ELUCYLOOKSINTOAWARDROBE
&herewerefourwhoseer，Susan，EdmundandLucy。ThisstoryisaboutsomethingthathappeheyweresentawayfromLthewarbecauseoftheair-raids。TheyweresenttothehouseofanoldProfessorwholivedihetry，teherailwaystationandtwomilesfromtheoffice。HehadnowifeandhelivedinaverylargehousewithahousekeepercalledMrs。Madthreeservants。（TheirnameswereIvy，Margaretatheydohestorymuch。）Hehimselfwasaveryoldmanwithshaggywhitehairwhiostofhisfaceaswellasoheylikedhimalmostatooevenitomeetthematthefrontdoorhewassoodd-lookingthatLucy（whowastheyou）wasalittleafraidofhim，andEdmund（whowastheyouedtolaughandhadtokeephewasblowinghisohideit。
AssoonastheyhadsaidgoodnighttotheProairsht，theboystothegirls'roomaalkeditover。
“We'vefallenoandnomistake，”saidPeter。“Thisisgoilysplendid。Thatoldchapwillletusdoanythingwelike。”
“Ithinkhe'sanolddear，”saidSusan。
“Oh，eoffit!”saidEdmund，whowastiredatobetired，whichalwaysmadehimbad-tempered。“Don'tgoontalki。”
&?”saidSusan;“andanyway，it'stimeyouwereinbed。”
“TryingtotalklikeMother，”saidEdmund。“AosaywhenI'mtogotobed?Gotobedyourself。”
“Hadn'tweallbettergotobed?”saidLucy。“There'ssuretobearowifwe'reheardtalkinghere。”
“Notherewon't，”saidPeter。“Itellyouthisisthesortofhousewherenoone'sgoingtomindwhatwedo。Anyway，theywon'thearus。It'sabouttenminutes'walkfromheredowntothatdining-room，andanyamountofstairsaween。”
“What'sthatnoise?”saidLuly。Itwasafarlargerhousethanshehadeverbeenihethoughtofallthoselongpassagesandrowsiyroomswasbeginningtomakeherfeelalittlecreepy。
“It'sonlyabird，silly，”saidEdmund。
“It'sanoeter。“Thisisgoingtobeawonderfulplaceforbirds。Ishallgotobednow。Isay，let'sgoaomorrow。Youmightfindanythingihis。Didyouseethosemountainsasweg?Aheremightbeeagles。Theremightbestags。There'llbehawks。”
“Badgers!”saidLucy。
“Foxes!”saidEdmund。
“Rabbits!”saidSusan。
Butwhemcametherewasasteadyrainfalling，sothickthatwhenyoulookedoutofthewindowyoucouldseehemountainsnorthewoodsreaminthegarden。
“Ofcourseitw!”saidEdmund。TheyhadjustfiheirbreakfastwiththeProfessoraairsintheroomhehadsetapartforthem—along，loindowslookingoutiionandtwoinanother。
“D，Ed，”saidSusaoo'llclearupinanhourorso。Aimewe'reprettywelloff。There'sawirelessandlotsofbooks。”
“Notforme，”saidPeter;“I'mgoingtoexploreinthehouse。”
Everyohisandthatwashowtheadvewasthesortofhousethatyouoetotheendof，anditwasfullofuedplaces。Thefirstfewdoorstheytriedledonlyintosparebedrooms，aseveryohattheywould;butsooroomfullofpidtheretheyfoundasuitofarmor;awasaroomallhungwithgreen，inoheepsdowepsup，andthenakindoflittleupstairshallandadoorthatledoutontoabaldthenawholeseriesofroomsthatlediherandwerelihbooks—mostofthemveryoldbooksahanaBibleinadshortlyafterthattheylookedintoaroomthatwasquiteemptyexceptfwardrobe;thesortthathasalooking-glassiherewasheroomatallexceptadeadblue-bottleonthewindow-sill。
“Nothingthere!”saidPeter，aroopedoutagaiLucy。Shestayedbehihoughtithiletryingthedoorofthewardrobe，eventhoughshefeltalmostsurethatitwouldbelocked。Tohersurpriseitopeeeasily，andtedout。
Lookingintotheinside，shesawseveralgingup—mostlylongfurcoats。TherewasnothingLucylikedsomuchasthesmellandfeeloffur。Sheimmediatelysteppedintothewardrobeandgotinamosandrubbedherfastthem，leavingthedooropen，ofcourse，becauseshekisveryfoolishtoshutooanywardrobe。Sooherinandfoundthattherewasasedrowofgihefirstowasalmostquitedarkinthereaherarmsstretchedoutinfrontofhersoasnottobumpherfatothebackofthewardrobe。Shetookastepfurtheriwoorthreesteps—alegtofeelwaiipsers。Butsheotfeelit。
“Thismustbeasimplyenormouswardrobe!”thoughtLugstillfurtherinandpushifoldsofthecoatsasidetomakeroomforher。Theicedthattherewassomethinggu。“Iwomoremoth-balls?”shethought，stoopingdowhherhand。Butinsteadoffeelingthehard，smoothwoodofthefloorofthewardrobe，shefeltsomethingsoftandpowderyaremelycold。“Thisisveryqueer，”shesaid，aowofurther。
&shefoundthatwhatwasrubbingagainstherfadswasfurbutsomethinghardandroughandevenprickly。“Why，itisjustlikebrarees!”exclaimedLudthetherewasalightaheadofher;notafewinchesawaywherethebackhttohavebeen，butalongwayoff。Somethingdsoftwasfallingonher。Amomentlatershefoundthatshewasstandinginthemiddleofawoodathsnowuandsnowflakesfallingthroughtheair。
Lucyfeltalittlefrighteshefeltveryinquisitiveaedaswell。Shelookedbackoverhershoulderaweeree-truillseetheopendoorwayofthewardrobeachaglimpseoftheemptyroomfromwhichshehadsetout。（Shehad，ofcourse，leftthedooropehatitisaverysillythingtoshutooawardrobe。）Itseemedtobestilldaylightthere。“Ialwaysgetbaythingg，”thoughtLucy。Shebegantowalkforward，choverthesnhthewoodtowardtheht。Iesshereadfounditost。Asshestoodlookingatit，wwhythereostinthemiddleofawoodatodo，sheheardapitterpatteroffeetingtowardher。Andsooaverystraeppedthetreesiofthelamp-post。
HewasonlyalittletallerthanLucyherselfandhecarriedoverhisheadaewithsnow。Fromtheaslikeaman，buthislegsedlikeagoat's（thehaironthemwasglossyblasteadoffeethehadgoat'shoofs。Healsohadatail，butLuotfirstbecauseitwaslycaughtupoverthearmthatheldtheumbrellasoastokeepitfrinthesnow。Hehadaredwoollenmufflerroundhisnedhisskinwasratherreddishtoo。Hehadastrapleasantlittleface，ointedbeardandcurlyhair，andoutofthehairtherestucktwohorns，oneoneachsideofhisforehead。Oneofhishands，asIhavesaid，heldtheumbrella:iherarmhecarriedseveralbroarcels。WhatwiththepardthesnowitlookedjustasifhehadbeendoinghisChristmasshopping。HewasaFaun。AndwhenhesawLucyhegavesuchastartofsurprisethathedroppedallhisparcels。
“Goodnessgrae!”exclaimedtheFaun。