HOW THE DWARFS REFUSED TO BE TAKEN IN TIRIAN had thought - or he would have thought if he had time to think at all - that they were inside a little thatched stable, about twelve feet long and six feet wide. Iy they stood on grass, the deep blue sky was overhead, and the air which blew gently on their faces was that of a day in early summer. Not far away from them rose a grove of trees, thickly leaved, but under every leaf there peeped out the gold or faint yellow or purple lowing red of fruits such as no one has seen in our world. The fruit made Tiriahat it must be autumn but there was something in the feel of the air that told him it could not be later than Juhey all moved towards the trees.
Everyone raised his hand to pick the fruit he best liked the look of, and then everyone paused for a sed. This fruit was so beautiful that each felt "It t be meant for me... surely were not allowed to pluck it.」
"Its all right," said Peter. "I know what were all thinking. But Im sure, quite sure, we . Ive a feeling weve got to the try where everything is allowed.」
"Here goes, then!" said Eustace. And they all began to eat.
What was the fruit like? Unfortunately no one describe a taste. All I say is that, pared with those fruits, the freshest grapefruit youve ever eaten was dull, and the juiciest e was dry, and the most melting pear was hard and woody, and the sweetest wild strawberry was sour. And there were no seeds or stones, and no s. If you had oen that fruit, all the hings in this world would taste like medies after it.
But I t describe it. You t find out what it is like unless you get to that try and taste it for yourself.
When they had eaten enough, Eustace said to Kier, "You haveold us how you got here. You were just going to, when King Tirian turned up.」
"Theres not much to tell," said Peter. "Edmund and I were standing on the platform and we saw your train ing in. I remember thinking it was taking the bend far too fast. And I remember thinking how funny it was that our people were probably in the same train though Lucy didnt know about it -」
"Your people, High King?" said Tirian.
"I mean my Father and Mother - Edmunds and Lucys and mine.」
"Why were they?" asked Jill. "You doo say they know about Narnia?」
"Oh no, it had nothing to do with Narnia. They were on their way to Bristol. Id only heard they were going that m. But Edmund said theyd be bound to be going by that train." (Edmund was the sort of person who knows about railways.)
"And what happehen?" said Jill.
"Well, its not very easy to describe, is it, Edmund?" said the High King.
"Not very," said Edmund. "It wasnt at all like that other time when we were pulled out of our own world by Magic. There was a frightful roar and something hit me with a bang, but it didnt hurt. And I felt not so much scared as - well, excited. Oh - and this is one queer thing.
Id had a rather sore knee, from a hack at rugger. I noticed it had suddenly gone. And I felt very light. And then - here we were.」
"It was much the same for us in the railway carriage," said the Lord Digory, wiping the last traces of the fruit from his golden beard. "Only I think you and I, Polly, chiefly felt
that wed been unstiffened. You youngsters wont uand. But we stopped feeling old.」
"Youngsters, indeed!" said Jill. "I dont believe you two really are much older than we are here.」