUncleAndrewslapintheface(notallthebeesweredead).TheBear,whowouldnotatallhavemindedbeinghitinthefacebyahoneycombhimself,couldnotunderstandwhyUncleAndrewstaggeredback,slipped,andsatdown.Anditwassheerbadluckthathesatdownonthepileofthistles.“Andanyway,”astheWarthogsaid,“quitealotofhoneyhasgotintothecreature’smouthandthat’sboundtohavedoneitsomegood.”TheywerereallygettingquitefondoftheirstrangepetandhopedthatAslanwouldallowthemtokeepit.Theclevereroneswerequitesurebynowthatatleastsomeofthenoiseswhichcameoutofhismouthhadameaning.TheychristenedhimBrandybecausehemadethatnoisesooften.
Intheend,however,theyhadtoleavehimthereforthenight.AslanwasbusyallthatdayinstructingthenewKingandQueenanddoingotherimportantthings,andcouldnotattendto“pooroldBrandy”.Whatwiththenuts,pears,apples,andbananasthathadbeenthrownintohim,hedidfairlywellforsupper;butitwouldn’tbetruetosaythathepassedanagreeablenight.
“Bringoutthatcreature,”saidAslan.OneoftheElephantsliftedUncleAndrewinitstrunkandlaidhimattheLion’sfeet.Hewastoofrightenedtomove.
“Please,Aslan,”saidPolly,“couldyousaysomethingto-tounfrightenhim?Andthencouldyousaysomethingtopreventhimfromevercomingbackhereagain?”
“Doyouthinkhewantsto?”saidAslan.
“Well,Aslan,”saidPolly,“hemightsendsomeoneelse.He’ssoexcitedaboutthebaroffthelamp-postgrowingintoalamp-posttreeandhethinks-”
“Hethinksgreatfolly,child,”saidAslan.“ThisworldisburstingwithlifeforthesefewdaysbecausethesongwithwhichIcalleditintolifestillhangsintheairandrumblesintheground.Itwillnotbesoforlong.ButIcannottellthattothisoldsinner,andIcannotcomforthimeither;hehasmadehimselfunabletohearmyvoice.IfIspoketohim,hewouldhearonlygrowlingsandroarings.OhAdam’ssons,howcleverlyyoudefendyourselvesagainstallthatmightdoyougood!ButIwillgivehimtheonlygiftheisstillabletoreceive.”
Hebowedhisgreatheadrathersadly,andbreathedintotheMagician’sterrifiedface.“Sleep,”hesaid.“Sleepandbeseparatedforsomefewhoursfromallthetormentsyouhavedevisedforyourself.”UncleAndrewimmediatelyrolledoverwithclosedeyesandbeganbreathingpeacefully.
“Carryhimasideandlayhimdown,”saidAslan.“Now,dwarfs!Showyoursmith-craft.LetmeseeyoumaketwocrownsforyourKingandQueen.”
MoreDwarfsthanyoucoulddreamofrushedforwardtotheGoldenTree.Theyhadallitsleavesstrippedoff,andsomeofitsbranchestornofftoo,beforeyoucouldsayJackRobinson.Andnowthechildrencouldseethatitdidnotmerelylookgoldenbutwasofreal,softgold.Ithadofcoursesprungupfromthehalf-sovereignswhichhadfallenoutofUncleAndrew’spocketwhenhewasturnedupsidedown;justasthesilverhadgrownupfromthehalf-crowns.Fromnowhere,asitseemed,pilesofdrybrushwoodforfuel,alittleanvil,hammers,tongs,andbellowswereproduced.Nextmoment(howthosedwarfslovedtheirwork!)thefirewasblazing,thebellowswereroaring,thegoldwasmelting,thehammerswereclinking.TwoMoles,whomAslanhadsettodig(whichwaswhattheylikedbest)earlierintheday,pouredoutapileofpreciousstonesatthedwarfs’feet.Underthecleverfingersofthelittlesmithstwocrownstookshape-notugly,heavythingslikemodernEuropeancrowns,butlight,delicate,beautifullyshapedcirclesthatyoucouldreallywearandlooknicerbywearing.TheKing’swassetwithrubiesandtheQueen’swithemeralds.
WhenthecrownshadbeencooledintheriverAslanmadeFrankandHelenkneelbeforehimandheplacedthecrownsontheirheads.Thenhesaid,“RiseupKingandQueenofNarnia,fatherandmotherofmanykingsthatshallbeinNarniaandtheIslesandArchenland.Bejustandmercifulandbrave.Theblessingisuponyou.”
Theneveryonecheeredorbayedorneighedortrumpetedorclappeditswingsandtheroyalpairstoodlookingsolemnandalittleshy,butallthenoblerfortheirshyness.AndwhileDigorywasstillcheeringheheardthedeepvoiceofAslanbesidehim,saying:
“Look!”
Everyoneinthatcrowdturneditshead,andtheneveryonedrewalongbreathofwonderanddelight.Alittlewayoff,toweringovertheirheads,theysawatreewhichhadcertainlynotbeentherebefore.Itmusthavegrownupsilently,yetswiftlyasaflagriseswhenyoupullituponaflagstaff,whiletheywereallbusiedaboutthecoronation.Itsspreadingbranchesseemedtocastalightratherthanashade,andsilverapplespeepedoutlikestarsfromundereveryleaf.Butitwasthesmellwhichcamefromit,evenmorethanthesight,thathadmadeeveryonedrawintheirbreath.Foramomentonecouldhardlythinkaboutanythingelse.
“SonofAdam,”saidAslan,“youhavesownwell.Andyou,Narnians,letitbeyourfirstcaretoguardthisTree,foritisyourShield.TheWitchofwhomItoldyouhasfledfarawayintotheNorthoftheworld;shewillliveonthere,growingstrongerindarkMagic.ButwhilethatTreeflourishesshewillnevercomedownintoNarnia.ShedarenotcomewithinahundredmilesoftheTree,foritssmell,whichisjoyandlifeandhealthtoyou,isdeathandhorroranddespairtoher.”
EveryonewasstaringsolemnlyattheTreewhenAslansuddenlyswungroundhishead(scatteringgoldengleamsoflightfromhismaneashedidso)andfixedhislargeeyesonthechildren.“Whatisit,children?”hesaid,forhecaughtthemintheveryactofwhisperingandnudgingoneanother.
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