THE DWARF TELLS OF PRINCE CASPIAN PRINCE CASPIAN lived in a great castle in the tre of Narnia with his uncle, Miraz, the King of Narnia, and his aunt, who had red hair and was called Queen Prunaprismia.
His father and mother were dead and the person whom Caspian loved best was his nurse, and though (being a prince) he had wonderful toys which would do almost anything but talk, he liked best the last hour of the day wheoys had all been put ba their cupboards and Nurse would tell him stories.
He did not care much for his uncle and aunt, but about twice a week his uncle would send for him and they would walk up and down together for half an hour oerrace at the south side of the castle. One day, while they were doing this, the King said to him, "Well, boy, we must soon teach you to ride and use a sword. You know that your aunt and I have no children, so it looks as if you might have to be King when Im gone. How shall you like that, eh?」
"I dont know, Uncle," said Caspian.
"Dont know, eh?" said Miraz. "Why, I should like to know what more anyone could wish for!」
"All the same, I do wish," said Caspian.
"What do you wish?" asked the King.
"I wish - I wish - I wish I could have lived in the Old Days," said Caspian. (He was only a very little boy at the time.)
Up till now King Miraz had been talking iiresome way that some grown-ups have, which makes it quite clear that they are not really ied in what you are saying, but now he suddenly gave Caspian a very sharp look.
"Eh? Whats that?" he said. "What old days do you mean?」
"Oh, dont you know, Uncle?" said Caspian. "Whehing was quite different. When all the animals could talk, and there were nice people who lived ireams and the trees. Naiads and Dryads they were called. And there were Dwarfs. And there were lovely little Fauns in all the woods. They had feet like goats. And -」
"Thats all nonsense, for babies," said the King sternly. "Only fit for babies, do you hear?
Yetting too old for that sort of stuff. At ye you ought to be thinking of battles and adventures, not fairy tales.」
"Oh, but there were battles and adventures in those days," said Caspian. "Wonderful adventures. Ohere was a White Witd she made herself Queen of the whole try. And she made it so that it was always winter. And then two boys and two girls came from somewhere and so they killed the Witd they were made Kings and Queens of Narnia, and their names were Peter and Susan and Edmund and Lucy. And so they reigned for ever so long and everyone had a lovely time, and it was all because of Aslan -」
"Whos he?" said Miraz. And if Caspian had been a very little older, the tone of his uncles voice would have warned him that it would be wiser to shut up. But he babbled on, "Oh, dont you know?" he said. "Aslan is the great Lion who es from over the sea.」
"Who has been telling you all this nonsense?" said the King in a voice of thunder.
Caspian was frightened and said nothing.
"Your Royal Highness," said King Miraz, letting go of Caspians hand, which he had been holding till now, "I insist upon being answered. Look me in the face. Who has been telling you this pack of lies?」
"N - Nurse," faltered Caspian, and burst into tears.
"Stop that noise," said his uaking Caspian by the shoulders and giving ham a shake.
"Stop it. And never let me catch you talking - or thinkiher - about all thos