chater ix the ele that lived hidg (第4/4页)
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“Can’t we？”said Caspian．
“No，”said Trufflehunter．“We have no power over them．Since the Humans came into the land，felling forests and defiling streams，the Dryads and Naiads have sunk into a deep sleep．Who knows if ever they will stir again？ And that is a great loss to our side．The Telmarines are horribly afraid of the woods，and once the Trees moved in anger，our enemies would go mad with fright and be chased out of Narnia as quick as their legs could carry them．”
“What imaginations you Animals have！”said Trumpkin，who didn’t believe in such things．“But why stop at Trees and Waters？ Wouldn’t it be even nicer if the stones started throwing themselves at old Miraz？”
The Badger only grunted at this，and after that there was such a silence that Caspian had nearly dropped off to sleep when he thought he heard a faint musical sound from the depth of the woods at his back．Then he thought it was only a dream and turned over again; but as soon as his ear touched the ground he felt or heard it was hard to tell which a faint beating or drumming．He raised his head．The beating noise at once became fainter，but the music returned，clearer this time．It was like flutes．He saw that Trufflehunter was sitting up staring into the wood．The moon was bright; Caspian had been asleep longer than he thought．Nearer and nearer came the music，a tune wild and yet dreamy，and the noise of many light feet，till at last，out from the wood into the moonlight，came dancing shapes such as Caspian had been thinking of all his life．They were not much taller than dwarfs，but far slighter and more graceful．Their curly heads had little horns，the upper part of their bodies gleamed naked in the pale light，but their legs and feet were those of goats．
“Fauns！”cried Caspian，jumping up，and in a moment they were all round him．It took next to no time to explain the whole situation to them and they accepted Caspian at once．Before he knew what he was doing he found himself joining in the dance．Trumpkin，with heavier and jerkier movements，did likewise and even Trufflehunter hopped and lumbered about as best he could．Only Nikabrik stayed where he was，looking on in silence．The Fauns footed it all round Caspian to their reedy pipes．Their strange faces，which seemed mournful and merry all at once，looked into his; dozens of Fauns，Mentius and Obentinus and Dumnus，Voluns，Voltinus，Girbius，Nimienus，Nausus，and Oscuns．Pattertwig had sent them all．
When Caspian awoke next morning he could hardly believe that it had not all been a dream; but the grass was covered with little cloven hoof-marks．
