Thisisastoryaboutsomethingthathappenedlongagowhenyourgrandfatherwasachild.ItisaveryimportantstorybecauseitshowshowallthecomingsandgoingsbetweenourownworldandthelandofNarniafirstbegan.
InthosedaysMr。SherlockHolmeswasstilllivinginBakerStreetandtheBastableswerelookingfortreasureintheLewishamRoad.Inthosedays,ifyouwereaboyyouhadtowearastiffEtoncollareveryday,andschoolswereusuallynastierthannow.Butmealswerenicer;andasforsweets,Iwon’ttellyouhowcheapandgoodtheywere,becauseitwouldonlymakeyourmouthwaterinvain.AndinthosedaystherelivedinLondonagirlcalledPollyPlummer.
Shelivedinoneofalongrowofhouseswhichwerealljoinedtogether.Onemorningshewasoutinthebackgardenwhenaboyscrambledupfromthegardennextdoorandputhisfaceoverthewall.Pollywasverysurprisedbecauseuptillnowtherehadneverbeenanychildreninthathouse,butonlyMr。KetterleyandMissKetterley,abrotherandsister,oldbachelorandoldmaid,livingtogether.Soshelookedup,fullofcuriosity.Thefaceofthestrangeboywasverygrubby.Itcouldhardlyhavebeengrubbierifhehadfirstrubbedhishandsintheearth,andthenhadagoodcry,andthendriedhisfacewithhishands.Asamatteroffact,thiswasverynearlywhathehadbeendoing.
“Hullo,”saidPolly.
“Hullo,”saidtheboy.“What’syourname?”
“Polly,”saidPolly.“What’syours?”
“Digory,”saidtheboy.
“Isay,whatafunnyname!”saidPolly.
“Itisn’thalfsofunnyasPolly,”saidDigory.
“Yesitis,”saidPolly.
“No,itisn’t,”saidDigory.
“AtanyrateIdowashmyface,”saidPolly,“Whichiswhatyouneedtodo;especiallyafter-”andthenshestopped.Shehadbeengoingtosay“Afteryou’vebeenblubbing,”butshethoughtthatwouldn’tbepolite.
“Allright,Ihavethen,”saidDigoryinamuchloudervoice,likeaboywhowassomiserablethathedidn’tcarewhoknewhehadbeencrying.“Andsowouldyou,”hewenton,“ifyou’dlivedallyourlifeinthecountryandhadapony,andariveratthebottomofthegarden,andthenbeenbroughttoliveinabeastlyHolelikethis.”
“Londonisn’taHole,”saidPollyindignantly.Buttheboywastoowounduptotakeanynoticeofher,andhewenton“AndifyourfatherwasawayinIndia-andyouhadtocomeandlivewithanAuntandanUnclewho’smad(whowouldlikethat?)-andifthereasonwasthattheywerelookingafteryourMother-andifyourMotherwasillandwasgoingto-goingto-die.”Thenhisfacewentthewrongsortofshapeasitdoesifyou’retryingtokeepbackyourtears.
“Ididn’tknow.I’msorry,”saidPollyhumbly.Andthen,becauseshehardlyknewwhattosay,andalsototurnDigory’smindtocheerfulsubjects,sheasked:
“IsMr。Ketterleyreallymad?”
“Welleitherhe’smad,”saidDigory,“orthere’ssomeothermystery.HehasastudyonthetopfloorandAuntLettysaysImustnevergoupthere.Well,thatlooksfishytobeginwith.Andthenthere’sanotherthing.Wheneverhetriestosayanythingtomeatmealtimes-henevereventriestotalktoher-shealwaysshutshimup.Shesays,‘Don’tworrytheboy,Andrew‘or’I’msureDigorydoesn’twanttohearaboutthat‘orelse’Now,Digory,wouldn’tyouliketogooutandplayinthegarden?”
“Whatsortofthingsdoeshetrytosay?”
“Idon’tknow.Henevergetsfarenough.Butthere’smorethanthat.Onenight-itwaslastnightinfact-asIwasgoingpastthefootoftheattic-stairsonmywaytobed(andIdon’tmuchcareforgoingpastthemeither)I’msureIheardayell.”
“Perhapshekeepsamadwifeshutupthere.”
“Yes,I’vethoughtofthat.
“Orperhapshe’sacoiner.”
“Orhemighthavebeenapirate,likethemanatthebeginningofTreasureIsland,andbealwayshidingfromhisoldshipmates.”
“Howexciting!”saidPolly,“Ineverknewyourhousewassointeresting.”
“Youmaythinkitinteresting,”saidDigory.“Butyouwouldn’tlikeitifyouhadtosleepthere.HowwouldyouliketolieawakelisteningforUncleAndrew’ssteptocomecreepingalongthepassagetoyourroom?Andhehassuchawfuleyes.”
ThatwashowPollyandDigorygottoknowoneanother:andasitwasjustthebeginningofthesummerholidaysandneitherofthemwasgoingtotheseathatyear,theymetnearlyeveryday.
Theiradventuresbeganchieflybecauseitwasoneofthewettestandcoldestsummerstherehadbeenforyears.Thatdrovethemtodoindoorthings:youmightsay,indoorexploration.Itiswonderfulhowmuchexploringyoucandowithastumpofcandleinabighouse,orinarowofhouses.Pollyhaddiscoveredlongagothatifyouopenedacertainlittledoorinthebox-roomatticofherhouseyouwouldfindthecisternandadarkplacebehinditwhichyoucouldgetintobyalittlecarefulclimbing.Thedarkplacewaslikealongtunnelwithbrickwallononesideandslopingroofontheother.Intherooftherewerelittlechunksoflightbetweentheslates.Therewasnofloorinthistunnel:youhadtostepfromraftertorafter,andbetweenthemtherewasonlyplaster.Ifyousteppedonthisyouwouldfindyourselffallingthroughtheceilingoftheroombelow.Pollyhadusedthebitofthetunneljustbesidethecisternasasmugglers’cave.Shehadbroughtupbitsofoldpackingcasesandtheseatsofbrokenkitchenchairs,andthingsofthatsort,andspreadthemacrossfromraftertoraftersoastomakeabitoffloor.Hereshekeptacash-boxcontainingvarioustreasures,andastoryshewaswritingandusuallyafewapples.Shehadoftendrunkaquietbottleofginger-beerinthere:theoldbottlesmadeitlookmorelikeasmugglers’cave.
Digoryquitelikedthecave(shewouldn’tlethimseethestory)buthewasmoreinterestedinexploring.