;thistimebut"Merelyatrifle!

    Merelyatrifle!Anditisntreallyfinished!”

    Abovethedamtherewaswhatoughttohavebeenadeeppoolbutwasnow,ofcourse,alevelfloorreenidbelowthedam,muchlowerdown,wasmoreice,but

    insteadofbeingsmooththiswasallfrozenintothefoamyandwavyshapesinwhichthewaterhadbeenrushingalongattheverymomehefrostcame.Ahewaterhadbeentrigoverandspurtingthroughthedamtherewasnowaglitteringwalloficicles,asifthesideofthedamhadbeencoveredalloverwithflowersahsaoonsofthepurestsugar.Andoutinthemiddle,andpartlyontopofthedamwasafunnylittlehouseshapedratherlikeanenormousbeehiveandfromaholeintheroofsmokewasgoingup,sothatwhenyousawit{especiallyifyouwerehungry)youatohoughtofcookingandbecamehuhanyouwerebefore.

    Thatwaswhattheotherschieflynoticed,butEdmundnotiethingelse.Alittlelowerdowntherivertherewasanothersmallriverwhichcamedownanothersmallvalleytojoinit.Andlookingupthatvalley,Edmundcouldseetwosmallhills,andhewasalmostsuretheywerethetwohillswhichtheWhiteWitchhadpoitohimwheedfromheratthelamp-postthatotherday.Aweenthem,hethought,mustbeherpalalyamileofforless.AhoughtaboutTurkishDelightandaboutbeingaKing("AndIwonderhowPeterwilllikethat?"heaskedhimself)andhorribleideascameintohishead.

    "Hereweare,"saidMrBeaver,"anditlooksasifMrsBeaverisexpegus.Illleadtheway.Butbecarefulanddontslip.”

    Thetopofthedamwaswideenoughtowalkon,thoughnot(forhumans)averyniceplacetowalkbecauseitwascoveredwithidthoughthefrozenpoolwaslevelwithitononeside,therewasa