Thirdly， the pain itself made Puddleglum’s head for a moment perfectly clear and he knew exactly what he really thought. There is nothing like a good shock of pain for dissolving certain kinds of magic. “One word， Ma‘am，” he said， coming back from the fire； limping， because of the pain. “One word. All you’ve been saying is quite right， I shouldn‘t wonder. I’m a chap who always liked to know the worst and then put the best face I can on it. So I won‘t deny any of what you said. But there’s one thing more to be said， even so. Suppose we have only dreamed， or made up， all those things-trees and grass and sunand moon and stars and Aslan himself. Suppose we have. Then all I
can say is that， in that case， the made-up things seem a good deal more important than the real ones. Suppose this black pit of a kingdom of yours is the only world. Well， it strikes me as a pretty poor one. And that‘s a funny thing， when you come to think of it. We’re just babies making up a game， if you‘re right. But four babies playing a game can make a play-world which licks your real world hollow. That’s why I‘m going to stand by the play-world. I’m on Aslan‘s side even if there isn’t any Aslan to lead it. I‘m going to live as like a Narnian as I can even if there isn’t any Narnia. So， thanking you kindly for our supper， if thesetwo gentlemen and the young lady are ready， we‘re leaving your court at once and setting out in the dark to spend our lives looking for the Overland. Not that our lives will be very long， I should think； but that’s a small loss if the world‘s as dull a place as you say.”
“Oh， hurrah！ Good old Puddleglum！” cried Scrubb and Jill. But the Prince shouted suddenly， “Ware！ Look to the Witch.”
When they did look their hair nearly stood on end.
The instrument dropped from her hands. Her arms appeared to be fastened to her sides. Her legs were intertwined with each other， and her feet had disappeared. The long green train of her skirt thickened and grew solid， and seemed to be all one piece with the writhing green pillar of her interlocked legs. And that writhing green pillar was curving and swaying as if it had no joints， or else were all joints. Her head was thrown far back and while her nose grew longer and longer， every other part of her face seemed to disappear， except her eyes. Huge flaming eyes they were now， without brows or lashes. All this takes time to write down； it happened so quickly that there was only just time to see it. Long before there was time to do anything， the change was complete， and the great serpent which the Witch had become， green as poison， thick as Jill’s waist， had flung two or three coils of its loathsome body round the Prince‘s legs. Quick as lightning another great loop darted round， intending to pinion his sword-arm to his side. But the Prince was just in time. He raised his arms and got them clear： the living knot closed only round his chest-ready to crack his ribs like firewood when it drew tight.
The Prince caught the creature’s neck in his left hand， trying to squeeze it till it choked. This held its face （if you could call it a face） about five inches from his own. The forked tongue flickered horribly in and out， but could not reach him. With his right hand he drew back his sword for the strongest blow he could give. Meanwhile Scrubb and Puddleglum had drawn their weapons and rushed to his aid. All three blows fell at once： Scrubb‘s （which did not even pierce the scales and did no good） on the body of the snake below the Prince’s hand， but the Prince‘s own blow and Puddleglum’s both on its neck. Even that
did not quite kill it， though it began to loosen its hold on Rilian‘s legs and chest. With repeated blows they hacked off its head. The horrible thing went on coiling and moving like a bit of wire long after it had died； and the floor， as you may imagine， was a nasty mess.
The Prince， when he had breath， said， “Gentlemen， I thank you.” Then the three conquerors stood staring at one another and panting， without another word， for a long time. Jill had very wisely sat down and was keeping quiet； she was saying to herself， “I do hope I don’t faint-or blub-or do anything idiotic.”
“My royal mother is avenged，” said Rilian presently. “This isundoubtedly the same worm that I pursued in vain by the fountain in the forest of Narnia， so many years ago. All these years I have been the slave of my mother‘s slayer. Yet I am glad， gentlemen， that the foul Witch took to her serpent form at the last. It would not have suited well either with my heart or with my honour to have slain a woman. But look to the lady.” He meant Jill.
“I’m all right， thanks，” said she.
“Damsel，” said the Prince， bowing to her. “You are of a high courage， and therefore， I doubt not， you come of a noble blood in your own world. But come， friends. Here is some wine left. Let us refresh ourselves and each pledge his fellows. After that， to our plans.”
“A jolly good idea， Sir，” said Scrubb.
中文阅读
两个地下人走了过来，但是没有走进房间，而是一边一个，站在了门的两旁，深深地弯腰鞠躬。紧跟在他们后边的，是谁都没有预料到的、而且是最不想见到的人：绿衣女士，地下世界的女王。她站在门道里一动不动，他们能够看到她的眼珠子在滴溜溜地转动，把整个形势尽收眼底--三个陌生人，银椅子成了碎片，王子恢复了自由，手握宝剑。
她的脸色异常苍白。吉尔觉得，有些人脸上出现那种苍白，往往不是由于害怕，而是由于愤怒。有一会儿工夫，她两眼紧紧地盯着王子，眼神中充满了杀气。接着，她好像改变了主意。
“走开，”她对两个地下人说，“我如果不叫你们，谁也不准上来打扰我们，违者处死。”地精顺从地啪嗒啪嗒走开了。巫婆女王把门关上，上了锁。
“这是怎么一回事，我的王子殿下，”她说，“你夜晚的发作还没有开始，还是这么快就过去了？你站在这里，为什么没有被捆绑？这些异乡人是谁？是他们弄坏了作为你唯一保障的椅子吗？”
她对瑞连王子说话时，他不由颤抖了起来。这没有什么好奇怪的，要在半个小时之内破除已经奴役他十年的魔法，绝不是一件容易的事。费了好大的劲儿，他才开口说道：
“女士，再也不需要那把椅子了。你曾经跟我说过不下一百遍，你如何对我这个被魔法束缚的人深表同情，听到魔法已经被永远破除，无疑你应该感到欣喜。看起来，夫人施的魔法出了点小小的纰漏。这些人，我真正的朋友们，把我从魔法中解救了出来。现在我的神志已经正常，我想告诉你两件事情：首先，夫人你预谋让我带领地下人的队伍，冲到地上的世界，用武力去征服那个从未伤害过我的国家--谋杀他们本国的君臣，像一个嗜血的外邦暴君那样，攫取他们的王位--既然我清醒了过来，便对此全然憎恶，并把它当做一个邪恶的勾当加以拒绝。其次，我是纳尼亚的王子瑞连，卡斯宾十世、也就是航海者卡斯宾的独生儿子。因此，夫人，我要立即离开你的宫廷，回到我自己的国家。这是我的目的，也是我的职责。请你允许我和我的朋友安全离开，并派人引导我们走出你的黑暗王国。”
