“As cunning a tale， Sire， as ever was devised，” said Poggin. “It was the Cat， Ginger， who told it， and most likely made it up too. This Ginger， Sire-oh， he‘s a slyboots if ever a cat was-said he was walking past the tree to which those villains bound your Majesty. And he said （saving your reverence） that you were howling and swearing and cursing Aslan： ’language I wouldn‘t like to repeat’ were the words he used， looking ever so prim and proper-you know the way a Cat can when it pleases. And then， says Ginger， Aslan himself suddenly appeared in a flash of lightning and swallowed your Majesty up at one mouthful.
“All the Beasts trembled at this story and some fainted right away. And of course the Ape followed it up. There， he says， see what Aslan does to those who don‘t respect him. Let that be a warning to you all. And the poor creatures wailed and whined and said， it will， it will. So that in the upshot your Majesty’s escape has not set them thinking whether you still have loyal friends to aid you， but only made them more afraid and more obedient to the Ape.”
“What devilish policy！” said Tirian. “This Ginger， then， is close in the Ape‘s counsels.”
“It’s more a question by now， Sire， if the Ape is in his counsels，” replied the Dwarf. “The Ape has taken to drinking， you see. My belief is that the plot is now mostly carried on by Ginger or Rishda-that‘s the Calormene captain. And I think some words that Ginger has scattered among the Dwarfs are chiefly to blame for the scurvy return they made you. And I’ll tell you why.
One of those dreadful midnight meetings had just broken up the night before last and I‘d gone a bit of the way home when I found I’d left my pipe behind. It was a real good ‘un， an old favourite， so I
went back to look for it. But before I got to the place where I’d been sitting （it was black as pitch there） I heard a cat‘s voice say Mew and a Calormene voice say ’her . speak softly，‘ so I just stood as still as if I was frozen. And these two were Ginger and Rishda Tarkaan as they call him.
“ ’Noble Tarkaan，‘ said the Cat in that silky voice of his， ’I just wanted to know exactly what we both meant today about Aslan meaning no more than Tash.‘
“ ’Doubtless， most sagacious of cats，‘ says the other， ’you have perceived my meaning.‘
“ ’You mean，‘ says Ginger， ’that there‘s no such person as either. ‘All who are enlightened know that，’ said the Tarkaan.
“ ‘Then we can understand one another，’ purrs the Cat. “ ‘Do you， like me， grow a little weary of the Ape？’
“ ‘A stupid， greedy brute，’ says the other， ‘but we must use him for the present. Thou and I must provide for all things in secret and make the Ape do our will.’
“ ‘And it would be better， wouldn’t it，‘ said Ginger， ’to let some of the more enlightened Narnians into our counsels， one by one as we find them apt. For the Beasts who really believe in Aslan may turn at any moment-and will， if the Ape‘s folly betrays his secret. But those who care neither for Tash nor Aslan but have only an eye to their own profit and such reward as The Tisroc may give them when Narnia is a Calormene province， will be firm.’
“ ‘Excellent Cat，’ said the Captain. ‘But choose which ones carefully.’ “
While the Dwarf had been speaking the day seemed to have changed. It had been sunny when they sat down. Now Puzzle shivered. Jewel shifted his head uneasily. Jill looked up.
“It‘s clouding over，” she said. “And it’s so cold，” said Puzzle.
“Cold enough， by the Lion！” said Tirian， blowing on his hands. “And faugh！ What foul smell is this？”
“Phew！” gasped Eustace. “It‘s like something dead. Is there a dead bird somewhere about？ And why didn’t we notice it before？”
With a great upheaval Jewel scrambled to his feet and pointed with his horn.
“Look！” he cried. “Look at it！ Look， look！”
中文阅读
队伍前面的两名卡罗门士兵，误以为提里安是一位塔坎，或者是带着两名武装侍从的达官贵人，他们马上停下脚步，举起长矛向他致敬。
“哦大人，”一个士兵答道，“我们带这些侏儒到卡罗门去，让他们在提斯洛克的矿井里干活，愿提斯洛克万寿无疆。”
“凭大神塔西的名义，他们倒是非常听话。”提里安说着，突然转身面向小矮人们。每六个矮人中，有一个举着火把，在摇曳的火光中，他看见，矮人们全都瞪眼望着他，长满胡须的脸上显露出一种严厉而顽强的神情。
“矮人们，提斯洛克是不是跟你们打了一场大仗，征服了你们的国家？”他问道，“使你们毫无怨言地去普格拉韩的盐坑里送死？”
两个士兵瞠目结舌地瞪着他，小矮人们七嘴八舌地答道：“是阿斯兰的命令，阿斯兰的命令。他卖了我们。我们怎么能够反抗他呢？”
“提斯洛克，说真的，”一个矮人啐了一口，补充道，“我倒是想让他来试一下！”
“安静，狗东西！”士兵首领说道。“看！”提里安说着，把帕叟拉到了火光中，“这一切全都是谎言。阿斯兰根本没有来纳尼亚。你们是被猿猴给骗了。这就是它从马棚里拉出来糊弄你们的东西。仔细看看吧。”
如今冒牌阿斯兰近在身边，矮人们看得一清二楚，他们一定在心中暗暗琢磨，自己是如何上当受骗的。帕叟长期被囚禁在马棚之中，狮子皮早已经变得肮脏不堪。刚才在黑暗的树林中行走，它又把狮子皮碰地东扭西歪，一大半皮毛堆到一边的肩膀上，狮子头的毛皮不但歪到了一边，还滑落下一大截，人们可以看到一张愚蠢而温顺的驴脸正在向外张望。驴子嘴角上还残留着一些草，因为它是在静静吃草时被带出来的。它嘴里还在嘟囔着：“这不是我的错，我不怎么聪明。我从来都没有说自己聪明。”
所有的矮人们目瞪口呆地看着帕叟，这时一个士兵厉声叫道：“你疯了吗，大人？你对这些奴隶们说些什么？”另一个士兵问道：“你是谁？”他们俩将举起敬礼的长矛放了下来——做好了战斗准备。
“说一下口令。”士兵首领说。“这就是我的口令，”国王说着，拔出刀来，“晨光已现，谎言破产。
现在，做好防守准备吧，异教徒，我是纳尼亚的提里安。”话音未落，他像闪电般地扑到首领的身上。尤斯塔斯看到国王拔刀，他也跟着拔出刀来，冲向另一个士兵。他的脸色惨白，但我不愿因此责备他。像某些新手一样幸运，他把提里安下午教给他的技巧忘了个一干二净，挥刀乱砍一气（我无法确定，他是不是闭着眼睛），使他感到震惊的是，他发现卡罗门士兵猛地倒在他的脚下死了。的确，这使他大大地松了一口气，但也把他吓得不轻。国王的格斗比他多持续了一两秒，也干掉了对手。国王对着尤斯塔斯叫道：“小心另外那两个兵。”
其实，矮人们已经结果了剩余两个兵丁的狗命。敌人全部被消灭了。“干得好，尤斯塔斯！”提里安夸赞道，一边拍着他的肩膀，“好了，矮人们，你们自由了。明天我将率领你们去解放整个纳尼亚。为阿斯兰欢呼三声吧！”