One evening Drinian said to the Prince， “Your Highness must soon give over seeking the worm. There is no true vengeance on a witless brute as there might be on a man. You weary yourself in vain.” The Prince answered him， “My Lord， I have almost forgotten the worm this seven days.” Drinian asked him why， if that were so， he rode so continually in the northern woods. “My lord，” said the Prince， “I have seen there the most beautiful thing that was ever made.” “Fair Prince，” said Drinian， “of your courtesy let me ride with you tomorrow， that I also may see this fair thing.” “With a good will，” said Rilian.
Then in good time on the next day they saddled their horses and rode a great gallop into the northern woods and alighted at that same fountain where the Queen got her death. Drinian thought it strange that the Prince should choose that place of all places， to linger in. And there they rested till it came to high noon： and at noon Drinian looked up and saw the most beautiful lady he had ever seen； and she stood at the north side of the fountain and said no word but beckoned to the Prince with her hand as if she bade him come to her. And she was tall and great， shining， and wrapped in a thin garment as green as poison. And the Prince stared at her like a man out of his wits. But suddenly the lady was gone，Driman knew not where； and the two returned to Cair Paravel. It stuck in Drinian‘s mind that this shining green woman was evil.
Drinian doubted very much whether he ought not to tell this adventure to the King， but he had little wish to be a blab and a tale- bearer and so he held his tongue. But afterwards he wished he had spoken. For next day Prince Rilian rode out alone. That night he came not back， and from that hour no trace of him was ever found in Narnia nor any neighbouring land， and neither his horse nor his hat nor his cloak nor anything else was ever found.
Then Drinian in the bitterness of his heart went to Caspian and said， “Lord King， slay me speedily as a great traitor： for by my silence I have destroyed your son.” And he told him the story.
Then Caspian caught up a battle-axe and rushed upon the Lord Drinian to kill him， and Drinian stood still as a stock for the death blow. But when the axe was raised， Caspian suddenly threw it away and cried out， “I have lost my queen and my son： shall I lose my friend also？” And he fell upon the Lord Drinian’s neck and embraced him and both wept， and their friendship was not broken.
Such was the story of Rilian. And when it was over， Jill said， “I bet that serpent and that woman were the same person.”
“True， true， we think the same as you，” hooted the owls.
“But we don‘t think she killed the Prince，” said Glimfeather， “because no bones-”
“We know she didn’t，” said Scrubb. “Aslan told Pole he was still alivesomewhere.”
“That almost makes it worse，” said the oldest owl. “It means she has some use for him， and some deep scheme against Narnia. Long， long ago， at the very beginning， a White Witch came out of the north and bound our land in snow and ice for a hundred years. And we think this may be some of the same crew.”
“Very well， then，” said Scrubb. “Pole and I have got to find this Prince. Can you help us？”
“Have you any clue， you two？” asked Glimfeather.
“Yes，” said Scrubb. “We know we‘ve got to go north. And we know we’ve got to reach the ruins of a giant city.”
At this there was a greater tu-whooing than ever， and noise of birds shifting their feet and ruffling their feathers， and then all the owls started speaking at once. They all explained how very sorry they were that they themselves could not go with the children on their search for the lost Prince.
“You‘d want to travel by day， and we’d want to travel by night，” they said. “It wouldn‘t do， wouldn’t do.” One or two owls added that even here in the ruined tower it wasn‘t nearly so dark as it had been when they began， and that the parliament had been going on quite long enough. In fact， the mere mention of a journey to the ruined city of giants seemed to have damped the spirits of those birds.
But Glimfeather said： “If they want to go that way-into Ettinsmoor-we must take them to one of the Marsh-wiggles. They’re the Only people who can help them much.”
“‘True， true. Do，” said the owls.
“Come on， then，” said Glimfeather. “I’ll take one. Who‘ll take the other？ It must be done tonight.”
“I will： as far as the Marsh-wiggles，” said another owl. “Are you ready？” said Glimfeather to Jill.
“I think Pole’s asleep，” said Scrubb.
中文阅读
真是奇怪，往往你越瞌睡，越是要花更长的时间准备上床，尤其当你足够幸运，室内还生有炉火的时候。吉尔觉得，如果自己不先在炉火前坐一会儿，简直就无法脱衣就寝。一旦坐下来，她再也无法站起身来。她对自己已经说了不下五遍“我该上床了”，就在这时，窗户上“啪”的响了一声，把她吓了一大跳。
她站起身来，拉开窗帘。起初，外面一团漆黑，什么也看不见。随即，她吓得跳了起来，连连往后倒退，因为有个很大的东西撞到了窗户上，在玻璃上发出尖利的声响。一个令人十分不快的念头浮现在她的脑海中--“莫非这个国家有巨型蛾子！啊！”接着，那个东西又撞了一下，这一次她几乎可以确定，自己看见了一个鸟嘴，是那个鸟嘴撞击出了啪啪声。“这是一种大鸟，”吉尔心想。“难道是只老鹰？”她不太欢迎老鹰来访，但还是打开了窗子，向外望去。即刻，随着一阵响亮的呼呼声，那个活物落在了窗台上，站在那里堵住了整个窗户，吉尔只好朝后退出一步，给它腾出地方。原来这是一只猫头鹰。
“嘘，别做声！嘟－呜，嘟－呜，”猫头鹰说，“别发出声音。喂，你们俩对于自己所要做的事是认真的吗？”
“你指的是关于失踪王子的事吗？”吉尔说，“是的，我们必须认真去做。”此刻，她想起了狮子的声音和面孔，在大厅里欢宴和听故事的时候，她差不多已经把狮子忘得一干二净。
“好！”猫头鹰说，“那么没有时间可以浪费了。你必须立刻离开这里。我去把那个人类叫醒，然后回来找你。你最好脱下那身宫廷服装，换上适合旅行的衣服。我马上就回来。嘟－呜！”还没有得到回答，它就飞走了。
如果吉尔习惯于历险，她也许会对猫头鹰的话表示怀疑，然而她却毫无疑虑。一想到半夜出逃这种激动人心的事情，她就忘记了自己的困倦。她换上自己的羊毛衫和短裤--在短裤的腰带上有一把小刀，说不定能派上用场--她又拿了几件那位长发女子留在房间里的东西：一件垂到膝盖的短斗篷，上面还带着一个兜帽（“就是这个，下雨时还可以遮挡一下。”她心想），几块手帕和一把梳子。随后她坐下来等待。
猫头鹰返回来时，她已经在打盹儿了。“现在我们准备好了。”它说。“你最好在前面带路，”吉尔说，“我对那些过道还不熟悉。”
“嘟－呜！”猫头鹰说，“我们不打算经过城堡。那绝对不行。你要骑在我的背上。我们飞出去。”
吉尔“啊”了一声，站在那里，嘴巴张得大大的，她实在不怎么喜欢这个想法：“对你来说，我会不会太重了？”
“嘟－呜。嘟－呜！别犯傻了。我已经把那个孩子带过去了。好了。让我们先把这盏灯给弄灭了。”
