PrinETHEISLAND
&herewerefourwhoseer，Susan，Edmund，andLudithasbeentoldinanotherbookcalledTheLiodtheWardrobehowtheyhadaremarkableadveheyhadopehedicwardrobeandfoundthemselvesinaquitedifferentworldfromours，andinthatdifferentworldtheyhadbeeKingsandQueensinatryarheywereinNarniatheyseemedtnforyearsawhentheycamebackthroughthedoorandfoundthemselvesinEnglandagain，itallseemedtohavetakeall。Atanyrate，icedthattheyhadeverbeenaway，aoldarown-up。
Thathadallhappenedayearago，andnowallfourofthemweresittiarailwaystationwithtrunksandplayboxespileduprouheywere，infatheirwaybacktoschool。Theyhadtraveledtogetherasfarasthisstation，whichwasajundhere，ies，orainwouldarriveahegirlsawaytoonesdinabouthalfanhourarainwouldarriveandtheboyswouldgoofftoanotherschool。Thefirstpartofthejourheywerealltogether，alwaysseemedtobepartoftheholidays;butheywouldbesayinggood-byeandgoiwayssosoon，everyoheholidayswerereallyoverandeveryoheirterm-timefeelingsbeginningagain，andtheywereallrathergloomyahinkofanythingtosay。Lucywasgoingtschoolforthefirsttime。
Itty，sleepy，trystationandtherewashardlyaheplatformexceptthemselves。SuddenlyLucygaveasharplittlecry，likesomeonewhohasbeenstungbya>
“What'sup，Lu?”saidEdmund—andthensuddenlybrokeoffandmadeanoiselike“Ow!”
“Whataheoosuddehehadbeengoingtosay。Instead，hesaid，“Susago!Whatareyoudoing?Whereareymeto?”
“I'mnottougyou，”saidSusan。“Someoneispullingme。Oh—oh—oh—stopit!”
&icedthatalltheothers'faceshadgoe。
&hesame，”saidEdmundihlessvoice。“AsifIwerebeingdraggedalong。Amhtfulpulling—ugh!it'sbeginningagain。”
&oo，”saidLucy。“Oh，I'tbearit。”
“Looksharp!”shoutedEdmund。“Alldsaher。Thisismagitellbythefeeling。Quick!”
“Yes，”saidSusan。“Holdhands。Oh，Idowishitwouldstop—oh!”
&theluggage，theseat，theplatform，aionhadpletelyvahefour，holdinghandsandpanting，fouandinginawoodyplace—suchawoodyplacethatbraiandtherewashardlyroomtomove。Theyallrubbedtheireyesandtookadeepbreath。
“Oh，Peter!”exclaimedLucy。“Doyouthinkossiblyhavegotbaia?”
“Itmightbeanyeter。“I'tseeayardirees。Let&#etintotheopen—ifthereisanyopen。”
Withsomediffidwithsomestingsfromlesandprithorruggledoutofthethitheyhadanothersurprise。Everythingbecamemuchbrighter，andafterafewstepstheyfouheedgeofthewood，lookingdownonasandybeach。Afewyardsawayaverycalmseawasfallihsuyripplesthatitmadehardlyanysound。Therewasnolandinsightandnothesky。Thesunwasabhttobeatteno'them，andtheseawasadazzlioodsniffinginthesea-smell。
“ByJove!”saidPeter。“Thisisgoodenough。”
&eslatereveryonewasbarefootedandwadinginthecoolclear>
“ThisisbetterthanbeinginastuffytrainonthewaybacktoLatinandFrendAlgebra!”saidEdmund。Andthenforquitealoherewasalking，onlysplashingandlookingforshrimpsandcrabs。
“Allthesame，”saidSusaly，“Isupposewe'llhavetomakesomeplans。Weshallwaoeatbef。”
“We'vegotthesahergaveusforthejourney，”saidEdmuI'vegotmine。”
“Notme，”saidLuewereinmylittlebag。”
“Soweremine，”saidSusan。
“Mineareinmycoat-pocket，thereonthebeach，”saidPeter。“That'llbetwolungfour。Thisisn'tgoingtobesu。”
“Atpresent，”saidLutsomethingtodrihaoeat。”
Everyothirsty，asoneusuallyisafterwadinginsaltwaterusun。
“It'slikebeingshipwrecked，”remarkedEdmund。“Iheyalwaysfindspringsofclear，freshwaterontheisland。We'dbettergoandlookforthem。”