英文
CHAPTER 15 ASLAN MAKES A DOOR IN THE AIR
AT the sight of Aslan the cheeks of the Telmarine soldiers became the colour of cold gravy, their knees knocked together, and many fell on their faces. They had not believed in lions and this made their fear greater. Even the Red Dwarfs, who knew that he came as a friend, stood with open mouths and could not speak. Some of the Black Dwarfs, who had been of Nikabrik's party, began to edge away. But all the Talking Beasts surged round the Lion, with purrs and grunts and squeaks and whinnies of delight, fawning on him with their tails, rubbing against him, touching him reverently with their noses and going to and fro under his body and between his legs. If you have ever seen a little cat loving a big dog whom it knows and trusts, you will have a pretty good picture of their behaviour. Then Peter, leading Caspian, forced his way through the crowd of animals.
“This is Caspian, Sir,” he said. And Caspian knelt and kissed the Lion's paw.
“Welcome, Prince,” said Aslan. “Do you feel yourself sufficient to up the Kingship of Narnia?”
“I—I don't think I do, Sir,” said Caspian. “I'm only a kid.”
“Good,” said Aslan. “If you had felt yourself sufficient, it would have been a proof that you were not. Therefore, under us and under the High King, you shall be King of Narnia, Lord of Cair Paravel, and Emperor of the Lone Islands. You and your heirs while your race lasts. And your coronation—but what have we here?” For at that moment a curious little procession was approaching—eleven Mice, six of whom carried between them something on a litter made of branches, but the litter was no bigger than a large atlas. No one has ever seen mice more woebegone than these. They were plastered with mud—some with blood too—and their ears were down and their whiskers drooped and their tails dragged in the grass, and their leader piped on his slender pipe a melancholy tune. On the litter lay what seemed little better than a damp heap of fur; all that was left of Reepicheep. He was still breathing, but more dead than alive, gashed with innumerable wounds, one paw crushed, and, where his tail had been, a bandaged stump.
“Now, Lucy,” said Aslan.
Lucy had her diamond bottle out in a moment. Though only a drop was needed on each of Reepicheep's wounds, the wounds were so many that there was a long and anxious silence before she had finished and the Master Mouse sprang from the litter. His hand went at once to his sword hilt, with the other he twirled his whiskers. He bowed.
“Hail, Aslan!” came his shrill voice. “I have the honor—” But then he suddenly stopped.
The fact was that he still had no tail—whether that Lucy had forgotten it or that her cordial, though it could heal wounds, could not make things grow again. Reepicheep became aware of his loss as he made his bow; perhaps it altered something in his balance. He looked over his right shoulder. Failing to see his tail, he strained his neck further till he had to turn his shoulders and his whole body followed. But by that time his hind-quarters had turned too and were out of sight. Then he strained his neck looking over his shoulder again, with the same result. Only after he had turned completely round three times did he realize the dreadful truth.
“I am confounded,” said Reepicheep to Aslan. “I am completely of countenance. I must crave your indulgence for appearing in this fashion.”
“It becomes you very well, Small One,” said Aslan.
“All the same,” replied Reepicheep, “if anything could be done... Perhaps her Majesty?” and here he bowed to Lucy.
“But what do you want with a tail?” asked Aslan.
“Sir,” said the Mouse, “I can eat and sleep and die for my King without one. But a tail is the honour and glory of a Mouse.”
“I have sometimes wondered, friend,” said Aslan, “whether you do not think too much about your honour.”
“Highest of all High Kings,” said Reepicheep, “permit me to remind you that a very small size has been bestowed on us Mice, and if we did not guard our dignity, some (who weigh worth by inches) would allow themselves very unsuitable pleasantries at our expense. That is why I have been at some pains to make it known that no one who does not wish to feel this sword as near his heart as I can reach shall talk in my presence about Traps or Toasted Cheese or Candles: no, Sir—not the tallest fool in Narnia!” Here he glared very fiercely up at Wimbleweather, but the Giant, who was always a stage behind everyone else, had not yet discovered what was being talked about down at his feet, and so missed the point.
“Why have your followers all drawn their swords, may I ask?” said Aslan.
“May it please your High Majesty,” said the second Mouse, whose name was Peepiceek, “we are all waiting to cut off our own tails if our Chief must go without his. We will not bear the shame of wearing an honour which is denied to the High Mouse.”
“Ah!” roared Aslan. “You have conquered me. You have great hearts. Not for the sake of your dignity, Reepicheep, but for the love that is between you and your people, and still more for the kindness your people showed me long ago when you ate away the cords that bound me on the Stone Table (and it was then, though you have long forgotten it, that you began to be Talking Mice), you shall have your tail again.”
Before Aslan had finished speaking the new tail was in its place. Then, at Aslan's command, Peter bestowed the Knighthood of the Order of the Lion on Caspian, and Caspian, as soon as he was knighted, himself bestowed it on Trufflehunter and Trumpkin and Reepicheep, and made Doctor Cornelius his Lord Chancellor, and confirmed the Bulgy Bear in his hereditary office of Marshal of the Lists. And there was great applause.
After this the Telmarine soldiers, firmly but without taunts or blows, were taken across the ford and all put under lock and key in the town of Beruna and given beef and beer. They made a great fuss about wading the river, for they all hated and feared running water just as much as they hated and feared woods and animals. But in the end the nuisance was over: and then the nicest part of that long day began.
Lucy, sitting close to Aslan and divinely comfortable, wondered what trees were doing. At first she thought they were merely dancing; they certainly going round slowly in two circles, one from left to right and the other from right to left. Then she noticed that they kept throwing something down in the centre of both circles. Sometimes she thought they were cutting off long strands of their hair; at other times it looked as if were breaking off bits of their fingers—but, if so, they had plenty of fingers to spare and it did not hurt them. But whatever they were throwing , when it reached the ground, it became brushwood or dry sticks. Then three or four of the Red Dwarfs came forward with their tinder and set light to the pile, which first crackled, and then blazed, and roared as a woodland bonfire on midsummer night ought to do. And everyone sat down in a wide circle around it.
Then Bacchus and Silenus and the Maenads began a dance, far than the dance of the trees; not merely a dance for fun and beauty (though it was that too) but a magic dance of plenty, and where their hands touched, and where their feet fell, the feast came into existence—sides of meat that filled the grove with delicious smell, and wheaten cakes oaten cakes, honey and many-coloured sugars and cream as thick as porridge and as smooth as still water, peaches, nectarines, pomegranates, pears, grapes, strawberries, raspberries—pyramids and cataracts of fruit. Then, in great wooden cups and bowls and mazers, wreathed with ivy, came the wines; dark, thick ones like syrups of mulberry juice, and clear ones like red jellies liquefied, and yellow wines and green wines and -green and greenish-yellow.
But for the tree people different fare was provided. When Lucy saw Clodsley Shovel and his moles scuffling up the turf in various places (which Bacchus had pointed out to them) and realised that the trees were going to eat earth it gave her rather a shudder. But when she saw the earths that were actually brought to them she felt quite different. They began with a rich brown loam that looked almost exactly like chocolate; so like chocolate, in fact, that Edmund tried a piece of it, but he did not find it at all nice. When the rich loam had taken the edge off their hunger, the trees turned to an earth of the kind you see in Somerset, which is almost pink. They said it was lighter and sweeter. At the cheese stage they had a chalky soil, and then went on to delicate confections of the finest gravels powdered with choice silver sand. They drank very little wine, and it made the Hollies very talkative: for the most part they quenched their thirst with deep draughts of mingled dew and rain, flavoured with forest flowers and the airy taste of the thinnest clouds.
Thus Aslan feasted the Narnians till long after the sunset had died away, and the stars had come out; and the great fire, now hotter but less noisy, shone like a beacon in the dark woods, and the frightened Telmarines saw it from far away and wondered what it might mean. The best thing of all about this feast was that there was no breaking up or going away, but as the talk grew quieter and slower, one after another begin to nod and finally drop off to sleep with feet towards the fire good friends on either side, till at last there was silence all round the circle, and the chattering of water over stone at the Fords of Beruna could be heard once more. But all night Aslan and the Moon gazed upon each other with joyful and unblinking eyes.
Next day messengers (who were chiefly squirrels and birds) were sent all over the country with a proclamation to the scattered Telmarines—including, of course, the prisoners in Beruna. They were told that Caspian was now King and that Narnia would henceforth belong to the Talking Beasts and the Dwarfs and Dryads and Fauns and other creatures quite as much as to the men. Any who chose to stay under the new conditions might do so; but for those who did not like the idea, Aslan would provide another home. Anyone who wished to go there must come to Aslan and the Kings at the Fords of Beruna by noon on the fifth day. You may imagine that this caused plenty of head-scratching among the Telmarines. Some of them, chiefly the young ones, had, like Caspian, heard stories of the Old Days and were delighted that they had come back. They were already making friends with the creatures. These all decided to stay in Narnia. But most of the older men, especially those who had been important under Miraz, were sulky and had no wish to live in a country where they could not rule the roast. “Live here with a lot of blooming performing animals! No fear,” they said. “And ghosts too,” some added with a shudder. “That's what those there Dryads really are. It's not canny.” They were also suspicious. “I don't trust 'em,” they said. “Not with that awful Lion and all. He won't keep his claws off us long, you'll see.” But then they were equally suspicious of his offer to give them a new home. “Take us off to his den and eat us one by one most likely,” they muttered. And the more they talked to one another the sulkier and more suspicious they became. But on the appointed day more than half of them turned up.
At one end of the glade Aslan had caused to be set up two stakes of wood, higher than a man's head and about three feet apart. A third, and lighter, piece of wood was bound across them at the top, uniting them, so that the whole thing looked like a doorway from nowhere into nowhere. In front of this stood Aslan himself with Peter on his right and Caspian on his left. Grouped round them were Susan and Lucy, Trumpkin and Trufflehunter, the Lord Cornelius, Glenstorm, Reepicheep, and others. The children and the Dwarfs had made good use of the royal wardrobes in what had been the castle of Miraz and was now the castle of Caspian, and what with silk and cloth of gold, with snowy linen glancing through slashed sleeves, with silver mail shirts and jewelled sword-hilts, with gilt helmets and feathered bonnets, they were almost too bright to look at. Even the beasts wore rich chains about their necks. Yet nobody's eyes were on them or the children. The living and strokable gold of Aslan's mane outshone them all. The rest of the Old Narnians stood down each side of the glade. At the far end stood the Telmarines. The sun shone brightly and pennants fluttered in the light wind.
“Men of Telmar,” said Aslan, “you who seek a new land, hear my words. I will send you all to your own country, which I know and you do not.”
“We don't remember Telmar. We don't know where it is. We don't know what it is like,” grumbled the Telmarines.
“You came into Narnia out of Telmar,” said Aslan. “But you came into Telmar from another place. You do not belong to this world at all. You came hither, certain generations ago, out of that same world to which the High King Peter belongs.”
At this, half the Telmarines began whimpering, “There you are. Told you so. He's going to kill us all, send us right out of the world,” and the other half began throwing out their chests and slapping one another on the back and whispering, “There you are. Might have guessed we didn't belong to this place with all its queer, nasty, unnatural creatures. We're of royal blood, you'll see.” And even Caspian and Cornelius and the children turned to Aslan with looks of amazement on their faces.
“Peace,” said Aslan in the low voice which was nearest to his growl. The earth seemed to shake a little and every living thing in the grove became still as stone.
“You, Sir Caspian,” said Aslan, “might have known that you could be no true King of Narnia unless, like the Kings of old, you were a son of Adam and came from the world of Adam's sons. And so you are. Many years ago in that world, in a deep sea of that world which is called the South Sea, a shipload of pirates were driven by storm on an island. And there they did as pirates would: killed the natives and took the native women for wives, and made palm wine, and drank and were drunk, and lay in the shade of the palm trees, and woke up and quarrelled, and sometimes killed one another. And in one of these frays six were put to flight by the rest and fled with their women into the centre of the island and up a mountain, and went, as they thought, into a cave to hide. But it was one of the magical places of that world, one of the chinks or chasms between that world and this. There were many chinks or chasms between worlds in old times, but they have grown rarer. This was one of the last: I do not say the last. And so they fell, or rose, or blundered, or dropped right through, and found themselves in this world, in the Land of Telmar which was then unpeopled. But why it was unpeopled is a long story: I will not tell it now. And in Telmar their descendants lived and became a and proud people; and after many generations there was a famine Telmar and they invaded Narnia, which was then in some disorder (but that also would be a long story), and conquered it and ruled it. Do you mark all this well, King Caspian?”
“I do indeed, Sir,” said Caspian. “I was wishing that I came of a more honourable lineage.”
“You come of the Lord Adam and the Lady Eve,” said Aslan. “And that is both honor enough to erect the head of the poorest beggar, and shame enough to bow the shoulders of the greatest emperor on earth. Be content.”
Caspian bowed.
“And now,” said Aslan, “you men and women of Telmar, will you go back to that island in the world of men from which your fathers first came? It is no bad place. The race of those pirates who first found it has died out, and it is without inhabitants. There are good wells of fresh water, and fruitful soil, and timber for building, and fish in the lagoons; and the other men of that world have not yet discovered it. The chasm is open for your return; but this I must warn you, that once you have gone through, it will close behind you forever. There will be no more commerce between the worlds by that door.”
There was silence for a moment. Then a burly, decent-looking fellow among the Telmarine soldiers pushed forward and said:
“Well, I'll take the offer.”
“It is well chosen,” said Aslan. “And because you have spoken first, strong magic is upon you. Your future in that world shall be good. Come forth.”
The man, now a little pale, came forward. Aslan and his court drew aside, leaving him free access to the empty doorway of the stakes.
“Go through it, my son,” said Aslan, bending towards him and touching the man's nose with his own. As soon as the Lion's breath came about him, a new look came into the man's eyes—startled, but not unhappy—as if he were trying to remember something. Then he squared his shoulders and walked into the Door.
Everyone's eyes were fixed on him. They saw the three pieces of wood, and through them the trees and grass and sky of Narnia. They saw the man between the doorposts: then, in one second, he had vanished utterly.
From the other end of the glade the remaining Telmarines set up a wailing. “Ugh! What's happened to him? Do you mean to murder us? We won't go that way.” And then one of the clever Telmarines said:
“We don't see any other world through those sticks. If you want us to believe in it, why doesn't one of you go? All your own friends are keeping well away from the sticks.”
Instantly Reepicheep stood forward and bowed. “If my example can be of any service, Aslan,” he said, “I will take eleven mice through that arch at your bidding without a moment's delay.”
“Nay, little one,” said Aslan, laying his velvety paw ever so lightly on Reepicheep's head. “They would do dreadful things to you in that world. They would show you at fairs. It is others who must lead.”
“Come on,” said Peter suddenly to Edmund and Lucy. “Our time's up.”
“What do you mean?” said Edmund.
“This way,” said Susan, who seemed to know all about it. “Back into the trees. We've got to change.”
“Change what?” asked Lucy.
“Our clothes, of course,” said Susan. “Nice fools we'd look on the platform of an English station in these.”
“But our other things are at Caspian's castle,” said Edmund.
“No, they're not,” said Peter, still leading the way into the thickest . “They're all here. They were brought down in bundles this morning. It's all arranged.”
“Was that what Aslan was talking to you and Susan about this morning?” asked Lucy.
“Yes—that and other things,” said Peter, his face very solemn. “I can't tell it to you all. There were things he wanted to say to Su and me because we're not coming back to Narnia.”
“Never?” cried Edmund and Lucy in dismay.
“Oh, you two are,” answered Peter. “At least, from what he said, I'm pretty sure he means you to get back some day. But not Su and me. He says we're getting too old.”
“Oh, Peter,” said Lucy. “What awful bad luck. Can you bear it?”
“Well, I think I can,” said Peter. “It's all rather different from what I thought. You'll understand when it comes to your last time. But, quick, here are our things.”
It was odd, and not very nice, to take off their royal clothes and to come back in their school things (not very fresh now) into that great assembly. One or two of the nastier Telmarines jeered. But the other creatures all cheered and rose up in honour of Peter the High King, and Queen Susan of the Horn, and King Edmund and Queen Lucy. There were affectionate and (on Lucy's part) tearful farewells with all their old friends—animal kisses, and hugs from Bulgy Bears, and hands wrung by Trumpkin, and a last tickly, whiskerish embrace with Trufflehunter. And of course Caspian offered the Horn back to Susan and of course Susan told him to keep it. And then, wonderfully and terribly, it was farewell to Aslan himself, and Peter took his place with Susan's hands on his shoulders and Edmund's on hers and Lucy's on his and the first of the Telmarine's on Lucy's, and so in a long line they moved forward to the Door. After that came a moment which is hard to describe, for the children seemed to be seeing three things at once. One was the mouth of a cave opening into the glaring green and blue of an island in the Pacific, where all the Telmarines find themselves the moment they were through the Door. The second was a glade in Narnia, the faces of Dwarfs and Beasts, the deep eyes of Aslan, and the white patches on the Badger's cheeks. But the third (which rapidly swallowed up the other two) was the gray, gravelly surface of a platform in a country station, and a seat with luggage round it, where they were all sitting as if they had never moved from it—a little flat and dreary for a moment after all they had been through, but also, unexpectedly, nice in its own way, what with the familiar railway smell and the English sky and the summer term before them.
“Well!” said Peter. “We have had a time.”
“Bother!” said Edmund. “I've left my new torch in Narnia.”
中文
第十五章 阿斯兰打造空间之门
一见到阿斯兰，台尔马士兵们的脸都被吓成了冷肉汁色，双腿战栗，很多人都吓得趴下了。他们从未信过关于狮子的传说，这使得他们更为恐惧。哪怕那些知道阿斯兰是友非敌的红矮人也惊得张着嘴，说不出话来。一些曾跟尼克布里克一伙的黑矮人悄悄退下。不过，所有能言兽都拥到阿斯兰身边，发出或咕噜，或吱吱，或咴咴等喜悦的叫声，朝他摇摆着尾巴，蹭着他，用鼻子虔诚地嗅着他，在他身下腿边钻来钻去。要是见过小猫咪跟它熟悉信任的大狗在一起亲昵的话，你就可以想象此情此景。过了一会儿，彼得领着凯斯宾从动物群里挤了过来。
“陛下，这位是凯斯宾。”他说。凯斯宾跪地，亲吻阿斯兰的前爪。
“欢迎，王子，”阿斯兰说，“你觉得自己足以担当起纳尼亚之王的重任吗？”
“我……我觉得自己不行，陛下，”凯斯宾说，“我还只是一个孩子。”
“不错，”阿斯兰说，“要是你觉得自己够格的话，那反倒证明你不行。因此，我们和至尊王任命你为纳尼亚之王、凯尔帕拉维尔的君主，以及孤独岛的皇帝。你和你的继承人将永远统治纳尼亚，直至你们族类消亡。你的加冕典礼……这是怎么了？”这时一支奇怪的小队走了过来——那是十一只老鼠，其中六个抬着一副枝条做的担架，上面躺着什么东西，那担架也不过一本地图册的大小。没人见过比他们更忧伤的老鼠了。他们一身泥，有些还一身血，耳朵耷拉着，胡须低垂，尾巴拖在草地上，领头的一个用纤细的笛子吹奏着忧伤的曲调。小担架上放着看似长有毛的湿乎乎的一摊；那是里皮契普残缺不全的身体。他还有呼吸，但已是半死不活，一身的刀伤，一只爪子被压碎了，尾巴只剩下包着纱布的残段。
“该你了，露西。”阿斯兰说。
露西立刻取出她的钻石瓶子。虽说里皮契普的每个伤口只需点上一滴就能好，可伤口太多，大家焦急沉默地等待了很久，她才完成，随即老鼠大人从担架上跃起。他立即手扶剑柄，另一只手捻着胡须，躬身致意。
“万岁，阿斯兰！”他那尖嗓子响起，“很荣幸……”他突然打住。
事实是，他依旧缺少尾巴，也许是露西忘了医治，也许是她那甘露虽说能愈合伤口，却无法让失去的再生。里皮契普鞠躬时意识到自己没了尾巴，或许那改变了身体的某种平衡。他从右肩看过去，没见到尾巴，他又伸长脖子，直至肩膀和整个身躯都跟着扭转。这一扭之下，他的后腿和屁股也跟着转离视线。接着他又使劲伸着脖子往肩后看，结果还是一样。转了三圈，他才意识到这个可怕的事实。
“我很困惑，”里皮契普对阿斯兰说，“我完全不知该怎么办了。在您面前如此不得体，我恳求您的谅解。”
“这没什么不妥，小家伙。”阿斯兰说。
“尽管如此，”里皮契普回答，“要是能补救的话……也许女王陛下？”他向露西欠身。
“但你要尾巴做什么用呢？”阿斯兰问。
“陛下，”老鼠说，“就算没有尾巴，我也一样能吃能睡，能为我的国王效力。但尾巴对老鼠来说意味着尊敬和荣誉。”
“朋友，我有时觉得，”阿斯兰说，“你是否太过于在意你的荣誉了？”
“至高无上的王，”里皮契普说，“请允许我提醒您，我们老鼠生来体形微小，假如我们不捍卫自己的尊严，某些人（那些以身高来衡量价值的人）就会随意拿我们开些很不得体的玩笑。因此，我竭力让大家了解，要是谁不想在自己的心窝上感受这把剑能插得有多深，就不要当着我的面谈论老鼠夹、偷奶酪，或爬烛台什么的：这样绝对不行，阁下，哪怕是纳尼亚最高大的傻瓜也不行！”说到这里，他仰头狠狠地瞪着威伯维德，不过那巨人总是比别人反应慢一拍，还没意识到有人就在他脚边影射他，因此没领会那个暗示。
“请问，你的士兵为什么都把剑拔了出来？”阿斯兰问。
“回禀陛下，”老鼠副将说，他名叫皮皮契克，“假如我们的头儿从此再无尾巴，我们准备把自己的尾巴割掉。既然我们鼠王失去尾巴这个荣耀，那么我们留着这个荣耀就可耻了。”
“啊！”阿斯兰大声感叹，“你们感动了我。你们心灵伟大。里皮契普，不是为了你的尊严，而是为了你们之间的友爱，更是为了感谢你们鼠族很久以前对我表现出的善意，因为是你们咬断了把我捆在石桌上的绳索（从那时起，你们变成了能言鼠，也许你们早忘了这事），为此，你将重新得到你的尾巴。”
阿斯兰还没说完，新尾巴就复原了。接着，在阿斯兰的指示下，彼得授予凯斯宾狮王军团骑士称号，被封为骑士之后，凯斯宾便自己授予特鲁弗亨特、特鲁普金和里皮契普骑士头衔，任命科涅利尔斯博士为大法官，并确认胖熊决斗司令官的世袭职位。这些任命获得了热烈掌声。
完成这些安排后，台尔马士兵们被坚决押往对岸，他们一路上没受什么奚落和拳脚，只是被关押在贝鲁纳镇，还供应他们牛肉和啤酒。他们在蹚水过河时闹出了很大动静，因为就像憎恨、害怕森林和动物一样，他们也憎恨、害怕流水。不过，这些麻烦事最终都解决了，接着那漫长的一天中最美好的时段开始了。
露西，紧挨阿斯兰坐着，感觉舒服极了，这时她好奇那些树在做什么。开始她以为他们不过是在跳舞；他们确实是围成两个圈子缓慢转圈，一圈是逆时针转动，另一圈是顺时针转动。接着她注意到，他们不停地往两个圈子中心扔东西。她一会儿觉得他们正割下自己长长的发缕，一会儿又觉得他们似乎在拗折自己的手指——不过，就算那样，他们仍有很多手指，而且不会受伤。不管他们扔的是什么，那些东西一落到地上，就变成枯枝干柴。然后三四个红矮人带着火绒盒走上前来，点燃柴堆，刚开始还是噼噼啪啪的火星，很快火苗跳将起来，最后像仲夏夜的森林篝火一般熊熊燃烧。大家都围成大圈坐在篝火旁。
这时巴克斯、西勒诺斯，还有那些酒神侍女开始跳舞，那舞蹈比那些树跳的舞狂野多了；那不仅仅是展现欢乐和美的舞蹈（当然也包括欢乐和美），还是带来丰富美食的魔力之舞。凡是他们手触之处，凡是他们脚踏之地，盛宴就出现在眼前——有片片香气四溢的烤肉，肉香充满整片林子，有小麦饼和燕麦饼、蜂蜜、彩色糖，稠得跟粥一样而又丝滑如静水的奶油，有成堆的各色水果，如水蜜桃、油桃、石榴、梨子、葡萄、草莓、红梅等。接着，葡萄酒呈了上来，盛在木质杯、碗和大盏里，容器周边缠绕着常春藤；酒水色泽不一，有深色的，色浓如桑葚果汁，有清亮的红色，透亮如液态的红色咖喱，有黄的，有绿的，有黄绿色的，有绿黄色的，不一而足。
给树人提供的是另类食物。当露西见到鼹鼠泥铲子和他的伙伴在不同地方翻起草皮（巴克斯指点他们地点），并意识到树人要吃土时，她不寒而栗。不过，当她看到给他们呈上的泥土时，她有了不同感受。他们吃的第一道沃土是深褐色的，看起来几乎跟巧克力相差无几；实际上，因为太像巧克力了，埃德蒙还尝了一块，不过他觉得难吃。用营养的沃土充饥后，树木转而吃起一种几乎是粉红色的土，类似的土壤可以在英国萨默赛特地区见到。据说要更清淡、更甜。充当奶酪呈上的是白垩土，接着他们吃起了可口的甜食，那是细细的沙砾，还撒上了精心挑选的银沙。他们喝了很少一点儿酒，冬青树因而变得多起话来：大多时候他们以夹杂着雨露的空气解渴，那其中混杂着森林里的花香，还带有最轻盈的云的气息。
就这样，阿斯兰盛情款待纳尼亚人，直至晚霞消散，繁星当空；那巨大的篝火，此时更为温暖，不再那么喧嚣，像灯塔一样照亮了黑暗的树林，那些惊恐的台尔马人远远看到，都在猜想那意味着什么。这场盛宴最大的优点就是没有曲终人散的遗憾，不过，随着交谈声减弱变慢，他们个个打起瞌睡，最后熟睡过去，而且都挨着好友，脚冲着火堆躺着。圈子周围终于安静下来，又能听到从贝鲁纳浅滩传来的潺潺流水声。阿斯兰整晚凝视着皎洁的月亮，眼神专注而愉悦。
第二天，信使们（主要是松鼠和小鸟）被派往王国各地散发公告，通知散居的台尔马人——当然包括那些囚禁在贝鲁纳的战俘。通告全境，凯斯宾如今成为纳尼亚新君，纳尼亚从今往后不但属于人类，同样属于能言兽、矮人、树精、羊人，以及其他生物。任何接受新情势选择留下的，可以留在纳尼亚；那些不想留下的，阿斯兰会提供新家园。那些想去往新居住地的，务必于当月五号正午前赶往贝鲁纳浅滩，去见阿斯兰和国王们。你可以想象，这个通告给台尔马人带来多大的烦恼。他们中有些人，主要是年轻人，跟凯斯宾一样，听过很多古代传说，很高兴重回旧时光。他们开始跟其他生物友好相处。这些人都决定留在纳尼亚。但大多数年长的人，尤其是那些在米亚兹当权时期得势的人，很是闷闷不乐，根本不想待在一个人类不能称霸的国度。“跟那些耍把戏的动物生活在一起！绝不！”他们说。“还跟那些幽灵一起。”一些人战栗地补充道。“那些树精实际上就是幽灵。留下不妙。”他们疑心重重。“我不相信他们，”他们说，“不信那头可怕的狮子和那一套。他很快就会朝我们伸爪子，等着瞧吧。”他们同样不相信阿斯兰给他们提供新家园的提议。“很可能是把我们带去他的狮子窝，然后把我们一个个吃掉。”他们小声抱怨。他们越是议论，越是烦闷和疑虑。可是到了指定的日子，他们半数以上的人还是赶来了。
在林间空地的一头，阿斯兰命人立起两根木桩，比人高，约三英尺宽。第三块轻一些的木头横绑在那两根木桩的顶端，固定好，这整个东西看起来像一道大门，由虚无通往虚无。阿斯兰站在这道门前，彼得和凯斯宾分立左右两侧。他们身边围着苏珊、露西、特鲁普金、特鲁弗亨特、科涅利尔斯大人、格兰斯托姆、里皮契普等人。孩子们和矮人们充分利用了米亚兹城堡里的宫廷衣饰——那城堡现在属于凯斯宾——装扮上丝绸和金丝衣物，雪白的亚麻斜袖很是闪亮，银质的盔甲，缀满宝石的剑柄，镀金的头盔，点缀着羽毛的帽子，他们一身炫目得几乎令人无法直视。就连那些野兽也都戴上了华丽的项链。但大家的目光并没有被他们和孩子们吸引。阿斯兰那生动光滑、金光闪闪的鬃毛让他们相形见绌。其他老纳尼亚人站在空地四周。台尔马人远离他们站在一处。阳光灿烂，锦旗在微风中飘扬。
“台尔马民众们，”阿斯兰说，“要寻找新家园的，请听我说。我会把你们都送回你们自己的国度，那个地方只有我知道，而你们不知道。”
“我们不记得台尔马。我们不知道它在哪里。我们不知道它是什么样的。”台尔马人发牢骚。
“你们从台尔马来到纳尼亚，”阿斯兰说，“但你们又是从另一个地方来到台尔马的。你们本不属于这个世界。好几代人以前，你们的人来到这里，你们跟至尊王都来自同一个世界。”
听到这里，半数台尔马人开始窃窃私语：“我早就这样说过。早就跟你们说过。他打算杀了我们，让我们从这个世界消失。”另外半数人则舒了口气，互相拍着对方的背，低声说：“我早就这样说过。早就猜到我们不属于这个地方，我们怎么会跟这些奇形怪状、令人厌恶、违反自然的家伙为伍。我们出身高贵，肯定是这样的。”就是凯斯宾、科涅利尔斯和孩子们听到这里也都转头望向阿斯兰，一脸的惊奇。
“安静。”阿斯兰嗓音低沉几近吼叫。大地似乎震颤了一下，林子里的每一个活物马上像石头般静立。
“你，凯斯宾陛下，”阿斯兰说，“你也许已经有所了解，除非你是亚当之子，像古代的国王们一样，来自亚当之子的那个国度，否则你不可能成为纳尼亚真正的国王。而你确实如此。很多年以前，在那个国度，在那个国家的大海深处，一个叫南海的地方，一船海盗被暴风雨吹到一座岛上。他们在岛上实施了海盗行径：屠杀当地人，掳掠当地妇人为妻，酿制棕榈酒，终日酗酒，醉倒在棕榈树下，醒来后又争斗不休，有时甚至自相残杀。在某次冲突中，有六人被其他人驱逐，他们带着他们的女人逃往岛的中部，爬上一座山，想进山洞躲藏起来。可那里是那个世界的魔洞之一，是那个世界和这个世界的裂缝或断层之一。在古代，不同世界之间有很多这样的裂缝和断层，但已经越来越稀少了。那里就是仅余的其中一处：注意，我没有说那是最后一个。于是他们跌落，或是上升，或是跌跌撞撞，或是直接摔了进去，接着他们发现自己来到了这个世界，来到了当时还无人居住的台尔马。至于为什么当时无人居住，这个说来话长：我现在不想讲这个。后来在台尔马，这些人的后代繁衍生息，成为一个强悍而骄傲的民族；又过了很多代，有一年台尔马发生了饥荒，他们侵略了纳尼亚，那时候的纳尼亚正处于混乱之中（这故事说来也长），于是他们征服并统治了纳尼亚。记住这些话了吗，凯斯宾国王？”
“我真的记住了，陛下，”凯斯宾说，“我希望我来自一个更可敬的祖先。”
“你的祖先是亚当和夏娃，”阿斯兰说，“这份荣耀足以让最贫贱的乞丐昂起头来，也足以令世上最伟大的帝王羞愧地低下头来。不要不满意。”
凯斯宾欠身答应。
“那么，”阿斯兰说，“台尔马的男男女女们，你们愿意回到你们父辈最初来的那个地方，人类世界的那座岛屿吗？那是个不错的地方。最初发现岛屿的海盗一族已经消亡，岛上目前无人居住。那里有很好的淡水井，肥沃的土壤，大量的木材可供建房，环礁湖里有丰富的鱼；那个世界的其他人尚未发现这岛屿。裂缝还开着，你们可以从那里回去；但有一点我必须要警告你们，一旦你们走过去，它就会在你们身后永远关闭。两个世界不会通过那道门有任何往来。”
大家沉默了一阵。随后，台尔马士兵中一个魁梧、相貌体面的人挤上前来，说：
“好吧，我接受这个安排。”
“明智的选择，”阿斯兰说，“因为你是第一个答应的，你将获得强大魔法的帮助。你在那个世界会有一个美好的未来。走上前来。”
那男子上前，脸色有些苍白。阿斯兰和他的臣子们闪到一边让路，让他自由通过那座木桩搭成的空空如也的通道。
“走过去，孩子。”阿斯兰倾身上前，鼻子碰了碰那人的鼻子。一呼吸到狮子的气息，那人的眼神立刻变了，又惊又喜，那神情像是努力要回忆起什么。然后，他挺直肩膀，走进门里。
每个人都注视着他。他们看到那三根木头，透过门看到纳尼亚的树木、草地和天空。他们看到那人来到门柱中间：接着在下一秒，他完全消失不见。
留在空地那头的台尔马人发出哀号：“啊！他出了什么事？你想谋杀我们？我们绝不走过去。”
其中一个机智的台尔马人说：“我们根本看不到那些木头外有任何其他世界。如果你想要取信于我们，那为什么你们当中没一个人走过去？你所有的朋友们都离那木门远远的。”
里皮契普立刻站出来，弯腰施礼。“要是我以身作则，能为您效力的话，阿斯兰，”他说，“只要你一声令下，我就会毫不迟疑地带领我的十一名部下走过那道门。”
“不，小家伙，”阿斯兰说，他将天鹅绒般柔软的爪子轻放在里皮契普的脑袋上，“在那个世界里，人们会用很卑劣的手段对付你们。他们将会展览你们。要领路离开的是其他人。”
“走吧，”彼得突然对埃德蒙和露西说，“我们的时间到了。”
“你什么意思？”埃德蒙说。
“从这里走，”苏珊像是知道怎么回事，“进树林。我们得换衣服。”
“换什么？”露西问。
“当然是我们的衣服，”苏珊说，“穿着这些衣服，在英国车站站台上，我们看起来会很傻。”
“但我们的行李在凯斯宾的城堡里。”埃德蒙说。
“不，行李不在那里，”彼得边说边领着他们进了密林深处，“都在这里。今天早上都打好包送来了。都安排好了。”
“今天早上阿斯兰跟你和苏珊谈的就是这事吗？”露西问。
“是的，这件事，还有其他事，”彼得说，神情严肃起来，“我不能都跟你讲。他有事想跟我和苏珊说，因为我们不能再回到纳尼亚了。”
“再也不能吗？”埃德蒙和露西沮丧地叫了起来。
“噢，你们两个还会回来，”彼得回答，“至少，从他的话里，我很肯定他的意思是你们俩某天会回来。但我和苏不会来了。他说我们年龄太大了。”
“噢，彼得，”露西说，“真不幸。你能承受这个打击吗？”
“嗯，我想我可以。”彼得说，“我现在的想法跟过去不一样。等你最后一次来纳尼亚时，你就能体会了。好了，赶紧，我们行李都在这里。”
脱下宫廷服饰，穿着他们的校服（已经不是很干净）回到集会人群中，感觉别扭，有些不适。有一两个较恶劣的台尔马人发出嘲笑。但其他伙伴们都起立欢呼，向至尊王彼得、号角女王苏珊、埃德蒙国王和露西女王表示敬意。他们跟所有的老朋友亲热告别，露西还哭了，场面热烈——动物式的亲吻，胖熊的拥抱，特鲁普金紧紧的握手，特鲁弗亨特最后的拥抱，他的胡须弄得人发痒。凯斯宾当然要把号角还给苏珊，当然啦，苏珊让他留着。最后，他们跟阿斯兰告别，既热烈又难过。彼得走在前面，苏珊随后，手搭着他的肩，埃德蒙手搭着苏珊的肩，露西手搭着埃德蒙的肩，排在最前的台尔马人手搭着露西的肩，就这样，他们排着长队朝那道门走去。接下来的那一刻难以描述，孩子们好像同时看到三种景象。其一是一个洞口，从洞口望去是太平洋某个海岛那耀眼的绿色和蓝色，台尔马人穿过门后就置身该岛。其二是纳尼亚的林间空地、矮人和野兽的脸，阿斯兰深邃的眼睛，还有獾脸上的白斑。其三（第三种景象很快就取代了其他两种）是一个乡村车站月台那灰色的碎石路面，一张长椅，周边摆着行李，他们都坐在长椅上，好像从没离开过。有了之前那么多经历，有那么一刻，他们感觉有些单调和沉闷，可出人意料地，又感觉这样也不错，又闻到了熟悉的车站气味，见到英国天空，再次面对他们的夏季学期。
“好啦！”彼得说，“我们这次玩得很痛快。”
“见鬼！”埃德蒙说，“我的新手电筒落在纳尼亚了。”
