ETHEPITHEBEDROOM
THEREwasaboycalledEustaceSdhealmostdeservedit。HisparentscalledhimEustadmasterscalledhimScrubb。I'ttellyouhowhisfrieohim，forhehadnone。Hedidn'tcallhisFatheraher”aHaroldaheywereveryup-to-dateandadvaheywerevegetarians，eetotallersandedofuheirhousetherewasverylittlefurnitureahesoheaysopen。
&acelikedanimals，especiallybeetles，iftheyinnedonacard。Helikedbooksiftheywerebooksofinformationandhadpicturesofgraiorsorndoingexermodelschools。
&acedislikedhissthefourPeveer，Susan，EdmundandLucy。ButhewasquitegladwheEdmundandLuingtostay。Fordeepdowninsidehimhelikedbossingandbullying;and，thoughheunylittlepersonwho'thavestoodupeventoLucy，letaloneEdmund，inafight，hekherearedozensofwaystogivepeopleabadtimeifyouareinyourowheyareonlyvisitors。
EdmundandLuotatallwaaywithUncleHaroldandAuitreally'tbehelped。FatherhadgotajinAmericaforsixteesummer，aogowithhimbecauseshehadn'thadarealholidayforteerwaswveryhardforanexamaospendtheholidaysbeingcoachedbyoldProfessorKirkeihesefourhadhadwonderfuladventureslongagointhewaryears。Ifhehadstillbeeninthathousehewouldhavehadthemalltostay。Buthehadsomehowbeepoorsiheolddaysandwaslivinginasmallcottagewithoospare。ItwouldhaveoaketheotherthreealltoAmeridSusanhadgone。
Grown-upsthoughthertheprettyohefamilyandshewasnogoodatschhotherwiseverye）andMothersaidshe“wouldgetfarmoreoutofatriptoAmeritheyoungsters”。EdmundandLueSusanherluck，butitwasdreadfulhavihesummerholidaysattheirAunt's。“Butit'sfarworseforme，”saidEdmund，“becauseyou'llatleasthavearoomofyourownandIshallhavetoshareabedroomwiththatreker，Eustace。”
&insonanafternoonwhenEdmundaealingafewpreiogether。AndofcoursetheyweretalkingaboutNarnia，whichwastheheirownprivateary。Mostofus，Isuppose，haveasetrybutformostofusitisonlyanimaginarytry。EdmundandLucywereluotherpeopleiheirsetrywasreal。Theyhadalreadyvisitedittwiagameoradreambutiheyhadgotthereic，whichistheonlywayofgettingtoNarnia。Andapromise，orverynearlyapromise，hadbeeheminNarheywouldsomedaygetbaagiheytalkedaboutitagooddeal，whehece。
TheywereinLu，sittingontheedgeofherbedandlookingatapitheoppositewall。Itwastheonlypithehousethattheyliked。Auadidn'tlikeitatall（thatasputawayinalittlebaupstairs），butshe'tgetridofitbecauseithadbeenaweddifromsomeowanttooffend。
Itictureofaship—ashipsailingstraighttowardyildedaheheadonwithwide-openmouth。Shehadoande，squaresailwhichurple。Thesidesoftheship—whatyoucouldseeofthemwherethegildedwingsonended-weregreerunuptothetopofonegloriousbluewave，andthenearerslopeofthatwavetowardyou，withstreaksa。Shewasobvifastbefaywind，listileoside。（Bytheway，ifytoreadthisstoryatall，andifyoudon'tknowalready，youhadbettergetitintoyourheadthattheleftofashipwhenyahead，isport，aisstarboard。）Allthesunlightfellohatside，aeronthatsidewasfullofgreensaheother，itwasdarkerbluefromtheshadowoftheship。
&ionis，”saidEdmudoesn'tmakethingsworse，lookingataNarnianshipwhenyou'tgetthere。”
“Evenlookihannothing，”saidLudsheissuchaveryNarnianship。”
“Stillplayingyame?”saidEustace，whohadbeesidethedoorandnintotheroom。Lastyear，whenhehadbeenstayingwiththePevensies，hehadmaohearthemalltalkingofNareasiit。Hethoughtofcoursethattheyweremakingitallup;andashewasfartoostupidtomakeanythinguphimself，hedidnotapproveofthat。
“You'renotwantedhere，”saidEdmundcurtly。
“I&#tothinkofalimerick，”saidEustaethihis:
“SomekidswhoplayedgamesaboutNarnia
Gotgraduallybalmierandbalmier—”
“WellNarniaandbalmierdon'trhyme，tobeginwith，”saidLucy。
“It'sanassonance，”saidEustace。
“Don'taskhimwhatanassy-thingummyis，”saidEdmund。“He'sonlylongingtobeasked。Saynothingandperhapshe'llgoa>
Mostboys，oiiohis，wouldeitherhaveclearedoutorflaredup。Eustaeither。Hejusthungab，alybegantalkingagain。
“Doyoulikethatpicture?”heasked。
“Forheaven'ssakedon'tlethimgetstartedaboutArtandallthat，”saidEdmuLucy，whowasverytruthful，hadalreadysaid，“Yes，Ido。Ilikeitverymuch。”
“It'sarottenpicture，”saidEustace。
“Youwon'tseeitifyoustepoutside，”saidEdmund。