“Pleasedon't, pleasedon't, pleasedon't, ” saidPuzzle, halfbraying, andhalftalking.“Inevermeantanythingofthesort, Shift, reallyIdidn''tthinkofmorethanonethingatatime.I''''t, Shift.”
SoShiftpromised, , : “PerhapsI'dbetterdoitafterall, Puzzle.” AndwhenPuzzleheardthathesaid, “No, .I'minnow, ”andinhewent.
, , andtheforceofthewaterplungedhimdown, deepdown, , , whenhewasalmosttiredtodeath, andbruisedalloverandnumbwithcold, , foritwasasbigasalargehearthrug, anditwasveryheavyandcoldandslimy.
:
“Itisalion'sskin.”
“Ee—auh—auh—oh, isit? ” gaspedPuzzle.
“NowIwonder...Iwonder...Iwonder, ” saidShifttohimself, forhewasthinkingveryhard.
“Iwonderwhokilledthepoorlion, ” saidPuzzlepresently.“.”
“Oh, itwasn'taTalkingLion, ” saidShift.“Youneedn', , wildlion.”
This, bytheway, , aMan, 'tcomeintothisstory.
“Allthesame, Shift, ” saidPuzzle, “eveniftheskinonlybelongedtoadumb, wildlion, oughtn'twetogiveitadecentburial? Imean, aren'talllionsrather—well, rathersolemn? 'tyousee? ”
“Don'tyoustartgettingideasintoyourhead, Puzzle, ” saidShift.“Because, youknow, thinkingisn''llmakethisskinintoafinewarmwintercoatforyou.”
“Oh, Idon'tthinkI'dlikethat, ” saidtheDonkey.“Itwouldlook—Imean, theotherBeastsmightthink—thatistosay, Ishouldn'tfeel—”
“Whatareyoutalkingabout? ” saidShift, scratchinghimselfthewrongwayupasApesdo.
“Idon'tthinkitwouldberespectfultotheGreatLion, toAslanhimself, ifanasslikemewentaboutdressedupinalion-skin, ” saidPuzzle.
