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CHAPTER ONE

BY CALDRON POOL

IN the last days of Narnia, far up to the west beyond Lantern Waste and close beside the great waterfall, there lived an Ape He was so old that no one could remember when he had first coliest, ine He had a little house, built of wood and thatched with leaves, up in the fork of a great tree, and his na Beasts or Men or Dwarfs, or people of any sort, in that part of the wood, but Shift had one friend and neighbour as a donkey called Puzzle At least they both said they were friends, but froht Puzzle was more like Shift's servant than his friend He did all the work When they went together to the river, Shift filled the big skin bottles ater but it was Puzzle who carried the from the towns further down the river it was Puzzle ent doith empty panniers on his back and came back with the panniers full and heavy And all the nicest things that Puzzle brought back were eaten by Shift; for as Shift said, "You see, Puzzle, I can't eat grass and thistles like you, so it's only fair I should make it up in other ways" And Puzzle always said, "Of course, Shift, of course I see that" Puzzle never complained, because he knew that Shift was far cleverer than hiht it was very kind of Shift to be friends with hi, Shift would always say, "Now, Puzzle, I understand what needs to be done better than you You know you're not clever, Puzzle" And Puzzle always said, "No, Shift It's quite true I'h and do whatever Shift had said

Onealong the shore of Caldron Pool Caldron Pool is the big pool right under the cliffs at the western end of Narnia The great waterfall pours down into it with a noise like everlasting thunder, and the River of Narnia flows out on the other side The waterfall keeps the Pool always dancing and bubbling and churning round and round as if it were on the boil, and that of course is how it got its na when the waterfall is swollen with all the snow that has melted off the mountains from up beyond Narnia in the Western Wild from which the river comes And as they looked at Caldron Pool Shift suddenly pointed with his dark, skinny finger and said,

"Look! What's that?"

"What's what?" said Puzzle

"That yellow thing that's just co We must find out what it is"

"Must we?" said Puzzle

"Of course weuseful Just hop into the Pool like a good fellow and fish it out Then we can have a proper look at it"

"Hop into the Pool?" said Puzzle, twitching his long ears

"Well how are we to get it if you don't?" said the Ape

"But - but," said Puzzle, "wouldn't it be better if you went in? Because, you see, it's you ants to knohat it is, and I don't ood as a Man or a Dhen it coot hoofs"

"Really, Puzzle," said Shift, "I didn't think you'd ever say a thing like that I didn't think it of you, really"

"Why, what have I said wrong?" said the Ass, speaking in rather a humble voice, for he saw that Shift was very deeply offended "All I meant was -"

"Wanting o into the water," said the Ape "As if you didn't know perfectly eak chests Apes always have and how easily they catch cold! Very well I will go in I'o in I shall probably die Then you'll be sorry" And Shift's voice sounded as if he was just going to burst into tears

"Please don't, please don't, please don't," said Puzzle, half braying, and half talking "I neverof the sort, Shift, really I didn't You kno stupid I a at a tio in Youit yourself Promise me you won't, Shift"

So Shift promised, and Puzzle went cloppety-clop on his four hoofs round the rocky edge of the Pool to find a place where he could get in Quite apart fro and foa water, and Puzzle had to stand and shiver for a whole minute before he made up his mind to do it But then Shift called out from behind him and said: "Perhaps I'd better do it after all, Puzzle" And when Puzzle heard that he said, "No, no You promised I'm in now," and in he went

A great ot him in the face and filled his ether for a few seconds, and when he caain he was in quite another part of the Pool Then the swirl caught him and carried hiht under the waterfall itself, and the force of the water plunged hiht he would never be able to hold his breath till he caot so to catch, it sailed away froot under the fall and was forced down to the bottoain it was further from him than ever But at last, when he was almost tired to death, and bruised all over and nu with his teeth And out he ca his front hoofs tangled up in it, for it was as big as a large hearthrug, and it was very heavy and cold and slimy

He flung it down in front of Shift and stood dripping and shivering and trying to get his breath back But the Ape never looked at hi round and round the Thing and spreading it out and patting it and sleam came into his eye and he said:

"It is a lion's skin"

"Ee - auh - auh - oh, is it?" gasped Puzzle

"NoonderI wonderI wonder," said Shift to hi very hard

"I wonder who killed the poor lion," said Puzzle presently "It ought to be buried We must have a funeral"

"Oh, it wasn't a Talking Lion," said Shift "You needn't bother about that There are no Talking Beasts up beyond the Falls, up in the Western Wild This skin ed to a dumb, wild lion"

This, by the as true A Hunter, a Man, had killed and skinned this lion somewhere up in the Western Wild several months before But that doesn't come into this story

"All the saed to a duive it a decent burial? I mean, aren't all lions rather - well, rather solemn? Because of you know Who Don't you see?"

"Don't you start getting ideas into your head, Puzzle," said Shift "Because, you know, thinking isn't your strong point We'll make this skin into a fine inter coat for you"

"Oh, I don't think I'd like that," said the Donkey "It would look - I ht think - that is to say, I shouldn't feel -"

"What are you talking about?" said Shift, scratching hi way up as Apes do

"I don't think it would be respectful to the Great Lion, to Aslan himself, if an ass like me went about dressed up in a lion-skin," said Puzzle