Out of the trees wild people stepped forth， gods Fauns and Satyrs and Dwarfs. Out of the river rose the river god with his Naiad daughters. And all these and all the beasts and birds in their different voices， low or high or thick or clear， replied：
“Hail， Aslan. We hear and obey. We are awake. We love. We think. We speak. We know.”
“But please， we don’t know very much yet，” said a nosey and snorty kind of voice. And that really did make the children jump， for it was the cab.horse who had spoken.
“Good old Strawberry，” said Polly. “I am glad he was one of the ones picked out to be a Talking Beast.” And the Cabby， who was now standing beside the children， said， “Strike me pink. I always did say that ‘oss ’ad a lot of sense， though.”
“Creatures， I give you yourselves，” said the strong， happy voice of Aslan. “I give to you for ever this land of Narnia. I give you the woods， the fruits， the rivers. I give you the stars and I give you myself. The Dumb Beasts whom I have not chosen are yours also. Treat them gently and cherish them but do not go back to their ways lest you cease to be Talking Beasts. For out of them you were taken and into them you can return. Do not so.”
