“I'vebeentoldallmylife,” saidtheDwarf, “''swhy, whentheywanttogetridofanyone, theyusuallybringhimdownhere (liketheyweredoingwithme) andsaythey''treallydrown ''!”
“Oh,” saidSusan.“Sothat'swhytheybothranaway.”
“Eh? What'sthat?” saidtheDwarf.
“Theygotaway,” saidEdmund.“Tothemainland.”
“Iwasn'tshootingtokill, youknow,” .
“Hm,” saidtheDwarf.“That'.”
“Whatweretheygoingtodrownyoufor?” askedPeter.
“Oh, I'madangerouscriminal, Iam,” saidtheDwarfcheerfully.“Butthat', Iwaswonderingifperhapsyouweregoingtoaskmetobreakfast? You'venoideawhatanappetiteitgivesone, beingexecuted.”
“There'sonlyapples,” saidLucydolefully.
“Betterthannothing, butnotsogoodasfreshfish,” saidtheDwarf.“ItlooksasifI', 'twantanyonefromthemainlandcomingdownandseeingher.”
“Ioughttohavethoughtofthatmyself,” saidPeter.
ThefourchildrenandtheDwarfwentdowntothewater'sedge, pushedofftheboatwithsomedifficulty, , , , butthewoods, whichhadgrownupsincetheirtime, madeeverythinglookverydifferent.
Whentheyhadcomeroundintoopenseaontheeastoftheisland, , , whowasamostcapableperson (and, indeed, thoughonemeetsbadDwarfs, IneverheardofaDwarfwhowasafool), cutthefishopen, cleanedthem, andsaid:“Now, whatwewantnextissomefirewood.”
“We'vegotsomeupatthecastle,” saidEdmund.
TheDwarfgavealowwhistle.“Beardsandbedsteads!” hesaid.“Sotherereallyisacastle, afterall?”
“It'sonlyaruin,” saidLucy.
