CHAPTER NINE THE GREAT MEETING ON STABLE HILL（第2/2页）

“Now，Cat，to thy post. See thou play thy part well.”

“Miaow，miaow. Count on me!”said Ginger. Then he stepped away beyond the bonfire and sat down in the front row of the assembled Beasts：in the audience，as you might say．

For really，as it happened，the whole thing was rather like a theatre. The crowd of Narnians were like the people in the seats; the little grassy place just in front of the stable，where the bonfire burned and the Ape and the Captain stood to talk to the crowd， was like the stage; the stable itself was like the scenery at the back of the stage; and Tirian and his friends were like people peering round from behind the scenery. It was a splendid position. If any of them stepped forward into the full firelight，all eyes would be fixed on him at once：on the other hand，so long as they stood still in the shadow of the end-wall of the stable，it was a hundred to one against their being noticed．

Rishda Tarkaan dragged the Ape up close to the fire. The pair of them turned to face the crowd，and this of course meant that their backs were towards Tirian and his friends．

“Now，Monkey，”said Rishda Tarkaan in a low voice.“Say the words that wiser heads have put into thy mouth. And hold up thy head.”As he spoke he gave the Ape a little prod or kick from behind with the point of his toe．

“Do leave me alone，”muttered Shift. But he sat up straighter and began，in a louder voice-“Now listen，all of you. A terrible thing has happened. A wicked thing. The wickedest thing that ever was done in Narnia. And Aslan-”

“Tashlan，fool，”whispered Rishda Tarkaan．

“Tashlan I mean，of course，”said the Ape，“is very angry about it.”

There was a terrible silence while the Beasts waited to hear what new trouble was in store for them. The little party by the end-wall of the stable also held their breath. What on earth was coming now ？

“Yes，”said the Ape.“At this very moment，when the Terrible One himself is among us-there in the stable just behind me-one wicked Beast has chosen to do what you’d think no one would dare to do even if He were a thousand miles away. It has dressed itself up in a lion-skin and is wandering about in these very woods pretending to be Aslan.”

Jill wondered for a moment if the Ape had gone mad. Was he going to tell the whole truth ？ A roar of horror and rage went up from the Beasts.“Grrr!”came the growls.“Who is he ？ Where is he ？ Just let me get my teeth into him!”

“It was seen last night，”screamed the Ape，“but it got away. It’s a Donkey! A common，miserable Ass! If any of you see that Ass-”

“Grrr!”growled the Beasts.“We will，we will. He’d better keep out of our way.”

Jill looked at the King：his mouth was open and his face was full of horror. And then she understood the devilish cunning of the enemies’ plan. By mixing a little truth with it they had made their lie far stronger. What was the good，now，of telling the Beasts that an ass had been dressed up as a lion to deceive them ？ The Ape would only say，“That’s just what I’ve said.”What was the good of showing them Puzzle in his lion-skin ？ They would only tear him in pieces.“That’s taken the wind out of our sails，”whispered Eustace.“The ground is taken from under our feet，”said Tirian.“Cursed，cursed cleverness!”said Poggin.“I’ll be sworn that this new lie is of Ginger’s making.”