CHAPTERTWOJILLISGIVENATASK
WITHOUTaglaJilltheliosfeetablow。Then，asifsatisfiedwithitswork，itturalkedslowlyaway，batotheforest。
“Itmustbeadream，itmust，itmust，”saidJilltoherself。“I'lliitwasn't，andshedidn't。
“Idowishwe'dhisdreadfulplace，”saidJill。“Idon'tbelieveSewathanIdo。Orifhedid，hehadmeherewithmewhatitwaslike。It'snotmyfaulthefelloverthatcliff。Ifhe'dleftmealoneweshouldbothbeallright。”ThensherememberedagaiScrubbhadgivenwhenhefell，andburstintotears。
gisallrightinitswaywhileitlasts。Butyouhavetostopsooer，aillhavetodecidewhattodo。WhenJillstopped，shefoundshewasdreadfullythirsty。Shehadbeenlyingfaward，aup。Thebirdshadgingandthereerfeceexall，persistentsound，whichseemedtooddistanceaway。Shelistenedcarefully，asureitwasthes>
Jillgotupandlookedroundherverycarefully。Therewasnosignofthelion;butthereweresomahatitmighteasilybequiteclosewithit。Forallshekbeseveralliowasverybadnoluckeduphercoandlookfwater。Shewentoealingtreetotree，andstoppingtopeerroueverystep。
Thewoodwassostillthatitwasnotdifficulttodecidewherethesoundwas。Itgrewclearereverymomentahaed，sheopengladeaream，brightasglass，runningacrosstheturfastohrowawayfromher。Butalthoughthesightofthewatermadeherfeelteierthanbefore，shedidn'trushforwardanddrioodasstillasifshehadbeeone，
withhermouthwideopen。Andshehadaverygoodreason;justonthissideofthestreamlaythelion。
Itlaywithitsheadraisedanditstwofore-pawsoutinfrontofit，liketheliarSquare。Shekohadseeseyeslhtintohersforamomeurnedaway—asifitkewellanddidn'tthinkmuchofher。
“IfIrunaway，it'llbeaftermeihoughtJill。“AndifIgoon，Ishallrunstraightintoitsmouth。”Anyway，she'thavemovedifshehadtried，andshe'ttakehereyesoffit。Howlongthislasted，sheotbesure;itseemedlikehours。Abecamesobadthatshealmostfeltshewouldnotmihelionifonlyshecouldbesureofgettingamouthfulofwaterfirst。
“Ifyou'rethirsty，youmaydrink。”
&hefirstwordsshehadheardsinceScrubbhadspokeheedgeofthecliff。Forasedshestaredhereandthere，wokehevoicesaidagain，“Ifyouarethirsty，eanddrink，”andofcoursesherememberedwhatScrubbhadsaidaboutanimalstalkinginthatotherworld，awasthelionspeaking。Anyway，shehadseenitslipsmovethistime，andthevoiotlikeaman's。Iter，wilder，aofheavy，goldedidnotmakeheraehanshehadbeemadeherfrighteheradifferent>
&thirsty?”saidtheLion。
“I'mdyingofthirst，”saidJill。
“Thendrink，”saidtheLion。
“MayI—indgoingawaywhileIdo?”saidJill。
TheLiohisonlybyalookandaverylowgrowl。AndasJillgazedatitsmotionlessbulk，sherealizedthatshemightaswellhaveaskedthewholemountaintomoveasideforherce。
Thedelicihestreamwasdrivinghernearlyfrantic。
“Willyoupromisenotto—doanythingtome，ifIdoe?”saidJill。
“Imakenopromise，”saidtheLion。
Jillwassothirstynowthat，withoutnotigit，shehadeastepnearer。
“Doyoueatgirls?”shesaid。
“Ihavesgirlsandboys，womenandmen，kingsaiesandrealms，”saidtheLion。Itdidn'tsaythisasifitwereboasting，norasifitweresorry，norasifitwereangry。Itjustsaidit。
“Idaren'teanddrink，”saidJill。
“Thenyouwilldieofthirst，”saidtheLion。
“Ohdear!”saidJill，iepnearer。“IsupposeImustgoandlookforareamthen。”
“Thereisream，”saidtheLion。
ItneveroccurredtoJilltodisbelievetheLion—noonewhohadseenhissternfacecoulddothat—andhermindsuddeselfup。Itwasthewshehadeverhadtodo，butshewentforwardtothestream，kdown，andbegansgupwaterinherhand。Itwasthewatershehadevertasted。Youdidn'todrinkmuchofit，foritquehirstatonce。BeforeshetasteditshehadbeeomakeadashawayfromtheLioshehadfinished。Now，sherealizedthatthiswouldbeohemofall。Shegotupandstoodtherewithherlipsstillwetfr。
“ehere，”saidtheLioo。Shewasalmostbetweenitsfrontpawsnow，lhtintoitsface。Butshe'tstandthatf;shedroppedhereyes。
“HumanChild，”saidtheLioheBoy?”
“Hefelloverthecliff，”saidJill，andadded，“Sir。”Shedidn'tkocallhim，anditsouoothing。
“Howdidheetodothat，HumanChild?”
&ryingtostopmefromfalling，Sir。”