经典英文故事赏析

thought the green rings were "homeward" rings. But of course Digory didn't want to lose

either.

"Stop!" cried the Witch. "Stand back. No, further back. If anyone goes within ten paces

of either of the children, I will knock out his brains." She was poising in her hand the iron

bar that she had torn off the lamp-post, ready to throw it. Somehow no one doubted that

she would be a very good shot.

"So!" -she said. "You would steal back to your own world with the boy and leave me

here."

Uncle Andrew's temper at last got the better of his fears. "Yes, Ma'am, I would," he said.

"Most undoubtedly I would. I should be perfectly in my rights. I have been most

shamefully, most abominably treated. I have done my best to show you such civilities as

were in my power. And what has been my reward? You have robbed - I must repeat the

word robbed a highly respectable jeweller. You have insisted on my entertaining you to

an exceedingly expensive, not to say ostentatious, lunch, though I was obliged to pawn

my watch and chain in order to do so (and let me tell you, Ma'am, that none of our family

have been in the habit of frequenting pawnshops, except my cousin Edward, and he was

in the Yeomanry). During that indigestible meal - I'm feeling the worse for it at this very

moment - your behaviour and conversation attracted the unfavourable attention of

everyone present. I feel I have been publicly disgraced. I shall never be able to show my

face in that restaurant again. You have assaulted the police. You have stolen -"

"Oh stow it, Guv'nor, do stow it," said the Cabby. "Watchin' and listenin's the thing at

present; not talking."

There was certainly plenty to watch and to listen to. The tree which Digory had noticed

was now a full-grown beech whose branches swayed gently above his head. They stood

on cool, green grass, sprinkled with daisies and buttercups. A little way off, along the

river bank, willows were growing. On the other side tangles of flowering currant, lilac,

wild rose, and rhododendron closed them in. The horse was tearing up delicious

mouthfuls of new grass.

All this time the Lion's song, and his stately prowl, to and fro, backwards and forwards,

was going on. What was rather alarming was that at each turn he came a little nearer.

Polly was finding the song more and more interesting because she thought she was

beginning to see the connection between the music and the things that were happening.

When a line of dark firs sprang up on a ridge about a hundred yards away she felt that

they were connected with a series of deep, prolonged notes which the Lion had sung a

second before. And when he burst into a rapid series of lighter notes she was not

surprised to see primroses suddenly appearing in every direction. Thus, with an

unspeakable thrill, she felt quite certain that all the things were coming (as she said) "out

of the Lion's head". When you listened to his song you heard the things he was making

up: when you looked round you, you saw them. This was so exciting that she had no time

to be afraid. But Digory and the Cabby could not help feeling a bit nervous as each turn