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could not have seen even the sun if their eyes had not been strengthened by the water of the last sea。 but now they could look at the rising sun and see it clearly and see things beyond it。 what they saw … eastward； beyond the sun … was a range of mountains。 it was so high that either
they never saw the top of it or they forgot it。 none of them remembers seeing any sky in that direction。 and the mountains must really have been outside the world。 for any mountains even a quarter of a twentieth of that height ought to have had ice and snow on them。 but these were warm and green and full； of forests and waterfalls however high you looked。 and suddenly there came a breeze from the east； tossing the top of the wave into foamy shapes and ruffling the smooth water all round them。 it lasted only a second or so but what it brought them in that second none of those three children will ever forget。
it brought both a smell and a sound； a musical sound edmund and eustace would never talk about it afterwards。 lucy could only say； 〃it would break your heart。〃 〃why；〃 said i； 〃was it so sad： 〃 〃sad！！ no；〃 said lucy。
no one in that boat doubted chat they were seeing beyond the end of the world into aslans country。
at that moment； with a crunch； the boat ran aground。 the water was too shallow now for it。 〃this；〃 said reepicheep； 〃is where i go on alone。”
they did not even try to stop dim； for everything now felt as if it had been fated or had happened before。 they helped him to lower his little coracle。 then he took off his sword （〃i shall need it no more；〃 he said） and flung it far away across the idled sea。 where it fell it stood upright with the hilt above the surface。 then he bade them goodbye trying to be sad for their sakes but he was quivering with happiness。 lucy； for the first and last time； did what she had always wanted to do； taking him in her arms and caressing him。 then hastily he got into his coracle and took his paddle； and the current caught it and away he went； very black against the lilies。 but no lilies grew on the wave； it was a smooth green slope。 the coracle went more and more quickly； and beautifully it rushed up the waves side。 for one split second they saw its shape and reepicheeps on the very top。 then it vanished； and since that moment no one can truly claim to have seen reepicheep the mouse。 but my belief is that he came safe to aslans country and is alive there to this day。
as the sun rose the sight of those mountains outside the world faded away。 the wave remained but there was only blue sky behind it。
the children got out of the boat and waded … not towards the wave but southward with the wall of water on their left。 they could not have told you why they did this； it was their fate。 and though they had felt … and been very grown…up on the dawn treader； they now felt just the opposite and held hands as they waded through the lilies。 they never felt tired。 the water was warm and all the time it got shallower。 at last they were on dry sand； and then on grass … a huge plain of very fine short grass； almost level with the silver sea and spreading in every direction without so much as a molehill。
and of course； as it always does in a perfectly flat place without trees； it looked as if the sky came down to meet the grass in front of them。 but as they went on they got the strangest impression that here at last the sky did really e down and join the earth … a
blue wall； very bright； but real and solid： more like glass than anything else。 and soon they were quite sure of it。 it was very near now。
but between them and the foot of the sky there was something so white on the green grass that even with their eagles eyes they could hardly look at it。 they came on and saw that it was a lamb。
〃e and have breakfast；〃 said the lamb in its sweet milky voice。
then they noticed for the first time that there was a fire lit on the grass and fish roasting on it。 they sat down and ate the fish； hungry now for the first time for many days。 and it was the most delicious food they had ever tasted。
〃please； lamb；〃 said lucy； 〃is this the way to aslans country？”
〃not for you；〃 said the lamb。 〃for you the door into aslans country is from your own world。”
〃what！〃 said edmund。 〃is there a way into aslans country from our world too？”
〃there is a way into my country from all the worlds；〃 said the lamb； but as he spoke his snowy white flushed into tawny gold and his size changed and he was aslan himself； towering above them and scattering light from his mane。
〃oh； aslan；〃 said lucy。 〃will you tell us how to get into your country from our world？”
〃i shall be telling you all the time；〃 said aslan。 〃but i will not tell you how long or short the way will be； only that it lies across a river。 but do not fear that； for i am the great bridge builder。 and now e； i will open the door in the sky and send you to your own land。”
〃please； aslan；〃 said lucy。 〃before we go； will you tell us when we can e back to narnia again？ please。 and oh； do； do； do make it soon。〃 〃dearest；〃 said aslan very gently； 〃you and your brother will never e balk to narnia。”
〃oh； aslan！！〃 said edmund and lucy both together in despairing voices。
〃you are too old； children；〃 said aslan； 〃and you must begin to e close to your own world now。”
〃it isnt narnia； you know；〃 sobbed lucy。 〃its you。 we shant meet you there。 and how can we live； never meeting you？”
〃but you shall meet me； dear one；〃 said aslan。
〃are are you there too； sir？〃 said edmund。
〃i am；〃 said aslan。 〃but there i have another name。 you must learn to know me by that name。 this was the very reason why you were brought to narnia； that by knowing me here for a little； you may know me better there。”
〃and is eustace never to e back here either？〃 said lucy。
〃child；〃 said aslan； 〃do you really need to know that？ e； i am opening the door in the sky。〃 then all in one moment there was a rending of the blue wall （like a curtain being torn） and a terrible white light from beyond the sky； and the feel of aslans mane and a lions kiss on their foreheads and then … the bark bedroom in aunt albertas home in cambridge。
only two more things need to be told。 one is that caspian and his men all came safely back to ramandus island。 and the three lords woke from their sleep。 caspian married ramandus daughter and they all reached narnia in the end； and she became a great queen and the mother and grandmother of great kings。 the other is that back in our own world everyone soon started saying how eustace had improved； and how 〃youd never know him for the same boy〃： everyone except aunt alberta； who said he had bee very monplace and tiresome and it must have been the influence of those pevensie children。
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