“Nay， little one，” said Aslan， laying his velvety paw ever so lightly on Reepicheep’s head. “They would do dreadful things to you in that world. They would show you at fairs. It is others who must lead.”
“Come on，” said Peter suddenly to Edmund and Lucy. “Our time‘s up.”
“What do you mean？” said Edmund.
“This way，” said Susan， who seemed to know all about it. “Back into the trees. We’ve got to change.”
“Change what？” asked Lucy.
“Our clothes， of course，” said Susan. “Nice fools we‘d look on the platform of an English station in these.”
“But our other things are at Caspian’s castle，” said Edmund.
“No， they‘re not，” said Peter， still leading the way into the thickest wood. “They’re all here. They were brought down in bundles this morning. It‘s all arranged.”
“Was that what Aslan was talking to you and Susan about this morning？” asked Lucy.
“Yes-that and other things，” said Peter， his face very solemn. “I can’t tell it all to you. There were things he wanted to say to Su and me because we‘re not coming back to Narnia.”
“Never？” cried Edmund and Lucy in dismay.
“Oh， you two are，” answered Peter. “At least， from what he said， I’m pretty sure he means you to get back some day. But not Su and me. He says we‘re getting too old.”
“Oh， Peter，” said Lucy. “What awful bad luck. Can you bear it？” “Well， I think I can，” said Peter. “It’s all rather different from whatI thought. You‘ll understand when it comes to your last time. But， quick， here are our things.”
It was odd， and not very nice， to take off their royal clothes and to come back in their school things （not very fresh now） into that great assembly. One or two of the nastier Telmarines jeered. But the other creatures all cheered and rose up in honour of Peter the High King， and Queen Susan of the Horn， and King Edmund， and Queen Lucy. There were affectionate and （on Lucy’s part） tearful farewells with all their old friends-animal kisses， and hugs from Bulgy Bears，and hands wrung by Trumpkin， and a last tickly， whiskerish embrace
with Trufflehunter. And of course Caspian offered the Horn back to Susan and of course Susan told him to keep it. And then， wonderfully and terribly， it was farewell to Aslan himself， and Peter took his place with Susan‘s hands on his shoulders and Edmund’s on hers and Lucy‘s on his and the first of the Telmarine’s on Lucy‘s， and so in a long line they moved forward to the Door. After that came a moment which is hard to describe， for the children seemed to be seeing three things at once. One was the mouth of a cave opening into the glaring green and blue of an island in the Pacific， where all the Telmarines wouldfind themselves the moment they were through the Door. The second was a glade in Narnia， the faces of Dwarfs and Beasts， the deep eyes of Aslan， and the white patches on the Badger’s cheeks. But the third （which rapidly swallowed up the other two） was the grey， gravelly surface of a platform in a country station， and a seat with luggage round it， where they were all sitting as if they had never moved from it-a little flat and dreary for a moment after all they； had been
through， but also， unexpectedly， nice in its own way， what with thefamiliar railway smell and the English sky and the summer term before them.
“Well！” said Peter. “We have had a time.”
“Bother！” said Edmund. “I‘ve left my new torch in Narnia.”
中文阅读
看到阿斯兰，提尔玛兵丁一个个吓得面如土色，两条腿像筛糠一样抖个不停，很多人甚至像团泥一样瘫倒在地。他们从来都不相信有狮子，所以这使得他们倍感恐惧。就连红矮人，虽然知道狮子是朋友，也还是大张着嘴巴，说不出话来。尼克布里克手下的那些黑矮人，悄悄地溜到了一边。但所有会说话的动物都围拢在阿斯兰的身旁，发出快活的呜呜声、呼噜声、吱吱声和嘶鸣声，向他摇尾示好，或者在他身上蹭一下，或者尊敬地用鼻子吻他一下，还有的在他身子底下，也就是他的四条腿之间钻来钻去。如果你见过一只小猫怎样与它熟悉并信任的一条大狗亲热，那就是对它们行为的极好写照。这时，彼得领着卡斯宾从动物群中挤了进来。
“阁下，这是卡斯宾，”他说。卡斯宾跪了下来，吻了吻狮子的前爪。
“欢迎，王子，”阿斯兰说，“你觉得自己有足够的能力来统治纳尼亚吗？”
“我--我觉得自己不行，阁下，”卡斯宾说，“我还是一个孩子。”“很好，”阿斯兰说，“如果你觉得自己大有能力，那将证明你还不称职。现在，我们和大帝授权给你和你的后裔，你们将成为纳尼亚王，凯尔帕拉维尔城堡的主人，孤独岛的统治者。你的加冕仪式--那边它们抬来个什么东西？”这时，只见一支奇特的队伍走过来--一共有十一只老鼠，六只老鼠抬着一个树枝做的担架，担架还没有一本地图册大，上面放着一个什么东西。这些老鼠个个悲痛欲绝，身上沾满了泥巴--还有的身上血迹斑斑--它们耷拉着耳朵，低垂着胡须，拖着尾巴在草地上缓缓地走着。走在队伍前面的老鼠用风笛吹奏着一首哀伤的乐曲。担架上那一小堆血肉模糊的皮毛，就是雷匹奇普。它身上伤痕累累，一只爪子粉碎性骨折，屁股上包着绷带，尾巴已经不知去向。尽管它一息尚存，但已经危在旦夕。
“喂，露西。”阿斯兰说。露西迅速拿出她的钻石小瓶。虽说雷匹奇普每个伤口只需要一滴药水，但由于它遍体鳞伤，露西花了好长时间才给老鼠涂完药。大家静静地、焦虑地等候着。只见老鼠从担架上一跃而起，一只爪子握住了剑柄，另一只爪子捻着自己的胡须。它鞠了一躬。
“向你致敬，阿斯兰！”它用尖细的嗓门喊道，“我荣幸地--”突然它僵在了那里。
事实是它依然没有尾巴--不知是露西忘记了，还是因为药水只能治伤，却无法使失去的部分重新长出来。雷匹奇普鞠躬时才意识到了自己的损伤，也许是它感觉到自己的平衡出了问题。它隔着右肩扭头朝身后望去，没有看见自己的尾巴。它使劲儿伸长脖子，直到两个肩膀和整个身子都转了过去，无奈这时它的屁股也挪了地方，移到了它的视线之外。于是，它又扭头隔着左肩朝后望去，结果还是一样。它反复转动了三次身子，这才意识到可怕的真相。
“我真该死，”雷匹奇普对阿斯兰说，“以这种不成体统的样子来朝见你，我实在羞愧难当。我祈求阁下的赦免。”
“这无损于你的形象，小家伙。”阿斯兰说。
“这实在有伤大雅，”雷匹奇普答道，“如果女王陛下能够补救的话……”说到这里，它朝露西鞠了个躬。
“为什么你非要一条尾巴不可？”阿斯兰问它。“阁下，”老鼠说，“没有尾巴，我照样能吃能睡，能够为国王陛下赴汤蹈火。但是尾巴关系到一只老鼠的名誉和荣耀。”“朋友，我有时在想，”阿斯兰说，“你是否太在意自己的名誉了。”
“至高无上的王啊，”雷匹奇普说，“请允许我提醒阁下，您赋予我们老鼠渺小的身材，如果我们不保护自己的尊严，有些家伙（它们用身高来衡量人的价值）就会拿我们寻开心。那正是为什么我不遗余力地告诫人们，谁若不想吃我一剑的话，就不要在我面前提起捕鼠器，或是干酪、蜡烛台之类的东西，不行，先生--即便是纳尼亚最高大的傻瓜也不行！”说到这里，它抬眼狠狠地怒视着维姆布威若，但巨人总是比别人的反应慢上一拍，没有注意到老鼠在他脚边嘀咕些什么，因此没有理会它。
“你的部下为什么都把它们的剑抽了出来，我可以问一下吗？”阿斯兰说。“至高的君王请听，”名叫皮皮奇科的副队长说，“如果我们的头领被剥夺了拥有尾巴的荣誉，我们也要分担它的耻辱。我们准备把自己的尾巴也一刀砍掉。”
“啊！”阿斯兰高声感叹道，“你们说服了我。你们拥有伟大的心灵。雷匹奇普，你将重新得到你的尾巴。我这样做不是为了你们的荣誉，而是为了你们之间的爱。同时还是为了感谢很久以前你们对我表示的善意，你们咬断了把我捆绑在石桌上的绳索（尽管你们早就忘了，但就是从那时起，你们才成为会说话的老鼠）。”
阿斯兰话音未落，雷匹奇普的新尾巴就已经长了出来。接着，遵照阿斯兰的命令，彼得授予卡斯宾“狮子骑士团骑士”的称号。刚刚被封为骑士的卡斯宾又将骑士头衔授予特路弗汉特、特伦普金和雷匹奇普，任命科尼利亚斯博士为大法官，认可了胖熊世袭公证人的职位。人群中响起一阵阵热烈的掌声。在这之后，提尔玛士兵们被押解着过了渡口，关在伯鲁那城中。人们不但没有嘲笑或殴打他们，还给他们送来了牛肉和啤酒。只是在蹚过河水时，提尔玛士兵们大惊小怪，好不容易才说服他们。因为他们对河水的厌恶与惧怕不亚于对树木和动物的反感。最后，这些麻烦事儿总算都解决了，那个漫长的一天中最美好的时光开始了。
