“Oh，well，ofcourse，ifyouputitthatuzzle。
“Itellyouwhat，”saidShift。“You'dbettertakeagoodbrisktrotdownriverasfarasgfordaheyhaveanyesorbananas。”
“ButI'msotired，Shift，”pleadedPuzzle。
&youareveryde。“Youwao。Abrisktrotwouldbejustthethi'smarketdayatgfordtoday。”AndthenofcoursePuzzlesaidhewouldgo。
Assoonashewasalowentshamblingaloimesontwopawsaimesonfour，tillhereachedhisowhenheswunghimselfupfrombranch，gandgrinniime，aohislittlehouse。Hefouhreadandabigpairofscissorsthere;forhewasacleverApeandtheDwarfshadtaughthimhowtosew。Heputtheballofthread（itwasverythickstuff，morelikethread）intohismouthsothathischeekbulgedoutasifheweresugabigbitoftoffee。Heheldtheweenhislipsandtooktheshisleftpaw。Thehetreeandshambledacrosstothelioeddownandgottowork。
&ohebodyofthelion-skioolongforPuzzleaooshort。SohecutagoodpieceoutofthebodyaomakealongcollarforPuzzle'sloheofftheheadahebetweeheshoulders。HeputthreadsonbothsidesoftheskinsothatitwouldtieupunderPuzzle'sdstomach。EverynowandthenabirdwouldpassoverheadandShiftwouldstophiswork，lookinganxiouslyup。Hedidnotwaoseewhathewasdoing。ButhebirdshesawwereTalkingBirds，soitdidn'tmatter。
&heafternoonPuzzlecameback。Hewasnbutonlyploddilyalong，thewaydonkeysdo。
“Thereweren'tanyes，”hesaid，“andthereweren'tanybananas。AndI'mverytired。”Helaydown。
&ryoifulnewlion-skincoat，”saidShift。
“Ohbotherthatoldskin，”saidPuzzle。“I'lltryitoninthem。I'mtht。”
“Youareunkind，Puzzle，”saidShift。“Ifyou'retiredwhatdoyouthinkIam?Alldaylong，whileyou'vebeenhavingalwalkdownthevalley，I'vebeenwhardtomakeyouaypawsaresotiredIhardlyholdthesescissors。Andyouwon'tsaythankyou-andyouwon'tevenlookatthedyoudon'td—and—”
“MydearShift，”saidPuzzlegettingupatonce，“Iamsosorry。I'vebeenhorrid。OfcourseI'dlovetotryiton。Anditlookssimplysplendid。Dotryitoonce。Pleasedo。”
&andstillthen，”saidtheApe。Theskinwasveryheavyforhimtolift，butihalotofpullingandpushingandpuffingandblowiontothedouhPuzzle'sbodyahelegstoPuzzle'slegsaoPuzzle'stail。AgooddealofPuzzle'sgraynoseandfacecouldbeseenthroughtheopenmouthofthelion'shead。Noonewhohadeverseenareallionwouldhavebeentakeninforamoment。ButifsomeonewhohadneverseenalioPuzzleinhisliomightmistakehimforalion，ifhedidn'tetoodifthelightwasnottoogood，andifPuzzledidn'tletoutabrayanddidn'tmakeahhishoofs。
“Youlookwonderful，wonderful，”saidtheApe。“Ifanyonesawyounow，they'dthinkyouwereAslaLion，himself。”
“Thatwouldbedreadful，”saidPuzzle。
“Noitwouldn't，”saidShift。“Everyonewoulddowhateveryoutoldthem。”
“ButIdon'twahemanything。”
“Butyouthinkofthegoodwecoulddo!”saidShift。“You'dhavemetoadviseyou，youknow。I'dthinkofsensibleive。Andeveryonewouldhavetoobeyus，eventheKinghimself。WewouldseteverythingrightinNarnia。”
“Butishingrightalready?”saidPuzzle。
“What!”criedShift。“Everythingright?-whentherearenesorbananas?”
“Well，youknouzzle，“therearen'tma，Idon'tthinkthere'sayourselfwhowaofthings。”
“There'ssugartoo，”saidShift。
“H'myes，”saidtheAss。“Itwouldbeherewasmar。”
&hen，that'ssettled，”saidtheApe。“YouwillpretendtobeAslan，andI'lltellyou>
“No，no，no，”saidPuzzle。“Don'tsaysuchdreadfulthings。Itw，Shift。ImaybenotverycleverbutIknowthatmuch。WhatwouldbeeofusiftherealAslanturnedup?”
&he'dbeverypleased，”saidShift。“Probablyhesentusthelion-skinowecouldsetthingstht。Anyway，heurnup，youknow。Notno>
Atthatmomenttherecameagreatthunderclaprightoverheadarembledwithasmallearthquake。Boththeanimalslosttheirbalandwereflungontheirfaces。
“There!”gaspedPuzzle，assoonashehadbreathtospeak。“It'sasign，awarning。Ikneeredoihingdreadfullywicked。Takethiswretoffmeatonce。”
“No，no，”saidtheApe（whosemindworkedveryquickly）。“It'sasigherway。IwasjustgoingtosaythatiftherealAslan，asyoucallhim，meantustogoonwiththis，hewouldsendusathunderdaremor。ItwasjustoipofmytohesignitselfcamebeforeIcouldgetthewordsout。You'vegottodoitnow，Puzzle。Andpleasedon'tletushaveanym。Youknowyoudon'tuhesethings。Whatcouldadonkeyknowaboutsigns?”