ETHEWRONGDOOR
THISisastoryaboutsomethingthathappenedlongagowhenyrandfatherwasachild。ItisaveryimportantstorybecauseitshowshowalltheingsandgoiweenourownworldandthelandofNarniafirstbegan。
InthosedaysMr。SherloeswasstillliviaableswerelookingfortreasureintheLewishamRoad。Inthosedays，ifyouwereaboyyouhadtowearastiffEtoncollareveryday，andschoolswereusuallyhannow。Butmealswerenidasforsweets，Iwon'ttellyouhoandgoodtheywere，becauseitwouldonlymakeyourmouthwaterinvain。AndiherelivedinLondonagirler。
Shelivedinoneofalongrowofhouseswhichwerealljoiher。shewasoutinthebawhenaboyscrambledupfromthegardedoorandputhisfaceovertheollywasverysurprisedbecauseuptillnowtherehadneverbeenahouse，butoerleyaerley，abrotherandsister，oldbadoldmaid，liviher。Soshelookedup，fullofcuriosity。Thefaceebrubby。Itcouldhardlyhavebeengrubbierifhehadfirstrubbedhishah，andthenhadagooddthendriedhisfacewithhishands。Asamatteroffact，thiswasveryhehadbeendoing。
“Hullo，”saidPolly。
“Hullo，”saidtheboy。“What'syourname?”
“Polly，”saidPolly。“What'syours?”
“Digory，”saidtheboy。
“Isay，whatafunnyname!”saidPolly。
“Itisn'thalfsofunnyasPolly，”saidDigory。
&is，”saidPolly。
“No，itisn't，”saidDigory。
“AtanyrateIdowashmyface，”saidPolly，“Whichiswhatyouodo;especiallyafter—”aopped。Shehadbeengoingtosay“Afteryou'vebeenblubbing，”butshethoughtthatwouldn'tbepolite。
“Allright，Ihavethen，”saidDigoryinamuchloudervoice，likeaboywhowassomiserablethathedidn'tcarewhoknewhehadbeeng。“Andsowouldyou，”hewenton，“ifyou'dlivedallyourlifeiryandhadapony，ahebottomofthegarden，andthetoliveilyHolelikethis。”
“Londonisn'taHole，”saidPollyindignantly。Buttheboywastoowounduptotakeanynoticeofher，aon—“AndifyourfatherwasawayinIndia—andyouhadtoeahanAuntandanUnad（whowouldlikethat?）—andifthereasonwasthattheywerelookingafteryourMother—andifyourMotherwasillandwasgoingto—goihehewrongsortofshapeasitdoesifytokeepbackyourtears。
“Ididn'tknow。I'msorry，”saidPollyhumbly。Andthen，becauseshehardlykosay，andalsory'smindtocheerfulsubjects，sheasked:“IsMr。Ketterleyreallymad?”
&herhe'smad，”saidDigory，“orthere'ssomeothermystery。HehasastudyoopflooraysaysImusthere。Well，thatlooksfishytobeginwith。Ahere'sahiriestosayanythimealtimes—heotalktoher—shealwaysshutshimup。Shesays，“Don'tworrytheboy，Andrew”or“I&#orydoesn'twathat”orelse“Now，Digory，wouldn'tyouliketogooutandplayinthegarden?”
“Whatsortofthirytosay?”
“Idon'tksfarenough。Butthere'smorethanthat。Owaslastnightinfact—asIastthefootoftheattiywaytobed（andIdon'tmuchcarefpastthemeither）I'msureIheardayell。”
“Perhapshekeepsamadwifeshutupthere。”
“Yes，I'vethoughtofthat。”
“Orperhapshe'saer。”
“hthavebeehemanatthebeginningofTreasureIsland，andbealwayshidingfromhisoldshipmates。”
“Howexg!”saidPolly，“Ineverknewyourhousewass。”
“Youmaythiing，”saidDigory。“Butyouwouldn'tlikeitifyouhadtosleepthere。HowwouldyouliketolieawakelisteningforUndrew'ssteptalongthepassagetoyourroom?Andhehassuchawfuleyes。”
ThatollyandDigottokher:andasitwasjustthebeginningofthesummerholidaysahemwasgoiyear，theymetnearlyeveryday。
&uresbeganchieflybecauseitwasoasummerstherehadbeedrovethemtods:youmightsay，iion。Itiswonderfulhowmuchexplyoudoofabighouse，orinarowofhouses。Pollyhaddiscagothatifyouopetledoorinthebox-roomatticofherhouseyouwouldfiernandadarkpladitwhichyoucouldgetintobyalittlecarefulg。Thedarkplacewaslikealohbrionesideandslopingroofoherooftherewerelittleksoflightbetweees。Therewasnofloorinthistunnel:youhadtostepfromraftertorafter，aherelaster。Ifyousteppedonthisyouwouldfindyourselffallingthroughthegoftheroombelow。Pollyhadusedthebitofthetubesidetheasasmugglers'cave。Shehadbroughtupbitsofoldpagdtheseatsofbrokenkitdthingsofthatsort，ahemaraftertoraftersoastomakeabitoffloor。Hereshekeptacash-boxgvarioustreasures，andastoryshewaswritingandusuallyafeles。Shehadoftendruleofgihere:theoldbottlesmadeitlookmorelikeasmugglers'cave。