Chapter 10 Chapter Nine: The Witch's House

Now of course you all want to know what happened to Edmund.He finished his lunch, but he didn't eat it with much relish, because he kept thinking about Turkish Delight—reminiscences of enchanted food, and the best of ordinary food is unappetizing.And he also felt uncomfortable hearing this conversation, because he always thought that others would ignore him and neglect him.In fact, this is not the case, it is all imagined by him.He had been hearing Mr. Beaver tell them about Aslan afterward, and the whole arrangement of meeting him at the Stone Table.So he began to move quietly under the curtain that hung over the door.Because when he mentioned Aslan, he had a mysterious and terrifying feeling, just as other people had a mysterious and lovely feeling when they heard the name.

Just as Mr. Beaver was reciting the poem "Flesh and Bone of Adam", Edmund had already quietly turned the doorknob; before Mr. Beaver told them that the White Witch was not a real person at all, but half elf and half giant, Edmund He had already walked outside into the snow, and carefully closed the door behind him. You mustn't think, even now, that Edmund is so bad as to really want his brothers and sisters to be turned to stone by the witch.He did want Turkish Delight, and he wanted to be a Prince (and later a King), and he wanted Peter to call him a villain.As for what the Witch would do to the others, although he didn't expect her to be particularly nice to them—certainly not to treat them as he did—he believed, or thought he believed, that she would do them no harm. "Because," he said to himself, "everyone who says bad things about her is her enemy, and maybe half of them are false. Anyway, she's been kinder to me than they were to me." I think she's really the rightful queen. Anyway, she's better than damned Aslan!" At least, that was the excuse in his head for what he was doing.But this excuse is not very good, because deep down in his heart, he also really knows that the White Witch is fierce and cruel.

When he came out, he saw that it was snowing outside, and the first thing he realized was that he had left his coat at the Beavers'.Of course there was no chance of going back to get the coat right now.The next thing to realize was that it was almost dark, because it was almost three o'clock when they sat down to lunch, and the days were short in winter.He hadn't figured this out before, but he had to make the most of it.So he turned up his collar and shuffled across the top of the embankment (thanks to the snow that made it less slippery) towards the far river. When he got to the distant river, the situation was not so good.It was getting dark, and with the snowflakes swirling around him, he couldn't see more than three feet away.Besides, there's no road there.He kept slipping into deep snowdrifts, rolling into frozen pools, stumbling over fallen tree trunks, sliding down steep river banks, skinning his shins on rocks and getting all wet. Wet and cold, with bruises everywhere.The silence and solitude are frightening.In fact, if he hadn't said to himself now and then, "When I'm King of Narnia, the first thing I'll do is build some decent roads." Make peace with the others.Of course the words made him think of being king and all the things he was going to do, and it encouraged him a lot.He made up his mind what kind of palace he would have, and how many cars, and all about private movie theaters, where the main railroads would go, what laws he would make about beavers and dykes, and ban Peter The plan of babbling and turmoil was finally revised; now the sky changed.First the snow stopped, then there was a sudden gust of wind, and it was terribly cold; finally, the clouds cleared and the moon came out.A full moon shone on a patch of snow almost as brightly as day—only the shadows confused him.

If the moon hadn't come out when he got to the other river, he wouldn't have been able to find his way at all--you remember, when they first got to the Beavers' house, he had already seen a smaller river flowing down into the big river .Now that he came to this little river, he turned and walked up the river.But the small valley at the source of the creek was steeper and more rocky than the one he had just left, and it was covered with overgrown bushes, so that he could not pass in the dark.Even so, he was drenched, for he had to walk stooped under the branches, and chunks of snow slid down his back.When this kind of misfortune happened, he thought all the more about how much he hated Peter—as if it was all Peter's fault.

But at last he came to a relatively flat place, and the valley opened up.Just near him, on the other side of the creek, in the middle of a little plain between two hills, he saw the house that must have belonged to the White Witch.And the moon is brighter than ever.The house was actually a small castle, and it looked like it was all towers.On top of the little tower was a long, pointed top, like the point of a needle, or like the pointed hat of a foolish student or a wizard.Under the moonlight, the long shadow of the tower looks strange on the snow!Edmund was beginning to be afraid of the house.

But it was too late to turn around and go back now.He walked across the river on the ice and walked towards the house.There was no movement, not even the sound of his own feet stepping on the deep snow that had just fallen.He walked and walked, corner after corner, tower after tower, in search of the door.It took him a long way to find the door.It turned out to be a big arch, but the big iron gate was open. Edmond tiptoed through the archway, and looked out into the yard, and what he saw nearly stopped his heart.Just inside the gate, in the moonlight, there was a big lion crouching, as if about to jump up.Edmund stood in the shadow of the arch, his knees trembling, he was afraid to go through it, and he was afraid to go back.He stood there for a long time, his teeth chattering from the cold, if not from fear.I don't know how long he actually stood there, but it seemed to Edmund that hours passed.

At last he wondered why the lion was sitting still--because he hadn't moved at all since he saw him.Edmund now ventured closer, still trying to hide in the shadow of the arch.He could see now from the way the lion stood that it had no chance of seeing him. ("But what if it turned its head?" thought Edmund.) In fact it was looking at something else--a dwarf standing with his back to the Lion about four feet away. "Aha!" thought Edmund, "when it will pounce on the Dwarf, then I shall have my chance to escape." But the Lion remained motionless, and neither did the Dwarf.At last Edmund remembered what the others had said about the White Witch turning people into stone.Maybe it's just a stone lion.As soon as he thought of this he noticed that the lion's back and head were covered with snow.Of course it must be only a stone statue!A living animal would never allow itself to be covered with snow.So Edmund walked up to the Lion slowly and boldly, as if his heart would jump out.Even now he dared not touch it, but at last he reached out and touched it quickly.It turned out to be cold stone.It was just a stone statue, but it frightened him!

Edmund felt so relieved that, in spite of the cold, he was suddenly warm from head to toe.At the same time he had a thought that seemed quite desirable. "Perhaps," he thought, "this is the great Aslan the Lion they all talk about. She has seized him and turned him into stone. Then their plans for him will be in vain. No! Pooh! Who's afraid of Aslan?" He just stood there gloating at the stone lion, and after a while he did a childishly stupid thing.He took a pencil end from his pocket, painted a mustache on the lion's upper lip, and added a pair of glasses to it.Then he said, "Funny old Aslan! What do you think of being a stone? You think you're great?" But even though he had scribbled on the Lion's face, the Big Stone Beast looked terrible and sad. , and noble, looking up at the moon.Edmund teased the stone lion, but he didn't really feel amused by it.He turned and walked across the yard.

As soon as he walked into the middle of the yard, he saw many stone statues all around—it was everywhere, a bit like chess pieces on a chessboard halfway through the game.There are stone satyrs (half-human, half-beast gods in Greek mythology, who walk like humans, with ears and tails like horses or goats), and stone wolves, bears, foxes, and lynxes.There are also lovely stones that look like women but are actually dryads.There is a big stone statue shaped like a centaur (a half-man and half-horse monster with a centaur body in Greek mythology), a horse with wings, and a long mollusc, which Edmond regarded as a dragon. .The statues were all so queer to look at, so vivid in the bright cold moonlight, and so utterly still, that it was horrific to pass through the yard.In the middle of the courtyard stood a huge human body, as tall as a tree, with a fierce face, a big shaggy beard, and a big stick in its right hand.Although Edmund knew it was only a stone giant and not alive, he still didn't want to walk past the giant.

Now he saw a dim light shining through an entrance across the yard.He went there, where some stone steps led to an open door.Edmund went up the stone steps, and saw a large wolf lying on the threshold. "It's okay, it's okay," he kept saying to himself, "it's just a stone wolf. It won't hurt me." He raised his foot to step over it.The giant beast immediately stood up, the hairs on its back stood up, opened its bloody mouth, and roared: "Who's there? Who's there? Stand still, stranger, and tell me who you are." "Please inform me, sir," Edmond trembled, almost speechless, "My name is Edmond, and I am the son of Adam whom Her Majesty the Queen met in the forest a few days ago. Here comes the word that we brothers and sisters are all in Narnia now—very near, at the Beavers'. She—she wants to see them."

"I will report to Her Majesty," said the wolf, "and in the meantime, if you value your life, stand still on the threshold." And he went in and disappeared. Edmund stood waiting, his fingers aching from the cold, and his heart beating violently.Presently the gray wolf, Fenris Ulf, the head of the Hag's secret police, sprang back, and said, "Come in! Come in! Lucky queen's favourite—or not so lucky." Edmund went in, taking care not to step on the wolf's paws. He found himself in a long, dark hall with many pillars, as full of stone statues as the courtyard.The statue nearest the door was a lamb, looking so sad that Edmund wondered if it could be Lucy's friend.There was only one lamp lit in the hall, and the White Witch was sitting right behind it. "I'm here, Your Majesty." Edmund said, rushing forward in a hurry. "How dare you come alone?" said the Witch in a terrible voice. "Didn't I tell you to bring the others with you?" "Don't be offended, Your Majesty," said Edmund, "I have done my best. I have brought them near. They are in the little house on the top of the embankment up the river—with Mr. and Mrs. Beaver. Together." A cruel smile slowly appeared on the witch's face. "Is that all your news?" she asked. "No, sire," said Edmund, and began to tell her all that he had heard before leaving the Beavers' house. "What! Aslan!" cried the Queen, "Aslan! Is it true? If I find you lying to me—" "Don't be offended, I'm just repeating what they said," stammered Edmund. But the queen had stopped paying attention to him, and she clapped her hands.The little dwarf whom Edmund had last seen following the queen appeared at once. "Get the sledge ready," ordered the Witch, "with a harness without a bell."