《凱斯賓王子》第6章:隱居者
Now began the happiest times that Caspian had ever known. On a fine summer Morning when the dew lay on the grass he set off with the Badger and the two Dwarfs, up through the forest to a high saddle in the mountains and down on to their sunny southern slopes where one looked across the green wolds of Archenland.
"We will go first to the Three Bulgy Bears," said Trumpkin.
They came in a glade to an old hollow oak tree covered with moss, and Trufflehunter tapped with his paw three times on the trunk and there was no answer. Then he tapped again and a woolly sort of voice from inside said, "Go away. It's not time to get up yet." But when he tapped the third time there was a noise like a small earthquake from inside and a sort of door opened and out came three brown bears, very bulgy indeed and blinking their little eyes. And when everything had been explained to them (which took a long time because they were so sleepy) they said, just as Trufflehunter had said, that a son of Adam ought to be King of Narnia and all kissed Caspian - very wet, snuffly kisses they were - and offered him some honey. Caspian did not really want honey, without bread, at that time in the morning, but he thought it polite to accept. It took him a long time afterwards to get unsticky.
After that they went on till they came among tall beech trees and Trufflehunter called out, "Pattertwig! Pattertwig! Pattertwig!" and almost at once, bounding down from branch to branch till he was just above their heads, came the most magnificent red squirrel that Caspian had ever seen. He was far bigger than the ordinary dumb squirrels which he had sometimes seen in the castle gardens; indeed he was nearly the size of a terrier and the moment you looked in his face you saw that he could talk. Indeed the difficulty was to get him to stop talking, for, like all squirrels, he was a chatterer. He welcomed Caspian at once and asked if he would like a nut and Caspian said thanks, he would. But as Pattertwig went bounding away to fetch it, Trufflehunter whispered in Caspian's ear, "Don't look. Look the other way. It's very bad manners among squirrels to watch anyone going to his store or to look as if you wanted to know where it was." Then Pattertwig came back with the nut and Caspian ate it and after that Pattertwig asked if he could take any messages to other friends. "For I can go nearly everywhere without setting foot to ground," he said. Trufflehunter and the Dwarfs thought this a very good idea and gave Pattertwig messages to all sorts of people with queer names telling them all to come to a feast and council on Dancing Lawn at midnight three nights ahead. "And you'd better tell the three Bulgies too," added Trumpkin. "We forgot to mention it to them."
Their next visit was to the Seven Brothers of Shuddering Wood. Trumpkin led the way back to the saddle and then down eastward on the northern slope of the mountains till they came to a very solemn place among rocks and fir trees. They went very quietly and presently Caspian could feel the ground shake under his feet as if someone were hammering down below. Trumpkin went to a flat stone about the size of the top of a water-butt, and stamped on it with his foot. After a long pause it was moved away by someone or something underneath, and there was a dark, round hole with a good deal of heat and steam coming out of it and in the middle of the hole the head of a Dwarf very like Trumpkin himself. There was a long talk here and the dwarf seemed more suspicious than the Squirrel or the Bulgy Bears had been, but in the end the whole party were invited to come down. Caspian found himself descending a dark stairway into the earth, but when he came to the bottom he saw firelight. It was the light of a furnace. The whole place was a smithy. A subterranean stream ran past on one side of it. Two Dwarfs were at the bellows, another was holding a piece of red-hot metal on the anvil with a pair of tongs, a fourth was hammering it, and two, wiping their horny little hands on a greasy cloth, were coming forward to meet the visitors. It took some time to satisfy them that Caspian was a friend and not an enemy, but when they did, they all cried, "Long live the King," and their gifts were noble - mail shirts and helmets and swords for Caspian and Trumpkin and Nikabrik. The Badger could have had the same if he had liked, but he said he was a beast, he was, and if his claws and teeth could not keep his skin whole, it wasn't worth keeping. The workmanship of the arms was far finer than any Caspian had ever seen, and he gladly accepted the Dwarf-made sword instead of his own, which looked, in comparison, as feeble as a toy and as clumsy as a stick. The seven brothers (who were all Red Dwarfs) promised to come to the feast at Dancing Lawn.
A little farther on, in a dry, rocky ravine they reached the cave of five Black Dwarfs. They looked suspiciously at Caspian, but in the end the eldest of them said, "If he is against Miraz, we'll have him for King." And the next oldest said, "Shall we go farther up for you, up to the crags? There's an Ogre or two and a Hag that we could introduce you to, up there."
"Certainly not," said Caspian.
"I should think not, indeed," said Trufflehunter. "We want none of that sort on our side." Nikabrik disagreed with this, but Trumpkin and the Badger overruled him. It gave Caspian a shock to realize that the horrible creatures out of the old stories, as well as the nice ones, had some descendants in Narnia still.
"We should not have Aslan for friend if we brought in that rabble," said Trufflehunter as they came away from the cave of the Black Dwarfs.
"Oh, Aslan!" said Trumpkin, cheerily but contemptuously. "What matters much more is that you wouldn't have me."
"Do you believe in Aslan?" said Caspian to Nikabrik.
"I'll believe in anyone or anything," said Nikabrik, "that'll batter these cursed Telmarine barbarians to pieces or drive them out of Narnia. Anyone or anything, Aslan or the White Witch, do you understand?"
"Silence, silence," said Trufflehunter. "You do not know what you are saying. She was a worse enemy than Miraz and all his race."
"Not to Dwarfs, she wasn't," said Nikabrik.
Their next visit was a pleasanter one. As they came lower down, the mountains opened out into a great glen or wooded gorge with a swift river running at the bottom. The open places near the river's edge were a mass of foxgloves and wild roses and the air was buzzing with bees. Here Trufflehunter called again, "Glenstorm! Glenstorm!" and after a pause Caspian heard the sound of hoofs. It grew louder till the valley trembled and at last, breaking and trampling the thickets, there came in sight the noblest creatures that Caspian had yet seen, the great Centaur Glenstorm and his three sons. His flanks were glossy chestnut and the beard that covered his broad chest was goldenred. He was a prophet and a star-gazer and knew what they had come about.
"Long live the King," he cried. "I and my sons are ready for war. When is the battle to be joined?"
Up till now neither Caspian nor the others had really been thinking of a war. They had some vague idea, perhaps, of an occasional raid on some Human farmstead or of attacking a party of hunters, if it ventured too far into these southern wilds. But, in the main, they had thought only of living to themselves in woods and caves and building up an attempt at Old Narnia in hiding. As soon as Glenstorm had spoken everyone felt much more serious.
"Do you mean a real war to drive Miraz out of Narnia?" asked Caspian.
"What else?" said the Centaur. "Why else does your Majesty go clad in mail and girt with sword?"
"Is it possible, Glenstorm?" said the Badger.
"The time is ripe," said Glenstorm. "I watch the skies, Badger, for it is mine to watch, as it is yours to remember. Tarva and Alambil have met in the halls of high heaven, and on earth a son of Adam has once more arisen to rule and name the creatures. The hour has struck. Our council at the Dancing Lawn must be a council of war." He spoke in such a voice that neither Caspian nor the others hesitated for a moment: it now seemed to them quite possible that they might win a war and quite certain that they must wage one.
As it was now past the middle of the day, they rested with the Centaurs and ate such food as the centaurs provided cakes of oaten meal, and apples, and herbs, and wine, and cheese.
The next place they were to visit was quite near at hand, but they had to go a long way round in order to avoid a region in which Men lived. It was well into the afternoon before they found themselves in level fields, warm between hedgerows. There Trufflehunter called at the mouth of a little hole in a green bank and out popped the last thing Caspian expected - a Talking Mouse. He was of course bigger than a common mouse, well over a foot high when he stood on his hind legs, and with ears nearly as long as (though broader than) a rabbit's. His name was Reepicheep and he was a gay and martial mouse. He wore a tiny little rapier at his side and twirled his long whiskers as if they were a moustache. "There are twelve of us, Sire," he said with a dashing and graceful bow, "and I place all the resources of my people unreservedly at your Majesty's disposal." Caspian tried hard (and successfully) not to laugh, but he couldn't help thinking that Reepicheep and all his people could very easily be put in a washing basket and carried home on one's back.
It would take too long to mention all the creatures whom Caspian met that day - Clodsley Shovel the Mole, the three Hardbiters (who were badgers like Trufflehunter), Camillo the Hare, and Hogglestock the Hedgehog. They rested at last beside a well at the edge of a wide and level circle of grass, bordered with tall elms which now threw long shadows across it, for the sun was setting, the daisies closing, and the rooks flying home to bed. Here they supped on food they had brought with them and Trumpkin lit his pipe (Nikabrik was not a smoker).
"Now," said the Badger, "if only we could wake the spirits of these trees and this well, we should have done a good day's work."
"Can't we?" said Caspian.
"No," said Trufflehunter. "We have no power over them. Since the Humans came into the land, felling forests and defiling streams, the Dryads and Naiads have sunk into a deep sleep. Who knows if ever they will stir again? And that is a great loss to our side. The Telmarines are horribly afraid of the woods, and once the Trees moved in anger, our enemies would go mad with fright and be chased out of Narnia as quick as their legs could carry them."
"What imaginations you Animals have!" said Trumpkin, who didn't believe in such things. "But why stop at Trees and Waters? Wouldn't it be even nicer if the stones started throwing themselves at old Miraz?"
The Badger only grunted at this, and after that there was such a silence that Caspian had nearly dropped off to sleep when he thought he heard a faint musical sound from the depth of the woods at his back. Then he thought it was only a dream and turned over again; but as soon as his ear touched the ground he felt or heard (it was hard to tell which) a faint beating or drumming. He raised his head. The beating noise at once became fainter, but the music returned, clearer this time. It was like flutes. He saw that Trufflehunter was sitting up staring into the wood. The moon was bright; Caspian had been asleep longer than he thought. Nearer and nearer came the music, a tune wild and yet dreamy, and the noise of many light feet, till at last, out from the wood into the moonlight, came dancing shapes such as Caspian had been thinking of all his life. They were not much taller than dwarfs, but far slighter and more graceful. Their curly heads had little horns, the upper part of their bodies gleamed naked in the pale light, but their legs and feet were those of goats.
"Fauns!" cried Caspian, jumping up, and in a moment they were all round him. It took next to no time to explain the whole situation to them and they accepted Caspian at once. Before he knew what he was doing he found himself joining in the dance. Trumpkin, with heavier and jerkier movements, did likewise and even Trufflehunter hopped and lumbered about as best he could. Only Nikabrik stayed where he was, looking on in silence. The Fauns footed it all round Caspian to their reedy pipes. Their strange faces, which seemed mournful and merry all at once, looked into his; dozens of Fauns, Mentius and Obentinus and Dumnus, Voluns, Voltinus, Girbius, Nimienus, Nausus, and Oscuns. Pattertwig had sent them all.
When Caspian awoke next morning he could hardly believe that it had not all been a dream; but the grass was covered with little cloven hoof-marks.
"咱們先去找那三個胖子大熊。"杜魯普金說。
他們來到一片林中空地，這兒最醒目的是一棵四周長滿了青苔的空心標樹。特魯佛漢特用爪子在樹幹上敲了三下。半天也沒有回答。於是它又使勁地敲，就聽見從樹裏傳來一陣模糊不清的抱怨"走開，天還早着呢。"特魯佛漢特只好又敲第三遍。終於，一陣響動之後，樹幹上的一扇門被打開了，從裏面慢吞吞地走出三頭肥胖無比的大棕熊，一邊不停地眨巴着它們的小眼睛。不出特魯佛漢特所料，聽完了客人的故事，它們異口同聲地表示，贊成亞當的兒子做納尼亞的統治者，並且親吻了凱斯賓——一種溼乎乎的抽鼻子式的接吻——以表示敬意。它們取出貯藏的蜂蜜來款待貴賓。凱斯賓並不喜歡在早上這時候不吃麪包光吃蜂蜜，但出於禮節他還是客氣地伸手接下了。後來他花了老半天才把那粘乎乎的蜂蜜擦乾淨。
告辭了大熊，他們繼續往前走，不久又來到一片山毛樺
樹林中，特魯佛漢特高聲叫道:
"佩蒂威格！佩蒂威格！”轉眼間，一隻漂亮得驚人的紅色松鼠從樹梢上一級一級十分靈巧地跳下來，停在離他們最近的樹枝上。它比凱斯賓偶爾在城堡花園裏見到的那些普通的、不會講話的松鼠要大得多，你一看見它那張聰明、懂事的臉，馬上就能判斷出它會講話。果然，佩蒂威格十分健談。很快他們就發現要想讓它住嘴可真是件難事。它當即表示歡迎凱斯賓國王的到來，並殷勤地問他是否願意吃點堅果。凱斯賓謝謝它並表示十分樂意吃一點)L。就在佩蒂威格蹦蹦跳跳去取果子的時候，特魯佛漢特在凱斯賓的耳邊低聲說"別盯着看，把臉轉過去。對於松鼠來說，假如你注意看它去倉庫，或者東張西望，好像你想要知道那倉庫的祕密，那是很不禮貌的。"一會兒，佩蒂威格帶着果子回來了，等凱斯賓吃完之後，佩蒂威格又問要不要它給朋友們捎個信。"我可以到任何地方去，腳都不沾地的。"它驕傲地說。特魯佛漢特和小矮人們都認爲這個主意不錯，於是寫了好多張便條給許多名字聽起來稀奇古怪的動物，邀請它們二天之後的午夜來跳舞草坪參加盛宴和政務會。"別忘了通知那三隻大棕熊，剛纔我們忘記提這事兒了。”杜魯普金補充說。
告別松鼠後，他們又走訪了薩德森林七兄弟。杜魯普金領着大家翻過山脊，順着北山坡朝東邊走，最後來到岩石和松樹之間一個肅穆莊嚴卻有些昏暗的地方。凱斯賓突然感到大地在顫動，好像有人在地下用錘子不停地敲打。杜魯普金走上一塊扁扁的大石頭，用腳跺了幾下，然後站在一邊，顯然是在等待什麼。過了老半天，那石頭被什麼人從下面移到了一邊，露出一個洞口，隨着一股熱氣和一縷青煙，洞口裏冒出一個小矮人的腦袋，很像杜魯普金。他們在洞口談了很久，那小矮人似乎比松鼠和大熊的疑心大多了，可最後還是邀請大家"進屋裏說話"。凱斯賓沿着漆黑的臺階往地下走去，也不知走了多遠，突然眼前一亮，他看到了火光。那是鍊鐵爐發出的光亮。原來，這裏是小矮人的鐵匠工場。兩個小矮人在風箱旁賣力地幹着，另一個用鉗子夾住時子上一塊燒紅的鐵塊，第四個小矮人正在上面丁丁當當地敲打着，還有兩個在一塊油膩的布上擦擦那滿是老繭的子，走上前來迎接客人。特魯佛漢特費了不少口舌，才使他倆相信凱斯賓是朋友而不是敵人。一旦明白了這點，他們便齊聲高呼"國王萬歲！"一邊捧來他們的禮物：三套富麗堂皇的盔甲和三柄寶劍。凱斯賓、杜魯普金和尼克布瑞克各自得到了一套，而那灌本來也可以有一套的，可是它說，它是個動物，假如它的爪子和牙齒無法保護自己，給它再好的裝備也是白搭。毫不誇張地說，那些軍械的做工比凱斯賓見過的任何軍械都強到不知哪裏去了。相比之下，他原來的那把劍簡直單薄得像個玩具，粗糙得像根棍子。所以他很高興地收下了這些禮物。同時，七兄弟(他們都是紅小矮人)也高興地接受了去跳舞場赴宴的邀請。
往前不遠，在一個乾燥而遍佈岩石的溝壑裏，他們找到一個山洞，那裏住着五個黑小矮人。初見面時，他們望着凱斯賓，日光裏充滿着戒備和疑慮。可是後來那位老大說，"假如他反對彌若茲，那我們就擁立他爲王。"老二也友好地問道"要不要我們送你一段路？那邊的山崖下住着幾個食人怪，還有一個巫婆。我們可以把它們介紹給你，喏，就在那兒。"
"不必了。"凱斯賓說。
"我看也大可不必，"特魯佛漢特說，"我們不要那些傢伙混入我們的陣營。"尼克布瑞克不同意這話，但杜魯普金和獾駁倒了他。凱斯賓聽說故事裏那些牛鬼蛇神也有後代活在世上，不由感到十分震驚。
"要是我們收容了這些壞蛋，阿斯蘭就不會做我們的朋友了。"當他們從黑小矮人的山洞裏走出來的時候，特魯佛漢特說。
"哼，阿斯蘭！"尼克布瑞克似乎很不服氣，"你們要是沒有我這個朋友，那纔不得了哩！"
"你不相信阿斯蘭嗎？"凱斯賓問尼克布瑞克。
"哈！我相信隨便什麼人，隨便什麼東西，"尼克布瑞克高聲說，"只要他能打垮那些可惡的臺爾馬暴徒，把他們趕出納尼亞，隨便什麼人還是什麼東西，不管他叫阿斯蘭，還是叫白女巫，我都奉若神明！你明白了嗎？""
"你給我住嘴！”特魯佛漢特聽到這裏不由得火冒三丈，"簡直是胡說八道。白女巫是比彌若茲及其同類更加危險的敵人，你知道嗎？"
"對我們小矮人來講，她不是。"尼克布瑞克說。
下一站的訪問比較令人愉快。他們順着山坡往下走，來到一個寬闊的幽谷，谷底流過一條湍急的河，河邊的空地上是大片的毛地黃和野玫瑰，蜜蜂嗡嗡地往返奔忙。特魯佛漢特高聲喊道"格蘭斯托姆！格蘭斯托姆！"一會兒工夫，凱斯賓聽到一陣馬蹄聲，越來越近，連河谷都顫動起來。突然，他們看到幾個動物衝開灌木叢跑了出來。這是凱斯賓平生見到的最珍奇、最高貴的動物了——人頭馬格蘭斯托姆，後面跟着它的三個兒子。它那強健的馬身發出栗色的光澤，高貴的人頭瀟灑地揚起，一生咎金紅色的鬍子在寬闊的胸前飄揚。它是位預言家，又是位占星家，完全瞭解客人來訪的日的。
"國王萬歲！"它呼嘯而來，聲如洪鐘，"我和我的兒子們隨時準備參加戰鬥。咱們什麼時候開始？"
直到現在，凱斯賓和其他幾個都還沒有認真想過打仗的事兒，他們只有一些仍然是模糊不清的設想。比方說，襲擊農夫和獵人——假如他們膽敢到這片野樹林中來騷擾的話。他們只希望隱居在森林中、洞穴裏，建立起一個隱蔽的、傳統的納尼亞，別無奢望。格蘭斯托姆的這句話，使大家茅塞頓開。
"你是說，發動一場正義的戰爭，把彌若茲徹底趕出納尼亞？"凱斯賓問。
"對！"人頭馬說，"隆下身穿盔甲，佩掛寶劍，難道不是爲了這個？"
"能成功嗎？"灌將信將疑。
"時機已經成熟，"格蘭斯托姆說，"我們看過了星相，灌老弟，觀察星相是我的本行，正如牢記歷史是你的本行一樣。塔瓦和阿拉姆畢爾兩顆行星在天空的大殿裏相會了，而在大地上，亞當的兒子將重整旗鼓，召集並指揮納尼亞人民，爲自由而戰。聽聽啊，時鐘敲響了，我們在跳舞場舉行的會議，就是這場戰爭的動員大會。"它的話裏充滿了信心和勇氣，使凱斯賓和其他的朋友都躍躍欲試。他們意識到，這將是一場不可避免的正義戰爭，而且勝利一定屬於他們！
已是中午，於是他們坐下來與人頭馬父子共進午餐，人頭馬請大家吃的是燕麥餅、香草和乳酪。
下午去拜訪的地方雖然不遠，但他們不得不繞一個大彎，以避開有人類居住的地區。他們來到河岸附近一個洞口前，特魯佛漢特又呼喊起來。喊聲未落，從洞裏突地一聲跳出個什麼東西來。凱斯賓怎麼也料想不到，原來那是隻會說話的老鼠。毫無疑問，它比普通的老鼠要大得多，後腿一站，足有一尺多高，兩隻大耳朵和兔子的一樣長(可是更寬一些)，它叫雷佩契普，是個快活而又英勇的小傢伙。只見他腰間佩着一柄小巧鋒利的寶劍，不時捻動着它那寥寥可數的幾根長鬍須，神氣十足。"我們一共十二員鼠將，陸下，"它畢恭畢敬，迅速而優美地鞠了一躬，"我的全軍人馬將無條件地聽候陛下調遣，赴湯蹈火，在所不辭！”凱斯賓看它那一本正經的樣子，忍不住直想笑，雷佩契普和它的全軍人馬，可以毫不費勁地給放在一隻菜籃子裏，讓隨便什麼人拎回家去。
那天他們會見了許許多多的朋友，要把這些朋友一加以描述，那可就太費時間了——有打洞專家睡鼠，鋼口利牙的灌家族，野兔卡梅羅，還有刺猜豪格爾斯道克等等。最後他們來到一口井邊，決定休息一下。井旁是一片柔軟的草坪，四周都是榆樹。這時，投在地上的樹影已經很長，太陽已開始落山。雛菊花合攏了，白嘴鳥也要飛回家睡覺去了。他們坐在草坪上取出帶來的食物，準備進晚餐。杜魯普金則點燃了他的大煙鬥，一副怡然自得的樣子。
"現在，"特魯佛漢特說，"咱們要是能喚醒這裏的樹神就好了，那樣我們這一天可就真是功德圓滿啦。"
"咱們辦不到嗎？"凱斯賓說。
"辦不到，"灌嘆了一口氣說，"咱們無能爲力，自從人類遷移到這塊土地上之後，他們砍伐樹木，污染河流，使樹神和水神引退很久了，誰也不知道他們還會不會顯靈。這對我們來說是個很大的損失呢l那些臺爾馬人最怕這樹林，一旦大樹們憤怒起來，他們就會發瘋似的四處逃竄，飛快地逃出納尼亞。"
"你們動物的想象力簡直太豐富啦！"杜魯普金根本不相信這話，"可是你爲什麼只講到樹和水，就不往下說了？假如石頭全都能夠自己飛起來，砸向老彌若茲，那不是更妙嗎？”
灌對這話只是哼了一聲，表示不屑回答。這以後是很長時間的沉默，凱斯賓倒在軟軟的草地上，漸漸進入夢鄉——了一天，他真有些疲倦了。
忽然，他彷彿聽到身後的樹林深處傳來了一陣低沉奇妙的音樂，開始他以爲這是幻覺，翻個身打算繼續睡，可是當他耳朵剛一靠近地面，他馬上聽到，或者說感覺到一陣微弱的敲打聲。他擡起頭來，那打擊聲馬上弱下去，可音樂聲又響起來，而且這一次更加清楚，好像是笛子的聲音。他看見特魯佛漢特坐起身來，兩眼盯着樹林。這時夜幕已經降臨。天上一輪明月，發出校潔柔和的光。凱斯賓似乎已經睡了一大覺。他使勁搖搖頭，側耳傾聽聽——音樂聲越來越近了，那是一種粗礦而又令人精神恍惚的旋律。終於，伴隨着輕捷的腳步聲，一羣翩翩舞動着的身影從樹林裏來到月光下——這些年來一直縈繞在凱斯賓心頭的正是這些身影。他們不比小矮人高多少，可身材苗條，體態也優美得多。他們拳曲的頭髮上伸出兩隻角來，淡淡的月光映出他們赤裸的上身，可他們的腿和腳都與山羊的一模一樣。
"羊怪。"凱斯賓跳起身，叫出聲來。羊怪們立刻友好地把他圍在當中。他們的心似乎是相通的！幾乎沒說多少話，彼此便產生了理解和信任。他們當即鄭重宣告，承認凱斯賓爲他們的領袖，說完又繼續跳舞。他們跳得那麼專心，那麼熱烈，不由得吸引了凱斯賓和他的同伴。杜魯普金步履沉重，搖搖擺擺，也隨着跳了起來，連特魯佛漢特都使出渾身解數，不停地蹦着，扭擺着。只有尼克布瑞克一動不動地待在一邊，沉默地看着。羊怪們用他們纖細的腳圍着凱斯賓跳呀跳。他們那古怪的面容，會兒顯得悲哀，一會兒又顯得十分快樂。與他們爲鄰的還有幾十個小矮人，曼蒂猶斯、奧本蒂納斯、達姆納斯，這時都被喊了來，向新國王致敬。
第二天早晨，凱斯賓一覺醒來，對夜裏發生的事記憶猶新。他簡直不相信這一切都是真的，可是草地上分明佈滿了羊的足跡。
