Читать книгу Boxen: Childhood Chronicles Before Narnia - Клайв Льюис, Клайв Стейплз Льюис, Walter Hooper - Страница 8

We had been listening to Peter all the afternoon, but now we went out to enjoy the cool summer air. ‘Peter’ was the famous and illoustrius knighte Sir Peter Mouse and ‘We’ myself and some friends. Peter had been telling us a goode olde taile about a knight and his ladye. She was called Maude.

But we had got tired of the legande, the good knighte was telling, and perchance it was an easy one to get tired of. So we did come into the grounds of Pip Castle to enjoy ye fine summer winds.

Now quoth I to Sir Peter, ‘Wilt go a-hawking on the banks of the Jemima my lord?’

‘Sooth a goodly speech,’ quoth Dorimie.

But Sir Peter said, ‘Nay nay sirs more serios work is there than that. Hast not heard the news from Murry?’

‘Nay tell it me good sir,’ quoth I.

And Sir Peter said, ‘The cats have beseiged Murry and it is like to fall into there hands if we do not send them help very soon.’

‘Well gossip that is surely bad news,’ said Dorimie, ‘and if thy worship will consent we shall send help in the morning.’

‘I my self will head the expedition. Huray!!’

Next morning after an early breakfast we started in the direction of Murry which we sighted in the late evening. It was surrounded completly by the enemyes tents. I realy felt quite thin as we skurried about among these rows of guns and armed men (cats I mean). Once we were chalanged but we pretended to be a cat picket, then we camped in the shadow of a friendly forest.

In the early morning we covered our shining armour with dark cloaks and crept up behind the cat-sentrys back each and killed him. Then we rushed in and set fire to the hostile tents. The confusion was dreadfull. Everywhere the boom and sullen thunder of guns, the groans of the wounded the crackle of the fires and the wild shouts of ‘Sir Peter for ever’ then on ‘In the name of the king!’ When all of a suden the long fierce strain was over. The cats had fled. There camp was smoking ruins. Murry gates were open. The seige was raised!