Chapter 4 Chapter 4 Shasta meets the Narnia

At first Shasta could see nothing in the valley below, but a sea of ​​mist from which rose domes and pinnacles, but as the light increased and the mist cleared he saw more and more. .A broad river divides into two tributaries, and on the island between the tributaries stands the city of Tashbaan, one of the wonders of the world.Around the island, a series of tall city walls were built, with many fortress towers sandwiched in the middle for protection.The flowing water beats against the stone city.And there were so many forts that Shasta soon gave up trying to count them all.Inside the walls, a hill rose from the island, and every piece of land on the hill, from the foothills to the palace of Tethrok and the temple of Tash on the top of the hill, was covered with buildings - one after another, and on the terraces there were Terraces, streets upon streets, zigzags or great steps, planted on either side with orange and lemon trees, roof gardens, balconies, deep arcades, porticoes, spires, battlements , monastery steeples, Gothic spires.When the sun finally rose from the sea, the light reflected from the monastery's great silver cupola dazzled his eyes.

"Go on, Shasta," Bree kept saying. There are so many gardens on the river banks on both sides of the valley, it looks like a forest at first glance, until you get closer and see the snow-white walls of countless houses exposed under the trees, you don't understand the truth.It was not long before Shasta felt a sweet scent of flowers and fruits.In about fifteen minutes they were in the middle of the garden, on a level path, with white walls on either side, and drooping branches of flowers and trees sticking out of the walls. "Ah," said Shasta in a voice of awe, "this is a wonderful place."

"I'm sure so," said Bree, "but I hope we get through the city safely, and out of it on the other side, straight to Narnia and the North!" At this time, a low and trembling sound sounded, and the sound gradually became louder, as if the whole valley was shaken by it.It was a musical sound, but strong and majestic, and therefore a little frightening. "This is the trumpet that opens the gates," said Bree, "and we shall That's it.Watch out, Aravis, drop your shoulders a little, walk a little more heavily, and try not to look like a princess.Try to imagine that you have been kicked, slapped, and cursed at in your life. "

"Speaking of which," said Aravis, "you'll hang your head down a little more and your neck less arched, and try not to look like a war horse, will you?" "Shut up," Bree said, "here we are." They are here.They came to the river, and the road ahead of them followed a porous bridge.The river leaped brightly in the morning sun, and far to the right, near the mouth of the river, they could see the masts of some sailing ships.There were a few travelers on the bridge ahead of them, mostly farmers, driving loads of donkeys and mules, or else with baskets on their heads.The children and the horses mingled with the group.

"Is something wrong?" Shasta asked Aravis in a low voice, with a strange look on her face. "Ah, it looks all right to you," Aravis whispered gruffly. "What have you got to do with Tashbane, I'm supposed to be sitting in a palanquin Gallop, soldiers in front, slaves in back, maybe I'm going to feast in the palace of Tithrok (may he live forever) - instead of sneaking into the city like I'm doing now. But it's different for you gone." Shasta thought it all very stupid and stupid. On the bridge at the other end of the bridge, the city wall stood tall, and the brass city gate in the city gate was opened. The city gate was indeed very large and wide, but because it was so tall, it seemed narrow.Six ten soldiers, leaning on spears, stood on both sides of the city gate.Aravis couldn't help thinking, "If they knew whose daughter I am, they'd all jump to attention and salute me." But the rest of the men were just thinking about how they got through the gate, and hoped the soldiers wouldn't Ask what questions.Fortunately, the soldiers did not question him.But one of the soldiers took a carrot from the peasant's basket, threw it at Shasta with a rude laugh, and said:

"Hey, little groom, if your master finds out that you use his mount to carry your load, you will suffer." This frightened him enough, for it certainly showed the point that no one who knew a little about horses would ever mistake Bree for some other bird than recognize him as a war horse! "That's what my master told me to do, and that's what it is!" said Shasta.It would have been better if he had kept his mouth shut, for the soldier had hit him so hard in the side of the face that he nearly knocked him off his horse. "Dirty boy, take this blow and teach you how to talk to free men." But they all slipped into the city unchecked.Shasta only cried for a moment, for he was used to being beaten.

After entering the city gate, Tashbaan does not seem to be as magnificent as it looked from a distance at first.The first street is narrow, and there are no windows on the walls on either side.The streets were far more crowded than Shasta had imagined, partly because they were full of peasants who had come into town with them to go to the market, but also because they were full of water sellers, sweetmeat sellers, porters, soldiers, Beggars, children in rags, hens, lost dogs, barefoot slaves.If you've ever been on the street, you know that the main thing that catches your attention is the messy smell of unwashed people, unwashed dogs, livestock stench, garlic, onions, and piles of Garbage everywhere. "

Shasta pretended to be leading the way when in fact it was Boo who was leading him with a sneaky nudge of his nose, and Bree knew the way.They soon turned left and began walking up a steep hill.The air was much fresher here, and much more pleasing to the eye, for the road was lined with trees and houses were built only on the right; and on the left they could see up the river over the roofs of the town below.Then, they made a U-shaped sharp turn to the right and continued climbing.They were winding their way up to the center of Tashbaan.Before long they were on better streets.Huge statues of gods and heroes of Calormene stood on gleaming pedestals, most of them impressive but not very pleasing.Shadows of palm trees and columned arcades fell on the hot sidewalk.Through the arched gates of many palaces Shasta saw green branches and cool springs and soft lawns.It must be very nice and cozy in there, he thought.

Every turn Shasta wished they were getting out of the crowd, but they couldn't.This makes them very slow and has to stop every now and then.This pause is often caused by a loud voice shouting "Get out of the way, get out of the way, get out of the way for the Takan", or "Make way for the Tekshina", or "Make way for the Fifteenth Minister ’, or ‘Give way to the Ambassador’, and everyone in the crowd was backed up to the wall. Shasta looked over the heads of the crowd, and sometimes saw the Grand Prince or Lady lounging in a palanquin, and the four Two or six burly slaves walked by on bare shoulders.Because in Tashbaan, there is only one traffic rule, that is, everyone who is not as noble as the other must give way to the other, unless you want to be whipped or poked off by the handle of a spear.

In a splendid street not far from the top of the hill (the only one better than this street is the palace of Tithroc), a terrible misfortune happened. "Get out of the way! Get out of the way! Get out of the way!" came the shout. "Make way for the Pale Gentile King, honored guest of Tethroc (may he live forever!), make way for the Narnian lords." Shasta tried to get away, and told Bree to go away.But it was not easy for any horse, even a talking horse from Narnia, to back off.A woman standing just behind Shasta with a pointed basket in her hand shoved it hard onto Shasta's shoulder, saying, "Hey, who are you pushing?" He squeezed in, letting go of Bree in the confusion.Then the whole crowd behind him huddled so tight and hard that he couldn't move at all.At last he found himself pushed involuntarily to the forefront, and he could clearly see the group of figures coming down the street.

This group of characters was quite different from the others they had seen that day.The only Calormene among them shouted "Get out of the way, get out of the way."There are no sedan chairs, and everyone is walking on foot.There were five or six of them in all, and Shasta had never seen anyone like them before.First, they were all fair-skinned like him, and most of them had blond hair.They don't dress like Calormenes either.Most of them were bare below the knees.The colors of their tunics were all beautiful, bright, and durable—either the green of the woodlands, or the pleasant bright yellow, or the bright blue of the sky.Instead of turbans, they wore steel or silver hats, some studded with jewels, and one had tiny wings on the side.A few were bareheaded and without hats.The swords they wore at their waists were long and straight, not like Calormenes.Nor were they solemn and mysterious like most of the Calormenes, with their waddling walks, their shoulders relaxed, and their chatter and laughter.One was still whistling.You can see that they are ready to be friends with anyone who is friendly, and they don't mind anyone who is not.Shasta thought he had never seen anything so lovely in his life. However, it was too late to appreciate it, because immediately a truly terrible thing happened.Suddenly the leader of the blond men shouted, pointing to Shasta, "There he is! There is our runaway!" and grabbed him by the shoulder.Then he gave him a slap--not a slap so hard that you'd cry, but a slap so loud that you knew you were humiliating yourself--and shaking him, he said: "My God, you are so ashamed! You are so shameful! Queen Susan's eyes are red from crying for you. It's all right! Loitering all night! Where have you been?" If he had the chance, Shasta would have jumped under Bree's belly and slipped away, but now the fair-haired men surrounded him and he was firmly held by them. His first impulse, of course, was to declare to them that he was but the son of the poor fisherman Ashish, and that foreign kings must have mistook him for someone else.Yet, in this crowded place, the last thing he wanted to do was explain who he was and what he was doing.If he started to touch the subject, he would be asked where he got the horses, and who Aravis was—and any chance of getting across Tashbaan would be over.His second impulse was to look at Bree and ask him for help.But Bree had no intention of letting everyone know that he could speak human, and there he stood, looking as stupid as the stupidest horse.As for Aravis, Shasta dared not even look at her for fear of attracting attention.And there was no time to think, for the leader of the Narnians said at once: "Polidan, you have to hold one hand of the little prince respectfully, and I will hold his other hand. Let's go now. Our sister sees the young naughty boy safe and sound in our hands Here, she will be greatly relieved." Thus, before they were halfway through Tashbaan, all plans were ruined, and there was not even a chance to say good-bye to the others.Shasta found himself compelled to stride among strangers, without any means of guessing what was going to happen next.The King of Narnia--and from the way the rest of the people talked to him, Shasta began to conclude that he must be a king--asked him many questions: Where had he been?How did he escape?Where are his clothes?Does he realize that he has been very naughty?It's just that the king didn't call him naughty, only called him "skin". Shasta answered nothing, for he could think of no answer that would not lead to disaster. "How 'deaf and dumb?' asked the King. "I must tell you plainly, Prince, that this vile silence is worse for a man of your blood and position than for a mischievous fellow." It is more inappropriate and inappropriate. Slipping away for no reason can be regarded as a child's dizzy play. But the son of King Archenland should openly admit the truth instead of hanging his head like a carol A slave of the gate country." This sounded very unpleasant, for Shasta always felt that the young king was the kindest of the grown-ups, and he wanted to make a good impression. The stranger led him—clutching his hands—down a narrow street, down a set of small steps, and up another set of steps, until he reached a white wall and a broad At the entrance, there is a tall black cypress tree on the left and right sides of the gate.Stepping through the arch, Shasta found himself in a yard, which was also a garden.In the center is a personal marble clear water basin, into which spring water trickles down.Around the water basin, orange trees grew on the level lawn.The four snow-white walls surrounding the lawn are covered with roses.The dust and congestion of the streets seemed to disappear suddenly.He was led swiftly through the garden and into a dark doorway.The pager was outside the door.After this they led him through a corridor in which the stone floor cools him comfortably through his parched feet, and up a staircase.Presently he was blinking in the light of a large, spacious room.The windows in the room were wide open, all facing north, so no sunlight came into the room.There was a carpet on the floor, the color of which he had never seen before, and his feet sank into the carpet, as if stepping on thick moss.There were low sofas all around the walls, and many cushions on them, and the room seemed to be full of people, some of whom Shasta thought were odd.But he had no time to think about it, and one of the most beautiful ladies he had ever seen stood up from her seat, put her arms around him, kissed him, and said, "Ah, Colin, Colin, how can you be like this? You and I have been such close friends since your mother died. If I didn't take you back when I came home, how could I explain to your father the king What? Archenland and Narnia have been friendly neighbors since ancient times. Will this cause the two countries to go to war? Ah, playmates, you are so rude to treat us like this. " "Obviously," thought Shasta, "I've been mistaken for a prince of Archenland, wherever Archenland is. These must be Narnians. I don't know where the real Colin is." Where." But these thoughts could not help him to make any answer aloud. "Where have you been, Colin?" said the lady, her hands still on Shasta's shoulders. "I—I don't know," stammered Shasta. "It's really helpless, Susan," Guogong said, "whether it's true or false, I can't make him tell it." "Your Majesty! Queen Susan! King Edmund!" said a voice; and Shasta, turning to look at the speaker, was startled with astonishment.Because the person who said this was one of those strange characters he had seen out of the corner of his eye when he first entered the room.He was as tall as Shasta, and like a man from the waist up, but with hairy legs like a sheep's, and he had hoofs and a sheep's tail.His skin was rather red, he had curly hair, a short, pointed beard, and two horns.In fact he was a Faun, and Shasta had never seen a picture of such a fellow, nor had he even heard of it.If you've read the book, called The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe, you'll be glad to know that he was the Faun called Tumnus, when Lucy, Queen Susan's sister, found her way into Narnia. , It was him who met on the first day.He was much older now, though, and Peter, Susan, Edmund, and Lucy had all been King and Queen of Narnia for several years by this time. "Your Majesty," said the goat, "the little prince is suffering from heatstroke. Look! He is in a daze. He doesn't know where he is." So, of course, they stopped blaming him, they stopped questioning him, they treated him with dignity, put him on the sofa, put pillows behind his head, and sang to him with iced juice in a gold cup, He was also told to keep very quiet. Nothing like this had ever happened to Shasta in his life before.He didn't even dream of lying on a comfortable sofa like that, or drinking such delicious juice.He was still wondering what had happened to the other three, how on earth he would get out and meet them in the old cemetery, and how things would change if the real Colin reappeared.But now that he was comfortable, none of these anxieties seemed urgent.Maybe, there will be something good to eat soon The people who were in that cool, spacious room at that time were very interesting.Besides the Faun, there were two dwarfs (a figure he had never seen before), and a very large raven.The rest were men, grown men, but young, and all of them, male and female, had better faces and better voices than most Calormenes.Shasta soon found himself interested in their conversation. "Well, madam," said the king to Queen Susan (the one who kissed Shasta), "what do you think? We've been in this town for three weeks. You haven't made up your mind yet. Would you like to marry this black-faced admirer of yours, this Prince Rabadash?" The Queen shook her head. "No, brother," said she, "give me all the jewels in Tashbaan, and I will not marry him." ("Ah!" thought Shasta, "though they are King and Queen , they are siblings, not husband and wife." "Indeed, sister," said the King, "I would love you less if you had taken a fancy to him. I tell you, the Ambassador of Teesrock came to Narnia first to say the marriage I find it strange that you should show so much affection for him from the bottom of your heart, when the prince was our guest at Cair Paravel later, and later." "It was my folly and ignorance, Edmund," said Queen Susan, "for which I beg your pardon. Yet the Prince, when he came to visit us in Narnia, was at Tashbaan with him now. Quite a different style indeed. Phi beg you to testify how wonderfully he performed at the joustings and joustings held for him by the Supreme King, and how meek and gentle he was during his seven days' visit. Accompanying us courteously. Here, however, in his own city, he has shown himself otherwise." "Wow," cried the Raven, "the old saying goes: See the bear in its own den before you judge its quality." "This proverb is true, Saropad," said one of the dwarfs, "and another proverb says: Come and live with me, and you will understand me." "Yes," said King Wei, "now we have seen his true colors: a most proud, bloody, extravagant, cruel and self-appreciative tyrant" "Then, in the name of Aslan," said Susan, "let us leave Tashbaan today." "Sister, here is the difficulty. Now I have to tell you all the thoughts I have gradually matured in the last two days or so. Peridan, thank you for keeping an eye on the door and not letting spies break in. Everything All right? All right. Because we have to keep it a secret now." Everyone started to look serious.Queen Susan jumped up and ran to her brother. "Oh, Edmund," she cried, "what's the matter? You have a terrible look on your face."