本集演播：槑贰

后期：骐煜

英文对照在底部，请往下拉

第5节

“我猜，”科迪接着说，“他们一旦抓住公主就会威胁国王要杀了她，除非他答应这桩婚事。”

“他们会这么说，”爸爸说，“但不会杀了公主。他们会留着公主来威胁国王，恐吓说国王怎么对他们，他们就怎么对公主。”

“他们那么坏，会折磨公主来玩的，这我知道。”妈妈说。

“总之，我会看着他们，看看他们到底在干什么。”科迪说，“这太可怕了，我连想都不敢想。不过只要我有办法，一定不会让他们抓住公主的。所以，亲爱的妈妈，我的线索肯定没错，你能给我准备纸和笔还有一些豌豆布丁吗？我要马上出发。我找到一个地方可以轻轻松松翻过国王的花园围墙。”

“你得小心，那些人守着，小心别碰上了。”妈妈说。

“我会的。我不想让他们知道这件 事。他们搞砸了这个计划，只会让那些短腿怪用别的计划。真是固执的地精！我会很小心的，妈妈。而且就算碰上护卫，他们也不会杀了我，也不会吃了我。你就不用担心这个啦。”

科迪妈妈帮他把东西都准备好，他就出发了。就在公主出发去山里的那个门边上有一块大石头，科迪爬上去翻过围墙、跳进花园。一沿着溪水走，科迪就把带的绳子绑在一块石头上，带上他的锄子走。没走多远，迎面就有一只丑陋的怪物向出口走过来。狭路相逢，不管胖不胖，谁都不能一起过去。况且，科迪并没有打算放它走。不过因为地方太窄，用不了锄头，他和哥布林来了一场恶战，被咬了很多口，有些还很深，最后才用折叠小刀把哥布林杀死，战斗获胜。他把这只怪物拖出去，趁还没有 怪物出来挡路，又赶紧往里走。

、

我就不接着说他这个夜晚的探险了。他弄清了真相，知道哥布林确实在往王宫打通道，就回家吃早饭了。哥布林在挖的通道很深，科迪想，这一定是穿过王宫地下，往上进入王宫，以便伸出魔爪把小公主抓走，给那丑陋的兔唇做妻子。科迪觉得一定是这样的。

PART V

'And I fancy,' said Curdie, 'if they once got her, they would tell the king they would kill her except he consented to the marriage.'

'They might say so,' said his father, 'but they wouldn't kill her; they would keep her alive for the sake of the hold it gave them over our king. Whatever he did to them, they would threaten to do the same to the princess.'

'And they are bad enough to torment her just for their own amusement—I know that,' said his mother.

'Anyhow, I will keep a watch on them, and see what they are up to,' said Curdie. 'It's too horrible to think of. I daren't let myself do it. But they shan't have her—at least if I can help it. So, mother dear—my clue is all right—will you get me a bit of paper and a pencil and a lump of pease pudding, and I will set out at once. I saw a place where I can climb over the wall of the garden quite easily.'

'You must mind and keep out of the way of the men on the watch,' said his mother.

'That I will. I don't want them to know anything about it. They would spoil it all. The cobs would only try some other plan—they are such obstinate creatures! I shall take good care, mother. They won't kill and eat me either, if they should come upon me. So you needn't mind them.'

His mother got him what he had asked for, and Curdie set out. Close beside the door by which the princess left the garden for the mountain stood a great rock, and by climbing it Curdie got over the wall. He tied his clue to a stone just inside the channel of the stream, and took his pickaxe with him. He had not gone far before he encountered a horrid creature coming towards the mouth. The spot was too narrow for two of almost any size or shape, and besides Curdie had no wish to let the creature pass. Not being able to use his pickaxe, however, he had a severe struggle with him, and it was only after receiving many bites, some of them bad, that he succeeded in killing him with his pocket-knife. Having dragged him out, he made haste to get in again before another should stop up the way.

I need not follow him farther in this night's adventures. He returned to his breakfast, satisfied that the goblins were mining in the direction of the palace—on so low a level that their intention must, he thought, be to burrow under the walls of the king's house, and rise up inside it—in order, he fully believed, to lay hands on the little princess, and carry her off for a wife to their horrid Harelip.