美文赏析

coming down on him from above, and darkness below. He didn't seem to be standing on

anything, or sitting, or lying. Nothing appeared to be touching him. "I believe I'm in

water," said Digory. "Or under water." This frightened him for a second, but almost at

once he could feel that he was rushing upwards. Then his head suddenly came out into

the air and, he found himself scrambling ashore, out on to smooth grassy ground at the

edge of a pool.

As he rose to his feet he noticed that he was neither dripping nor panting for breath as

anyone would expect after being under water. His clothes were perfectly dry. He was

standing by the edge of a small pool - not more than ten feet from side to side in a wood.

The trees grew close together and were so leafy that he could get no glimpse of the sky.

All the light was green light that came through the leaves: but there must have been a

very strong sun overhead, for this green daylight was bright and warm. It was the quietest

wood you could possibly imagine. There were no birds, no insects, no animals, and no

wind. You could almost feel the trees growing. The pool he had just got out of was not

the only pool. There were dozens of others - a pool every few yards as far as his eyes

could reach. You could almost feel the trees drinking the water up with their roots. This

wood was very much alive. When he tried to describe it afterwards

Digory always said, "It was a rich place: as rich as plumcake."

The strangest thing was that, almost before he had looked about him, Digory had half

forgotten how he had come there. At any rate, he was certainly not thinking about Polly,

or Uncle Andrew, or even his Mother. He was not in the least frightened, or excited, or

curious. If anyone had asked him "Where did you come from?" he would probably have

said, "I've always been here." That was what it felt like - as if one had always been in that

place and never been bored although nothing had ever happened. As he said long

afterwards, "It's not the sort of place where things happen. The trees go on growing, that's

all."

After Digory had looked at the wood for a long time he noticed that there was a girl lying

on her back at the foot of a tree a few yards away. Her eyes were nearly shut but not

quite, as if she were just between sleeping and waking. So he looked at her for a long

time and said nothing. And at last she opened her eyes and looked at him for a long time

and she also said nothing. Then she spoke, in a dreamy, contented sort of voice.

"I think I've seen you before," she said.

"I rather think so too," said Digory. "Have you been here long?"

"Oh, always," said the girl. "At least - I don't know a very long time."

"So have I," said Digory.

"No you haven't, said she. "I've just seen you come up out of that pool."