“You must think we’re blooming soft in the head, that you must,” said Griffle. “We‘ve been taken in once and now you expect us to be taken in again the next minute. We’ve no more use for stories about Aslan, see! Look at him! An old moke with long ears!”
“By heaven, you make me mad,” said Tirian. “Which of us said that was Aslan? That is the Ape‘s imitation of the real Aslan. Can’t you understand?”
“And you‘ve got a better imitation, I suppose!” said Griffle. “No thanks. We’ve been fooled once and we‘re not going to be fooled again.”
“I have not,” said Tirian angrily, “I serve the real Aslan.” “Where’s he? Who‘s he? Show him to us!” said severalDwarfs.
“Do you think I keep him in my wallet, fools?” said Tirian. “Who am I that I could make Aslan appear at my bidding? He’s not a tame lion.”
The moment those words were out of his mouth he realized that he had made a false move. The Dwarfs at once began repeating “not a tame lion, not a tame lion,” in aering sing.song. “That‘s what the other lot kept on telling s,” said one.
“Do you mean you don’t believe in the real Aslan?” said ll. “But I‘ve seen him. And he has sent us two here out of a ifferent world.”