SHASTA IN NARNIA "WAS it all a dream?" wondered Shasta. But it couldnt have been a dream for there in the grass before him he saw the deep, large print of the Lions frht paw. It took ones breath away to think of the weight that could make a footprint like that. But there was something more remarkable than the size about it. As he looked at it, water had already filled the bottom of it. Soon it was full to the brim, and then overflowing, and a little stream was running downhill, past him, over the grass.
Shasta stooped and drank - a very long drink - and then dipped his fa and splashed his head. It was extremely cold, and clear as glass, and refreshed him very much. After that he stood up, shaking the water out of his ears and flinging the wet hair back from his forehead, and began to take stock of his surroundings.
Apparently it was still very early m. The sun had only just risen, and it had risen out of the forests which he san and far away on his right. The try j which he was looking at was absolutely o him. It was t a green valley-land dotted with trees through which he caught the gleam of a river that wound away roughly to the North-West. On the far side of the valley there were high and even rocky hills, but they were lower than the mountains he had seeerday. Then he began to guess where he was.
He turned and looked behind him and saw that the slope on which he was standing beloe of far higher mountains.
"I see," said Shasta to himself. "Those are the big mountaiween Arland and Narnia. I was on the°. other side of them yesterday. I must have e through the pass in the night. What luck that I hit it! - at least it wasnt luck at all really, it was Him. And now Im in Narnia.」
He turned and unsaddled his horse and took off its bridle - "Though you are a perfectly horrid horse," he said. It took no notice of this remark and immediately begaing grass. That horse had a very low opinion of Shasta.
"I wish I could eat grass!" thought Shasta. "Its no good going back to Anvard, itll all be besieged. Id better get lower down into the valley and see if I get anything to eat.」
So he went on downhill (the thick dew was cruelly cold to his bare feet) till he came into a wood. There was a kind of track running through it and he had not followed this for many minutes when he heard a thid rather wheezy voice saying to him.
"Good m, neighbour.」
Shasta looked round eagerly to find the speaker and presently saw a small, prickly person with a dark face who had just e out from among the trees. At least, it was small for a person but very big indeed for a hedgehog, which was what it was.
"Good m," said Shasta. "But Im not a neighbour. In fact Im a stranger in these parts.」
"Ah?" said the Hedgehog inquiringly.
"Ive e over the mountains - from Arland, you know.」
"Ha, Arland," said the Hedgehog. "Thats a terrible long way. Never been there myself.」
"And I think, perhaps," said Shasta, "someone ought to be told that theres an army of savage etag Anvard at this very moment.」
"You dont say so!" answered the Hedgehog. "Well, think of that. And they do say that en is hundreds and thousands of miles away, right at the worlds end, across a great sea of sand.」
"Its not nearly as far as you think," said Shasta. "And oughtnt something to be done about this atta Anvard? Oughtnt yh King to be told?」
"Certain sure, something ought to b