“What oh?” said Doctor elius. “Has your Majesty got grasshoppers—or mosquitoes—in your army?” Then after stooping doeering carefully through his spectacles, he broke into a laugh.
“By the Lion,” he swore, “it’s a mou. Signior Mou, I desire your better acquaintance. I am honored by meeting so valiant a beast.”
“My friendship you shall have, learned Man,” piped Reepicheep. “And any Dwarf—iant—in the army who does not give you good language shall have my sword to re with.”
“Is there time for this foolery?” asked Nikabrik. “What are our plans? Battle or flight?”
“Battle if need be,” said Trumpkin. “But we are hardly ready for it yet, and this is no very defensible place.”
“I don’t like the idea of running away,” said Caspian.
“Hear him！ Hear him！” said the Bulgy Bears. “Whatever we do, don’t let’s have any running. Especially not before supper； and not too soon after it her.”
“Tho who run first do not always run last,” said the taur. “And why should we let the enemy choo our position instead of choosing it ourlves? Let us find a strong place.”
“That’s wi, your Majesty, that’s wi,” said Trufflehunter.
“But where are we to go?” asked veral voices.
“Your Majesty,” said Doctor elius, “and all you variety of creatures, I think we must fly east and down the river to the great woods. The Telmarines hate that region. They have always been afraid of the a and of something that may e over the a. That is why they have let the great woods grow up. If traditions speak true, the a Cair Paravel was at the river-mouth. All that part is friendly to us and hateful to our enemies. We must go to Aslan’s How.”
“Aslan’s How?” said veral voices. “We do not know what it is.”
“It lies within the skirts of the Great Woods and it is a huge mound whiarnians raid in very aimes over a very magical place, where there stood—and perhaps still stands—a very magical Stohe Mound is all hollowed out within into galleries and caves, and the Stone is in the tral cave of all. There is room in the mound for all our stores, and tho of us who have most need of cover and are most aced to underground life be lodged in the caves. The rest of us lie in the wood. At a pinch all of us （except this worthy Giant） could retreat into the Mound itlf, and there we should be beyond the reach of every danger except famine.”