EBYPOOL
IdaysofNarnia，faruptothewestbeyoeahegreatwaterfall，therelivedanApe。Hewassooldthatnooneberwhenhehadfirstetoliveis，ahecleverest，ugliest，mosteyoue。Hehadalittlehouse，builtofwoodahleaves，upinthefreattree，andhisnamewasShift。TherewereveryfewTalkisorMenorDeopleofanysort，inthatpartofthewood，butShifthadonefriendandneighbourwhowasadonkeycalledPuzzle。Atleasttheybothsaidtheywerefriends，butfromthewaythionyoumighthavethoughtPuzzlewasmorelikeShift'sservantthanhisfriend。Hedidallthework。Whehertotheriver，Shiftfilledthebigskihwaterbutituzzlewhocarriedthembatheywahingfromthetowheriverituzzleypanniersonhisbadcamebackwiththepanniersfullandheavy。AhingsthatPuzzlebroughtbackwereeatenbyShift;forasShiftsaid，“Yousee，Puzzle，I'teatgrassandthistleslikeyou，soit'sonlyfairIshouldmakeitupinotheruzzlealwayssaid，“Ofcourse，Shift，ofcourse。Iseethat。”Puzzleneverplained，becausehekShiftwasfarclevererthanhimselfaitwasverykindofShifttobefriendswithhimatall。AndifeverPuzzledidtrytueaboutanything，Shiftwouldalwayssay，“Now，Puzzle，Iuaobedohanyou。Youknowyou'renotclever，Puzzle。”AndPuzzlealwayssaid，“No，Shift。It'squitetrue。I'mhenhewouldsighanddowhateverShifthadsaid。
earlyihepairofthemwereoutwalkingalongtheshoreofPool。PoolisthebigphtuhecliffsatthewesternendofNaroursdownintoitwithaiheRiverofNarniaflowsoutohesthePoolalwaysdandbubblingandgroundandroundasifitwereontheboil，andthatofcourseishowitgotitsnameofPool。ItisliveliestintheearlysprierfallisswollenwithallthesnowthathasmeltedoffthemountainsfromupbeyondNarernWildfromwhichtheriveres。AndastheylookedatPoolShiftsuddehhisdark，skinnyfingerandsaid，“Look!What'sthat?”
“What'suzzle。
“Thatyellowthingthat'sjustedowerfall。Look!Thereitisagain，it'sfloatifindoutwhatitis。”
“Mustuzzle。
“Ofust，”saidShift。“ItmaybesomethihopintothePoollikeagoodfellowandfishitout。Thenerlookatit。”
“HopintothePool?”saidPuzzle，twitghislongears。
“etogetitifyoudon't?”saidtheApe。
“But—but，”saidPuzzle，“wouldn'titbebetterifyouwentin?Because，yousee，it'syouwhowantstoknowwhatitis，andIdon'tmudyou'vegothands，yousee。YoodasaManoraDwarfwhegholdofthings。I'veonlygothoofs。”
“Really，Puzzle，”saidShift，“Ididn'tthinkyou'deversayathi。Ididn'tthinkitofyou，really。”
“Why，whathaveIsaidwrong?”saidtheAss，speakinginratherahumblevoice，forhesawthatShiftwasverydeeplyoffended。“AllImeant>
“Waogoier，”saidtheApe。“Asifyoudidn'tklyeakchestsApesalwayshaveaheycatchcold!Verywell。Iwillgoin。I'mfeelingoughalreadyinthisd。ButI'llgoin。Ishallprobablydie。Thenyou'llbesorry。”AndShift'svoidedasifhewasjustgoingtoburstintotears。
“Pleasedon't，pleasedon't，pleasedon't，”saidPuzzle，halfbraying，andhalftalkianythi，Shift，reallyIdidn't。YouknowhowstupidIamandhowI'tthihaatime。I&#ottenaboutyourweakchest。OfcourseI'llgoin。Youmustn'tthinkofdoingityourself。Promisemeyouwon't，Shift。”
SoShiftpromised，acloppety-hisfourhoofsreofthePooltofindaplacewherehecouldgetifromthecolditwasothatquiveringandfoaminguzzlehadtostandandshiverforawholeminutebeforehemadeuphismindtodoit。ButthenShiftbehindhimandsaid:“PerhapsI'dbetterdoitafterall，Puzzle。”Andwhehathesaid，“No，no。Youpromised。I'minnow，”a。
&massoffoamgothiminthefadfilledhismouthwithwateraheuherforafewsedagainhewasiherpartofthePool。Thentheswirlcaughthimandcarriedhimroundandroundandfasterathtuerfallitself，andtheforceofthelungedhimdown，deepdown，sothathethoughthewouldoholdhisbreathtillhecameupagain。Andahegotsomewherehiryingtocatch，itsailedawayfromhimtillittoogotuhefallandwasfortothebottom。againitwasfurtherfromhimthalast，whenhewasalmosttiredtodeath，andbruisedalloverandnumbwithcold，hesugrippihingwithhisteeth。Andouthecamegitinfrontofhimainghisfronthoofstangledupinit，foritwasasbigasalargehearthrug，anditwasveryheavyanddslimy。
&downinfrontofShiftandstandshiveringandtryihisbreathback。ButtheApeneverlookedathimoraskedhimhowhefelt。TheApewastoobusygoingroundandrouhingaoutandpattingita。Thenawickedgleamtohiseyeandhesaid:
“Itisalion'sskin。”
“Ee—auh—auh—oh，isit?”gaspedPuzzle。
“NowIwonder。。。Iwonder。。。Iwonder，”saidShifttohimself，forhewasthinkingveryhard。
“Iwonderwhokilledthepoorlion，”saidPuzzlepresently。“Itoughttobeburied。Wemusthaveafuneral。”
“Oh，itwasn'taTalkingLion，”saidShift。“Youbotheraboutthat。TherearenoTalkisupbeyondtheFalls，upiernWild。Thisskinmusthavebelooadumb，wildlion。”
This，bytheway，wastrue。AHunter，aMan，hadkilledahislionsomewhereupiernWildseveralmothatdoesn'teintothisstory。
“Allthesame，Shift，”saidPuzzle，“eveniftheskioadumb，wildlion，oughtn'twetogiveitadetburial?Imeaalllionsrather—well，rathersolemn?BecauseofyouknowWho。Don'tyousee?”
“Don'tyideasintoyourhead，Puzzle，”saidShift。“Because，youknow，thinkingisn&#point。We'llmakethisskinintoafinewarmwiforyou。”
“Oh，Idon'tthinkI'dlikethat，”saidtheDowouldlook—ImeaherBeastsmightthink—thatistosay，Ishouldn'tfeel—”
“Whatareyoutalkingabout?”saidShift，sghimselftheasApesdo。
“Idon'tthinkitwouldberespectfultotheGreatLion，toAslanhimself，ifaaboutdressedupinalion-skin，”saidPuzzle。
“Nowdon'tstandarguing，please，”saidShift。“Whatdoesanasslikeyouknowaboutthingsofthatsort?Youknowyoodatthinking，Puzzle，sowhydon'tyouletmedforyou?Whydon'tyoutreatmeasItreatyou?Idon'tthinkId。Iknowyou'rebetteratsomethingsthanIam。That'swhyIletyougointothePool;Iknewyou'ddoitbetterthawhy'tIhavemyturethingIdyouIobeallowedtodoanythiurnandturnabout。”