CHAPTER TWELVE THE QUEEN OF UNDERLAND（第3/3页）

“Oh，hurrah ！ Good old Puddleglum ！”cried Scrubb and Jill. But the Prince shouted suddenly，“Ware ！ Look to the Witch.”

When they did look their hair nearly stood on end.

The instrument dropped from her hands. Her arms appeared to be fastened to her sides. Her legs were intertwined with each other，and her feet had disappeared. The long green train of her skirt thickened and grew solid，and seemed to be all one piece with the writhing green pillar of her interlocked legs. And that writhing green pillar was curving and swaying as if it had no joints，or else were all joints. Her head was thrown far back and while her nose grew longer and longer，every other part of her face seemed to disappear，except her eyes. Huge flaming eyes they were now， without brows or lashes. All this takes time to write down；it happened so quickly that there was only just time to see it. Long before there was time to do anything，the change was complete， and the great serpent which the Witch had become，green as poison，thick as Jill’s waist，had flung two or three coils of its loathsome body round the Prince’s legs. Quick as lightning another great loop darted round，intending to pinion his sword-arm to his side. But the Prince was just in time. He raised his arms and got them clear：the living knot closed only round his chest-ready to crack his ribs like firewood when it drew tight.

The Prince caught the creature’s neck in his left hand，trying to squeeze it till it choked. This held its face（if you could call it a face）about five inches from his own. The forked tongue flickered horribly in and out，but could not reach him. With his right hand he drew back his sword for the strongest blow he could give. Meanwhile Scrubb and Puddleglum had drawn their weapons and rushed to his aid. All three blows fell at once：Scrubb’s（which did not even pierce the scales and did no good）on the body of the snake below the Prince’s hand，but the Prince’s own blow and Puddleglum’s both on its neck. Even that did not quite kill it， though it began to loosen its hold on Rilian’s legs and chest. With repeated blows they hacked off its head. The horrible thing went on coiling and moving like a bit of wire long after it had died；and the floor，as you may imagine，was a nasty mess.

The Prince，when he had breath，said，“Gentlemen，I thank you.”Then the three conquerors stood staring at one another and panting，without another word，for a long time. Jill had very wisely sat down and was keeping quiet；she was saying to herself，“I do hope I don’t faint—or blub—or do anything idiotic.”

“My royal mother is avenged,”said Rilian presently. “This is undoubtedly the same worm that I pursued in vain by the fountain in the forest of Narnia，so many years ago. All these years I have been the slave of my mother’s slayer. Yet I am glad，gentlemen， that the foul Witch took to her serpent form at the last. It would not have suited well either with my heart or with my honour to have slain a woman. But look to the lady.”He meant Jill.

“I’m all right，thanks,”said she.

“Damsel,”said the Prince，bowing to her. “You are of a high courage，and therefore，I doubt not，you come of a noble blood in your own world. But come，friends. Here is some wine left. Let us refresh ourselves and each pledge his fellows. After that，to our plans.”

“A jolly good idea，Sir,”said Scrubb.