Narnia: Prince Caspian (Audiobook) by benedictsmaths - Dailymotion

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00:00:00Harper Audio presents The Chronicles of Narnia, Book 4, Prince Caspian, by C.S. Lewis, read by Lynne Redgrave.

00:00:21Chapter 1. The Island

00:00:24Once there were four children whose names were Peter, Susan, Edmund, and Lucy, and it has been told in another book called The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe how they had a remarkable adventure.

00:00:39They had opened the door of a magic wardrobe and found themselves in a quite different world from ours, and in that different world they had become kings and queens in a country called Narnia.

00:00:51While they were in Narnia, they seemed to reign for years and years, but when they came back through the door and found themselves in England again, it all seemed to have taken no time at all.

00:01:02At any rate, no one noticed that they had ever been away, and they never told anyone except one very wise grown-up.

00:01:09That had all happened a year ago, and now all four of them were sitting on a seat at a railway station with trunks and play boxes piled up around them.

00:01:20They were, in fact, on their way back to school.

00:01:23They had travelled together as far as this station, which was a junction, and here, in a few minutes, one train would arrive and take the girls away to one school,

00:01:31and in about half an hour, another train would arrive and the boys would go off to another school.

00:01:38The first part of the journey, when they were all together, always seemed to be part of the holidays, but now, when they would be saying goodbye and going different ways so soon,

00:01:48everyone felt that the holidays were really over, and everyone felt their term-time feeling beginning again, and they were all rather gloomy, and no one could think of anything to say.

00:01:57Lucy was going to boarding school for the first time.

00:02:02It was an empty, sleepy country station, and there was hardly anyone on the platform except themselves.

00:02:09Suddenly, Lucy gave a sharp little cry, like someone who has been stung by a wasp.

00:02:14What's up, Lou? said Edmund, and then suddenly broke off and made a noise like,

00:02:19Ow!

00:02:20What on earth? began Peter, and then he too suddenly changed what he had been going to say.

00:02:25Instead, he said, Susan, let go!

00:02:28What are you doing?

00:02:29What are you dragging me to?

00:02:31I'm not touching you, said Susan.

00:02:33Someone is pulling me!

00:02:34Oh!

00:02:35Oh!

00:02:36Oh!

00:02:36Stop it!

00:02:38Everyone noticed that all the others' faces had gone very white.

00:02:43I felt just the same, said Edmund in a breathless voice, as if I were being dragged along, most frightful pulling.

00:02:50Ah!

00:02:50It's beginning again!

00:02:51Me too! said Lucy.

00:02:54Oh!

00:02:54I can't bear it!

00:02:56Look sharp! shouted Edmund.

00:02:58All catch hands and keep together.

00:03:00This is magic!

00:03:01I can tell by the feeling.

00:03:03Quick!

00:03:04Yes! said Susan.

00:03:05Hold hands!

00:03:06Oh!

00:03:06I do wish it would stop.

00:03:07Oh!

00:03:07Next moment, the luggage, the seat, the platform and the station had completely vanished.

00:03:15The four children, holding hands and panting, found themselves standing in a woody place, such a woody place that branches were sticking into them and there was hardly room to move.

00:03:27They all rubbed their eyes and took a deep breath.

00:03:32Oh, Peter! exclaimed Lucy.

00:03:35Do you think we can possibly have got back to Narnia?

00:03:38It might be anywhere, said Peter.

00:03:41I can't see a yard in all these trees.

00:03:43Let's try to get into the open, if there is any open.

00:03:47With some difficulty and with some stings from nettles and pricks from thorns, they struggled out of the thicket.

00:03:54Then they had another surprise.

00:03:58Everything became much brighter and after a few steps, they found themselves at the edge of the wood, looking down on a sandy beach.

00:04:07A few yards away, a very calm sea was falling on the sand with such tiny ripples that it made hardly any sound.

00:04:16There was no land in sight and no clouds in the sky.

00:04:19The sun was about where it ought to be at ten o'clock in the morning and the sea was a dazzling blue.

00:04:27They stood sniffing in the sea smell.

00:04:30By Jove, said Peter, this is good enough.

00:04:34Five minutes later, everyone was barefooted and wading in the cool, clear water.

00:04:40This is better than being in a stuffy train on the way back to Latin and French and algebra, said Edmund.

00:04:45And then, for quite a long time, there was no more talking, only splashing and looking for shrimps and crabs.

00:04:52All the same, said Susan presently.

00:04:55I suppose we'll have to make some plans.

00:04:57We should want something to eat before long.

00:05:00We've got the sandwiches Mother gave us for the journey, said Edmund.

00:05:03At least I've got mine.

00:05:05Not me, said Lucy.

00:05:07Mine were in my little bag.

00:05:09So were mine, said Susan.

00:05:11Mine are in my coat pocket there on the beach, said Peter.

00:05:15That'll be two lunches among four.

00:05:17This isn't going to be such fun.

00:05:20At present, said Lucy, I want something to drink more than something to eat.

00:05:25Everyone else now felt thirsty, as one usually is after wading in salt water under a hot sun.

00:05:32It's like being shipwrecked, remarked Edmund.

00:05:34In the books, they always find springs of clear, fresh water on the island.

00:05:39We'd better go and look for them.

00:05:41Does that mean we have to go back into all that thick wood, said Susan?

00:05:45Not a bit of it, said Peter.

00:05:47If there are streams, they're bound to come down to the sea.

00:05:50And if we walk along the beach, we're bound to come to them.

00:05:53They all now waded back and went first across the smooth, wet sand and then up to the dry, crumbly sand that sticks to one's toes and began putting on their shoes and socks.

00:06:04Edmund and Lucy wanted to leave them behind and do their exploring with bare feet.

00:06:10But Susan said this would be a mad thing to do.

00:06:12We might never find them again, she pointed out, and we shall want them if we're still here when night comes and it begins to be cold.

00:06:19When they were dressed again, they set out along the shore with the sea on their left hand and the wood on their right.

00:06:27Except for an occasional seagull, it was a very quiet place.

00:06:31The wood was so thick and tangled that they could hardly see into it at all, and nothing in it moved.

00:06:39Not a bird, not even an insect.

00:06:42Shells and seaweed and anemones or tiny crabs in rock pools are all very well, but you soon get tired of them if you are thirsty.

00:06:52The children's feet, after the change from the cool water, felt hot and heavy.

00:06:58Susan and Lucy had raincoats to carry.

00:07:00Edmund had put down his coat on the station seat just before the magic overtook them, and he and Peter took it in turns to carry Peter's great coat.

00:07:08Presently, the shore began to curve round to the right.

00:07:13About quarter of an hour later, after they had crossed a rocky ridge which ran out into a point, it made quite a sharp turn.

00:07:20Their backs were now to the part of the sea which had met them when they first came out of the wood,

00:07:25and now, looking ahead, they could see across the water another shore, thickly wooded like the one they were exploring.

00:07:32I wonder, is that an island, or do we join on to it presently, said Lucy?

00:07:39Don't know, said Peter, and they all plodded on in silence.

00:07:45The shore that they were walking on drew nearer and nearer to the opposite shore,

00:07:50and as they came round each promontory, the children expected to find the place where the two joined.

00:07:56But in this, they were disappointed.

00:07:59They came to some rocks, which they had to climb, and from the top they could see a fair way ahead, and...

00:08:05Oh, bother, said Edmund.

00:08:07It's no good. We shan't be able to get to those other woods at all.

00:08:10We're on an island.

00:08:12It was true.

00:08:13At this point, the channel between them and the opposite coast was only about 30 or 40 yards wide,

00:08:20but they could now see that this was its narrowest place.

00:08:24After that, their own coast bent round to the right again, and they could see open sea between it and the mainland.

00:08:31It was obvious that they had already come much more than halfway round the island.

00:08:36Look, said Lucy suddenly.

00:08:38What's that?

00:08:39She pointed to a long, silvery, snake-like thing that lay across the beach.

00:08:45A stream! A stream! shouted the others, and tired as they were,

00:08:49they lost no time in clattering down the rocks and racing to the fresh water.

00:08:54They knew that the stream would be better to drink farther up, away from the beach,

00:08:58so they went at once to the spot where it came out of the wood.

00:09:02The trees were as thick as ever, but the stream had made itself a deep course between high, mossy banks,

00:09:08so that by stooping you could follow it up in a sort of tunnel of leaves.

00:09:13They dropped on their knees by the first brown, dimply pool, and drank and drank,

00:09:18and dipped their faces in the water, and then dipped their arms in up to the elbow.

00:09:24Now, said Edmund, what about those sandwiches?

00:09:26Oh, hadn't we better save them, said Susan.

00:09:30We may need them far worse later on.

00:09:32I do wish, said Lucy, now that we're not thirsty, we could go on feeling as not hungry as we did when we were thirsty.

00:09:41But what about those sandwiches? repeated Edmund.

00:09:44There's no good saving them till they go bad.

00:09:47You've got to remember, it's a good deal hotter here than in England,

00:09:50and we've been carrying them about in pockets for hours.

00:09:54So they got out the two packets and divided them into four portions,

00:09:58and nobody had quite enough, but it was a great deal better than nothing.

00:10:02Then they talked about their plans for the next meal.

00:10:06Lucy wanted to go back to the sea and catch shrimps,

00:10:09until someone pointed out that they had no nets.

00:10:12Edmund said they must gather gulls' eggs from the rocks,

00:10:15but when they came to think of it, they couldn't remember having seen any gulls' eggs,

00:10:20and wouldn't be able to cook them if they found any.

00:10:23Peter thought to himself that unless they had some stroke of luck,

00:10:26they would soon be glad to eat eggs raw,

00:10:29but he didn't see any point in saying this out loud.

00:10:32Susan said it was a pity they had eaten the sandwiches so soon.

00:10:36One or two tempers very nearly got lost at this stage.

00:10:40Finally, Edmund said,

00:10:42Look here, there's only one thing to be done.

00:10:44We must explore the wood.

00:10:46Hermits and knights-errant and people like that always manage to live somehow if they're in a forest.

00:10:51They find roots and berries and things.

00:10:55What sort of roots? asked Susan.

00:10:57I always thought it meant roots of trees, said Lucy.

00:11:00Come on, said Peter.

00:11:03Ed is right, and we must try to do something.

00:11:05It'll be better than going out into the glare in the sun again.

00:11:09So they all got up and began to follow the stream.

00:11:12It was very hard work.

00:11:13They had to stoop under branches and climb over branches,

00:11:17and they blundered through great masses of stuff like rhododendrons and tore their clothes and got their feet wet in the stream.

00:11:24And still, there was no noise at all, except the noise of the stream and the noises they were making themselves.

00:11:31They were beginning to get very tired of it when they noticed a delicious smell and then a flash of bright colour high above them at the top of the right bank.

00:11:42I say, exclaimed Lucy, I do believe that's an apple tree.

00:11:48It was.

00:11:49They panted up the steep bank, forced their way through some brambles,

00:11:53and found themselves standing round an old tree that was heavy with large, yellowish-golden apples,

00:11:59as firm and juicy as you could wish to see.

00:12:03And this is not the only tree, said Edmund with his mouth full of apple.

00:12:07Look there, and there.

00:12:08Why, there are dozens of them, said Susan, throwing away the core of her first apple and picking her second.

00:12:15This must have been an orchard, long, long ago, before the place went wild and the wood grew up.

00:12:21Then this was once an inhabited island, said Peter.

00:12:25And what's that, said Lucy, pointing her head.

00:12:29By Jove, it's a wall, said Peter.

00:12:32An old stone wall.

00:12:34Pressing their way between the laden branches, they reached the wall.

00:12:40It was very old and broken down in places, with moss and wallflowers growing on it,

00:12:46but it was higher than all but the tallest trees.

00:12:50And when they came quite close to it, they found a great arch,

00:12:54which must once have had a gate in it, but was now almost filled up with the largest of all the apple trees.

00:12:59They had to break some of the branches to get past, and when they had done so,

00:13:04they all blinked because the daylight became suddenly much brighter.

00:13:09They found themselves in a wide open place, with walls all rounded.

00:13:15In here, there were no trees, only level grass and daisies and ivy and grey walls.

00:13:22It was a bright, secret, quiet place, and rather sad.

00:13:29And all four stepped out into the middle of it,

00:13:32glad to be able to straighten their backs and move their limbs freely.

00:13:39Chapter Two

00:13:40The Ancient Treasure House

00:13:42This wasn't a garden, said Susan presently.

00:13:47It was a castle, and this must have been the courtyard.

00:13:51I see what you mean, said Peter.

00:13:53Yes, that is the remains of a tower,

00:13:56and there is what used to be a flight of steps going up to the top of the walls.

00:14:00And look at those other steps,

00:14:02the broad, shallow ones going up to that doorway.

00:14:04It must have been the door into the great hall.

00:14:08Ages ago, by the look of it, said Edmund.

00:14:10Yes, ages ago, said Peter.

00:14:13I wish we could find out who the people were that lived in this castle,

00:14:17and how long ago.

00:14:19It gives me a queer feeling, said Lucy.

00:14:22Does it, Lou? said Peter, turning and looking hard at her.

00:14:26Because it does the same to me.

00:14:28It is the queerest thing that has happened this queer day.

00:14:32I wonder where we are, and what it all means.

00:14:36While they were talking, they had crossed the courtyard,

00:14:38and gone through the other doorway into what had once been the hall.

00:14:43This was now very like the courtyard,

00:14:45for the roof had long since disappeared,

00:14:47and it was merely another space of grass and daisies,

00:14:50except that it was shorter and narrower,

00:14:53and the walls were higher.

00:14:55Across the far end, there was a kind of terrace

00:14:58about three feet higher than the rest.

00:15:00I wonder, was it really the hall? said Susan.

00:15:05What is that terrace kind of thing?

00:15:07Why, you silly, said Peter, who had become strangely excited.

00:15:12Don't you see?

00:15:13That was the dais where the high table was,

00:15:16where the king and the great lord sat.

00:15:18Anyone would think you had forgotten that we ourselves

00:15:20were once kings and queens,

00:15:22and sat on a dais just like that in our great hall.

00:15:24In our castle of Caer Paravel, continued Susan,

00:15:29in a dreamy and rather sing-song voice,

00:15:32at the mouth of the great river of Narnia.

00:15:35How could I forget?

00:15:37How it all comes back, said Lucy.

00:15:40We could pretend we were in Caer Paravel now.

00:15:43This hall must have been very like the great hall we feasted in.

00:15:47But unfortunately, without the feast, said Edmund.

00:15:50It's getting late, you know.

00:15:51Look how long the shadows are.

00:15:53And have you noticed that it isn't so hot?

00:15:57We shall need a campfire if we've got to spend the night here,

00:16:00said Peter.

00:16:01I've got matches.

00:16:02Let's go and see if we can collect some dry wood.

00:16:05Everyone saw the sense of this,

00:16:07and for the next half hour they were busy.

00:16:09The orchard through which they had first come into the ruins

00:16:12turned out not to be a good place for firewood.

00:16:16They tried the other side of the castle,

00:16:18passing out of the hall by a little side door

00:16:20into a maze of stony humps and hollows,

00:16:24which must once have been passages and smaller rooms,

00:16:27but was now all nettles and wild roses.

00:16:31Beyond this, they found a wide gap in the castle wall

00:16:34and stepped through it into a wood of darker and bigger trees,

00:16:38where they found dead branches and rotten wood and sticks

00:16:41and dry leaves and fir cones in plenty.

00:16:44They went to and fro with bundles

00:16:46until they had a good pile on the dais.

00:16:49At the fifth journey, they found the well

00:16:52just outside the hall, hidden in weeds,

00:16:54but clean and fresh and deep

00:16:57when they had cleared these away.

00:16:59The remains of a stone pavement ran halfway round it.

00:17:03Then the girls went out to pick some more apples,

00:17:06and the boys built the fire on the dais

00:17:08and fairly close to the corner between two walls,

00:17:10which they thought would be the snuggest and warmest place.

00:17:14They had great difficulty in lighting it

00:17:16and used a lot of matches, but they succeeded in the end.

00:17:20Finally, all four sat down with their backs to the wall

00:17:24and their faces to the fire.

00:17:27They tried roasting some of the apples on the ends of sticks,

00:17:30but roast apples are not much good without sugar,

00:17:33and they are too hot to eat with your fingers

00:17:35till they are too cold to be worth eating.

00:17:37So they had to content themselves with raw apples,

00:17:40which, as Edmund said, made one realise

00:17:42that school suppers weren't so bad after all.

00:17:46I shouldn't mind a good thick slice of bread

00:17:48and margarine this minute, he added.

00:17:50But the spirit of adventure was rising in them all,

00:17:53and no one really wanted to be back at school.

00:17:57Shortly after the last apple had been eaten,

00:18:00Susan went out to the well to get another drink.

00:18:02When she came back, she was carrying something in her hand.

00:18:08Look, she said in a rather choking kind of voice,

00:18:12I found it by the well.

00:18:15She handed it to Peter and sat down.

00:18:18The others thought she looked and sounded

00:18:20as if she might be going to cry.

00:18:23Edmund and Lucy eagerly bent forward

00:18:25to see what was in Peter's hand,

00:18:27a little bright thing that gleamed in the firelight.

00:18:30Well, I'm, I'm jiggered, said Peter,

00:18:36and his voice also sounded queer.

00:18:39Then he handed it to the others.

00:18:42All now saw what it was,

00:18:45a little chess knight,

00:18:47ordinary in size,

00:18:48but extraordinarily heavy

00:18:50because it was made of pure gold,

00:18:52and the eyes in the horse's head

00:18:55were two tiny little rubies,

00:18:57or rather one was,

00:18:59for the other had been knocked out.

00:19:01Why, said Lucy,

00:19:03it's exactly like one of the golden chess men

00:19:05we used to play with

00:19:06when we were kings and queens at Caer Baraval.

00:19:10Cheer up, Sue,

00:19:12said Peter to his other sister.

00:19:14I can't help it,

00:19:15said Susan.

00:19:16It brought back,

00:19:18oh, such lovely times.

00:19:21And I remembered playing chess

00:19:22with fawns and good giants

00:19:25and the myrrh people singing in the sea

00:19:27and my beautiful horse

00:19:29and, and.

00:19:32Now, said Peter,

00:19:34in a quite different voice,

00:19:35it's about time we four started using our brains.

00:19:38What about?

00:19:40asked Edmund.

00:19:42Have none of you guessed where we are?

00:19:44said Peter.

00:19:45Go on, go on,

00:19:47said Lucy.

00:19:47I felt for hours that there was some

00:19:49wonderful mystery hanging over this place.

00:19:52Far ahead, Peter,

00:19:54said Edmund.

00:19:54We're all listening.

00:19:56We are in the ruins of Caer Paraval itself,

00:20:00said Peter.

00:20:01But I say,

00:20:03replied Edmund,

00:20:04I mean,

00:20:04how do you make that out?

00:20:06This place has been ruined for ages.

00:20:08Look at all those big trees

00:20:09growing right up to the gates.

00:20:11Look at the very stones.

00:20:12Anyone can see that nobody has lived here

00:20:14for hundreds of years.

00:20:16I know,

00:20:17said Peter.

00:20:17That is the difficulty.

00:20:19But let's leave that out for the moment.

00:20:21I want to take the points one by one.

00:20:23First point.

00:20:25This hall is exactly the same shape and size

00:20:27as the hall at Caer Paraval.

00:20:29Just picture a roof on this

00:20:31and a coloured pavement instead of grass

00:20:33and tapestries on the walls

00:20:35and you get our royal banqueting hall.

00:20:38No one said anything.

00:20:41Second point,

00:20:42continued Peter,

00:20:43the castle well

00:20:44is exactly where our well was,

00:20:46a little to the south of the great hall,

00:20:48and it is exactly the same size and shape.

00:20:52Again, there was no reply.

00:20:55Third point.

00:20:57Susan has just found one of our old chessmen

00:20:59or something as like one of them as two peas.

00:21:02Still, nobody answered.

00:21:05Fourth point.

00:21:07Don't you remember?

00:21:08It was the very day before the ambassadors came

00:21:10from the King of Colormen.

00:21:12Don't you remember planting the orchard

00:21:15outside the north gate of Caer Paraval?

00:21:17The greatest of all the wood people,

00:21:20Pomona herself,

00:21:21came to put good spells on it.

00:21:24It was those very decent little chaps,

00:21:26the moles,

00:21:26who did the actual digging.

00:21:28Can you have forgotten

00:21:28that funny old lily gloves,

00:21:31the chief mole,

00:21:32leaning on his spade and saying,

00:21:33Believe me, your majesty,

00:21:35you'll be glad of these fruit trees one day.

00:21:38And by Jove, he was right.

00:21:40I do, I do,

00:21:42said Lucy and clapped her hands.

00:21:44But look here, Peter,

00:21:46said Edmund,

00:21:47this must be all rot.

00:21:48To begin with,

00:21:49we didn't plant the orchard

00:21:50slap up against the gate.

00:21:52We wouldn't have been such fools.

00:21:54No, of course not,

00:21:56said Peter,

00:21:56but it has grown up to the gate since.

00:21:59And for another thing,

00:22:00said Edmund,

00:22:01Caer Paraval wasn't on an island.

00:22:04Yes, I've been wondering about that,

00:22:06but it was a,

00:22:07what do you call it,

00:22:08a peninsula,

00:22:10jolly nearly an island.

00:22:11Couldn't it have been made an island

00:22:13since our time?

00:22:15Somebody has dug a channel.

00:22:18But half a moment,

00:22:19said Edmund,

00:22:20you keep on saying

00:22:20since our time,

00:22:22but it's only a year ago

00:22:23since we came back from Narnia.

00:22:25And do you want to make it out

00:22:26that in one year,

00:22:27castles have fallen down

00:22:29and great forests have grown up

00:22:31and little trees we saw planted ourselves

00:22:33have turned into a big old orchard

00:22:35and goodness knows what else.

00:22:37It's all impossible.

00:22:38There's one thing,

00:22:40said Lucy.

00:22:42If this is Caer Paraval,

00:22:44there ought to be a door

00:22:46at this end of the dais.

00:22:48In fact,

00:22:49we ought to be sitting

00:22:50with our backs against it

00:22:51at this moment.

00:22:53You know,

00:22:54the door that led down

00:22:55to the treasure chamber.

00:22:56I suppose there isn't a door,

00:23:00said Peter,

00:23:01getting up.

00:23:02The wall behind them

00:23:03was a mass of ivy.

00:23:05We can soon find out,

00:23:06said Edmund,

00:23:07taking up one of the sticks

00:23:08that they had laid ready

00:23:09for putting on the fire.

00:23:11He began beating

00:23:12the ivied wall.

00:23:14Tap,

00:23:14tap,

00:23:15went the stick

00:23:15against the stone

00:23:16and again tap,

00:23:18tap,

00:23:18and then all at once

00:23:19boom,

00:23:20boom,

00:23:21with a quite different sound,

00:23:22a hollow wooden sound.

00:23:26Chapter three,

00:23:28the dwarf.

00:23:30The worst of sleeping

00:23:31out of doors

00:23:32is that you wake up

00:23:33so dreadfully early

00:23:34and when you wake,

00:23:36you have to get up

00:23:37because the ground

00:23:37is so hard

00:23:38that you're uncomfortable

00:23:39and it makes matters worse

00:23:41if there is nothing

00:23:42but apples for breakfast

00:23:43and you have had nothing

00:23:44but apples for supper

00:23:45the night before.

00:23:47When Lucy had said,

00:23:49truly enough,

00:23:49that it was a glorious morning,

00:23:51there did not seem

00:23:52to be anything else

00:23:53nice to be said.

00:23:55Edmund said

00:23:56what everyone was feeling.

00:23:58We've simply got

00:23:59to get off this island.

00:24:02When they had drunk

00:24:03from the well

00:24:03and splashed their faces,

00:24:05they all went down

00:24:05the stream again

00:24:06to the shore

00:24:07and stared at the channel

00:24:08which divided them

00:24:09from the mainland.

00:24:11We'll have to swim,

00:24:13said Edmund.

00:24:14It would be all right

00:24:15for Sue,

00:24:16said Peter.

00:24:16Susan had won prizes

00:24:18for swimming at school,

00:24:19but I don't know

00:24:20about the rest of us.

00:24:21By the rest of us

00:24:23he really meant Edmund

00:24:24who couldn't yet

00:24:25do two lengths

00:24:26at the school bars

00:24:27and Lucy

00:24:27who could hardly

00:24:28swim at all.

00:24:30Anyway,

00:24:30said Susan,

00:24:31there may be currents.

00:24:33Father says

00:24:33it's never wise

00:24:34to bathe in a place

00:24:35you don't know.

00:24:37But Peter,

00:24:38said Lucy,

00:24:39look here,

00:24:40I know I can't swim

00:24:41for nuts at home,

00:24:42in England I mean,

00:24:43but couldn't we all

00:24:44swim long ago,

00:24:45if it was long ago,

00:24:47when we were kings

00:24:48and queens in Narnia?

00:24:49We could ride then

00:24:51too and do all sorts

00:24:52of things,

00:24:52don't you think?

00:24:54Ah,

00:24:54but we were sort

00:24:55of grown up then,

00:24:56said Peter.

00:24:57We reigned for years

00:24:58and years

00:24:59and learned to do things.

00:25:00Aren't we just back

00:25:01at our proper ages

00:25:02again now?

00:25:03Oh,

00:25:05said Edmund,

00:25:06in a voice which made

00:25:07everyone stop talking

00:25:09and listen to him.

00:25:10I've just seen it all,

00:25:12he said.

00:25:13Seen what?

00:25:14asked Peter.

00:25:15Why,

00:25:16the whole thing,

00:25:17said Edmund.

00:25:18You know what we were

00:25:19puzzling about last night?

00:25:20That it was only a year ago

00:25:22since we left Narnia,

00:25:23but everything looks

00:25:24as if no one had lived

00:25:25in Caer Paraval

00:25:26for hundreds of years?

00:25:27Well,

00:25:28don't you see?

00:25:29You know that,

00:25:30however long we seem

00:25:31to have lived in Narnia

00:25:32when we got back

00:25:33through the wardrobe,

00:25:34it seemed to have

00:25:34taken no time at all.

00:25:36Go on,

00:25:37said Susan.

00:25:38I think I'm beginning

00:25:39to understand.

00:25:40And that means,

00:25:41continued Edmund,

00:25:42that once you're out

00:25:44of Narnia,

00:25:45you have no idea

00:25:45how Narnian time is going.

00:25:48Why shouldn't hundreds

00:25:49of years have gone past

00:25:50in Narnia

00:25:51while only one year

00:25:52has passed for us

00:25:54in England?

00:25:55By Jove,

00:25:56Ed,

00:25:57said Peter,

00:25:57I believe you've got it.

00:25:59In that sense,

00:26:00it really was hundreds

00:26:01of years ago

00:26:02that we lived

00:26:02in Caer Paraval

00:26:03and now we're coming

00:26:05back to Narnia

00:26:06just as if we were

00:26:07Crusaders

00:26:08or Anglo-Saxons

00:26:09or Ancient Britons

00:26:10or someone coming

00:26:11back to modern England.

00:26:13How excited

00:26:14they'll all be

00:26:14to see us,

00:26:16began Lucy,

00:26:17but at the same moment

00:26:18everyone else said

00:26:19hush

00:26:20or look,

00:26:22for now something

00:26:23was happening.

00:26:25There was a wooded

00:26:26point on the mainland,

00:26:28a little to their right,

00:26:29and they all felt sure

00:26:31that just beyond

00:26:32that point

00:26:33must be the mouth

00:26:33of the river.

00:26:35And now,

00:26:36round that point,

00:26:38there came into sight

00:26:39a boat.

00:26:41When it had cleared

00:26:41the point,

00:26:42it turned

00:26:43and began

00:26:43coming along

00:26:44the channel

00:26:45towards them.

00:26:46There were two people

00:26:47on board,

00:26:48one rowing,

00:26:49the other sitting

00:26:50in the stern

00:26:51and holding a bundle

00:26:52that twitched

00:26:53and moved

00:26:54as if it were alive.

00:26:55Both these people

00:26:56seemed to be soldiers.

00:26:57They had steel caps

00:26:59on their heads

00:27:00and light shirts

00:27:01of chain mail.

00:27:03Their faces

00:27:03were bearded

00:27:04and hard.

00:27:06The children

00:27:06drew back

00:27:07from the beach

00:27:08into the wood

00:27:08and watched them

00:27:09without moving

00:27:10a finger.

00:27:12This'll do,

00:27:13said the soldier

00:27:13in the stern

00:27:14when the boat

00:27:15had come about

00:27:15opposite to them.

00:27:17What about

00:27:17tying a stone

00:27:18to his feet,

00:27:19corporal?

00:27:20said the other,

00:27:21resting on his oars.

00:27:23Gone,

00:27:24growled the other.

00:27:24We don't need that.

00:27:26We haven't brought one.

00:27:27He'll drown

00:27:27sure enough

00:27:28without a stone

00:27:28as long as we've

00:27:29tied the cords right.

00:27:31With these words,

00:27:32he rose

00:27:32and lifted his bundle.

00:27:35Peter now saw

00:27:36that it was

00:27:36really alive

00:27:37and was in fact

00:27:39a dwarf,

00:27:40bound hand and foot

00:27:41but struggling

00:27:42as hard as he could.

00:27:44Next moment,

00:27:45he heard a twang

00:27:46just beside his ear

00:27:47and all at once

00:27:48the soldier

00:27:49threw up his arms,

00:27:50dropping the dwarf

00:27:51into the bottom

00:27:52of the boat

00:27:52and fell over

00:27:53into the water.

00:27:55He floundered away

00:27:56to the far bank

00:27:57and Peter knew

00:27:58that Susan's arrow

00:27:59had struck his helmet.

00:28:01He turned

00:28:02and saw

00:28:02that she was very pale

00:28:04but was already

00:28:04fitting a second arrow

00:28:06to the string

00:28:06but it was never used.

00:28:08As soon as he saw

00:28:09his companion fall,

00:28:11the other soldier

00:28:11with a loud cry

00:28:12jumped out of the boat

00:28:14on the far side

00:28:15and he also floundered

00:28:16through the water

00:28:17which was apparently

00:28:18just in his depth

00:28:19and disappeared

00:28:20into the woods

00:28:21of the mainland.

00:28:23Quick,

00:28:23before she drifts,

00:28:25shouted Peter.

00:28:26He and Susan,

00:28:27fully dressed as they were,

00:28:29plunged in

00:28:29and before the water

00:28:30was up to their shoulders,

00:28:32their hands were

00:28:33on the side of the boat.

00:28:35In a few seconds,

00:28:36they had hauled her

00:28:36to the bank

00:28:37and lifted the dwarf out

00:28:39and Edmund was busily

00:28:40engaged in cutting his bonds

00:28:42with the pocket knife.

00:28:44Peter's sword

00:28:45would have been sharper

00:28:46but a sword

00:28:47is very inconvenient

00:28:48for this sort of work

00:28:49because you can't hold it

00:28:50anywhere lower than the hilt.

00:28:52When at last

00:28:53the dwarf was free,

00:28:54he sat up,

00:28:55rubbed his arms and legs

00:28:56and exclaimed,

00:28:58Well, whatever they say,

00:28:59you don't feel like ghosts.

00:29:02Like most dwarfs,

00:29:03he was very stocky

00:29:04and deep-chested.

00:29:05He would have been

00:29:06about three feet high

00:29:07if he'd been standing up

00:29:08and an immense beard

00:29:10and whiskers

00:29:11of coarse red hair

00:29:12left little of his face

00:29:13to be seen

00:29:14except a beak-like nose

00:29:16and twinkling black eyes.

00:29:18Anyway,

00:29:19he continued,

00:29:20Ghosts or not,

00:29:21you've saved my life

00:29:22and I'm extremely obliged to you.

00:29:25But why should we be ghosts?

00:29:27asked Lucy.

00:29:29I've been told all my life,

00:29:31said the dwarf,

00:29:32that these woods along the shore

00:29:33were as full of ghosts

00:29:34as they were of trees.

00:29:35That's what the story is

00:29:36and that's why

00:29:37when they want to get rid of anyone

00:29:39they usually bring him down here

00:29:41like they were doing with me

00:29:42and say they'll leave him to the ghosts.

00:29:45But I always wondered

00:29:46if they didn't really drown them

00:29:47or cut their throats.

00:29:49I never quite believed in the ghosts.

00:29:51But those two cowards

00:29:53you've just shot believed all right.

00:29:55They were more frightened

00:29:56of taking me to my death

00:29:58than I was of going.

00:30:00Oh, said Susan,

00:30:02so that's why they both ran away.

00:30:05Eh, what's that?

00:30:06said the dwarf.

00:30:07They got away,

00:30:09said Edmund,

00:30:09to the mainland.

00:30:11I wasn't shooting to kill,

00:30:12you know,

00:30:13said Susan.

00:30:14She would not have liked anyone

00:30:15to think she could miss

00:30:16at such short range.

00:30:18Hmm,

00:30:19said the dwarf.

00:30:20That's not so good.

00:30:21That may mean trouble later on,

00:30:23unless they hold their tongues

00:30:24for their own sake.

00:30:27What were they going to drown you for?

00:30:29asked Peter.

00:30:29Oh,

00:30:31I'm a dangerous criminal,

00:30:32I am,

00:30:33said the dwarf cheerfully.

00:30:34But that's a long story.

00:30:36Meantime,

00:30:36I was wondering

00:30:37if perhaps you were going

00:30:38to ask me to breakfast.

00:30:39You've no idea

00:30:40what an appetite it gives

00:30:41one being executed.

00:30:43There's only apples,

00:30:45said Lucy dolefully.

00:30:47Better than nothing,

00:30:48but not so good as fresh fish,

00:30:50said the dwarf.

00:30:52It looks as if I'll have to ask you

00:30:53to breakfast instead.

00:30:55I saw some fishing tackle

00:30:57in that boat,

00:30:57and anyway,

00:30:58we must take her round

00:30:59to the other side of the island.

00:31:01We don't want anyone

00:31:02from the mainland

00:31:02coming down and seeing her.

00:31:05I ought to have thought

00:31:05of that myself,

00:31:06said Peter.

00:31:08The four children

00:31:09and the dwarf

00:31:09went down to the water's edge,

00:31:11pushed off the boat

00:31:12with some difficulty,

00:31:14and scrambled aboard.

00:31:15The dwarf at once took charge.

00:31:18The oars were, of course,

00:31:19too big for him to use,

00:31:21so Peter rode,

00:31:22and the dwarf steered them

00:31:23north along the channel

00:31:24and presently eastward

00:31:26round the tip of the island.

00:31:28From here,

00:31:29the children could see

00:31:30right up the river

00:31:31and all the bays

00:31:32and headlands

00:31:33of the coast beyond it.

00:31:35They thought

00:31:36they could recognise

00:31:37bits of it,

00:31:38but the woods

00:31:39which had grown up

00:31:39since their time

00:31:40made everything

00:31:41look very different.

00:31:44When they had come round

00:31:45into open sea

00:31:46on the east of the island,

00:31:47the dwarf took to fishing.

00:31:50They had an excellent

00:31:51catch of pavenders,

00:31:52a beautiful rainbow-coloured fish

00:31:54which they all remembered

00:31:55eating in Caer Paravel

00:31:56in the old days.

00:31:58When they had caught enough,

00:32:00they ran the boat up

00:32:01into a little creek

00:32:01and moored her to a tree.

00:32:04The dwarf,

00:32:04who was a most capable person

00:32:06and indeed,

00:32:07though one meets bad dwarfs,

00:32:09I never heard of a dwarf

00:32:11who was a fool,

00:32:12cut the fish open,

00:32:13cleaned them and said,

00:32:14Now,

00:32:15what we want next

00:32:16is some firewood.

00:32:18We've got some up

00:32:19at the castle,

00:32:20said Edmund.

00:32:21The dwarf gave a low whistle.

00:32:24Beards and bedsteads,

00:32:25he said.

00:32:26So there really is a castle

00:32:28after all?

00:32:29It's only a ruin,

00:32:31said Lucy.

00:32:32The dwarf stared round

00:32:34at all four of them

00:32:35with a very curious expression

00:32:36on his face.

00:32:38And who on earth?

00:32:40He began,

00:32:41but then broke off

00:32:42and said,

00:32:43No matter,

00:32:44breakfast first.

00:32:45But one thing before we go on.

00:32:47Can you lay your hand

00:32:48on your hearts

00:32:49and tell me I'm really alive?

00:32:52Are you sure I wasn't drowned

00:32:54and we're not all ghosts together?

00:32:57When they had all reassured him,

00:32:59the next question

00:33:00was how to carry the fish.

00:33:02They had nothing to string them on

00:33:04and no basket.

00:33:05They had to use Edmund's hat

00:33:07in the end

00:33:07because no one else had a hat.

00:33:10He would have made

00:33:11much more fuss about this

00:33:12if he had not by now

00:33:13been so ravenously hungry.

00:33:16At first,

00:33:17the dwarf did not seem

00:33:18very comfortable in the castle.

00:33:20He kept looking round

00:33:21and sniffing

00:33:22and saying,

00:33:23Hmm,

00:33:24looks a bit spooky after all.

00:33:26Smells like ghosts too.

00:33:28But he cheered up

00:33:29when it came to lighting the fire

00:33:30and showing them

00:33:31how to roast

00:33:32the fresh pavenders

00:33:33in the embers.

00:33:35Eating hot fish

00:33:36with no forks

00:33:37and one pocket knife

00:33:38between five people

00:33:39is a messy business

00:33:40and there were several

00:33:41burnt fingers

00:33:42before the meal was ended.

00:33:44But as it was now

00:33:45nine o'clock

00:33:46and they had been up

00:33:47since five,

00:33:48nobody minded the burns

00:33:49so much

00:33:50as you might have expected.

00:33:51When everyone

00:33:52had finished off

00:33:53with a drink from the well

00:33:54and an apple or so,

00:33:56the dwarf produced a pipe

00:33:57about the size

00:33:58of his own arm,

00:33:59filled it,

00:34:00lit it,

00:34:01blew a great cloud

00:34:02of fragrant smoke

00:34:03and said,

00:34:04Now,

00:34:05you tell us your story first,

00:34:09said Peter,

00:34:09and then we'll tell you ours.

00:34:12Well,

00:34:13said the dwarf,

00:34:14as you've saved my life,

00:34:16it is only fair

00:34:17you should have your own way.

00:34:18But I hardly know

00:34:20where to begin.

00:34:21First of all,

00:34:22I'm a messenger

00:34:23of King Caspian's.

00:34:26Who's he?

00:34:27asked four voices

00:34:28all at once.

00:34:30Caspian the tenth

00:34:31king of Narnia

00:34:32and long may he reign,

00:34:34answered the dwarf.

00:34:35That is to say

00:34:35he ought to be

00:34:36king of Narnia

00:34:37and we hope he will be.

00:34:39At present,

00:34:39he's only king

00:34:40of us old Narnians.

00:34:42What do you mean

00:34:43by old Narnians,

00:34:44please?

00:34:45asked Lucy.

00:34:46Why,

00:34:46that's us,

00:34:47said the dwarf.

00:34:48We're a kind of rebellion,

00:34:50I suppose.

00:34:51I see,

00:34:52said Peter,

00:34:53and Caspian

00:34:54is the chief old Narnian.

00:34:56Well,

00:34:57in a manner of speaking,

00:34:59said the dwarf,

00:34:59scratching his head,

00:35:01but he's really

00:35:02a new Narnian himself,

00:35:04a Telmarine,

00:35:05if you follow me.

00:35:06I don't,

00:35:07said Edmund.

00:35:08It's worse

00:35:09than the Wars of the Roses,

00:35:10said Lucy.

00:35:12Oh dear,

00:35:13said the dwarf.

00:35:13I'm doing this very badly.

00:35:15Look here,

00:35:16I think I'll have to go

00:35:17right back to the beginning

00:35:18and tell you how Caspian

00:35:19grew up in his uncle's court

00:35:21and how he came to be

00:35:22on our side at all,

00:35:24but it'll be a long story.

00:35:26All the better,

00:35:28said Lucy.

00:35:28We love stories.

00:35:31So the dwarf settled down

00:35:32and told his tale.

00:35:34I shall not give it to you

00:35:35in his words,

00:35:36putting in all the children's

00:35:38questions and interruptions,

00:35:39because it would take too long

00:35:40and be confusing,

00:35:42and even so,

00:35:43it would leave out some points

00:35:44that the children

00:35:45only heard later,

00:35:47but the gist of the story,

00:35:48as they knew it in the end,

00:35:50was as follows.

00:35:54Chapter 4

00:35:55The Dwarf Tells of Prince Caspian

00:35:58Prince Caspian lived

00:36:02in a great castle

00:36:03in the centre of Narnia

00:36:04with his uncle Miraz,

00:36:06the king of Narnia,

00:36:07and his aunt,

00:36:09who had red hair

00:36:09and was called

00:36:10Queen Pruneprismia.

00:36:13His father and mother

00:36:14were dead,

00:36:15and the person

00:36:15whom Caspian loved best

00:36:17was his nurse,

00:36:18and though,

00:36:19being a prince,

00:36:20he had wonderful toys

00:36:21which do almost anything

00:36:23but talk,

00:36:24he liked best

00:36:25the last hour of the day

00:36:26when the toys

00:36:27had all been put back

00:36:28in their cupboards,

00:36:29and nurse would tell him stories.

00:36:32He did not care much

00:36:33for his uncle and aunt,

00:36:34but about twice a week

00:36:36his uncle would send for him,

00:36:37and they would walk

00:36:38up and down together

00:36:39for half an hour

00:36:40on the terrace

00:36:40at the south side

00:36:41of the castle.

00:36:43One day,

00:36:44while they were doing this,

00:36:44the king said to him,

00:36:46Well, boy,

00:36:47we must soon teach you

00:36:48to ride and use a sword.

00:36:50You know that your aunt

00:36:51and I have no children,

00:36:52so it looks as if

00:36:53you might have to be king

00:36:54when I'm gone.

00:36:55How shall you like that, eh?

00:36:57I don't know, uncle,

00:36:59said Caspian.

00:37:01Don't know, eh?

00:37:02said Miraz.

00:37:03Why, I should like to know

00:37:05what more anyone

00:37:06could wish for.

00:37:08All the same,

00:37:09I do wish,

00:37:11said Caspian.

00:37:12What do you wish?

00:37:14asked the king.

00:37:16I wish,

00:37:17I wish,

00:37:18I wish

00:37:19I could have lived

00:37:20in the old days,

00:37:22said Caspian.

00:37:23He was only a very little boy

00:37:25at the time.

00:37:27Up till now,

00:37:28King Miraz

00:37:28had been talking

00:37:29in the tiresome way

00:37:30that some grown-ups have,

00:37:32which makes it quite clear

00:37:33that they are not really

00:37:34interested in what you are saying.

00:37:36But now,

00:37:37he suddenly gave Caspian

00:37:38a very sharp look.

00:37:41Eh,

00:37:41what's that?

00:37:42he said.

00:37:43What old days

00:37:44do you mean?

00:37:46Oh,

00:37:46don't you know,

00:37:47uncle,

00:37:48said Caspian,

00:37:49when everything

00:37:49was quite different,

00:37:51when all the animals

00:37:52could talk,

00:37:53and there were nice people

00:37:54who lived in the streams

00:37:55in the trees?

00:37:56Nyads and dryads,

00:37:58they were called,

00:37:59and there were dwarfs,

00:38:00and there were lovely

00:38:01little fawns

00:38:02in all the woods.

00:38:03They had feet like goats,

00:38:04and...

00:38:05That's all nonsense

00:38:06for babies,

00:38:07said the king sternly.

00:38:09Only fit for babies,

00:38:10do you hear?

00:38:11You're getting too old

00:38:12for that sort of stuff.

00:38:13At your age,

00:38:14you ought to be thinking

00:38:14of battles and adventures,

00:38:16not fairy tales.

00:38:17Oh,

00:38:17but there were battles

00:38:19and adventures

00:38:19in those days,

00:38:20said Caspian.

00:38:22Wonderful adventures.

00:38:24Once,

00:38:24there was a white witch,

00:38:26and she made herself

00:38:27queen of the whole country,

00:38:28and she made it

00:38:29so that it was always winter.

00:38:31And then two boys

00:38:32and two girls

00:38:33came from somewhere,

00:38:35and so they killed the witch,

00:38:36and they were made

00:38:37kings and queens of Narnia,

00:38:40and their names were

00:38:40Peter and Susan

00:38:41and Edmund and Lucy.

00:38:44And so they reigned

00:38:45for ever so long,

00:38:46and everyone had

00:38:47a lovely time,

00:38:48and it was all because

00:38:49of Aslan.

00:38:50Who's he?

00:38:51said Miraz.

00:38:52And if Caspian had been

00:38:53a very little older,

00:38:55the tone of his uncle's voice

00:38:57would have warned him

00:38:58that it would be wiser

00:38:59to shut up.

00:39:00But he babbled on.

00:39:02Oh, don't you know?

00:39:03He said.

00:39:04Aslan is the great lion

00:39:06who comes from over the sea.

00:39:08Who has been telling you

00:39:10all this nonsense?

00:39:12said the king

00:39:13in a voice of thunder.

00:39:14Caspian was frightened

00:39:15and said nothing.

00:39:18Your royal highness,

00:39:20said King Miraz,

00:39:21letting go of Caspian's hand

00:39:23which he had been

00:39:23holding till now.

00:39:24I insist upon being answered.

00:39:27Look me in the face.

00:39:28Who has been telling you

00:39:30this pack of lies?

00:39:34Nurse,

00:39:35faltered Caspian

00:39:36and burst into tears.

00:39:38Stop that noise,

00:39:40said his uncle,

00:39:41taking Caspian by the shoulders

00:39:42and giving him a shake.

00:39:43Stop it.

00:39:44And never let me catch you

00:39:45talking or thinking either

00:39:48about all those silly stories again.

00:39:51There never were those kings and queens.

00:39:53How could there be two kings

00:39:55at the same time?

00:39:56And there's no such person

00:39:58as Aslan.

00:39:59And there are no such things

00:40:01as lions

00:40:01and there never was a time

00:40:03when animals could talk.

00:40:04Do you hear?

00:40:06Yes, uncle,

00:40:07sobbed Caspian.

00:40:09Then let's have no more of it,

00:40:11said the king.

00:40:12Then he called to one of the gentlemen

00:40:14in waiting

00:40:14who was standing

00:40:15at the far end of the terrace

00:40:16and said in a cold voice,

00:40:19Conduct his royal highness

00:40:20to his apartments

00:40:21and send his royal highness's nurse

00:40:24to me at once.

00:40:26Next day,

00:40:30Caspian found

00:40:31what a terrible thing

00:40:32he had done

00:40:33for nurse

00:40:34had been sent away

00:40:35without even being allowed

00:40:36to say goodbye to him

00:40:37and he was told

00:40:39he was to have

00:40:39a tutor.

00:40:42Caspian missed his nurse

00:40:43very much

00:40:44and shed many tears

00:40:45and because he was so miserable

00:40:47he thought about

00:40:48the old stories of Narnia

00:40:50far more than before.

00:40:52He dreamed of dwarfs

00:40:54and dryads

00:40:55every night

00:40:55and tried very hard

00:40:57to make the dogs

00:40:58and cats in the castle

00:40:59talk to him

00:41:00but the dogs

00:41:01only wagged their tails

00:41:02and the cats only purred.

00:41:06Caspian felt sure

00:41:07that he would hate

00:41:08the new tutor

00:41:09but when the new tutor

00:41:10arrived about a week later

00:41:12he turned out

00:41:13to be the sort of person

00:41:14it is almost impossible

00:41:15not to like.

00:41:17He was the smallest

00:41:19and also the fattest man

00:41:21Caspian had ever seen.

00:41:23He had a long

00:41:25silvery pointed beard

00:41:26which came down

00:41:27to his waist

00:41:28and his face

00:41:29which was brown

00:41:30and covered with wrinkles

00:41:31looked very wise

00:41:33very ugly

00:41:34and very kind.

00:41:36His voice was grave

00:41:37and his eyes

00:41:38were merry

00:41:39so that until you got

00:41:40to know him

00:41:41really well

00:41:41it was hard to know

00:41:42when he was joking

00:41:43and when he was serious.

00:41:45His name was

00:41:46Doctor Cornelius

00:41:48Of all his lessons

00:41:50with Doctor Cornelius

00:41:51the one that Caspian

00:41:53liked best

00:41:54was history.

00:41:56Up till now

00:41:56except for nurses' stories

00:41:58he had known nothing

00:41:59about the history

00:42:00of Narnia

00:42:01and he was very surprised

00:42:02to learn that the royal family

00:42:04were newcomers

00:42:05in the country.

00:42:06It was your highness's ancestor

00:42:09Caspian the first

00:42:10said Doctor Cornelius

00:42:12who first conquered Narnia

00:42:14and made it his kingdom.

00:42:15It was he who brought up

00:42:17all your nation

00:42:18into the country.

00:42:19You are not native Narnians

00:42:21at all

00:42:22you are Telmarines

00:42:24that is

00:42:24you all came from

00:42:25the land of Telmar

00:42:27far beyond the western mountains.

00:42:30That is why Caspian the first

00:42:32is called Caspian the Conqueror.

00:42:35Please Doctor

00:42:36asked Caspian one day

00:42:38who lived in Narnia

00:42:39before we all came here

00:42:40out of Telmar?

00:42:42No men or very few

00:42:43lived in Narnia

00:42:44before the Telmarines took it

00:42:46said Doctor Cornelius.

00:42:48Then who did my great

00:42:49great grandcesters conquer?

00:42:52Whom not owe your highness

00:42:54said Doctor Cornelius.

00:42:56Perhaps it's time to turn

00:42:57from history to grammar.

00:43:00Oh please not yet

00:43:01said Caspian.

00:43:02I mean wasn't there a battle?

00:43:04Why is he called Caspian the Conqueror

00:43:06if there was nobody

00:43:06to fight with him?

00:43:08I said there were

00:43:09very few men in Narnia

00:43:11said the Doctor

00:43:12looking at the little boy

00:43:13very strangely

00:43:14through his great spectacles.

00:43:16For a moment

00:43:17Caspian was puzzled

00:43:18and then suddenly

00:43:19his heart gave a leap.

00:43:21Do you mean

00:43:21he gasped

00:43:22that there were other things?

00:43:25Do you mean

00:43:25it was like in the stories?

00:43:27Were there

00:43:28Hush!

00:43:29said Doctor Cornelius

00:43:30laying his head

00:43:31very close to Caspian's

00:43:32not a word more.

00:43:35Don't you know

00:43:35your nurse was sent away

00:43:36for telling you

00:43:37about old Narnia?

00:43:39The king doesn't like it.

00:43:40If he found me

00:43:41telling you secrets

00:43:42he'd be whipped

00:43:43and I should have

00:43:44my head cut off.

00:43:46But why?

00:43:47asked Caspian.

00:43:48It's high time

00:43:50we turn to grammar now

00:43:51said Doctor Cornelius

00:43:52in a loud voice

00:43:53will your royal highness

00:43:54be pleased to open

00:43:55pulverulentus siccus

00:43:57at the fourth page

00:43:58of his grammatical garden

00:44:00or the arbor of accidents

00:44:02pleasantly open

00:44:03to tender wits?

00:44:05After that

00:44:05it was all nouns

00:44:06and verbs

00:44:07till lunchtime

00:44:08but I don't think

00:44:09Caspian learned much.

00:44:11He was too excited.

00:44:12He felt sure

00:44:13that Doctor Cornelius

00:44:14would not have said

00:44:15so much

00:44:16unless he meant

00:44:17to tell him more

00:44:18sooner or later.

00:44:20In this

00:44:21he was not disappointed.

00:44:23A few days later

00:44:24his tutor said

00:44:25Tonight

00:44:26I'm going to give you

00:44:27a lesson in astronomy.

00:44:29At the dead of night

00:44:30two noble planets

00:44:31Tava and Alambil

00:44:33were passed

00:44:34within one degree

00:44:35of each other.

00:44:37Such a conjunction

00:44:37has not occurred

00:44:38for two hundred years

00:44:39and your highness

00:44:40will not live

00:44:41to see it again.

00:44:42It will be best

00:44:43if you go to bed

00:44:44a little earlier

00:44:44than usual

00:44:45when the time

00:44:46of the conjunction

00:44:47draws near.

00:44:48I will come

00:44:49and wake you.

00:44:51This didn't seem

00:44:51to have anything

00:44:52to do with old Narnia

00:44:54which was what

00:44:54Caspian really

00:44:55wanted to hear about

00:44:56but getting up

00:44:57in the middle

00:44:57of the night

00:44:58is always interesting

00:44:59and he was

00:45:00moderately pleased.

00:45:02When he went

00:45:02to bed that night

00:45:03he thought at first

00:45:04that he would not

00:45:05be able to sleep

00:45:06but he soon

00:45:07dropped off

00:45:07and it seemed

00:45:08only a few minutes

00:45:09before he felt

00:45:10someone gently

00:45:11shaking him.

00:45:12He sat up

00:45:13in bed

00:45:13and saw

00:45:14that the room

00:45:15was full

00:45:15of moonlight.

00:45:17Doctor Cornelius

00:45:18muffled in a hooded

00:45:19robe and holding

00:45:20a small lamp

00:45:21in his hand

00:45:22stood by the bedside.

00:45:24Caspian remembered

00:45:25at once

00:45:26what they were

00:45:26going to do.

00:45:28He got up

00:45:29and put on

00:45:29some clothes.

00:45:30Although it was

00:45:31a summer night

00:45:31he felt colder

00:45:33than he had expected

00:45:33and was quite glad

00:45:35when the doctor

00:45:35wrapped him

00:45:36in a robe

00:45:37like his own

00:45:37and gave him

00:45:38a pair

00:45:39of warm

00:45:39soft buskins

00:45:40for his feet.

00:45:42A moment later

00:45:43both muffled

00:45:44so that they

00:45:45could hardly

00:45:45be seen

00:45:46in the dark

00:45:46corridors

00:45:47and both

00:45:48shod

00:45:48so that they

00:45:49made almost

00:45:50no noise

00:45:51master and

00:45:52pupil

00:45:52left the room.

00:45:55Caspian

00:45:56followed the doctor

00:45:56through many passages

00:45:58and up several

00:45:59staircases

00:45:59and at last

00:46:01through a little

00:46:02door in a turret

00:46:03they came out

00:46:04upon the leads.

00:46:06On one side

00:46:07were the battlements

00:46:08on the other

00:46:09a steep roof

00:46:10below them

00:46:11all shadowy

00:46:12and shimmery

00:46:13the castle gardens

00:46:15above them

00:46:16stars and moon.

00:46:19Presently

00:46:19they came

00:46:19to another door

00:46:20which led

00:46:21into the great

00:46:21central tower

00:46:22of the whole castle.

00:46:25Dr Cornelius

00:46:25unlocked it

00:46:26and they began

00:46:27to climb

00:46:28the dark

00:46:28winding stair

00:46:29of the tower.

00:46:31Caspian

00:46:31was becoming

00:46:32excited

00:46:32he had never

00:46:33been allowed

00:46:34up this stair

00:46:34before.

00:46:36It was long

00:46:37and steep

00:46:38and when they

00:46:39came out

00:46:39on the roof

00:46:39of the tower

00:46:40and Caspian

00:46:41had got his breath

00:46:42he felt that

00:46:43it had been

00:46:43well worth it.

00:46:45Away on his

00:46:45right he could

00:46:46see rather

00:46:47indistinctly

00:46:48the western

00:46:49mountains.

00:46:50On his left

00:46:51was the gleam

00:46:52of the great river

00:46:53and everything

00:46:54was so quiet

00:46:55that he could

00:46:56hear the sound

00:46:57of the waterfall

00:46:58at Beaver's Dam

00:46:59a mile away.

00:47:01There was no

00:47:01difficulty in picking

00:47:02out the two stars

00:47:03they had come

00:47:04to see.

00:47:05They hung

00:47:06rather low

00:47:06in the southern

00:47:07sky almost

00:47:08as bright

00:47:09as two little

00:47:09moons and

00:47:11very close

00:47:11together.

00:47:13Are they going

00:47:14to have a

00:47:14collision?

00:47:15He asked

00:47:16in an awestruck

00:47:17voice.

00:47:18Nay, dear

00:47:19prince,

00:47:20said the doctor

00:47:21and he too

00:47:21spoke in a

00:47:22whisper.

00:47:23The great

00:47:24lords of the

00:47:24upper sky

00:47:25know the steps

00:47:26of their dance

00:47:27too well for that.

00:47:29Look well

00:47:29upon them.

00:47:31Their meeting

00:47:31is fortunate

00:47:32and means

00:47:33some great

00:47:34good for the

00:47:34sad realm

00:47:35of Narnia.

00:47:37Tarver,

00:47:38the lord of

00:47:38victory,

00:47:39salutes

00:47:40Alambil,

00:47:41the lady of

00:47:41peace.

00:47:43They are just

00:47:43coming to their

00:47:44nearest.

00:47:46It's a pity

00:47:47that tree gets

00:47:48in the way,

00:47:49said Caspian.

00:47:49We'd really see

00:47:50better from the

00:47:51west tower,

00:47:52though it is not

00:47:52so high.

00:47:53Dr. Cornelius

00:47:56said nothing

00:47:56for about two

00:47:57minutes,

00:47:58but stood still

00:47:59with his eyes

00:48:00fixed on

00:48:01Tarver and

00:48:01Alambil.

00:48:03Then he drew

00:48:04a deep breath

00:48:05and turned

00:48:05to Caspian.

00:48:08There,

00:48:09he said,

00:48:10you have seen

00:48:11what no man

00:48:12now alive

00:48:13has seen

00:48:14nor will

00:48:14see again.

00:48:16And you're

00:48:17right.

00:48:18We should have

00:48:18seen it even

00:48:19better from the

00:48:20smaller tower.

00:48:21I brought you

00:48:22here for another

00:48:22reason.

00:48:24Caspian looked

00:48:25up at him,

00:48:26but the doctor's

00:48:26hood concealed

00:48:27most of his

00:48:28face.

00:48:29The virtue

00:48:30of this tower,

00:48:31said Dr. Cornelius,

00:48:32is that we have

00:48:33six empty rooms

00:48:35beneath us

00:48:35and a long

00:48:37stair and the

00:48:38door at the

00:48:38bottom of the

00:48:39stair is locked.

00:48:40We cannot be

00:48:41overheard.

00:48:43Are you going

00:48:44to tell me

00:48:45what you wouldn't

00:48:45tell me the

00:48:46other day?

00:48:47Said Caspian.

00:48:48I am,

00:48:50said the doctor,

00:48:51but remember,

00:48:51you and I

00:48:53must never

00:48:53talk about

00:48:54these things

00:48:54except here

00:48:55on the

00:48:56very top

00:48:56of the

00:48:57great tower.

00:48:58No,

00:48:59that's a

00:49:00promise,

00:49:01said Caspian,

00:49:02but do go

00:49:02on,

00:49:02please.

00:49:04Listen,

00:49:05said the

00:49:05doctor,

00:49:06all you have

00:49:07heard about

00:49:08old Narnia

00:49:08is true.

00:49:10It is not

00:49:10the land of

00:49:11men,

00:49:11it is the

00:49:12country of

00:49:13Aslan,

00:49:14the country

00:49:14of the

00:49:14waking trees

00:49:15and visible

00:49:16naiads,

00:49:17of thorns

00:49:18and satyrs,

00:49:19of dwarfs

00:49:20and giants,

00:49:21of the

00:49:22gods and

00:49:22the centaurs,

00:49:23of talking

00:49:24beasts.

00:49:25It was

00:49:26against that

00:49:26that the

00:49:27first Caspian

00:49:28fought.

00:49:29It is you

00:49:29tell marines

00:49:30who silenced

00:49:31the beasts

00:49:31and the trees

00:49:32and the

00:49:32fountains,

00:49:33and who

00:49:34killed and

00:49:34drove away

00:49:35the dwarfs

00:49:35and fauns,

00:49:36and are now

00:49:37trying to cover up

00:49:38even the memory

00:49:38of them.

00:49:39The king

00:49:40does not allow

00:49:40them to be

00:49:41spoken of.

00:49:41Oh,

00:49:43I do wish

00:49:43we hadn't,

00:49:44said Caspian,

00:49:45and I am

00:49:46glad it was

00:49:47all true,

00:49:48even if it

00:49:48is all over.

00:49:50Many of

00:49:51your race

00:49:51wish that

00:49:52in secret,

00:49:53said Dr.

00:49:54Cornelius.

00:49:55But Doctor,

00:49:56said Caspian,

00:49:57why do you

00:49:58say my race?

00:50:00After all,

00:50:00I suppose

00:50:01you're a

00:50:01Telmarine

00:50:01too.

00:50:03Am I?

00:50:04said the

00:50:04doctor.

00:50:05Well,

00:50:06you're a

00:50:06man anyway,

00:50:07said Caspian.

00:50:09Am I?

00:50:11repeated the

00:50:11doctor in

00:50:12a deeper

00:50:12voice,

00:50:13at the

00:50:13same moment

00:50:14throwing back

00:50:14his hood

00:50:15so that

00:50:16Caspian could

00:50:16see his face

00:50:17clearly in

00:50:18the moonlight.

00:50:19All at once,

00:50:21Caspian realised

00:50:22the truth and

00:50:23felt that he

00:50:23ought to have

00:50:24realised it

00:50:24long before.

00:50:26Doctor Cornelius

00:50:27was so small

00:50:28and so fat

00:50:30and had such

00:50:30a very long

00:50:31beard.

00:50:33Two thoughts

00:50:33came into his

00:50:34head at the

00:50:34same moment.

00:50:35One was a

00:50:36thought of terror.

00:50:37He's not a

00:50:38real man,

00:50:39not a man at

00:50:39all.

00:50:40He's a

00:50:40dwarf.

00:50:40And he's

00:50:41brought me

00:50:42up here

00:50:42to kill

00:50:42me.

00:50:44The other

00:50:44was sheer

00:50:45delight.

00:50:46There are

00:50:47real dwarfs

00:50:48still,

00:50:49and I've

00:50:49seen one

00:50:50at last.

00:50:52So you've

00:50:53guessed it

00:50:53in the end,

00:50:55said Doctor

00:50:55Cornelius,

00:50:56or guessed

00:50:56it nearly

00:50:57right.

00:50:58I'm not

00:50:59pure dwarf.

00:51:00I have

00:51:01human blood

00:51:01in me too.

00:51:03Many dwarfs

00:51:03escaped in the

00:51:04great battles

00:51:05and lived on,

00:51:06shaving their

00:51:07beards and

00:51:07wearing high-heeled

00:51:08shoes and

00:51:09pretending to be

00:51:10men.

00:51:11They have

00:51:11mixed with

00:51:12your telmarines.

00:51:13I am

00:51:14one of those,

00:51:15only a half-dwarf,

00:51:16and if any of my

00:51:17kindred, the true

00:51:18dwarfs, are still

00:51:20alive anywhere in

00:51:21the world,

00:51:22doubtless they would

00:51:22despise me and call

00:51:24me a traitor.

00:51:26But never in all

00:51:27these years have we

00:51:28forgotten our own

00:51:29people and all the

00:51:30other happy creatures

00:51:31of Narnia and the

00:51:32long-lost days of

00:51:34freedom.

00:51:35I'm sorry, doctor,

00:51:39said Caspian.

00:51:40It wasn't my fault,

00:51:42you know.

00:51:43I am not saying

00:51:44these things in

00:51:45blame of you, dear

00:51:46prince, answered the

00:51:47doctor.

00:51:48You may well ask why

00:51:49I say them at all,

00:51:50but I have two

00:51:51reasons.

00:51:53Firstly, because my

00:51:54old heart has carried

00:51:55these secret memories

00:51:56so long that it

00:51:58aches with them and

00:51:59would burst if I did

00:52:00not whisper them to

00:52:01you, but secondly

00:52:03for this, that when

00:52:05you become king, you

00:52:06may help us, for I

00:52:08know that you also

00:52:09tell Meereen, though

00:52:11you are, love the

00:52:12old things.

00:52:14I do, I do, said

00:52:15Caspian, but how

00:52:17can I help?

00:52:19You can be kind to

00:52:20the poor remnants of

00:52:21the dwarf people like

00:52:22myself.

00:52:23You can gather

00:52:24learned magicians and

00:52:26try to find a way of

00:52:27awakening the trees

00:52:28once more.

00:52:29You can search

00:52:30through all the nooks

00:52:31and wild places of

00:52:33the land to see if

00:52:34any fawns or talking

00:52:36beasts or dwarfs are

00:52:38perhaps still alive in

00:52:39hiding.

00:52:40Do you think there

00:52:41are any?

00:52:42asked Caspian eagerly.

00:52:45I don't know.

00:52:47I don't know, said the

00:52:49doctor with a deep

00:52:50sigh.

00:52:51Sometimes I'm afraid

00:52:52there can't be.

00:52:54I've been looking for

00:52:55traces of them all my

00:52:56life.

00:52:57Sometimes I've thought I

00:52:58heard a dwarf drum in

00:53:00the mountains.

00:53:01Sometimes at night, in

00:53:03the woods, I thought

00:53:04I'd caught a glimpse of

00:53:05fawns and satyrs

00:53:07dancing a long way

00:53:08off.

00:53:09But when I came to the

00:53:10place, there was never

00:53:11anything there.

00:53:13I've often despaired,

00:53:15but something always

00:53:15happens to start me

00:53:16hoping again.

00:53:18I don't know, but at

00:53:20least you can try to be

00:53:22a king like the high

00:53:23King Peter of old, and

00:53:26not like your uncle.

00:53:27Then it's true about

00:53:30the kings and queens

00:53:31too, and about the

00:53:32white witch, said

00:53:34Caspian.

00:53:35Certainly it is true,

00:53:37said Cornelius.

00:53:38Their reign was the

00:53:40golden age in Narnia,

00:53:41and the land has never

00:53:43forgotten them.

00:53:45Did they live in this

00:53:46castle, doctor?

00:53:48Nay, my dear, said the

00:53:50old man.

00:53:51This castle is a thing

00:53:52of yesterday.

00:53:53Your great-great

00:53:54grandfather built it, but

00:53:56when the two sons of

00:53:57Adam and the two

00:53:58daughters of Eve were

00:53:59made kings and queens

00:54:01of Narnia by Ashlan

00:54:02himself, they lived in

00:54:04the castle of Caer

00:54:05Paravell.

00:54:07No man alive has seen

00:54:08that blessed place, and

00:54:10perhaps even the ruins of

00:54:12it have now vanished.

00:54:13But we believe it was

00:54:15far from here, down at

00:54:16the mouth of the great

00:54:17river, on the very

00:54:18shore of the sea.

00:54:20Ugh, said Caspian with a

00:54:22shudder, do you mean in

00:54:24the Blackwoods, where all

00:54:26the, the, you know, the

00:54:29ghosts live?

00:54:30Your highness speaks as

00:54:32you have been taught, said

00:54:33the doctor, but it is all

00:54:35lies.

00:54:36There are no ghosts there.

00:54:38That is a story invented by

00:54:40the Telmarines.

00:54:41Your kings are in deadly

00:54:42fear of the sea, because

00:54:44they can never quite forget

00:54:45that in all stories, Aslan

00:54:47comes from over the sea.

00:54:50They don't want to go near

00:54:51it, and they don't want

00:54:52anyone else to go near it.

00:54:54So, they have let great

00:54:55woods grow up to cut their

00:54:57people off from the coast.

00:54:59But because they have

00:55:00quarrelled with the trees,

00:55:01they are afraid of the

00:55:02woods.

00:55:03And because they are

00:55:04afraid of the woods, they

00:55:06imagine that they are full

00:55:07of ghosts.

00:55:09And the kings and great men,

00:55:10hating both the sea and

00:55:12the wood, partly believe

00:55:14these stories, and partly

00:55:15encourage them.

00:55:16They feel safer if no one

00:55:19in Narnia dares go down

00:55:20to the coast and look out

00:55:21to sea towards Aslan's

00:55:24land, and the morning and

00:55:25the eastern end of the

00:55:26world.

00:55:29There was a deep silence

00:55:30between them for a few

00:55:31minutes.

00:55:32Then Dr. Cornelius said,

00:55:35Come, we have been here

00:55:36long enough.

00:55:37It is time to go down and

00:55:39to bed.

00:55:41Must we?

00:55:42said Caspian.

00:55:43I'd like to go on talking

00:55:44about these things for hours

00:55:46and hours and hours.

00:55:49Someone might begin looking

00:55:50for us if we did that, said

00:55:52Dr. Cornelius.

00:55:56Chapter 5.

00:55:58Caspian's Adventure in the

00:55:59Mountains.

00:56:00After this, Caspian and his

00:56:03tutor had many more secret

00:56:05conversations on the top of the

00:56:07great tower, and at each

00:56:09conversation Caspian learned

00:56:11more about old Narnia, so that

00:56:13thinking and dreaming about the

00:56:15old days and longing that they

00:56:17might come back filled nearly all

00:56:19his spare hours.

00:56:21But of course he had not many

00:56:23hours to spare, for now his

00:56:24education was beginning in

00:56:26earnest.

00:56:26He learned sword-fighting and

00:56:28riding, swimming and diving, how

00:56:31to shoot with the bow and play on

00:56:33the recorder and the thior bow, how

00:56:35to hunt the stag and cut him up

00:56:37when he was dead, besides

00:56:39cosmography, rhetoric, heraldry,

00:56:42versification, and of course

00:56:43history, with a little law,

00:56:45physics, alchemy, and astronomy.

00:56:48Of magic he learned only the

00:56:50theory, for Dr. Cornelius said the

00:56:52practical part was not proper

00:56:53study for princes, and I myself,

00:56:56he added, am only a very

00:56:58imperfect magician, and can do

00:57:00only the smallest experiments.

00:57:02Of navigation, which is a noble

00:57:05and heroical art, said the

00:57:07doctor, he was taught nothing,

00:57:09because King Miraz disapproved of

00:57:12ships and the sea.

00:57:14He also learned a great deal by

00:57:16using his own eyes and ears.

00:57:19As a little boy he had often

00:57:20wondered why he disliked his

00:57:22aunt, Queen Prunaprismia.

00:57:25He now saw that it was because

00:57:26she disliked him.

00:57:29He also began to see that Narnia

00:57:31was an unhappy country.

00:57:33The taxes were high, and the laws

00:57:35were stern, and Miraz was a cruel

00:57:38man.

00:57:40After some years there came a time

00:57:41when the Queen seemed to be ill,

00:57:44and there was a great deal of

00:57:45bustle and pother about her in the

00:57:46castle, and doctors came and the

00:57:48courtiers whispered.

00:57:49This was in early summertime, and

00:57:53one night, while all this fuss was

00:57:54going on, Caspian was unexpectedly

00:57:57wakened by Dr. Cornelius after he

00:58:00had been only a few hours in bed.

00:58:03Are we going to do a little

00:58:04astronomy, doctor? said Caspian.

00:58:06Hush! said the doctor.

00:58:08Trust me and do exactly as I tell

00:58:10you.

00:58:11Put on all your clothes.

00:58:12You have a long journey before you.

00:58:14Caspian was very surprised, but he

00:58:18had learned to have confidence in

00:58:19his tutor, and he began doing what

00:58:21he was told at once.

00:58:23When he was dressed, the doctor

00:58:24said, I have a wallet for you.

00:58:27We must go into the next room and

00:58:28fill it with victuals from your

00:58:30highness's supper table.

00:58:32My gentlemen-in-waiting will be

00:58:34there, said Caspian.

00:58:36They are fast asleep and will not

00:58:37wake, said the doctor.

00:58:39I am a very minor magician, but I

00:58:42can at least contrive a charmed

00:58:43sleep.

00:58:45They went into the antechamber, and

00:58:47there, sure enough, the two

00:58:49gentlemen-in-waiting were, sprawling

00:58:51on chairs and snoring hard.

00:58:54Dr. Cornelius quickly cut up the

00:58:56remains of a cold chicken and some

00:58:57slices of venison, and put them with

00:58:59bread and an apple or so, and a

00:59:02little flask of good wine, into the

00:59:04wallet, which he then gave to Caspian.

00:59:06It fitted on by a strap over Caspian's

00:59:09shoulder, like a satchel you would

00:59:11use for taking books to school.

00:59:13Have you used sword? asked the doctor.

00:59:16Yes, said Caspian.

00:59:18Then put this mantle over all to hide

00:59:20the sword and the wallet.

00:59:22That's right.

00:59:23And now we must go to the great tower

00:59:24and talk.

00:59:26When they had reached the top of the

00:59:28tower, it was a cloudy night, not at

00:59:30all like the night when they had seen

00:59:32the conjunction of Tarver and

00:59:33Alambil, Dr. Cornelius said,

00:59:35Dear Prince, you must leave this

00:59:38castle at once, and go to seek your

00:59:41fortune in the wide world.

00:59:43Your life is in danger here.

00:59:45Why? asked Caspian.

00:59:48Because you are the true king of Narnia,

00:59:51Caspian the Tenth, the true son and

00:59:54heir of Caspian the Ninth.

00:59:57Long life to your majesty.

00:59:59And suddenly, to Caspian's great

01:00:02surprise, the little man dropped down on

01:00:05one knee and kissed his hand.

01:00:07What does it all mean?

01:00:09I don't understand, said Caspian.

01:00:13I wonder you have never asked me before,

01:00:15said the doctor.

01:00:16Why, being the son of King Caspian, you are

01:00:20not King Caspian yourself.

01:00:22Everyone except your majesty knows that

01:00:24Miraz is a usurper.

01:00:26When he first began to rule, he did not

01:00:29even pretend to be the king.

01:00:30He called himself Lord Protector.

01:00:33But then your royal mother died, the

01:00:35good queen and the only Telmarine who

01:00:37was ever kind to me.

01:00:39And then one by one, all the great

01:00:41lords who had known your father died or

01:00:44disappeared.

01:00:45Not by accident either.

01:00:48Miraz weeded them out.

01:00:50Belisar and Yuvalas were shot with

01:00:52arrows on a hunting party.

01:00:53By chance, it was pretended.

01:00:57All the great house of the Passerids he

01:00:59sent to fight giants on the northern

01:01:01frontier till one by one they fell.

01:01:05Arlion and Eremon and a dozen more he

01:01:08executed for treason on a false charge.

01:01:10The two brothers of Beaver's Dam he

01:01:13shut up as madmen.

01:01:15And finally he persuaded the seven noble

01:01:18lords, who alone among all the Telmarines did

01:01:21not fear the sea, to sail away and look for

01:01:24new lands beyond the eastern ocean and, as

01:01:28he intended, then never came back.

01:01:31And when there was no one left who could

01:01:34speak a word for you, then his

01:01:36flatterers, as he had instructed them,

01:01:39begged him to become king.

01:01:41And of course he did.

01:01:42Do you mean he now wants to kill me too?

01:01:47Said Caspian.

01:01:49That is almost certain, said Dr. Cornelius.

01:01:52But why now?

01:01:53Said Caspian.

01:01:54I mean, why didn't he do it long ago if he

01:01:57wanted to?

01:01:58And what harm have I done him?

01:02:00He has changed his mind about you because of

01:02:03something that happened only two hours ago.

01:02:06The Queen has had a son.

01:02:08I don't see what that's got to do with it, said

01:02:12Caspian.

01:02:13Don't see, exclaimed the Doctor.

01:02:15Have all my lessons in history and politics taught

01:02:18you no more than that?

01:02:19Listen, as long as he had no children of his

01:02:22own, he was willing enough that you should be

01:02:24king after he died.

01:02:26He may not have cared much about you, but he

01:02:28would rather you should have the throne than

01:02:30a stranger.

01:02:31Now that he has a son of his own, he will

01:02:34want his own son to be the next king.

01:02:36You are in the way.

01:02:39He'll clear you out of the way.

01:02:41Is he really as bad as that?

01:02:44Said Caspian.

01:02:45Would he really murder me?

01:02:48He murdered your father, said Dr. Cornelius.

01:02:52Caspian felt very strange and said nothing.

01:02:56I can tell you the whole story, said the

01:02:59doctor, but not now.

01:03:00There is no time.

01:03:02You must fly at once.

01:03:04You'll come with me, said Caspian.

01:03:06I dare not, said the doctor.

01:03:09It would make your danger greater.

01:03:11Two are more easily tracked than one.

01:03:13Dear Prince, dear King Caspian, you must be

01:03:18very brave.

01:03:19You must go alone and at once.

01:03:22Try to get across the southern border to

01:03:24the court of King Nain of Arkenland.

01:03:27He will be good to you.

01:03:29Shall I never see you again?

01:03:32Said Caspian in a quavering voice.

01:03:35I hope so, dear King, said the doctor.

01:03:38What friend have I in the world except

01:03:40your majesty?

01:03:41And I have a little magic.

01:03:44But in the meantime, speed is everything.

01:03:46Here are two gifts before you go.

01:03:48This is a little purse of gold.

01:03:50Alas, all the treasure in this castle

01:03:51should be your own by rights.

01:03:54And here is something far better.

01:03:57He put in Caspian's hands something

01:04:00which he could hardly see, but which he

01:04:02knew by the feel to be a horn.

01:04:05That, said Dr. Cornelius, is the greatest

01:04:08and most sacred treasure of Narnia.

01:04:11Many terrors I endured, many spells did I

01:04:15utter to find it when I was still young.

01:04:19It is the magic horn of Queen Susan herself

01:04:22which she left behind her when she

01:04:24vanished from Narnia at the end of the

01:04:26golden age.

01:04:28It is said that whoever blows it

01:04:30shall have strange help.

01:04:32No one can say how strange.

01:04:34It may have the power to call

01:04:36Queen Lucy and King Edmund

01:04:38and Queen Susan and High King Peter

01:04:41back from the past

01:04:42and they will set all to rights.

01:04:46It may be that it will call up

01:04:47Aslan himself.

01:04:49Take it, King Caspian.

01:04:51But do not use it

01:04:52except at your greatest need.

01:04:54And now, haste, haste, haste.

01:04:57The little door at the very bottom of the tower,

01:05:00the door into the garden,

01:05:01is unlocked.

01:05:02There we must part.

01:05:05Can't I get my horse, Destria?

01:05:07said Caspian.

01:05:09He is already saddled and waiting for you

01:05:11just at the corner of the orchard.

01:05:32Great Scott, said Edmund.

01:05:36We must clear this ivy away,

01:05:38said Peter.

01:05:39Oh, do let's leave it alone,

01:05:41said Susan.

01:05:42We can try it in the morning.

01:05:44If we've got to spend the night here,

01:05:45I don't want an open door at my back

01:05:47and a great big black hole

01:05:49that anything might come out of

01:05:50besides the draught and the damp.

01:05:53And it'll soon be dark.

01:05:56Susan, how can you?

01:05:57said Lucy with a reproachful glance.

01:05:59But both the boys were too much excited

01:06:02to take any notice of Susan's advice.

01:06:05They worked at the ivy with their hands

01:06:07and with Peter's pocket knife

01:06:08till the knife broke.

01:06:10After that, they used Edmund's.

01:06:12Soon, the whole place where they had been sitting

01:06:15was covered with ivy.

01:06:17And at last,

01:06:18they had the door cleared.

01:06:21Locked, of course,

01:06:22said Peter.

01:06:23But the wood's all rotten,

01:06:25said Edmund.

01:06:26We can pull it to bits in no time

01:06:28and it will make extra firewood.

01:06:29Come on.

01:06:30It took them longer than they expected

01:06:32and before they had done,

01:06:34the great hall had grown dusky

01:06:36and the first star or two

01:06:38had come out overhead.

01:06:40Susan was not the only one

01:06:42who felt a slight shudder

01:06:43as the boys stood above the pile

01:06:45of splintered wood,

01:06:47rubbing the dirt off their hands

01:06:48and staring into the cold,

01:06:51dark opening they had made.

01:06:54Now for a torch,

01:06:56said Peter.

01:06:57Oh, what is the good,

01:06:59said Susan.

01:06:59And as Edmund said,

01:07:01I'm not saying it now,

01:07:02Edmund interrupted.

01:07:04I still don't understand,

01:07:05but we can settle that later.

01:07:07I suppose you're coming down,

01:07:08Peter?

01:07:09We must,

01:07:10said Peter.

01:07:11Cheer up, Susan.

01:07:12It's no good behaving like kids

01:07:14now that we are back in Narnia.

01:07:16You're a queen here.

01:07:17And anyway,

01:07:18no one could go to sleep

01:07:19with a mystery like this

01:07:20on their minds.

01:07:22They tried to use long sticks

01:07:24as torches,

01:07:24but this was not a success.

01:07:26If you held them

01:07:27with the light it'd end up,

01:07:28they went out.

01:07:29And if you held them

01:07:30the other way,

01:07:30they scorched your hand

01:07:31and the smoke got in your eyes.

01:07:34In the end,

01:07:34they had to use

01:07:35Edmund's electric torch.

01:07:37Luckily,

01:07:37it had been a birthday present

01:07:38less than a week ago

01:07:39and the battery was almost new.

01:07:42He went first with the light.

01:07:44Then came Lucy,

01:07:45then Susan

01:07:46and Peter brought up the rear.

01:07:48I've come to the top of the steps,

01:07:50said Edmund.

01:07:52Count them,

01:07:53said Peter.

01:07:54One,

01:07:55two,

01:07:56three,

01:07:57said Edmund

01:07:58as he went cautiously down

01:07:59and so up to sixteen.

01:08:02And this is the bottom,

01:08:04he shouted back.

01:08:05Then it really must be

01:08:07Care Paraval,

01:08:08said Lucy.

01:08:09There were sixteen.

01:08:12Nothing more was said

01:08:13till all four

01:08:15were standing in a knot

01:08:16together at the foot

01:08:17of the stairway.

01:08:18Then Edmund

01:08:19flashed his torch

01:08:20slowly round.

01:08:23Oh,

01:08:25said all the children

01:08:26at once.

01:08:28For now all knew

01:08:30that it was indeed

01:08:31the ancient treasure chamber

01:08:33of Care Paraval,

01:08:35where they had once reigned

01:08:37as kings and queens

01:08:38of Narnia.

01:08:40There was a kind of path

01:08:41out the middle

01:08:42as it might be

01:08:43in a greenhouse

01:08:43and along each side

01:08:45at intervals

01:08:46stood rich suits of armour

01:08:48like knights

01:08:49guarding the treasures.

01:08:51In between the suits

01:08:52of armour

01:08:52and on each side

01:08:54of the path

01:08:54were shelves

01:08:55covered with precious things,

01:08:58necklaces

01:08:58and arm rings

01:09:00and finger rings

01:09:01and golden bowls

01:09:02and dishes

01:09:03and long tusks

01:09:04of ivory,

01:09:05brooches

01:09:06and coronets

01:09:07and chains of gold

01:09:08and heaps

01:09:09of unset stones

01:09:10lying piled anyhow

01:09:11as if they were marbles

01:09:13or potatoes,

01:09:14diamonds,

01:09:15rubies,

01:09:16carbuncles,

01:09:16emeralds,

01:09:17topazes

01:09:18and amethysts.

01:09:20Under the shelves

01:09:21stood great chests

01:09:22of oak

01:09:23strengthened with iron bars

01:09:24and heavily padlocked.

01:09:25And it was bitterly cold

01:09:28and so still

01:09:29that they could hear

01:09:30themselves breathing

01:09:31and the treasures

01:09:32were so covered with dust

01:09:33that unless they had realised

01:09:35where they were

01:09:36and remembered

01:09:37most of the things

01:09:38they would hardly have known

01:09:39they were treasures.

01:09:41There was something sad

01:09:43and a little frightening

01:09:43about the place

01:09:44because it all seemed

01:09:45so forsaken

01:09:46and long ago.

01:09:48That was why

01:09:49nobody said anything

01:09:50for at least a minute.

01:09:53Then, of course,

01:09:54they began walking about

01:09:55and picking things up

01:09:56to look at.

01:09:58It was like meeting

01:09:59very old friends.

01:10:01If you had been there

01:10:01you would have heard them

01:10:02saying things like,

01:10:04Oh, look!

01:10:05Our coronation rings!

01:10:06Do you remember

01:10:07first wearing this?

01:10:09Why, this is the little brooch

01:10:10we all thought was lost.

01:10:12I say,

01:10:13isn't that the armour

01:10:13you wore

01:10:14in the great tournament

01:10:15in the Lone Islands?

01:10:17Do you remember

01:10:17the dwarf making that for me?

01:10:19Do you remember

01:10:20drinking out of that horn?

01:10:22Do you remember?

01:10:23Do you remember?

01:10:24Do you remember?

01:10:25But suddenly

01:10:26Edmund said,

01:10:28Look here,

01:10:28we mustn't waste the battery.

01:10:30Goodness knows

01:10:31how often we shall need it.

01:10:32Hadn't we better

01:10:33take what we want

01:10:34and get out again?

01:10:35We must take the gifts,

01:10:37said Peter,

01:10:38for long ago

01:10:39at Christmas in Narnia

01:10:40he and Susan

01:10:42and Lucy

01:10:42had been given

01:10:43certain presents

01:10:44which they valued

01:10:45more than their

01:10:46whole kingdom.

01:10:48Edmund had had no gift

01:10:49because he was not

01:10:50with them at the time.

01:10:51This was his own fault

01:10:52and you can read about it

01:10:53in the other book.

01:10:55They all agreed

01:10:56with Peter

01:10:57and walked up the path

01:10:58to the wall

01:10:59at the far end

01:10:59of the treasure chamber

01:11:00and there,

01:11:01sure enough,

01:11:03the gifts were still hanging.

01:11:05Lucy's was the smallest

01:11:06for it was only

01:11:07a little bottle

01:11:08but the bottle

01:11:09was made of diamond

01:11:10instead of glass

01:11:11and it was still

01:11:12more than half full

01:11:14of the magical cordial

01:11:15which would heal

01:11:16almost every wound

01:11:18and every illness.

01:11:19Lucy said nothing

01:11:22and looked very solemn

01:11:23as she took her gift

01:11:24down from its place

01:11:25and slung the belt

01:11:26over her shoulder

01:11:27and once more

01:11:28felt the bottle

01:11:29at her side

01:11:30where it used to hang

01:11:31in the old days.

01:11:34Susan's gift

01:11:34had been a bow

01:11:35and arrows

01:11:36and a horn.

01:11:38The bow

01:11:38was still there

01:11:39and the ivory quiver

01:11:40full of well-feathered

01:11:41arrows but

01:11:42oh Susan

01:11:44said Lucy

01:11:44where's the horn?

01:11:46Oh bother, bother, bother

01:11:49said Susan

01:11:50after she had thought

01:11:51for a moment.

01:11:52I remember now

01:11:53I took it with me

01:11:54the last day of all

01:11:55the day we went

01:11:56hunting the white stag

01:11:57it must have got lost

01:11:59when we blundered back

01:12:00into that other place

01:12:01England

01:12:02I mean

01:12:03Edmund

01:12:04whistled

01:12:05it was indeed

01:12:06a shattering loss

01:12:08for this was

01:12:09an enchanted horn

01:12:10and whenever you blew it

01:12:12help was certain

01:12:13to come to you

01:12:14wherever you were.

01:12:16Just the sort of thing

01:12:17that might have come

01:12:18in handy in a place

01:12:19like this

01:12:19said Edmund

01:12:20never mind

01:12:22said Susan

01:12:23I've still got the bow

01:12:24and she took it.

01:12:27Won't the string

01:12:28be perished Sue

01:12:29said Peter

01:12:30but whether by some magic

01:12:32in the air

01:12:32of the treasure chamber

01:12:33or not

01:12:34the bow was still

01:12:36in working order

01:12:37archery

01:12:38and swimming

01:12:39with the things

01:12:40Susan was good at

01:12:41in a moment

01:12:42she had bent the bow

01:12:44and then she gave

01:12:45one little pluck

01:12:45to the string

01:12:46it twanged

01:12:48a chirping twang

01:12:49that vibrated

01:12:50through the whole room

01:12:51and that one small noise

01:12:53brought back the old days

01:12:55to the children's minds

01:12:56more than anything

01:12:57that had happened yet

01:12:58all the battles

01:13:00and hunts

01:13:01and feasts

01:13:02came rushing

01:13:03into their heads

01:13:04together

01:13:05then she unstrung

01:13:07the bow again

01:13:08and slung the quiver

01:13:09at her side

01:13:10next Peter

01:13:12took down his gift

01:13:13the shield

01:13:14with the great red lion

01:13:16on it

01:13:16and the royal sword

01:13:18he blew

01:13:20and wrapped them

01:13:21on the floor

01:13:21to get off the dust

01:13:22he fitted the shield

01:13:24on his arm

01:13:24and slung the sword

01:13:26by his side

01:13:26he was afraid

01:13:28at first

01:13:28that it might be rusty

01:13:29and stick to the sheath

01:13:30but it was not so

01:13:32with one swift motion

01:13:34he drew it

01:13:35and held it up

01:13:36shining in the torch light

01:13:38it is my sword

01:13:40Rindon

01:13:41he said

01:13:42with it

01:13:43I killed the wolf

01:13:44there was a new tone

01:13:46in his voice

01:13:47and the others all felt

01:13:48that he was really

01:13:49Peter the High King

01:13:50again

01:13:51pen

01:13:52after a little pause

01:13:53everyone remembered

01:13:55that they must

01:13:55save the battery

01:13:56they climbed the stairs

01:13:58again

01:13:59and made up

01:14:00a good fire

01:14:00and lay down

01:14:02close together

01:14:02for warmth

01:14:03the ground

01:14:04was very hard

01:14:05and uncomfortable

01:14:06but they fell asleep

01:14:08in the end

01:14:09hope

01:14:13was very hard

01:14:15and anyway

01:14:15we said

01:14:17we're also

01:14:18going to need

01:14:18to leave

01:14:20this guy

01:14:23I love you

01:14:24maybe

01:14:24I love you

01:14:26but anyways

01:14:27let's um

01:14:28let's go

01:14:28see

01:14:29first

01:14:29in the end

01:14:30here

01:14:31and then

01:14:31see

01:14:32the

01:14:33walks

01:14:34who

01:14:35and

01:14:36they

01:14:36to

Narnia: Prince Caspian - Audiobook - Pt 1/4

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Narnia: Prince Caspian (Audiobook)

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