Clive Lewis - The Last Battle

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 come to live in those parts, and he was the cleverest, ugliest, most wrinkled Ape you can imagine. He had a little house, built of wood and thatched with leaves, up in the fork of a great tree, and his name was Shift. There were very few Talking Beasts or Men or Dwarfs, or people of any sort, in that part of the wood, but Shift had one friend and neighbour who was a donkey called Puzzle. At least they both said they were friends, but from the way things went on you might have thought Puzzle was more like Shifts servant than his friend. He did all the work. When they went together to the river, Shift filled the big skin bottles with water but it was Puzzle who carried them back. When they wanted anything from the towns further down the river it was Puzzle who went down with 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 cant eat grass and thistles like you, so its 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 himself and he thought it was very kind of Shift to be friends with him at all. And if ever Puzzle did try to argue about anything, Shift would always say, Now, Puzzle, I understand what needs to be done better than you. You know youre not clever, Puzzle. And Puzzle always said, No, Shift. Its quite true. Im not clever. Then he would sigh and do whatever Shift had said.

One morning early in the year the pair of them were out walking along 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 name of Caldron Pool. It is liveliest in the early spring 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! Whats that?

Whats what? said Puzzle.

That yellow thing thats just come down the waterfall. Look! There it is again, its floating. We must find out what it is.

Must we? said Puzzle.

Of course we must, said Shift. It may be something useful. 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 dont? said the Ape.

Butbut, said Puzzle, wouldnt it be better if you went in? Because, you see, its you who wants to know what it is, and I dont much. And youve got hands, you see. Youre as good as a Man or a Dwarf when it comes to catching hold of things. Ive only got hoofs.

Really, Puzzle, said Shift, I didnt think youd ever say a thing like that. I didnt 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 me to go into the water, said the Ape. As if you didnt know perfectly well what weak chests Apes always have and how easily they catch cold! Very well. I will go in. Im feeling cold enough already in this cruel wind. But Ill go in. I shall probably die. Then youll be sorry. And Shifts voice sounded as if he was just going to burst into tears.

Please dont, please dont, please dont, said Puzzle, half braying, and half talking. I never meant anything of the sort, Shift, really I didnt. You know how stupid I am and how I cant think of more than one thing at a time. Id forgotten about your weak chest. Of course Ill go in. You mustnt think of doing it yourself. Promise me you wont, 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 from the cold it was no joke getting into that quivering and foaming 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 Id better do it after all, Puzzle. And when Puzzle heard that he said, No, no. You promised. Im in now, and in he went.

A great mass of foam got him in the face and filled his mouth with water and blinded him. Then he went under altogether for a few seconds, and when he came up again he was in quite another part of the Pool. Then the swirl caught him and carried him round and round and faster and faster till it took him right under the waterfall itself, and the force of the water plunged him down, deep down, so that he thought he would never be able to hold his breath till he came up again. And when he had come up and when at last he got somewhere near the thing he was trying to catch, it sailed away from him till it too got under the fall and was forced down to the bottom. When it came up again it was further from him than ever. But at last, when he was almost tired to death, and bruised all over and numb with cold, he succeeded in gripping the thing with his teeth. And out he came carrying it in front of him and getting 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 him or asked him how he felt. The Ape was too busy going round and round the Thing and spreading it out and patting it and smelling it. Then a wicked gleam came into his eye and he said:

It is a lions skin.

Eeauhauhoh, is it? gasped Puzzle.

Now I wonder... I wonder... I wonder, said Shift to himself, for he was thinking very hard.

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

Oh, it wasnt a Talking Lion, said Shift. You neednt bother about that. There are no Talking Beasts up beyond the Falls, up in the Western Wild. This skin must have belonged to a dumb, wild lion.

This, by the way, was true. A Hunter, a Man, had killed and skinned this lion somewhere up in the Western Wild several months before. But that doesnt come into this story.

All the same, Shift, said Puzzle, even if the skin only belonged to a dumb, wild lion, oughtnt we to give it a decent burial? I mean, arent all lions ratherwell, rather solemn? Because of you know Who. Dont you see?

Dont you start getting ideas into your head, Puzzle, said Shift. Because, you know, thinking isnt your strong point. Well make this skin into a fine warm winter coat for you.

Oh, I dont think Id like that, said the Donkey. It would lookI mean, the other Beasts might thinkthat is to say, I shouldnt feel

What are you talking about? said Shift, scratching himself the wrong way up as Apes do.

I dont 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.

Now dont stand arguing, please, said Shift. What does an ass like you know about things of that sort? You know youre no good at thinking, Puzzle, so why dont you let me do your thinking for you? Why dont you treat me as I treat you? I dont think I can do everything. I know youre better at some things than I am. Thats why I let you go into the Pool; I knew youd do it better than me. But why cant I have my turn when it comes to something I can do and you cant? Am I never to be allowed to do anything? Do be fair. Turn and turn about.