But suddenly Edmund said，"Look here.We mustn't waste the battery：goodness knows how often we shall need it.Hadn't we better take what we want and get out again？"

"We must take the gifts，"said Peter.For long ago at a Christmas in Narnia he and Susan and Lucy had been given certain presents which they valued more than their whole kingdom.Edmund had had no gift，because he was not with them at the time.(This was his own fault，and you can read about it in the other book.)

They all agreed with Peter and walked up the path to the wall at the far end of the treasure chamber，and there，sure enough，the gifts were still hanging.Lucy's was the smallest for it was only a little bottle.But the bottle was made of diamond instead of glass，and it was still more than half full of the magical cordial which would heal almost every wound and every illness.Lucy said nothing and looked very solemn as she took her gift down from its place and slung the belt over her shoulder and once more felt the bottle at her side where it used to hang in the old days.Susan's gift had been a bow and arrows and a horn.The bow was still there，and the ivory quiver，full of wellfeathered arrows，but-"Oh，Susan，"said Lucy "Where's the horn？"

"Oh bother，bother，bother，"said Susan after she had thought fora moment "I remember now.I took it with me the last day of all，the day we went hunting the White Stag.It must have got lost when we blundered back into that other place-England，I mean."

Edmund whistled.It was indeed a shattering loss；for this was an enchanted horn and，whenever you blew it，help was certain to come to you，wherever you were.

"Just the sort of thing that might come in handy in a place like this，"said Edmund.

"Never mind，"said Susan，"I've still got the bow."And she took it."Won't the string be perished，Su？"said Peter.

But whether by some magic in the air of the treasure chamber or not，the bow was still in working order.Archery and swimming were the things Susan was good at.In a moment she had bent the bow and then she gave one little pluck to the string.It twanged：a chirruping twang that vibrated through the whole room.And that one small noise brought back the old days to the children's minds more than anything that had happened yet.All the battles and hunts and feasts came rushing into their heads together.

Then she unstrung the bow again and slung the quiver at her side.Next，Peter took down his gift-the shield with the great red lion on it，and the royal sword.He blew，and rapped them on the floor，to get off the dust.He fitted the shield on his arm and slung the sword by his side.He was afraid at first that it might be rusty and stick to the sheath.But it was not so.With one swift motion he drew it and held it up，shining in the torchlight.

"It is my sword Rhindon，"he said；"with it I killed the Wolf."There was a new tone in his voice，and the others all felt that he was really Peter the High King again.Then，after a little pause，everyone remembered that they must save the battery.

They climbed the stair again and made up a good fire and lay down close together for warmth.The ground was very hard and uncomfortable，but they fell asleep in the end.

中文閱讀

“這不是一個花園，”很快，蘇珊開口說道，“過去一定是座城堡，這兒想必就是城堡的院子。”

“我明白你的意思，”彼得說，“沒錯。那是一座塔樓的殘余。那些是通到墻頭上去的臺階。再看看其他那些臺階——那些不太陡的寬臺階——一直通到那個門道。那肯定是通向大廳的門。”

“從它衰敗的樣子來看，這是許多世紀以前的事兒了。”埃德蒙說。

“是的，很久以前，”彼得說，“希望我們能夠發現，是誰曾經在這座古堡里住過，那是什么時候的事情。”

“我有一種奇怪的感覺。”露西說。

“是嗎，露？”彼得說著，轉過身來，定睛看著她，“我也有同樣的感覺。這是這個奇怪的一天所發生的最奇怪的事情。我很想知道，我們是在哪兒？這一切又都意味著什么？”

他們一邊交談，一邊穿過庭院，經過另一個門道，進入了以前的大廳。這里和庭院已經沒有多少差別，屋頂早就不見了，到處長滿了青草和雛菊。與庭院相比，不同之處在于其面積比較狹小，墻壁顯得略高一些。在大廳的另一端有個平臺之類的東西，比地面高出來大約有一米。

“我懷疑，這里以前真的是個大廳嗎？”蘇珊說，“那個臺子是做什么用的？”

“哦，你可真笨，”彼得說（他莫名其妙地興奮起來），“難道你沒看出來？那是放置御案的平臺，國王與大臣就在那上面就座。人們會以為，你已經忘記了我們自己曾經是國王與女王，曾經高坐在宮廷中類似的平臺上。”

“就在我們的凱爾帕拉維爾城堡，”蘇珊用一種夢囈般的、如歌如述的聲音繼續說道，“在納尼亞大河的河口。我怎么會忘記呢？”

“但愿那一幕又會重新上演！”露西說，“我們可以裝作是在凱爾帕拉維爾，這個大廳一定與我們宴樂的宮廷非常相似。”

“不幸的是沒有宴席，”埃德蒙說，“你們要知道，天色已晚。看看影子變得有多長了。你們沒有注意到嗎，溫度已經沒有那么高了。”

“如果在這里過夜的話，我們需要一個篝火，”彼得說，“我帶著火柴。我們出去看看，能不能撿到一些干柴。”