“Help!Help!We'reburiedinthehill。eanddigusout。”
TheNarnians,whohadicedthelittleholeinthehillside,wereofcourseverysurprised,ainseveralwroioheyfouhevoi。ButwhesightofJilltheyallingtowardher,andasmanyasbledupthebank,andadozenormorehacheduptohelpher。AndJillcaughtholdofthemandthusgotoutoftheholeaheringdowntheba,andthenpickedherselfupandsaid:
“Oh,dogoahersout。Therearethreeothers,besidesthehorses。AhemisPrin。”
Shewasalreadyinthemiddleofashesaidthis,forbesidesthedancersallsortsofpeoplewhohadbeenwatgthedandwhomshehadfirst,ingup。Squirrelscameoutofthetreesinshowers,andsodidOwls。Hedgehogscamewaddlingasfastastheirshswouldcarrythem。BearsandBadgersfolloace。AgreatPagitstailihelasttojoiy。
ButassoooodwhatJillwassaying,theyallbecameactive。“Pidshovel,boys,pidshovel。Offforourtools!”saidtheDwarfs,anddashedawayitopspeed。“someMoles,they'rethechapsf。They'requiteasgoodasDwarfs,”saidavoice。“WhatwasthatshesaidaboutPrin?”saidanother。“Hush!”saidthePahepoorchild'sderbeinglostihehill。Shedoesn'tknowwhatshe'ssaying。”“Thatht,”saidanoldBear。“Why,shesaidPrinwasahorse!”“No,shedidn't,”saidaSquirrel,verypert。“Yes,shedid,”saidanotherSquirrel,eveer。
“It'squitet-t-t-true。D-d-don'tbesosilly,”saidJill。Shespokelikethatbecauseherteethwerehthecold。
&elyoheDryadsflungroundherafurrycloakwhieDedwheingtools,andanobligingFauntrottedoffamooaplacewhereJillcouldseefirelightihofacave,togetherahotdricame,alltheDearedidchargedatthehillside。ThenJillheardcriesof“Hi!Whatareyoudoing?Putthatsworddown,”and“Now,young'u,”and,“He'savie,now,isn'the?”Jillhurriedtothespotanddidn'tkolaughorshesawEustace'sface,verypaleanddirty,projetheblaessofthehole,aacehthandbrandishingashichhemadeluanyonewhoearhim。
ForofcourseEustacehadbeenhavingaverydifferenttimefromJilldurifewminutes。HehadheardJilldseenherdisappearintotheunkhePrindPuddleglum,hethoughtthatsomeenemieshadcaughther。Andfromdownbelowhedidn'tseethatthepale,blueishlightwasmootheholewouldleadonlyihercave,litbysomeghostlyphosphoresdfilledwithgoodness-knows-whatevilcreaturesoftheUnderworld。SothatersuadedPuddleglumtogivehimabaddrawnhissokedouthishead,hehadreallybeendoingaverybravethiherswouldhavedoiftheycould,buttheholewastoosmallforthemtoclimbthrough。Eustacewasalittlebigger,andalotclumsier,thanJill,sothatwhehebumpedhisheadagaihehhtasmallavalanowdownonhisfadso,whenhecouldseeagain,andsawdozensathimashardasthey,itisnthathetriedtowardthemoff。
“Stop,Eustace,stop,”criedJill。“They'reallfriends。'tyousee?We'veeupinhing'sallright。”
&acedidsee,andapologizedtotheDwarfs(andtheDwarfssaid),ahick,hairy,dedhimoutjustastheyhadhelpedJilloutafewmihenJillscrambledupthebankandputherheadinatthedarkopeningahegoodotheprisoners。AssheturnedawaysheheardPuddleglummutter。“Ah,poorPole。It'sbeentoomuchforher,thislastbit。Turnedherhead,Ishouldn'twonder。She'sbeginhings。”
Jillrejoiadtheyshookohhandsandtookihshtair。AndawarmclhtforEustadhotdrinks,forboth。Whiletheyweresippingit,theDwarfshadalreadygotallthesnowandallthesodsestripofthehillsideroundtheihepidspadeswerenowgoingasmerrilyasthefeetofFaunsandDryadshadbeengoienminutesbefore。Oes!YetalreadyitfelttoJillaaceasifalltheirdahedarkaaheriheearthmusthavebeenohere,inthecold,withthemooarsoverhead(Narnianstarsarearsinourworld)andwithkind,merryfa,one'tquitebelieveinUnderland。
&heyhadfidrinks,adozenorsoMoles,illverysleepy,andnotwellpleased,hadarrived。Butassoooodwhatitwasallabout,theyjoihawill。EventheFauhemselvesusefulbygawaytheearthinlittlebarrows,andtheSquirrelsdandleapedtreatext,thoughJillneverfoulywhattheythoughttheyweredoing。TheBearsandOwlstedthemselveswithgivingadvidkeptonaskingtheiftheywouldn'tliketoeihatwaswhereJillhadsee)awarmandhavesupper。Buttheowithoutseeingtheirfriefree。
NooneinourworldworkatajobofthatsortasDwarfsandTalkingMolesworkinNarnia;butthen,ofolesandDwarfsdon'tlookonitaswork。Theylikedigging。Itwasthereforenotreallyloheyhadopeblackthehillside。Andoutfromtheblatothemoonlight—thiswouldhavebeenratherdreadfulifonehadn'tknoerecame,first,theloeeple-hattedfigurele,andthewogreathorses,RilianthePrincehimself。
AsPuddleglumappearedshoutsbrokeoutoneveryside:“Why,it'saWiggle—why,it'soldPuddleglum—oldPuddleglumfromtheEastereverhaveyoubeendoihere'vebeeiesoutforyou—theLordTrumpkiinguphere'sarewardoffered!”Butallthisdiedaway,alliodeadsilence,asquicklyasthenoisediesawayinarowdydormitoryiftheHeadmasteropensthedoor。ForhePrince。
edforamomeherewereplesandDryadsandDwarfsandFaunswhorememberedhimfromthedaysbeforehiseng。Thereweresomeoldoneswhocouldjustrememberhowhisfather,King,hadlookedwhenhewasayoungman,andsawthelikeIthinktheywouldhaveknoalethoughhewasfromlongimprisoheDeepLands,dressedinblack,dusty,dishevelled,aherewassomethinginhisfadairwhieistake。ThatlookisiruekingsofNarnia,whorulebythewillofAslanandsitatCairParavelohroheHighKing。
Instantlyeveryheadwasbaredandeveryk;amomentlatersugandshouting,suchjumpsandreelsofjoy,sud-shakingsandkissingsandembragsofeverybodybyeverybodyelsebrokeoutthatthetearstoJill'seyes。Theirquesthadbeenainsitcost。
&yhness,”saidtheoldestoftheDwarfs,“thereissomeattemptatasupperintheder,preparedagainsttheendingofthesno>
“Withagoodwill,Father,”saidthePrineverhada,Gentleman,oodastomachtohisvictualsaswefourwaonight。”
Thewhahroughthetreestowardthecave。JillheardPuddleglumsayingtothosewhopressedroundhim。“No,no,mystory>
Nothingworthtalkingabouthashappetohearthenews。Don'ttrybreakingittomegently,forI'dratherhaveitallatoheKingbeenshipwreyforestfires?Nowarsontheenborder?Orafewdragons,Ishouldn'twonder?”Aureslaughedaloudandsaid,“Isn'tthatjustlikeaMarshwiggle?”
&woingwithtirednessahewarmthofthedtheverysightofit,withthefirelightdanthewallsanddressersanddsaudplatesahstonefloor,justasitdoesinafarmhousekit,revivedthemalittle。Allthesametheywhilesupperwasbeinggotready。AheysleptPrinwastalkihewholeadveheolderasandDwarfs。Andnowtheyallsawwhatitmeant;hoitch(doubtlessthesamekindasthathhttheGreatWinterago)hadtrivedthewholething,firstkillingRilian'smotheraingRiliaheysawhowshehaddugrightunderNarniaandwasgoiahroughRilian:andhowhehadthetryofwhiakehimking(kireallyherslave)washisowntry。Andfromthe'spartofthestorytheysaasinleagueandfriendshipwiththedangerousgiants。“Andthelessonofitallis,yhness,”saidtheoldestDwarf,“thatthosechesalwaysmeahing,butiheyhaveadifferentpla。”