The Voyage of the Dawn Tread

RROW E

hich some of them had seen when flying over the mountains while Eustace was still a dragon. It was a low green island inhabited by nothing but rabbits and a few goats, but fr

work," sai

agon's," s

our feet long, and the paddle which still lay in it was in proportion. They thought that either it had been made for a child or else that the people of that country had be

day when it rained hard till the afternoon. Eustace lost two games of chess to Reepicheep and began to get like his old and disagreeab

eve it's stopping

s on watch, was also staring hard at something astern. Or rather, at several things. They looked a l

ian was saying, "because they w

st disappeare

another one coming

er," said

ian. "The whole thin

an we can sail, Sire," said Drinian

ions with purple blotches - except where shell fish clung to it - and shaped rather like a horse's, though without ears. It had enormous eyes, eyes made for staring through the dark depths of the ocean, and a gaping mouth filled with double rows of sharp fish-like teeth. It came up on what they first took to be a huge neck, but as m

d the Master Bowman, and several obeyed, but the arrows glanced off the Sea Serpent's hide as if it was ironplated.

d and stretched till its head was over the starboard bulwark. Then down it began to come - not on to the crowded deck but into the water, so that the whole ship was

ing a sword that Caspian had lent him. As soon as the serpent's body was near enough on the starboard side he jumped on to the bulwark and began hacking at it with

to him. And when he jumped up on to the bulwark, forward of the snake, and set his little furry back against its huge scaly, slimy back, and began pushing as hard as he could, quite a number of people saw what he

there would be floating matchwood where the ship had been and it could pick them out of the water one by one. Their only chance was to

an, pushing for their lives. For a few sickening seconds (which seemed like hours) nothing appeared to happen. Joints cracked, sweat dropped, breath came in grunts and gasps. Then they felt that the ship was moving. They saw that the snake-loop was further from the mast than it had been. But they also saw that it was smaller. And now the real danger was at hand. Could they get it over the poop, or wa

low, got the axe, and was rushing up the ladder to the poop. But just as she reached the top there came a great crashing noise like a tree coming down and the ship rocked and darted forward. For a

action on the creature's face. What is certain is that it was a very stupid animal, for instead of pursuing the ship it turned its head round and began nosing all along its own body as if it expected to find the wreckage of the Dawn Treader there. But the Dawn Treader was already well away, running before a f

urth day the wind changed to the north and the seas began to rise; by the afternoon i

d not bring them to the land before evening. By the last light of that day they steered into a natural harbour and anchored, but no one went ashore that night. In the morning they found themsel

he water casks wh

ian as he took his seat in the stern-sheets of the b

ian. "But I think it's a shorter pull t

the rain,"

eady pelting hard. "I say, let's go to the other stre

ace. "No point in getti

like tiresome people in cars who continue at forty miles an hour

an. "Why don't you bring her head ro

day with the weather yesterday, and he didn't like advice from landsmen. But h

d be seen. It was a stiffish climb through coarse grass and heather and they saw neither man nor beast, except seagulls. When they reached the top they saw that it was a very

horizon. "Sailing on and on into that with no idea what we may get to." But he

on the ridge for the wind sti

hey turned; "let's go along a bit and come down by

lace than they had expected; a deep little mountain lake, surrounded by cliffs except for a narrow channel on the seaward side o

(it was Edmund) jumped

wretched thing? . . . Ah, now I've got it . . . Hullo! It wasn't a stone at all, it's a sword-hil

k of it," said Caspian, a

hands and knees, feeling in the thick heather in every direction. Their search revealed, one by one, a helmet, a dagger, and a few coins;

all that's left of one of o

I wonder which it was. There's nothing on t

to avenge him,"

who had read several detective sto

ething very fishy about this. He c

?" asked

and leave the body. But who ever heard of a chap who'd wo

led by a wild anima

said Edmund, "that would ta

dragon?" sa

stace. "A dragon couldn'

aid Lucy. She had not felt like sitting down aga

ting up. "I don't think any of t

ad been a hot day, no doubt some would have been tempted to bathe and everyone would have had a drink. Indeed, even as it was, Eustace was on the very point o

n, made apparently of gold. It lay face downwards with its arms stretched out above its head. And it so happened that as they looked at it, the

hat was worth coming to see!

or it, Sire,"

et deep if it's an inch. Half a moment, though. It's a good thing I've brought a hunting spear with me. Let's see what the depth is like. Hold on to

elieve the statue is gold at all. It's only the

voices at once; for Edmund had

," gasped Edmund, "

aid Caspian, "and Lucy is right. It lo

ast he was bending down and looking at them - straightened himself all at

om the water. All

id and sta

nd, "look at the

bit yellow,"

Look at them. Feel them. The leather's pulled awa

Caspian. "You don

t's why it got so heavy. And it was just lapping against my feet (it's a good thing I wasn't bar

tue at all," said

p of the cliff - where we were sitting. The clothes have rotted away or been ta

Lucy. "What a

ow shave we've h

, anyone's foot, anyone's whisker, or anyone's tai

eather. Then, very cautiously, he knelt beside the pool and dipped it in. It was heather that he dip

of all the Kings of the world. I claim this land for ever as a Narnian possession. It shall be called Goldwater Is

ything it's the other way round. I am one of the four ancient sovereig

dmund, has it?" said Caspian, l

ing with boys. You're all such swaggering, bullying idiots - oooh! -" H

hough the sun had in fact gone in, passed with slow pace the hugest lion that human eyes have ever seen. In describing the scene Lucy said afterwards, "He was the size of an

he went. They looked at one anoth

said Caspian. "Have I been m

t. Let us get back on board at once. And if I might have th

ome to think of it, I don't know why. But the weather seems to be settling and

o tell for the memory of the la

Treader was once more under sail and Deathwater Island already below the horizon. "Something happened to them in that pl

ly four more. At this rate we might be home soon after the New Year.