04 The dwarf tells of Prince Caspian 03
The Chronicles of Narnia, Prince Caspian, chapter 4, The dwarf tells of Prince Caspian, 3.
Of all his lessons with Doctor Cornelius the one that Caspian liked best was History. Up till now, except for Nurse’s stories, he had known nothing about the History of Narnia, and he was very surprised to learn that the royal family were newcomers in the country.
“It was your Highness’s ancestor, Caspian the First,”said Doctor Cornelius,“who first conquered Narnia and made it his kingdom. It was he who brought all your nation into the country. You are not native Narnians at all. You are all Telmarines—that is, you all came from the Land of Telmar, far beyond the Western Mountains. That is why Caspian the First is called Caspian the Conqueror.”
“Please, Doctor,”asked Caspian one day,“who lived in Narnia before we all came here out of Telmar?”
“No men—or very few—lived in Narnia before the Telmarines took it,”said Doctor Cornelius.
“Then who did my great-great-grandcesters conquer?”
“Whom, not who, your Highness,”said Doctor Cornelius“Perhaps it is time to turn from History to Grammar.”
“Oh please, not yet,”said Caspian.“I mean, wasn’t there a battle? Why is he called Caspian the Conqueror if there was nobody to fight with him?”
“I said there were very few men in Narnia,”said the Doctor, looking at the little boy very strangely through his great spectacles.
For a moment Caspian was puzzled and then suddenly his heart gave a leap.“Do you mean,”he gasped,“that there were other things? Do you mean it was like in the stories? Were there—?”
“Hush!”said Doctor Cornelius, laying his head very close to Caspian’s.“Not a word more. Don’t you know your Nurse was sent away for telling you about Old Narnia? The King doesn’t like it. If he found me telling you secrets, you’d be whipped and I should have my head cut off.”
“But why?”asked Caspian.
“It is high time we turned to Grammar now,”said Doctor Cornelius in a loud voice.“Will your Royal Highness be pleased to open Pulverulentus Siccus at the fourth page of his Grammatical garden or the Arbour of Accidence pleasantlie open’d to Tender Wits?”
After that it was all nouns and verbs till lunchtime, but I don’t think Caspian learned much. He was too excited. He felt sure that Doctor Cornelius would not have said so much unless he meant to tell him more sooner or later.
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