"We'll see about those two later," said the Ape, spitting out a shell in the directionof the two prisoners. "I got some other business first. They can wait. Now listen to me,everyone. The first thing I want to say is about nuts. Where's that Head Squirrel got to?"
"Here, Sir," said a red squirrel, coming forward and making a nervous little bow.
"Oh you are, are you?" said the Ape with a nasty look. "Now attend to me. I want - Imean, Aslan wants - some more nuts. These you've brought aren't anything like enough. Youmust bring some more, do you hear? Twice as many. And they've got to be here by sunsettomorrow, and there mustn't be any bad ones or any small ones among them."
A murmur of dismay ran through the other squirrels, and the Head Squirrel plucked upcourage to say:
"Please, would Aslan himself speak to us about it? If we might be allowed to see him -"
"Well you won't," said the Ape. "He may be very kind (though it's a lot more than mostof you deserve) and come out for a few minutes tonight. Then you can all have a look at him.But he will not have you all crowding round him and pestering him with questions. Anythingyou want to say to him will be passed on through me: if I think it's worth bothering himabout. In the meantime all you squirrels had better go and see about the nuts. And make surethey are here by tomorrow evening or, my word! you'll catch it."
The poor squirrels all scampered away as if a dog were after them. This new order wasterrible news for them. The nuts they had carefully hoarded for the winter had nearly allbeen eaten by now; and of the few that were left they had already given the Ape far morethan they could spare.
Then a deep voice - it belonged to a great tusked and shaggy Boar - spoke from anotherpart of the crowd.
"But why can't we see Aslan properly and talk to him?" it said. "When he used to appearin Narnia in the old days everyone could talk to him face to face."
"Don't you believe it," said the Ape. "And even if it was true, times have changed.Aslan says he's been far too soft with you before, do you see? Well, he isn't going to besoft any more. He's going to lick you into shape this time. He'll teach you to think he's atame lion!"
A low moaning and whimpering was heard among the Beasts; and, after that, a dead silencewhich was more miserable still.
"And now there's another thing you got to learn," said the Ape. "I hear some of you aresaying I'm an Ape. Well, I'm not. I'm a Man. If I look like an Ape, that's because I'm sovery old: hundreds and hundreds of years old. And it's because I'm so old that I'm so wise.And it's because I'm so wise that I'm the only one Aslan is ever going to speak to. He can'tbe bothered talking to a lot of stupid animals. He'll tell me what you've got to do, andI'll tell the rest of you. And take my advice, and see you do it in double quick time, forhe doesn't mean to stand any nonsense."
There was a dead silence except for the noise of a very young badger crying and itsmother trying to make it keep quiet.