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双语·能言马与男孩 第十五章 可笑的拉巴达什

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2022年05月04日

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Chapter XV RABADASH THE RIDICULOUS

The next turn of the road brought them out from among the trees and there, across green lawns, sheltered from the north wind by the high wooded ridge at its back, they saw the castle of Anvard. It was very old and built of a warm, reddish-brown stone.

Before they had reached the gate King Lune came out to meet them, not looking at all like Aravis's idea of a king and wearing the oldest of old clothes; for he had just come from making a round of the kennels with his Huntsman and had only stopped for a moment to wash his doggy hands. But the bow with which he greeted Aravis as he took her hand would have been stately enough for an Emperor.

“Little lady,” he said, “we bid you very heartily welcome. If my dear wife were still alive we could make you better cheer but could not do it with a better will. And I am sorry that you have had misfortunes and been driven from your father's house, which cannot but be a grief to you. My son Cor has told me about your adventures together and all your valour.”

“It was he who did all that, Sir,” said Aravis. “Why, he rushed at a lion to save me.”

“Eh, what's that?” said King Lune, his face brightening. “I haven't heard that part of the story.”

Then Aravis told it. And Cor, who had very much wanted the story to be known, though he felt he couldn't tell it himself, didn't enjoy it so much as he had expected, and indeed felt rather foolish. But his father enjoyed it very much indeed and in the course of the next few weeks told it to so many people that Cor wished it had never happened.

Then the King turned to Hwin and Bree and was just as polite to them as to Aravis, and asked them a lot of questions about their families and where they had lived in Narnia before they had been captured. The Horses were rather tongue-tied for they weren't yet used to being talked to as equals by Humans—grown-up Humans, that is. They didn't mind Aravis and Cor.

Presently Queen Lucy came out from the castle and joined them and King Lune said to Aravis, “My dear, here is a loving friend of our house, and she has been seeing that your apartments are put to rights for you better than I could have done it.”

“You'd like to come and see them, wouldn't you?” said Lucy, kissing Aravis. They liked each other at once and soon went away together to talk about Aravis's bedroom and Aravis's boudoir and about getting clothes for her, and all the sort of things girls do talk about on such an occasion.

After lunch, which they had on the terrace (it was cold birds and cold game pie and wine and bread and cheese), King Lune ruffled up his brow and heaved a sigh and said, “Heigh-ho! We have still that sorry creature Rabadash on our hands, my friends, and must needs resolve what to do with him.”

Lucy was sitting on the King's right and Aravis on his left. King Edmund sat at one end of the table and the Lord Darrin faced him at the other. Dar and Peridan and Cor and Corin were on the same side as the King.

“Your Majesty would have a perfect right to strike off his head,” said Peridan. “Such an assault as he made puts him on a level with assassins.”

“It is very true,” said Edmund. “But even a traitor may mend. I have known one that did.” And he looked very thoughtful.

“To kill this Rabadash would go near to raising war with the Tisroc,” said Darrin.

“A fig for the Tisroc,” said King Lune. “His strength is in numbers and numbers will never cross the desert. But I have no stomach for killing men (even traitors) in cold blood. To have cut his throat in the battle would have eased my heart mightily: but this is a different thing.”

“By my counsel,” said Lucy, “your Majesty shall give him another trial. Let him go free on strait promise of fair dealing in the future. It may be that he will keep his word.”

“Maybe Apes will grow honest, Sister,” said Edmund. “But, by the Lion, if he breaks it again, it may be in such time and place that any of us could swap off his head in clean battle.”

“It shall be tried,” said the King: and then to one of the attendants, “Send for the prisoner, friend.”

Rabadash was brought before them in chains. To look at him anyone would have supposed that he had passed the night in a noisome dungeon without food or water; but in reality he had been shut up in quite a comfortable room and provided with an excellent supper. But as he was sulking far too furiously to touch the supper and had spent the whole night stamping and roaring and cursing, he naturally did not now look his best.

“Your royal Highness needs not to be told,” said King Lune, “that by the law of nations as well as by all reasons, of prudent policy, we have as good right to your head as ever one mortal man had against another. Nevertheless, in consideration of your youth and the ill nurture, devoid of all gentilesse and courtesy, which you have doubtless had in the land of slaves and tyrants, we are disposed to set you free, unharmed, on these conditions: first, that—”

“Curse you for a barbarian dog!” spluttered Rabadash. “Do you think I will even hear your conditions? Faugh! You talk very largely of nurture and I know not what. It's easy, to a man in chains, ha! Take off these vile bonds, give me a sword, and let any of you who dares then debate with me.”

Nearly all the lords sprang to their feet, and Corin shouted:

“Father! Can I box him? Please.”

“Peace! Your Majesties! My Lords!” said King Lune. “Have we no more gravity among us than to be so chafed by the taunt of a pajock? Sit down, Corin, or shalt leave the table. I ask your Highness again, to hear our conditions.”

“I hear no conditions from barbarians and sorcerers,” said Rabadash. “Not one of you dare touch a hair of my head. Every insult you have heaped on me shall be paid with oceans of Narnian and Archenlandish blood. Terrible shall the vengeance of the Tisroc be: even now. But kill me, and the burnings and torturings in these northern lands shall become a tale to frighten the world a thousand years hence. Beware! Beware! Beware! The bolt of Tash falls from above!”

“Does it ever get caught on a hook halfway?” asked Corin.

“Shame, Corin,” said the King. “Never taunt a man save when he is stronger than you: then, as you please.”

“Oh you foolish Rabadash,” sighed Lucy.

Next moment Cor wondered why everyone at the table had risen and was standing perfectly still. Of course he did the same himself. And then he saw the reason. Aslan was among them though no one had seen him coming. Rabadash started as the immense shape of the Lion paced softly in between him and his accusers.

“Rabadash,” said Aslan. “Take heed. Your doom is very near, but you may still avoid it. Forget your pride (what have you to be proud of?) and your anger (who has done you wrong?) and accept the mercy of these good kings.”

Then Rabadash rolled his eyes and spread out his mouth into a horrible, long mirthless grin like a shark, and wagged his ears up and down (anyone can learn how to do this if they take the trouble). He had always found this very effective in Calormen. The bravest had trembled when he made these faces, and ordinary people had fallen to the floor, and sensitive people had often fainted. But what Rabadash hadn't realised is that it is very easy to frighten people who know you can have them boiled alive the moment you give the word. The grimaces didn't look at all alarming in Archenland; indeed Lucy only thought Rabadash was going to be sick.

“Demon! Demon! Demon!” shrieked the Prince. “I know you. You are the foul fiend of Narnia. You are the enemy of the gods. Learn who I am, horrible phantasm. I am descended from Tash, the inexorable, the irresistible. The curse of Tash is upon you. Lightning in the shape of scorpions shall be rained on you. The mountains of Narnia shall be ground into dust. The—”

“Have a care, Rabadash,” said Aslan quietly. “The doom is nearer now: it is at the door: it has lifted the latch.”

“Let the skies fall,” shrieked Rabadash. “Let the earth gape! Let blood and fire obliterate the world! But be sure I will never desist till I have dragged to my palace by her hair the barbarian queen, the daughter of dogs, the—”

“The hour has struck,” said Aslan: and Rabadash saw, to his supreme horror, that everyone had begun to laugh.

They couldn't help it. Rabadash had been wagging his ears all the time and as soon as Aslan said, “The hour has struck!” the ears began to change. They grew longer and more pointed and soon were covered with grey hair. And while everyone was wondering where they had seen ears like that before, Rabadash's face began to change too. It grew longer, and thicker at the top and larger eyed, and the nose sank back into the face (or else the face swelled out and became all nose) and there was hair all over it. And his arms grew longer and came down in front of him till his hands were resting on the ground: only they weren't hands, now, they were hoofs. And he was standing on all fours, and his clothes disappeared, and everyone laughed louder and louder (because they couldn't help it) for now what had been Rabadash was simply and unmistakably, a donkey. The terrible thing was that his human speech lasted just a moment longer than his human shape, so that when he realised the change that was coming over him, he screamed out:

“Oh, not a Donkey! Mercy! If it were even a horse—even a horse—e'en—a—hor—eeh—auh, eeh-auh.” And so the words died away into a donkey's bray.

“Now hear me, Rabadash,” said Aslan. “Justice shall be mixed with mercy. You shall not always be an Ass.”

At this of course the Donkey twitched its ears forward—and that also was so funny that everybody laughed all the more. They tried not to, but they tried in vain.

“You have appealed to Tash,” said Aslan. “And in the temple of Tash you shall be healed. You must stand before the altar of Tash in Tashbaan at the great Autumn Feast this year and there, in the sight of all Tashbaan, your ass's shape will fall from you and all men will know you for Prince Rabadash. But as long as you live, if ever you go more than ten miles away from the great temple in Tashbaan you shall instantly become again as you now are. And from that second change there will be no return.”

There was a short silence and then they all stirred and looked at one another as if they were waking from sleep. Aslan was gone. But there was a brightness in the air and on the grass, and a joy in their hearts, which assured them that he had been no dream: and anyway, there was the donkey in front of them.

King Lune was the kindest-hearted of men and on seeing his enemy in this regrettable condition he forgot all his anger.

“Your royal Highness,” he said, “I am most truly sorry that things have come to this extremity. Your Highness will bear witness that it was none of our doing. And of course we shall be delighted to provide your Highness with shipping back to Tashbaan for the— er—treatment which Aslan has prescribed. You shall have every comfort which your Highness's situation allows: the best of the cattle-boats—the freshest carrots and thistles—”

But a deafening bray from the Donkey and a well-aimed kick at one of the guards made it clear that these kindly offers were ungratefully received.

And here, to get him out of the way, I'd better finish off the story of Rabadash. He (or it) was duly sent back by boat to Tashbaan and brought into the temple of Tash at the great Autumn Festival, and then he became a man again. But of course four or five thousand people had seen the transformation and the affair could not possibly be hushed up. And after the old Tisroc's death when Rabadash became Tisroc in his place he turned out the most peaceable Tisroc Calormen had ever known. This was because, not daring to go more than ten miles from Tashbaan, he could never go on a war himself; and he didn't want his Tarkaans to win fame in the wars at his expense, for that is the way Tisrocs get overthrown. But though his reasons were selfish, it made things much more comfortable for all the smaller countries round Calormen. His own people never forgot that he had been a donkey. During his reign, and to his face, he was called Rabadash the Peacemaker, but after his death and behind his back he was called Rabadash the Ridiculous, and if you look him up in a good History of Calormen (try the local library) you will find him under that name. And to this day in Calormene schools, if you do anything unusually stupid, you are very likely to be called “a second Rabadash”.

Meanwhile at Anvard everyone was very glad that he had been disposed of before the real fun began, which was a grand feast held that evening on the lawn before the castle, with dozens of lanterns to help the moonlight. And the wine flowed and tales were told and jokes were cracked, and then silence was made and the King's poet with two fiddlers stepped out into the middle of the circle. Aravis and Cor prepared themselves to be bored, for the only poetry they knew was the Calormene kind, and you know now what that was like. But at the very first scrape of the fiddles a rocket seemed to go up inside their heads, and the poet sang the great old lay of Fair Olvin and how he fought the Giant Pire and turned him into stone (and that is the origin of Mount Pire—it was a two-headed Giant) and won the Lady Liln for his bride; and when it was over they wished it was going to begin again. And though Bree couldn't sing he told the story of the fight at Zalindreh. And Lucy told again (they had all, except Aravis and Cor, heard it many times but they all wanted it again) the tale of the Wardrobe and how she and King Edmund and Queen Susan and Peter the High King had first come into Narnia.

And presently, as was certain to happen sooner or later, King Lune said it was time for young people to be in bed. “And tomorrow, Cor,” he added, “shalt come over all the castle with me and see the estres and mark all its strength and weakness: for it will be thine to guard when I'm gone.”

“But Corin will be the King then, Father,” said Cor.

“Nay, lad,” said King Lune, “thou art my heir. The crown comes to thee.”

“But I don't want it,” said Cor. “I'd far rather—”

“'Tis no question what thou wantest, Cor, nor I either. 'Tis in course of law.”

“But if we're twins we must be the same age.”

“Nay,” said the King with a laugh. “One must come first. Art Corin's elder by full twenty minutes. And his better too, let's hope, though that's no great mastery.” And he looked at Corin with a twinkle in his eyes.

“But, Father, couldn't you make whichever you like to be the next King?”

“No. The King's under the law, for it's the law makes him a king. Hast no more power to start away from thy crown than any sentry from his post.”

“Oh dear,” said Cor. “I don't want to at all. And Corin—I am most dreadfully sorry. I never dreamed my turning up was going to chisel you out of your kingdom.”

“Hurrah! Hurrah!” said Corin. “I shan't have to be King. I shan't have to be King. I'll always be a prince. It's princes have all the fun.”

“And that's truer than thy brother knows, Cor,” said King Lune. “For this is what it means to be a king: to be first in every desperate attack and last in every desperate retreat, and when there's hunger in the land (as must be now and then in bad years) to wear finer clothes and laugh louder over a scantier meal than any man in your land.”

When the two boys were going upstairs to bed Cor again asked Corin if nothing could be done about it. And Corin said:

“If you say another word about it, I'll—I'll knock you down.”

It would be nice to end the story by saying that after that the two brothers never disagreed about anything again, but I am afraid it would not be true. In reality they quarrelled and fought just about as often as any other two boys would, and all their fights ended (if they didn't begin) with Cor getting knocked down. For though, when they had both grown up and become swordsmen, Cor was the more dangerous man in battle, neither he nor anyone else in the North Countries could ever equal Corin as a boxer. That was how he got his name of Corin Thunder-Fist; and how he performed his great exploit against the Lapsed Bear of Stormness, which was really a Talking Bear but had gone back to Wild Bear habits. Corin climbed up to its lair on the Narnian side of Stormness one winter day when the snow was on the hills and boxed it without a time-keeper for thirty-three rounds. And at the end it couldn't see out of its eyes and became a reformed character.

Aravis also had many quarrels (and, I'm afraid even fights) with Cor, but they always made it up again: so that years later, when they were grown up, they were so used to quarrelling and making it up again that they got married so as to go on doing it more conveniently. And after King Lune's death they made a good King and Queen of Archenland and Ram the Great, the most famous of all the kings of Archenland, was their son. Bree and Hwin lived happily to a great age in Narnia and both got married but not to one another. And there weren't many months in which one or both of them didn't come trotting over the pass to visit their friends at Anvard.

第十五章 可笑的拉巴达什

转过下一个路口,他们便出了树林,穿过绿油油的草地,安瓦德的城堡便近在眼前了。只见城堡背面屹立着一座林木繁茂的高山,阻挡了北风的侵袭。城堡古色古香,由暖红、褐色的石头砌成。

他们还没走到城门口,伦恩国王就已经出城来迎接他们了。他同阿拉维斯心目中的国王形象大相径庭,衣着朴素到不能再朴素了;因为他方才带着猎人们在养狗场转了一圈回来,才刚刚歇息片刻,洗了洗他摸了猎犬的手。然而,当他牵起阿拉维斯的手,向她鞠躬致意时,言行举止庄严大方,就足以体现出他的帝王风范了。

“小姐,”国王开口道,“我们衷心地欢迎你的到来。倘若我的爱妻尚在人世的话,定会将你照顾得更加周到,但如今我是力不从心了。对你所遭遇的种种不幸,我深表遗憾。被令尊赶出家门,想必也让你伤心不已吧。我的儿子科奥同我说起过你们这一路上的险象环生和你的种种英勇事迹。”

“那些英勇事迹都是科奥所做的,陛下,”阿拉维斯说道,“对啦,他还冲到一头狮子面前来救我呢。”

“嗯?那是怎么回事?”伦恩国王喜形于色,说道,“这段故事我倒没听他说过呢。”

于是,阿拉维斯便同国王讲起了这段故事。而科奥呢,原先是很想让别人知道这故事的,只是不好意思自己亲口说出来;他以为自己能听得津津有味,可是,他边听阿拉维斯讲,边觉得自己着实有够愚蠢的。可是他的父亲却对此津津乐道得很,接连好几个星期都一直同人讲起这事,弄得科奥倒情愿这事儿从头到尾都没发生过。

接着,国王转身对着赫温和布里,对待它们就和对待阿拉维斯一样客气,问了它们许多问题,诸如它们家里都有谁啦,被俘之前它们住在纳尼亚的哪里啦。马儿们答得结结巴巴的,因为它们还没习惯人们平等地同它们说话呢——这当然说的是大人们啦。同阿拉维斯和科奥这样的小孩子说话,它们倒不扭扭捏捏的。

不久,露西女王从城堡里走了出来,来到他们身边。伦恩国王对阿拉维斯说道:“亲爱的,这是我们家的一位好朋友,她已经将你的房间收拾妥当了,这事交给她安排,一定比我办得更合你的心意。”

“你想来看看房间吗?”露西亲了亲阿拉维斯说道。她们一见如故,不一会儿就结伴离开,边走边聊起了阿拉维斯的卧室和梳妆室,聊起要给阿拉维斯置办行头,还有姑娘们在这样的场合总免不了要聊起的诸如此类的事情。

他们在阳台上用过午餐(吃的是冷盘鸟、冷盘野味派、红酒、面包和乳酪)。饭后,伦恩国王眉头紧锁,叹了口气,说道:“唉!我的朋友们,我的朋友们,我们手上还有那个讨厌鬼拉巴达什,得想个什么法子处置了他才好。”

阿拉维斯和露西分别坐在国王的左右两边。爱德蒙国王坐在桌子的一端,达兰勋爵则坐在他的对面。达尔、珀里丹、科奥、科林都和国王坐在同一边。

“陛下您完全有权砍下他的脑袋,”珀里丹说道,“他骤然发动突袭,这行为同行刺没什么两样。”

“这话诚然千真万确,”爱德蒙说道,“但就算是个奸细也可能会改过自新。这样的人,我就认识一个。”他显得十分郑重其事。

“杀了拉巴达什就无异于是要挑起与蒂斯罗克间的战争。”达兰说道。

“蒂斯罗克不足为惧,”伦恩国王说道,“他胜在兵多将广,但这也注定他永远无法率领全军,横穿大沙漠。但我并非冷血之人,也无意于大开杀戒(就算杀的是奸细)。若是在战场上将他喉咙割断,我倒是问心无愧,可若是战后再将他处死,这又是另一回事了。”

“依我看,”露西说道,“陛下您不妨再考验他一次。先让他立下庄严的承诺,说日后为人处世必定会光明磊落,而后再放了他。也许他会信守诺言的。”

“妹妹,你倒不如相信大猩猩有天会变老实呢,”爱德蒙说道,“狮子为证,倘若他再违背诺言,那么到那时,无论我们哪一个人都可以干净利落地砍下他的脑袋。”

“那就试试看吧,”国王说完,接着又吩咐一位随从道,“传令带犯人上来。”

拉巴达什被带了上来,手脚都被铁链拴着。看着他狼狈的模样,任谁都会以为他是在臭烘烘的地牢里,没吃没喝地被关了一整夜;但实际上呢,关他的房间可舒适得很呢,为他准备的晚餐也十分美味可口。可是他气急败坏,一口晚餐都不吃,一整晚又是捶胸顿足,又是大吼大叫,又是骂骂咧咧的,自然瞧上去精神不振了。

“无须多说,殿下也心知肚明,”伦恩国王开口道,“依照国家法律和审慎政策的种种条例,我们完全有权砍下你的脑袋,这同任何人都有权杀死与其不共戴天的仇人是一个道理。然而,念及你年纪尚轻,管教不力,以致少条失教且倨傲无礼,凡此种种,无一不是你在奴隶制的暴君国家染上的恶习。我们有意放了你,保你平安无事地回家,条件是:第一点——”

“你这该死的野蛮的狗东西!”拉巴达什气急败坏地破口大骂道,“你以为我会照你的条件做吗?呸!你大讲特讲什么仁义礼智,听得我晕头转向。哼!对一个带着镣铐的人说这番话倒是轻巧。解开这些该死的链子,把剑给我,到时候,我倒要看看你们谁敢与我争锋。”

这下,几乎所有王公贵族都气得跳起脚来,科林大声嚷嚷道:

“父王!我能揍他一顿吗?您就准了吧。”

“国王陛下,还有诸位爱卿!冷静点!”伦恩国王说道,“难不成我们一点教养都没有,任凭随便一个混账的奚落辱骂就让我们暴跳如雷了吗?科林,你给我坐下,要不你就离席退下。殿下,我命令你重新听一次我们开出的条件。”

“我才不要听你们这些外邦人和巫师开的条件呢,”拉巴达什说道,“谅你们谁也不敢碰我一根头发。你们加诸在我身上的种种侮辱,我必将教纳尼亚和阿钦兰血债血偿。蒂斯罗克将会发动可怕的复仇,就算是在当下也是如此。要是杀了我,北方各地将饱受烈火焚烧、蹂躏践踏之苦,并将记入传说,自此震慑世人长达千年。当心!当心!当心!雷霆万钧的塔什神从天而降!”

“雷霆万钧的塔什神有在半路上被钩子钩住过吗?”科林问道。

“你真不像话,科林,”国王说道,“永远不要嘲笑别人,除非他比你强大;面对强者,那就随你的便。”

“拉巴达什,你可真傻。”露西叹道。

接着,科奥正纳闷为什么在座的所有人都站了起来,一动不动地站着。当然啦,他自己也站了起来。紧接着,他便恍然大悟了。原来是阿斯兰现身了,虽然没人瞧见它进来。狮子体形庞大,在拉巴达什和声讨者间徐徐地踱来踱去,吓了拉巴达什一大跳。

“拉巴达什,”阿斯兰说道,“听仔细了。你就要大祸临头了,但你仍有机会免遭厄运。忘掉你的骄傲(你有什么好骄傲呢?),忘掉你的愤怒(有谁对不起你了吗?),欣然接受这些仁慈的国王对你的怜悯和恩惠吧。”

这时,拉巴达什眼珠一转,张大嘴巴,龇牙咧嘴状似鲨鱼,发出骇人且阴森的狞笑,上下摆动着耳朵(要是不嫌麻烦的话,这把戏谁都能学会)。在卡乐门,这套把戏他屡试不爽。他一扮出这些鬼脸,连最勇敢的人都会惊得直哆嗦,一般人被吓得倒地不起,而胆小的人常常都怕得晕过去了。可拉巴达什没有意识到的是,那是因为,吓唬那些心里明白你只要一下令便能将他们当即活活煮死的人是轻而易举的。而扮鬼脸在阿钦兰人看来一点儿也不吓人。实际上,露西还以为拉巴达什是要犯病了呢。

“魔鬼!魔鬼!魔鬼!”王子尖叫起来,“我知道你。你是纳尼亚邪恶的大魔王。你是众神的死敌。可恶的幽灵,你知道我是谁吗!我是不屈不挠、不可抗拒的塔什神的后裔。我以塔什神之名诅咒你。蝎子形的雷电将雨点般地落到你头上。纳尼亚的巍巍群山将化为尘土……”

“当心点,拉巴达什,”阿斯兰幽幽地说道,“现在厄运逼得更近了,就在门口,它已经拔下门闩了。”

“就让天崩地裂吧!”拉巴达什歇斯底里地尖叫道,“让血雨腥风、熊熊烈火将这世界毁灭吧!不得到那狗娘养的,不拽着那外邦女王的头发把她拖进我的宫殿,我就誓不罢休——”

“时辰已到。”阿斯兰说道。拉巴达什看见大家都哈哈大笑起来,心里害怕极了。

他们忍不住大笑起来。拉巴达什的耳朵不住地摇来摇去的,“时辰已到。”阿斯兰话音刚落,那对耳朵便开始起变化了。耳朵越变越长,越变越尖,很快耳朵上又长出了灰毛。就在大家都在琢磨这耳朵好像似曾相识的时候,拉巴达什的脸也开始变形了。他的脸越变越长,额头越变越厚,眼睛越变越大,鼻子塌进脸里去(或者说,整张脸都肿得和鼻子一样高了),脸上长满了毛。接着,他的手臂也越变越长,都垂到跟前,落到地上了。不过现在,那可不算是手了,而是蹄子啦。他站在那儿,四肢朝地,身上的衣服也不见了,所有人都笑得更欢了(他们忍不住要哈哈大笑),因为如今拉巴达什分明就是一头驴子啦。糟糕的是,拉巴达什的声音变化得比他的身子稍稍慢了一拍,于是,在他意识到自己身上所发生的变化时,便大喊大叫道:

“啊,不要,我不要变成驴子!求您了!就算是一匹马也好——就算——一匹马——伊嗬——噢嗬,伊嗬——噢嗬。”话音未落,就变成驴叫声啦。

“听着,拉巴达什,”阿斯兰说道,“天道公正,慈悲为怀。你不会一辈子都是驴子。”

听到这话,驴子自然急忙扭过耳朵,凑上前去听,这模样十分滑稽,逗得大家捧腹大笑。大家都拼命想忍住不笑,可是实在是憋不住。

“既然你已诉诸于塔什神,”阿斯兰说道,“那么,你也将在塔什神的神殿里得到救赎。今年的秋日盛宴,你必须站到塔什班城塔什神的祭台前,在所有塔什班人的目睹下,你将褪去驴身,让所有人知道你就是拉巴达什王子。但是,倘若你胆敢在活着的时候,走出塔什班城神庙方圆十英里以外的地方,你就会立刻变回你现在的模样。第二次再变成驴子,你就永远也变不回去了。”

一时间大家都安静了下来,过了一会儿,又全都沸腾起来,你看看我,我看看你,好像刚从睡梦中醒来似的。阿斯兰已经离开了。可是,一道金光映在空中,照在青青的草地上,他们心中欢欣雀跃,种种迹象都令他们深信不疑,阿斯兰的出现绝非梦境。况且,不管怎么说,他们面前分明就有一头驴子嘛。

伦恩国王最是宅心仁厚,眼见他的敌人落到这般追悔莫及的境地,他的满腔怒火早都统统抛之脑后了。

“殿下,”国王说道,“事情走到这般极端的境地,我着实深表歉意。但殿下你亲眼所见,这一切并非我们所为。当然,我们乐意为殿下你备好船只,送你回到塔什班城,以便你照阿斯兰所说——呃——得以痊愈。在殿下你当前状况允许的条件下,你的方方面面都将得到最舒心的照料:最好的牲畜船——最新鲜的胡萝卜和野蓟菜——”

不过,那震耳欲聋的一声驴叫和那对准卫兵狠命的一踹,都明明白白地表明了,这些好心的提议,人家可并不待见呢。

说到这儿,为了不让拉巴达什再出现在这故事中,我索性还是把他的故事讲完为好。他(或者说是它)被用船按时遣返回塔什班城,并在秋日盛宴上被带进了塔什神的神庙,得以重新恢复人身。不过,当然啦,整整四五千人都亲眼看见了他从驴子变成了人,这下这桩丑事怎么可能瞒得住呢。老蒂斯罗克死后,拉巴达什便继任他成为新一任的蒂斯罗克。拉巴达什成了卡乐门有史以来最最安分守己的蒂斯罗克。这是因为,他压根儿不敢走出塔什班城方圆十英里以外的地方,这样一来,他就没法儿御驾亲征了;况且,他也不想损害自己的威名,让自己手下的泰坎们在战场上名声大噪,因为蒂斯罗克们都是这样被推下台的。虽然他的动机很是自私,不过这倒使卡乐门周边小国的日子过得舒坦多了。他的子民可从没忘记过他从前是一头驴子哩。在他统治期间,当着他的面,人们称他为“和平使者拉巴达什”;可是,在他死后,在背地里,人们却称他为“可笑的拉巴达什”。而且,要是你去翻翻写得好的《卡乐门史》(可以去当地的图书馆里找找),你就会发现介绍他生平的目录下头就写着“可笑的拉巴达什”呢。直到今天,在卡乐门的学校,要是你干了什么大蠢事,十有八九你就会被人取笑作“拉巴达什第二”呢。

与此同时,安瓦德城里人人都欢欣鼓舞,拉巴达什已被遣送回国,真正的纵情狂欢就此拉开序幕。那天晚上,城堡前的草坪上举行了一场盛大的宴会,张灯结彩,灯火通明,与月光交相辉映。推杯换盏间,人们讲着故事,说着俏皮话,国王的御用诗人带着两个小提琴手步入圈子中间,于是,四下便安静下来。阿拉维斯和科奥都做好会百无聊赖的准备了,因为他们只曾见识过卡乐门式的诗歌,不过现在他们就会领略到真正的诗歌该是什么样的了。小提琴拨出的第一个音符,便如石破天惊般直击他们的心灵,诗人吟唱起传世佳作——古老的民谣《正直的欧尔文》,娓娓唱诵他是如何同巨人皮尔作战,将巨人变作石头(而这便是皮尔峰的由来——这巨人长着两个脑袋呢),还赢得莉恩小姐做他的新娘。一曲唱毕,他们倒还想再听一遍呢。虽然布里不会唱歌,可也讲起了扎林德雷之战的故事。而露西呢,则又讲起了衣橱的故事,讲起了她和爱德蒙国王、苏珊女王及至高王彼得第一次来到纳尼亚的故事。虽然除了阿拉维斯和科奥,这故事他们大家都听过许多遍了,可他们依旧听得津津有味呢。

不一会儿,伦恩国王便说道,这话他早晚总是要说的:“小家伙们,你们该上床睡觉了。”“明天,科奥,”他又说道,“你得随我一道去视察各个城堡,查查城堡的守卫情况,并记下它们的优势和薄弱环节。因为我去世后,就要由你来守卫城堡了。”

“但那时科林不就是国王了吗,父王。”科奥说道。

“不,孩子,”伦恩国王说道,“你是我的继承人。你将继承我的王位。”

“可我不想继承王位啊,”科奥说道,“我宁可——”

“这不是你或是我想不想的问题,这是法律明文规定的。”

“但如果我们是双胞胎,我们肯定是一样大呀。”

“话虽如此,”国王笑盈盈地说道,“可一定有一个先生出来呀。你比科林足足早出生了二十分钟呢。况且你也比他强上一些,但愿如此吧,虽然那点优势也没什么了不起的。”说完,他瞧向科林,冲他眨了眨眼睛。

“可是,父王,您就不能选个您中意的人继任下一任国王吗?”

“不能。国王要受法律约束,因为正是法律规定他成为国王。国王无权摘下王冠,如同哨兵无权擅自离岗一般。”

“我的天哪,”科奥嚷嚷道,“我一点儿也不想当国王。科林——我真是感到万分抱歉。我做梦也没有想到我的出现,竟会把你拉下属于你的王位。”

“太好啦!太好啦!”科林叫出声,“我不用当国王啦。我不用当国王啦。我可以一直当个王子了。当王子就能玩个痛快啦。”

“你弟弟一门心思就扑在玩上了,可是科奥呀,”伦恩国王说道,“其实当国王更意味着,你要在每一次殊死搏斗中身先士卒,在每次孤注一掷的撤退中从容断后;当饥荒来袭(收成不好的年头总是时不时地要闹饥荒),你更要衣冠整齐,对着粗茶淡饭也要谈笑风生,笑得比你的任何国民都大声。”

到两个男孩上楼去睡觉的时候,科奥又问科林,这件事是不是没有转圜的余地了。科林回应道:

“要是你多说一个字,我就——我就把你打倒在地上。”

要是故事的结局是,从此以后,兄弟俩就再也没有过什么意见不合了,自然再好不过了,不过我只怕事情并非如此。事实上呢,他们和其他兄弟一样,时不时就要斗斗嘴,打打架,每次他们俩打架(要是真打起来的话),结果总是科奥被打倒在地。他们俩长大以后,都双双成为武士,虽说科奥上阵杀敌时更为骁勇善战,可要说当个拳击手,不管是科奥还是北境列国的各个英雄豪杰,都没法儿同科林相提并论。他便因此被誉为“霹雳拳击手科林”,他曾赤手空拳打败暴风雨山的那头“堕落的熊”,立下赫赫威名。其实那头熊原先是会说话的,可后来又自甘堕落,当起野熊了。于是,冬日里的一天,山上银装素裹,科林沿着纳尼亚一侧,爬上暴风雨山,摸进野熊的老窝,出拳狠狠打了那熊三十三个回合,都没人帮着数呢。打到最后,熊的眼睛肿得都看不见东西了,从此改邪归正了。

阿拉维斯和科奥也时常拌嘴(只怕他们还动过手呢),但他们总是又握手言和。过了几年,他们都长大了,还总爱这样斗斗嘴,然后又转头和好,于是他们索性便结了婚,这样拌起嘴来还更方便些。伦恩国王去世后,他们成了阿钦兰深受爱戴的国王和王后。他们的儿子就是阿钦兰历任国王中最鼎鼎有名的拉姆大帝。布里和赫温在纳尼亚过着幸福快乐的生活,一直活到了一大把年纪呢。它们并未结为夫妻,而是各自成家立业。每隔几个月,它们总要单独或结伴奔驰过关口,来安瓦德探望它们的老朋友。

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