CHAPTER FIFTEEN THE DISAPPEARANCE OF JILL（第3/3页）

“Please it your Highness,”said the oldest of the Dwarfs，“there is some attempt at a supper in the cave yonder，prepared against the ending of the snow-dance—”

“With a good will，Father,”said the Prince. “For never had any Prince，Knight，Gentleman，or Bear so good a stomach to his victuals as we four wanderers have tonight.”

The whole crowd began to move away through the trees towards the cave. Jill heard Puddleglum saying to those who pressed round him. No，no，my story can wait. Nothing worth talking about has happened to me. I want to hear the news. Don’t try breaking it to me gently，for I’d rather have it all at once. Has the King been shipwrecked ？ Any forest fires ？ No wars on the Calormen border ？ Or a few dragons，I shouldn’t wonder ？

“And all the creatures laughed aloud and said,”Isn’t that just like a Marsh-wiggle ？

The two children were nearly dropping with tiredness and hunger，but the warmth of the cave，and the very sight of it， with the firelight dancing on the walls and dressers and cups and saucers and plates and on the smooth stone floor，just as it does in a farmhouse kitchen，revived them a little. All the same they went fast asleep while supper was being got ready. And while they slept Prince Rilian was talking over the whole adventure with the older and wiser Beasts and Dwarfs. And now they all saw what it meant；how a wicked Witch（doubtless the same kind as that White Witch who had brought the Great Winter on Narnia long ago）had contrived the whole thing，first killing Rilian’s mother and enchanting Rilian himself. And they saw how she had dug right under Narnia and was going to break out and rule it through Rilian：and how he had never dreamed that the country of which she would make him king（king in name，but really her slave） was his own country. And from the children’s part of the story they saw how she was in league and friendship with the dangerous giants of Harfang. “And the lesson of it all is，your Highness,”said the oldest Dwarf，“that those Northern Witches always mean the same thing，but in every age they have a different plan for getting it.”