t ter t of t under t  oak ayed for  ten days or so in t spring  c far  from tern end of Lantern aste and some ing of t ease, aate and pomp of Cair Paravel, ty.

    irian, and y and ty-five years  old; rong and  ill scanty.  face.

    t spring morning except  friend,  Je stood close beside ts neck  bent round poliss blue  teness of its flank.

    quot;I cannot set myself to any  today, Je; said t;I  can t t  today?”

    quot;t idings ever ; said Je;if true.”

    quot; be true?quot; said t;It is more t t birds came flying over us saying, Aslan is o  Narnia again.

    And after t it  seen  t ain ag.  e. t dark Man  from Calormen. t t as a t. And t  nigoo had seen Aslan.”

    quot;Indeed, Sire,quot; ans;I believe it all. If I seem not to, it is  only t my joy is too great to let my belief settle itself. It is almost too beautiful to  believe.”

    quot;Yes,quot; said t sig a s. quot;It is  beyond all t I ever hoped for in all my life.”

    quot;Listen!quot; said Jeting his head on one side and cocking his ears  forward.

    quot; is it?quot; asked the King.

    quot;; said Je;A galloping  must  be one of taurs. And look, there he is.”

    A great, golden bearded Centaur,  on  on nut flanks, daso topped, and bo;; it cried in a voice as deep as a bulls.

    quot;; said toing lodge. quot;A boaur. elcome, Roon. ell us your errand.”

    A page came out of t o taur. taur raised t;I drink first to Aslan and truto your Majesty.”

    rong men) at one draugy boo the page.

    quot;No,quot; said t;Do you bring us more news of Aslan?”

    Roon looked very grave, frotle.

    quot;Sire,quot; ;You knoars; for  aurs live longer terrible tten in tly since tars say  not t t been sucrous conjunctions of ts for five  o come and y  t some great evil  last nig  Aslan is abroad in Narnia. Sire, do not believe tale. It cannot be. tars never lie,  but Men and Beasts do. If Aslan o Narnia told it.  If  gracious stars would be assembled in  is all a lie.”

    quot;A lie!quot; said t; creature in Narnia or all to lie on sucter?quot; And,  kno, .

    quot;t I kno, Lord King,quot; said taur. quot;But I knoars.”

    quot;I ; said Je; come tars  foretold ot tars but t not said  in all tories t  a tame lion.”

    quot;ell said, ; cried t;t a tame lion.

    It comes in many tales.”

    Roon  raised o say sometly to turned to listen  to a  o t of  t t see t. But the words.

    quot;oe, ; called t;oe for my broters! oe  for trees! te. t us. e are being  felled. Great trees are falling, falling, falling.”

    it quot;fallingquot; t. S  so tall t aurs yet sree too. It  is o explain if you  quite unmistakable once you  in tirian and ts kne once t sree.

    quot;Justice, Lord King!quot; s;Come to our aid. Protect your people.  tern aste.

    Forty great trunks of my broters are already on the ground.”

    quot;, Lady! Felling Lantern aste? Murdering talking trees?quot; cried to  and drahe Mane of Aslan-”

    quot;A-a-a-; gasped time  after time as if under repeated blo once s  from under  ree, miles away,  down.

    For a moment t t   speak. t;Come, friends. e must go up river and find t one of them alive.”

    quot;Sire, ; said Jewel.

    But Roon said, quot;Sire, be  range  doings on foot. If too feo meet t o  while -”

    quot;I   tent of a second,quot; said t;But  me a score of men-at-arms, all ed, and a score of  talking Dogs, and ten D tonefoot t. Bring all ter us as quickly as may be.”

    quot;it; said Roon. And at once urned and galloped  Easthe valley.

    trode on at a great pace, sometimes muttering to imes clencs. Je t jingle of a ric  and four hoofs.

    turned up it  and t on t. Soon after t to to ters edge.  t t, noo ford to reac. It o tirians arm-pits, but Je on  so as to break t, and  tirian put rong arm round trong neck and t safely over. till so angry t iced ter. But of course  of o shore.

    t and Lantern  aste straig gone more topped  and bot t. t; ; and Je;Look!”

    quot;It is a raft,quot; said King tirian.

    And so it runks, all ne and neogeto make a raft, and ly do of t ter rat o steer  it.

    quot;er-Rat!  are you about?quot; cried the King.

    quot;taking logs doo sell to t; said t, touc ouched his cap if he had had one.

    quot;Calormenes!quot; tirian. quot; do you mean? rees to be felled?”

    tly at t time of t t  t ter-Rat looked back over its sed  out:  quot;t;  t .

    tared at one anotened ttle.

    quot;Aslan,quot; said t last, in a very lo;Aslan. Could it be  true? Could rees and murdering the Dryads?”

    quot;Unless t; murmured  Jewel.

    quot;But selling to Calormenes!quot; said t;Is it possible?”

    quot;I dont kno; said Je; a tame lion.”

    quot;ell,quot; said t last, quot; go on and take ture t  comes to us.”

    quot;It is t for us to do, Sire,quot; said t see at t  o go on alone; nor did too angry to t muche  end.

    Suddenly the King leaned hard on his friends neck and bowed his head.

    quot;Je; ;w lies before us? s arise in my  . If we oday we should have been happy.”

    quot;Yes,quot; said Je;e oo long. t t; tood like t for a minute or t on.

    Before long timber,  t because t of  top of it t into Lantern aste itself.  And turned we w.

    Rig ancient forest - t forest ree of Protection - a broad lane  he river.

    t cro raining as t  t t struck t about  talking Beasts  but Men.

    t t t t great and cruel country t lies  beyond Arc to t meet a Calormene or t tirian could not  understand . ig arm. the men.

    t as  t stuck in a bad muddy place.

    quot;Get on, son of slot; cried their whips.

    training h foam.

    quot;ork, lazy brute,quot; sed one of truck t  thing  happened.

    Up till noirian aken it for granted t tless animals like the horses of our  own world.

    And ted to see even a dumb  trees. It   anyone o alking o use  a w.

    But as t savage blo;Fool and tyrant! Do you not see I am doing all I can?”

    irian kne t t kno up, t dooget  moment botirians s by Jewels horn.