CHAPTERTWELVESTRAWBERRYSADVENTURE
DIGORYkepthismhtshut。Hehadbeengrowingmoreandmoreunfortable。Hehopedthat，pened，hewouldn'tblubordoanythingridiculous。
“SonofAdam，”saidAslan。“AreyoureadytouhatyouhavedoomysweettryofNarniaontheverydayofitsbirth?”
“Well，Idon'tseewhatIdo，”saidDigory。“Yousee，theQueenrana>
“Iasked，areyouready?”saidtheLion。
“Yes，”saidDigory。Hehadhadforaseewildideaofsaying“I'lltrytohelpyouifyou'llpromisetohelpmyMother，”butherealizediheLionwasnotatallthesortofpersorytainswith。Butwhenhehadsaid“Yes，”hethoughtofhisMother，aofthegreathopeshehadhad，andhowtheywerealldyingahisthroatandtearsinhiseyes，aedout:“Butplease，please—won'tyou—'tyougivemesomethingthatwillcureMother?”UptillthenhehadbeenlookingattheLion'sgreatfeetandthehuge;now，inhisdespair，helookedupatitsface。risedhimasmuythinginhiswholelife。Forthetawdownnearhisownand（wonderreatshioodintheLioheyweresuchbig，brighttearsparedwithDigory'sownthatforamomeasiftheLionmustreallybesorrierabouthisMotherthanhewashimself。
“Myson，myson，”saidAslan。“Iknreat。OnlyyouandIinthislandknowthatyet。LetusbegoodtooIhavetothinkofhundredsofyearsinthelifeofNaryhtintothisworldwillebaiaagain。Butitbeyet。ItismywishtoplantinNarshewilloapproadthattreewillproteiafromherformahislandshallhavealhtmbeforeanyeoverthesun。Youmustgetmetheseedfromwhichthattreeistogrow。”
“Yes，sir，”saidDigory。Hedidn'tknoastobedoquitesurenowthathewouldbeabletodoit。TheLiondrebreath，stoopeditsheadevenlavehimaLion'skiss。AndatonceDigoryfeltthathandcoohim。
“Dearson，”saidAslan，“Iwilltellyouwhatyoumustdo。TurnandlooktotheWestadoyousee?”
&erriblybigmountains，Aslan，”saidDigory，“Iseethisriveringdownawaterfall。Aheclifftherearehighgreenhillswithforests。Ahherralookalmostbladthen，faraway，therearebigsnowymountaiogether—likepicturesoftheAlps。Ahosethere'snothingbutthesky。”
“Youseewell，”saidtheLion。“NowthelandofNarniaeerfallesdown，andonceyouhavereachedthetopofthecliffsyouwillbeoutofNarniaandiernWild。Youmustjhthosemountainstillyoufindagreehabluelakeinit，walledroundbymountaiheehereisasteep，greenhill。Ohathillthereisagardeerofthatgardenisatree。Pluapplefromthattreeandbringitbae。”
“Yes，sir，”saidDigain。Hehadn'ttheleastideaofhowhewastoclimbthedfindhiswayamoains，buthedidn'tliketosaythatforfearitwouldsoundlikemakihedidsay，“Ihope，Aslan，you'renotinahurry。Ishan'tbeabletogetthereandbackveryquickly。”
“LittlesonofAdam，youshallhavehelp，”saidAslaurheHorsewhohadbeenstalybesidethemallthistime，swishinghistailtokeepthefliesoff，ahhisheadoheversatiolediffiderstand。
“Mydear，”saidAslantotheHorse，“wouldyouliketobeawingedhorse?”
YoushouldhaveseenhowtheHorseshookitsmaneandhowitsnostrilswidehelittletapitgavethegroundwithonebackhoof。Clearlyitwouldverymuchliketobeawionlysaid:
“Ifyouwish，Aslan—ifyoureallymean—Idon'tknowwhyitshouldbeme—I'mnotaverycleverhorse。”
“Bewiherofallflyinghorses，”roaredAslanishooktheground。“YournameisFledge。”
Thehorseshied，justasitmighthaveshiedintheold，miserabledayswhenitpulledaharoared。Itstraisneckbackasiftherewereaflybitingitsshouldersanditwaoscratchthem。Aasthebeastshadburstoutoftheearth，thereburstoutfromtheshouldersofFledgereadandgrew，largerthaneagles&#erthanswans&#erthanangels'wingsindows。Thefeathersshodcoppercaveagreatsweepwiththemaheair。
&aboveAslanandDigoryhesnhed，ahen，aftergohem，hedroppedtotheearth，allfourhoofstarised，butextremelypleased。
“Isitgood，Fledge?”saidAslan。
“Itisverygood，Aslan，”saidFledge。
“WillyoucarrythislittlesonofAdamonyourbaountainvalleyIspokeof?”
“What?Now?Atonce?”saidStrawberry—e，aswemustnowcallhim—“Hurrah!e，littleone，I'vehadthingslikeyouonmybackbef，longago。Whenthereweregreenfields;andsugar。”
“WhatarethetwodaughtersofEvewhisperingabout?”saidAslan，turningverysuddenlyonPollyandtheCabby'swife，whohadinfamakingfriends。
“Ifyouplease，sir，”saidQueehatiswhathe'sas），“Ithilegirlwouldlovetogotoo，ifitweren'tnotrouble。”
“WhatdoesFledgesayaboutthat?”askedtheLion。
“Oh，Idon'tmindtwo，hey'relittleones，”saidFledge。“ButIhopetheElephawanttoeaswell。”
&hadnosuchwish，andthenewKingofhtheup:thatis，hegaveDighheaveaPollyasgentlyanddaintilyonthehorse'sbackasifsheweremadeofdmightbreak。“Theretheyare，Strawberry—Fledge，Ishouldsay。Thisisarumgo。”
“Donotflytoohigh，”saidAslan。“Dooverthetopsofthegreatitains。Lookoutforthevalleys，thegreenpladflythroughthem。Therewillalwaysbeawaythrough。Ahmyblessing。”
“OhFledge!”saidDigory，leaningforattheHorse'sglossyhisisfun。Holdo，Polly。”
&thetrydroppedawaybehem，andwhirledroundasFledge，likeahugepigeon，ceortwicebefoffonhislowardflight。Lookingdown，PollycouldhardlyseetheKingandtheQueen，andevenAslanhimselfwashtyellowspotrass。SoonthewindwasintheirfadFledgeswioasteadybeat。
AllNarnia，mahlawnsandrodheatherasoftrees，layspreadoutbelowthem，theriverwindingthroughitlikearibbonofquicksilver。Theycouldalreadyseeoverthetopsofthelowhillswhiorthwardht;beyondthosehillsagreatmoorlalyupanduptothehorizohemountainsweremuchhigher，buteverynowaherewhenyoucouldsee，betweensteeppineseofthesouthernlandsthatlaybeyondthem，lookingblueandfara>
“That'llbewhereArdis，”saidPolly。
&lookahead!”saidDigory。
FreatbarrierofcliffsrosebeforethemadazzledbythesunlightdanthegreatwaterfallbywhichtheriverroarsandsparklesdownintoNarhehighwesternlandsinwhichitrises。Theywereflyingsohighalreadythatthethuhosefallslyjustbeheardasasmall，thinsound，buttheywerehighenoughtoflyoverthetopofthecliffs。