《黎明踏浪號》第13章:三個沉睡的人
THE wind never failed but it grew gentler every day till at length the waves were little More than ripples, and the ship glided on hour after hour almost as if they were sailing on a lake. And every night they saw that there rose in the east new constellations which no one had ever seen in Narnia and perhaps, as Lucy thought with a mixture of joy and fear, no living eye had seen at all. Those new stars were big and bright and the nights were warm. Most of them slept on deck and talked far into the night or hung over the ship's side watching the luminous dance of the foam thrown up by their bows.
On an evening of startling beauty, when the sunset behind them was so crimson and purple and widely spread that the very sky itself seemed to have grown larger, they came in sight of land on their starboard bow. It came slowly nearer and the light behind them made it look as if the capes and headlands of this new country were all on fire. But presently they were sailing along its coast and its western cape now rose up astern of them, black against the red sky and sharp as if it was cut out of cardboard, and then they could see better what this country was like. It had no mountains but many gentle hills with slopes like pillows. An attractive smell came from it - what Lucy called "a dim, purple kind of smell", which Edmund said (and Rhince thought) was rot, but Caspian said, "I know what you mean."
They sailed on a good way, past point after point, hoping to find a nice deep harbour, but had to content themselves in the end with a wide and shallow bay. Though it had seemed calm out at sea there was of course surf breaking on the sand and they could not bring the Dawn Treader as far in as they would have liked. They dropped anchor a good way from the beach and had a wet and tumbling landing in the boat. The Lord Rhoop remained on board the Dawn Treader. He wished to see no more islands. All the time that they remained in this country the sound of the long breakers was in their ears.
Two men were left to guard the boat and Caspian led the others inland, but not far because it was too late for exploring and the light would soon go. But there was no need to go far to find an adventure. The level valley which lay at the head of the bay showed no road or track or other sign of habitation. Underfoot was tine springy turf dotted here and there with a low bushy growth which Edmund and Lucy took for heather. Eustace, who was really rather good at botany; said it wasn't, and he was probably right; but it was something of very much the same kind.
When they had gone less than a bowshot from the shore, Drinian said, "Look! What's that?" and everyone stopped.
"Are they great trees?" said Caspian.
"Towers, l think," said Eustace.
"It might be giants," said Edmund in a lower voice.
"The way to find out is to go right iv among them," said Reepicheep, drawing his sword and pattering off ahead of everyone else.
"I think it's a ruin," said Lucy when they had got a good deal nearer, and her guess was the best so far. What they now saw was a wide oblong space flagged with smooth stones and surrounded by grey pillars but unroofed. And from end to end of it ran a long table laid with a rich crimson cloth that came down nearly to the pavement. At either side of it were many chairs of stone richly carved and with silken cushions upon the seats. But on the table itself there was set out such a banquet as had never been seen, not even when Peter the High King kept his court at Cair Paravel. There were turkeys and geese and peacocks, there were boars' heads and sides of venison, there were pies shaped like ships under full sail or like dragons and elephants, there were ice puddings and bright lobsters and gleaming salmon, there were nuts and grapes, pineapples and peaches, pomegranates and melons and tomatoes. There were flagons of gold and silver and curiouslywrought glass; and the smell of the fruit and the wine blew towards them like a promise of all happiness.
"I say!" said Lucy.
They came nearer and nearer, all very quietly.
"But where are the guests?" asked Eustace.
"We can provide that, Sir," said Rhince.
"Look!" said Edmund sharply. They were actually within the pillars now and standing on the pavement. Everyone looked where Edmund had pointed. The chairs were not all empty. At the head of the table and in the two places beside it there was something- or possibly three somethings.
"What are those?" asked Lucy in a whisper. "It looks like three beavers sitting on the table."
"Or a huge bird's nest," said Edmund.
"It looks more like a haystack to me," said Caspian.
Reepicheep ran forward, jumped on a chair and thence on to the table, and ran along it, threading his way as nimbly as a dancer between jewelled cups and pyramids of fruit and -ivory salt-cellars. He ran right up to the mysterious grey mass at the end: peered, touched, and then called out:
"These will not fight, I think."
Everyone now came close and saw that what sat in those three chairs was three men, though hard to recognize as men till you looked closely. Their hair, which was grey, had grown over their eyes till it almost concealed their, faces, and their beards had grown over the table, climbing pound and entwining plates and goblets as brambles; entwine a fence, until, all mixed in one great mat of hair, they flowed over the edge and down to the floor. And from their heads the hair hung over the backs of their chairs so that they were wholly hidden. In fact the three men were; nearly all hair.
"Dead?" said Caspian.
"I think not, Sire," said Reepicheep, lifting one of their hands out of its tangle of hair in his two paws. "This one is warm and his pulse beats."
"This one, too, and this," said Drinian.
"Why, they're only asleep," said Eustace.
"It's been a long sleep, though," said Edmund, "to let their hair grow like this."
"It must be an enchanted sleep," said Lucy. "I felt the moment we landed on this island that it was full of magic. Oh! do you think we have perhaps come here to break it?"
"We can try," said Caspian, and began shaking the nearest of the three sleepers. For a moment everyone thought he was going to be successful, for the man breathed hard and muttered, "I'll go eastward no more. Out oars for Narnia." But he sank back almost at once into a yet deeper sleep than before: that is, his heavy head sagged a few inches lower towards the table and all efforts to rouse him again were useless. With the second it was much the same. "Weren't born to live like animals. Get to the east while you've a chance - lands behind the sun," and sank down. And the third only said, "Mustard, please," and slept hard.
"Out oars for Narnia, eh?" said Drinian.
"Yes," said Caspian, "you are right, Drinian. I think our quest is at an end. Let's look at their rings. Yes, these are their devices. This is the Lord Revilian. This is the Lord Argoz: and this, the Lord Mavramorn."
"But we can't wake them," said Lucy. "What are we to do?"
"Begging your Majesties' pardons all," said Rhince, "but why not fall to while you're discussing it? We don't see a dinner like this every day."
"Not for your life!" said Caspian.
"That's right, that's right," said several of the sailors.
"Too much magic about here. The sooner we're back on board the better."
"Depend upon it," said Reepicheep, "it was from eating this food that these three lords came by a seven years' sleep."
"I wouldn't touch it to save my life," said Drinian.
"The light's going uncommon quick," said Rynelf.
"Back to ship, back to ship," muttered the men.
"I really think," said Edmund, "they're right. We can decide what to do with the three sleepers tomorrow. We daren't eat the food and there's no point in staying here for the night. The whole place smells of magic - and danger."
"I am entirely of King Edmund's opinion," said Reepicheep, "as far as concerns the ship's company in general. But I myself will sit at this table till sunrise."
"Why on earth?" said Eustace.
"Because," said the Mouse, "this is a very great adventure, and no danger seems to me so great as that of knowing when I get back to Narnia that I left a mystery behind me through fear."
"I'll stay with you, Reep," said Edmund.
"And I too," said Caspian.
"And me," said Lucy. And then Eustace volunteered also. This was very brave of him because never having read of such things or even heard of them till he joined the Dawn Treader made it worse for him than for the others.
"I beseech your Majesty -" began Drinian.
"No, my Lord," said Caspian. "Your place is with the ship, and you have had a day's work while we five have idled." There was a lot of argument about this but in the end Caspian had his way. As the crew marched off to the shore in the gathering dusk none of the five watchers, except perhaps Reepicheep, could avoid a cold feeling in the stomach.
They took some time choosing their seats at the perilous table. Probably everyone had the same reason but no one said it out loud. For it was really a rather nasty choice. One could hardly bear to sit all night next to those three terrible hairy objects which, if not dead, were certainly not alive in the ordinary sense. On the other hand, to sit at the far end, so that you would see them less and less as the night grew darker, and wouldn't know if they were moving, and perhaps wouldn't see them at all by about two o'clock no, it was not to be thought of. So they sauntered round and round the table saying, "What about here?" and "Or perhaps a bit further on," or, "Why not on this side?" till at last they settled down somewhere about the middle but nearer to the sleepers than to the other end. It was about ten by now and almost dark. Those strange new constellations burned in the east. Lucy would have liked it better if they had been the Leopard and the Ship and other old friends of the Narnian sky.
They wrapped themselves in their sea cloaks and sat still and waited. At first there was some attempt at talk but it didn't come to much. And they sat and sat. And all the time they heard the waves breaking on the beach.
After hours that seemed like ages there came a moment when they all knew they had been dozing a moment before but were all suddenly wide awake. The stars were all in quite different positions from those they had last noticed. The sky was very black except for the faintest possible greyness in the east. They were cold, though thirsty, and stiff. And none of them spoke because now at last something was happening.
Before them, beyond the pillars, there was the slope of a low hill. And now a door opened in the hillside, and light appeared in the doorway, and a figure came out, and the door shut behind it. The figure carried a light, and this light was really all that they could see distinctly. It came slowly nearer and nearer till at last it stood right at the table opposite to them. Now they could see that it was a tall girl, dressed in a single long garment of clear blue which left her arms bare. She was bareheaded and her yellow hair hung down her back. And when they looked at her they thought they had never before known what beauty meant.
The light which she had been carrying was a tall candle in a silver candlestick which she now set upon the table. If there had been any wind off the sea earlier in the night it must have died down by now, for the flame of the candle burned as straight and still as if it were in a room with the windows shut and the curtains drawn. Gold and silver on the table shone in its light.
Lucy now noticed something lying lengthwise on the table which had escaped her attention before. It was a knife of stone, sharp as steel, a cruel-looking, ancient looking thing.
No one had yet spoken a word. Then - Reepicheep first, and Caspian next - they all rose to their feet, because they felt that she was a great lady.
"Travellers who have come from far to Aslan's table," said the girl. "Why do you not eat and drink?"
"Madam," said Caspian, "we feared the food because we thought it had cast our friends into an enchanted sleep.
"They have never tasted it," she said.
"Please," said Lucy, "what happened to them?"
"Seven years ago," said the girl, "they came here in a ship whose sails were rags and timbers ready to fall apart. There were a few others with them, sailors, and when they came to this table one said, `Here is the good place. Let us set sail and reef sail and row no longer but sit down and end our days in peace!' And the second said, `No, let us re-embark and sail for Narnia and the west; it may be that Miraz is dead.' But the third, who was a very masterful man, leaped up and said, `No, by heaven. We are men and Telmarines, not brutes. What should we do but seek adventure after adventure? We have not long to live in any event. Let us spend what is left in seeking the unpeopled world behind the sunrise.' And as they quarrelled he caught up the Knife of Stone which lies there on the table and would have fought with his comrades. But it is a thing not right for him to touch. And as his fingers closed upon the hilt, deep sleep fell upon all the three. And till the enchantment is undone they will never wake."
"What is this Knife of Stone?" asked Eustace.
"Do none of you know it?" said the girl.
"I - I think," said Lucy, "I've seen something like it before. It was a knife like it that the White Witch used when she killed Aslan at the Stone Table long ago."
"It was the same.," said the girl, "and it was brought here to be kept in honour while the world lasts."
Edmund, who had been looking more and more uncomfortable for the last few minutes, now spoke.
"Look here," he said, "I hope I'm not a coward - about eating this food, I mean - and I'm sure I don't mean to be rude. But we have had a lot of queer adventures on this voyage of ours and things aren't always what they seem. When I look in your face I can't help believing all you say: but then that's just what might happen with a witch too. How are we to know you're a friend?"
"You can't know," said the girl. "You can only believe or not."
After a moment's pause Reepicheep's small voice was heard.
"Sire," he said to Caspian, "of your courtesy fill my cup with wine from that flagon: it is too big for me to lift. I will drink to the lady."
Caspian obeyed and the Mouse, standing on the table, held up a golden cup between its tiny paws and said, "Lady, I pledge you." Then it fell to on cold peacock, and in a short while everyone else followed its example. All were very hungry and the meal, if not quite what you wanted for a very early breakfast, was excellent as a very late supper.
"Why is it called Aslan's table?" asked Lucy presently.
"It is set here by his bidding," said the girl, "for those who come so far. Some call this island the World's End, for though you can sail further, this is the beginning of the end."
"But how does the food keep?" asked the practical Eustace. ?
"It is eaten, and renewed every day," said the girl. "This you will see."
"And what are we to do about the Sleepers?" asked Caspian. "In the world from which my friends come" (here, he nodded at Eustace and the Pevensies) "they have a story of a prince or a king coming to a castle where all the people lay in an enchanted sleep. In that story he could not dissolve the enchantment until he had kissed the Princess."
"But here," said the girl, "it is different. Here he cannot kiss the Princess till he has dissolved the enchantment."
"Then," said Caspian, "in the name of Aslan, show me how to set about that work at once."
"My father will teach you that," said the girl.
"Your father!" said everyone. "Who is he? And where?"
"Look," said the girl, turning round and pointing at the door in the hillside. They could see it more easily now, for while they had been talking the stars had grown fainter and great gaps of white light were appearing in the greyness of the eastern sky.
一天黃昏，美景驚人，只見船後面的夕陽血紅血紅，漫天紅霞，天空更見空曠，他們忽然看見右舷船頭那邊有陸地。陸地慢慢接近，他們後面的霞光照得這個新地方的所有岬角都着了火似的。但不久他們就沿着它的海岸行駛了，這時它的西部岬角在他們船尾方向升起，黑乎乎的，襯着紅彤彤的天，輪廓分明，猶如硬紙板剪影一般，這下子他們纔看得清這地方是什麼樣子。陸上沒有大山，只有許多不很陡的小山，山坡像枕頭。陸上飄來一股誘人的味兒——露茜說是“一股暗淡的紫紅色的味兒”，愛德蒙說這是胡說(賴因斯也這麼想)，可是凱斯賓卻說：“我知道你的意思。”6
他們開了好長一段路程，開過一個小岬又一個小岬，只指望找一個深水良港，可是末了只得在一個又寬又淺的海灘將就一下。雖然外邊海面上風平浪靜，可是不消說，沙灘上還是有拍岸碎浪，他們沒法把黎明踏浪號按照心意中那樣深入開進去，只好在離開海灘老遠處拋錨，再坐小船，弄得身上透溼，跌跌撞撞地上了岸。羅普爵爺依然留在黎明踏浪號上。他不希望再看見什麼島嶼了。他們留在這島上的時候，耳邊一直聽到長長的碎浪拍岸的聲音。
凱斯賓留下兩個人看守小船，自己帶領其他人到內陸去，但沒走遠，因爲天太晚了，無法探測，而且天色很快就暗了。不過也用不着走遠去探險。灘頭處那一片平地既看不見道路，也看不見足跡，更看不見任何人煙。腳下到處都點綴着細軟溼潤的草皮，還有一種低矮的叢生植物，愛德蒙和露茜認爲是石南。尤斯塔斯對植物學的確相當精通，他說不是石南，大概說對了；不過這東西多少跟石南一類大同小異。
他們走到離岸不到一箭之遙的地方，德里寧說：“瞧，那是什麼?”大家聽了都站住了。
“是大樹嗎?”凱斯賓說。
“我想是塔。”尤斯塔斯說。
“可能是巨人吧。”愛德蒙放低嗓音說。
“要知道真相只有一直闖進去看一看。”雷佩契普拔出劍來，啪嗒啪嗒地走在大家前頭。
“我想是座廢墟吧。”他們走得更近時，露茜說，她的猜測到目前爲止可以說是最正確的了。他們眼前看到的是一個寬闊的長方形空地，地面鋪着光滑的石塊，四下都是灰色的柱子，不過沒有屋頂。從這一端到那一端有一張長長的桌子，桌上鋪着大紅桌布，幾乎拖到石板地上。桌子兩邊有許多精工細雕的石椅，座位上鋪着綢緞墊子。而且上面還擺了一桌從未見過的豐盛宴席，連至尊王彼得在凱爾帕拉維爾執政時也未見過這麼豐盛的宴席。席上有火雞、鵝和孔雀，有野豬頭、鹿脯，有餡餅，有的形狀像滿帆的大船，有的像巨龍，有的像大象，有冰鎮布丁，有鮮豔的龍蝦、閃亮的鮭魚，有果仁、葡萄、菠蘿，有桃子、石榴、蜜瓜和番茄。還有金酒壺、銀酒壺、製作奇巧的玻璃酒杯；水果和美酒的香味向他們迎面撲來，像有喜慶活動。
“哎呀!”露茜說。
他們越走越近，越走越近，大家悄無聲息。
“可是客人在哪兒呢?”尤斯塔斯問。
“我們可以來湊個數，閣下。”賴因斯說。
“瞧!，”愛德蒙厲聲說。眼下他們已走在柱子之間，站在石板地上了。大家都朝愛德蒙所指的地方看去。原來椅子不全是空座。在桌子首席和左右兩邊座位上有什麼東西——可能有三個。"
“那些是什麼?”露茜悄聲問，“看上去像三個坐在席上的海狸。”
“是個大鳥窠吧。”愛德蒙說。
“照我看來更像個乾草堆。”凱斯賓說。
雷佩契普奔上前去，跳到椅子上，再跳到桌上，順着桌子跑過去，一面像個舞蹈家那麼靈活地穿行在鑲珠嵌寶的酒杯和堆得山高的水果和象牙鹽瓶間。它一直跑到桌子盡頭那堆灰不溜秋的神祕東西旁邊；東張西望，碰幾下，隨即叫道：
“我想，這些東西不會打架。”
這時大家走近一看，只見那三個座位上坐着的原來是三個人，可是不湊近看就看不出是人。他們的頭髮都已灰白，長得蓋過眼睛，幾乎遮住了臉，他們的鬍子長得蓋住桌子，沿着桌子攀緣，像荊棘盤繞籬笆似的盤繞着杯盤，纏到後來成了一大簇毛，飄拂過桌沿，拖到地面。他們頭上的髮絲還披散到椅背上，把身子全遮住了。實際上這三個人幾乎渾身是毛髮。
“死了嗎?”凱斯賓說。
“我看沒死，陛下。”雷佩契普說，它兩爪撩起那簇亂毛髮，舉起他們其中一個人的一隻手，“這隻手是溫熱的，脈搏還在跳。”
“這隻手也是，還有這隻。”德里寧說。
“哎呀，他們只是睡着罷了。”尤斯塔斯說。
“可是，讓頭髮長到這副模樣，真是長眠不醒啊。”愛德蒙說。
“這樣睡必定是中了魔法。”露茜說，“我們一踏上這個島的時刻，我就感到島上充滿魔力。哦!你們看，我們到這兒來，不定就是來破這魔法的吧?”
“我們可以試試。”凱斯賓說，一面開始搖醒三個沉睡的人中最靠近他的一個。有一會兒大家以爲他就要成功了，因爲那人拼命吸着氣，咕噥道：“我再也不往東去了，準備划船到納尼亞去。”可是說完幾乎一下子又陷入沉睡，而且睡得比先前還要沉；就是說，他那個沉沉的腦袋朝桌子衝下幾英寸，任你怎麼想方設法把他吵醒都沒用。第二個人也差不多一樣。“我們不是生來就得過牛馬生活的。趁你有個機會快到東方去吧——到太陽後面的陸地上去。”說着就不省人事了。第三個人只說了一句：“請遞給我芥末。”說完呼呼大睡。
“準備划船到納尼亞去，呃?”德里寧說。
“是啊，”凱斯賓說，“你說得不錯，德里寧。我想，我們的尋訪結束了。我們來瞧瞧他們的戒指吧。是的，這些就是他們的紋章。這位是雷維廉爵爺。這位是阿爾戈茲爵爺。這位是馬伕拉蒙爵爺。”
“可是我們叫不醒他們啊，”露茜說，“我們該怎麼辦?”
“請各位陛下原諒，”賴因斯說，“可我們何不趁你們討論的時候先開始用餐呢?這麼樣的美餐我們可不是天天看到的啊。”
“千萬吃不得。”凱斯賓說。
“說得對，說得對，”幾個水手說，“這裏的魔法多得不得了。我們還是趁早回船爲妙。”
“的確，”雷佩契普說，“這三位爵爺就是吃了這酒菜才睡了七年之久。”
“爲了保命，我纔不願碰這些酒菜呢。”德里寧說。
“天色很快就暗下來了。”賴尼夫說。
“回船吧，回船吧。”其他的人嘀咕說。
“我倒真的認爲，”愛德蒙說，“他們說得對。我們可以到明天再決定拿這三個沉睡的人怎麼辦。我們又不敢吃這頓酒菜，待在這裏過夜就沒意思了。這裏整個地方都有魔法——和危險的味兒。”
“就船上全體人員來說，我完全贊同愛德蒙國王的意見，”雷佩契普說，“不過我個人倒願意在這桌上坐到天亮。”
“到底爲什麼?”尤斯塔斯說。
“因爲，”老鼠說，“這是一件很了不起的奇遇，對我來說，任何危險都算不了什麼，要是回到納尼亞去，心裏明白由於害怕，扔下一個謎沒解開，那纔不得了呢。”
“我留下陪你，雷普。”愛德蒙說。
“我也留下。”凱斯賓說。
“我也留下。”露茜說。於是尤斯塔斯也自告奮勇留下。這在他是非常勇敢的行爲，因爲在他沒登上黎明踏浪號的時候，從來沒在書上看到過這種事，甚至連聽也沒聽到過，所以這對他來說比對其他人更難受。
“懇求陛下——”德里寧開口說。
“不，爵爺，”凱斯賓說，“你的崗位在船上，你已經工作了一天，而我們五個閒着沒事幹。”爭論這件事花了不少口舌，到末了還是凱斯賓說了算。暮色蒼茫中，船員出發到海岸去，五個留下守夜的人，也許雷佩契普除外，不免都感到肚子裏冷冰冰的。:
他們花了老半天工夫纔在這張危機四伏的桌上挑好座位，恐怕每個人都出於同樣的原因，但是沒人說出口而已。因爲這的確是件相當討厭的選擇。要你整夜坐在三個渾身長着嚇人長毛的怪物旁邊，可不大受得了，這三個即使不是死人，按常理來說，確實也不是活人。但另一方面呢，坐在那一頭，天色越來越黑，就越是看不見他們，不會知道他們是不是有動靜，也許到半夜兩點鐘光景就一點也看不見他們了——不，不該想這事。於是他們就繞着桌子走了一圈又一圈，嘴裏一面說：“這兒怎麼樣?”一會兒說：“或許還是坐得遠一點兒吧，”一會兒又說：“爲什麼不坐在這一邊呢?”到未了終於決定坐在中間，不過離三個沉睡的人比離另一頭更近些。這時大約十點鐘，天幾乎黑了。那些陌生的新星座在東方發光。如果這是豹子星座和船星座，以及納尼亞上空看到過的老朋友，露茜會更喜歡。
他們身上裹着航海外套，端坐不動，靜靜等着。開頭他們也幾次試圖談談，可是談不出什麼大名堂。於是大家就那麼坐着，耳邊一直聽到海灘上碎浪拍岸的聲音。7
過了幾個小時，倒彷彿過了好幾個世紀似的，有一陣子他們都明白剛纔已經打過一會兒盹，突然一下子又全都清醒了。那些星座的方向都跟剛纔看見的大不相同了。天空很黑，只有東方隱隱約約有點灰白。他們雖然口渴，而且身上又冷又僵，卻沒一個人開口說話，因爲終於出現了奇事。
在他們前面，柱子外有座低矮的小山的斜坡。這時坡上有扇門打開了，門口露出了亮光，一個人走了出來，背後的門又關上了。那人手裏拿着燈火，這燈火其實就是他們惟一能看得清的東西。燈火慢慢越來越近，越來越近，最後就正好對着他們，放在桌子對面。他們這纔看見來人是個高個兒姑娘，身穿一件藍色露臂長袍。她沒戴帽子，一頭金髮披散在背後。他們瞧着她的時候心裏就想，活到這麼大才知道什麼叫美人兒呢。
她剛纔拿着的燈火原來是枝插在銀燭臺上的長燭，現在她把燭臺擱在桌上。如果上半夜刮過什麼海風的話，這會兒一定早就停了，因爲燭火筆直不動，就像是擱在一間關緊窗戶，拉上窗簾的屋裏似的。桌上的金銀餐具在燭光下閃閃發亮。
這時露茜注意到桌子另一頭放着一件東西，原先她沒留意。這是把石刀，鋒利如鋼，是件樣子古老、殺氣騰騰的東西。
到現在還沒人開口說過一句話。那時雷佩契普和凱斯賓一先一後站了起來——大家也都站了起來，因爲他們感到她是位貴婦人。
“遠道來到阿斯蘭餐桌的旅客們，”那姑娘說，“你們爲什麼不吃不喝啊?”
“小姐，”凱斯賓說，“我們不敢吃，因爲我們想，我們的朋友就是吃了這些酒萊才中了魔法睡不醒了。”
“他們根本沒嘗過這些東西。”她說。
“請問，”露茜說，“他們是怎麼回事?”
“七年前，”那姑娘說，“他們乘了一條船來到這兒，船帆都成了碎布條，船骨也快散架了。他們還帶着幾個水手，他們走到這張餐桌前，一個人說，‘這兒是個好地方。我們就解開帆篷，不再划槳，坐着安享天年吧!’第二個人說，‘不，我們還是重新上船，開到納尼亞去，開到西方去，說不定彌若茲死了呢。’但第三個人非常專橫，他跳起來說，‘不，老天在上!我們是男子漢大丈夫，是臺爾馬人，不是畜生。我們除了不斷探險獵奇還該幹什麼呢?反正我們也活不長了。讓我們利用餘生去探索太陽後面那個無人世界吧。’說着他們就爭吵起來，他操起放在桌上的那把石刀，想跟夥伴打架。誰知那把刀他是動不得的。他手指剛攥住刀把，這三個人就都陷入沉睡。一直要睡到魔法破除纔會醒來呢。”
“這把石刀是什麼東西?”尤斯塔斯問。
“你們誰也不知道嗎?”那姑娘說。
“我——我想，”露茜說，“我以前見過這樣的東西。這把刀像很久以前白女巫用來在石桌上殺死阿斯蘭的那把刀。”
“就是這把，”那姑娘說，“帶到這裏永遠保存起來作爲紀念。”
愛德蒙剛纔幾分鐘裏神色越來越不安，這時開口了。!
“聽着，”他說，“但願我不是個膽小鬼——我是說，吃這些酒萊——我的確不是存心冒犯。不過我們這次遠航一路上經歷了不少希奇古怪的險情，而且事情並不盡是表面上那樣。當我看着你臉時，我不得不相信你說的一切；可是碰到女巫，也可能會相信她。我們怎麼才知道你是朋友呢?”
“你們沒法知道，”那姑娘說，“只能信不信由你了。”
歇了片刻，只聽得雷佩契普小聲說話。
“陛下，”它對凱斯賓說，“勞駕您從那個酒壺裏替我斟杯酒：這壺太大，我拿不了。我要爲這位小姐乾杯。”
凱斯賓照做了，老鼠站在餐桌上，兩個小爪子捧着金盃說：“小姐，祝您健康。”說罷它就吃起冷孔雀肉來。一會兒工夫大家都跟着它又吃又喝了。大家都很餓，這頓酒菜即使不是你心目中想要的早早餐，作爲一頓宵夜可是再好也沒有了。.
“爲什麼稱這是阿斯蘭的餐桌?”不一會兒露茜問。
“餐桌是按照他的囑咐擺在這裏的，”那姑娘說，“專門招待那些遠道來這裏的人。有人叫這島做世界盡頭，因爲你雖然還可以再往遠處開，但是這裏就是盡頭的開端。”
“那麼這些酒菜是怎麼保鮮的?”講究實際的尤斯塔斯問。
“每天吃掉了再重新做唄，”那姑娘說，“你回頭就明白了。”
“那我們拿這幾個沉睡的人怎麼辦?”凱斯賓問，“在我這幾位朋友來的那個世界裏，”(說到這裏他朝尤斯塔斯和佩文西兄妹點點頭)“流傳着一個故事，有個王子或國王來到一個城堡，城堡裏的人全都中了魔法沉睡不醒。在那故事裏，他要吻了公主才能解除魔法。”
“可是這兒的情況不同，”姑娘說，“在這兒他要解除了魔法才能吻公主。”
“那麼說，”凱斯賓說，“以阿斯蘭的名義，告訴我怎麼立即着手這工作。”
“我父親會指點你的。”姑娘說。
“你父親!”大家說，“他是什麼人?在哪兒?”
“瞧。”姑娘回過頭，指着山坡上那扇門說。此刻他們看起來格外方便了，因爲他們談話那會兒，星星都已暗淡了，灰濛濛的東方天空正露出了大片白色曙光。
