# ■ Chapter 6 On the river

At Kingston our boat was waiting for us．Harris and I put all our things into it，and we moved off along the River Thames．Montmorency was at the front of the boat．We travelled along the river without any accidents．Well，there was only one little accident．That was when the boat hit the river bank，and Harris fell over backwards．When we came to Hamp-ton Court Palace，Harris asked me if I had ever been in the maze there．He told me a story about it…

He went into the maze once，to show a friend the way．He had studied a map of the maze，and so he knew it was very easy to get out of it again．Harris said to his friend，'We'll just go in and walk around for ten minutes，and then we'll come out and get some lunch．It's easy，you see．You just keep taking the first turning to the right．'

Soon after they had gone in，they met some people．These people said that they had been there for three quarters of an hour．They said they wanted to get out．Harris said，'Follow me！I'm going out myself in about ten minutes．'

The people all said that Harris was very kind，and they began to follow him．

As they were going along，they collected other people who wanted to get out．In the end，all the people in the maze were following Harris．There were about twenty of them．Some of them had thought that they were never going to see their friends and their families again．One woman was carrying a baby．She held on to Harris's arm because she did not want to lose him．

Harris continued to turn to the right，but it seemed to be a long way．At last，Harris's friend said to him，'This must be a very big maze．'

One of the biggest in Europe，'Harris answered．

Yes，it must be，'his friend continued，'because we've walked about three kilometres already．'

Harris began to think that it was rather strange，but he went on．After some time，they came to a piece of cake on the ground．Harris's friend said that they had passed the piece of cake earlier．Harris replied，'No！lmpos-sible！'

The woman with the baby said，'No，I took it from the baby，and I threw it there myself．It was just before we met you．In fact，I wish I never had met you，'she added．

Harris got angry then，and he took out his map．He showed it to the people，but one man said，'A map's no good when you don't know where you are．'

So then Harris said that the best thing was to go back to the entrance and start again．Everybody agreed，and they all turned and followed Harris the other way．

After ten minutes they found themselves in the centre of the maze．Harris was going to pretend that he wanted to be in the centre，but the crowd looked dangerous．So Harris decided to say that it was an accjdent．

Anyway，now they knew where they were on the map，and it looked easy．So they all started off again for the third time．

And three minutes later，they were back in the centre again．

After that，every time they tried again，they arrived back in the centre．Harris took out his map again，but this made the crowd angry．They told him what to do with his map．Harris felt that the crowd was not very grateful to him．

Then they all started to shout，and in the end the keeper came．He climbed up a ladder，and he called to them，'Wait，there！l'll come and get you．'

But he was a young keeper，and he was new to the job，so when he got into the maze，he could not find them．

Then he got lost．From time to time，they saw him as he ran past，on the other side of the hedge．He shouted，'Wait there！I'm coming！'

Then，five minutes later，he appeared again in the same place．He asked them why they had moved．

They had to wait for one of the old keepers to come back from lunch and let them out…

Harris said that it was a fine maze，and we agreed that we would try to get George into it on the way back．

■ 6 在河上

船在金斯頓等我們。哈里斯和我把行李搬上船，然後沿著泰晤士河出發了，“元帥”站在船頭。一路上沒有什麼意外。嗯，只有一個小小的意外：小船撞到了岸上，哈里斯仰面摔了一跤。當我們經過漢普頓宮，哈里斯問我有沒有到過那裡的迷宮，還給我講起以前的故事……

他進過一次迷宮，是為了給朋友當嚮導。他曾經仔細研究過迷宮的地圖，因此他以為走出來是件十分簡單的事。他對朋友說：“咱們進去只消十分鐘就能走出來去吃午飯。這沒什麼難的。你瞧，只要記住總是在第一個轉彎處往右走就行了。”

他們一進去就遇到不少人。他們說已經在裡面轉了三刻鐘，非常想出去。哈里斯說：“跟我來，我自己只消十分鐘就能走出去。”

他們一聽都說哈里斯心真好，大家便跟著他走。

他們一邊繞，一路上又帶上了不少人，也是想走出迷宮的。後來迷宮裡所有的人都跟著哈里斯走，至少有二十人，其中有的人甚至擔心今生今世再也見不到自己的朋友和家人了。一個婦女抱著孩子，緊緊揪著哈里斯的胳膊，生怕把他丟了。

哈里斯堅持向右轉，可路看起來越走越長。後來哈里斯的朋友說：“這個迷宮實在大得很。”

“是全歐洲最大的呢！”哈里斯回答說。

“是，一點不錯，”朋友接著說，“咱們差不多走了快三公里了。”

哈里斯也開始覺得有點奇怪，可是他還堅持這樣走。走了一會兒，人們看到地上有塊蛋糕，哈里斯的朋友說他們剛才曾經走過這裡。哈里斯說：“不，不可能的！”

抱著孩子的女人說：“肯定是的。是我從孩子手裡拿下來的，是我親手扔在這兒的，就在剛遇到你之前。哼！我可真希望從來沒碰上你！”她又加了一句。

哈里斯氣壞了，拿出地圖，給人們看。可一個人卻說：“可你連咱們在哪兒都不知道，要地圖又有什麼用呢？”

因此哈里斯說最好的辦法就是回到入口處重新開始。大家一致同意，便向後轉，又跟著哈里斯向相反的方向走去。

十分鐘以後，他們發現走到迷宮中間了。哈里斯本打算哄騙大家他是有意這樣走的，可是他看到眾怒難犯，哈里斯只好說這是個意外。

不管怎麼說，大家總算知道自己現在在地圖上什麼位置了，那麼一切簡單多了，他們又第三次重新開始。

可是三分鐘以後，他們又回到原來的中心。

後來，每一次努力都是以回到迷宮的中心而告終。哈里斯又拿出地圖來看，這下子大家全火了，他們叫他拿了這幅地圖見鬼去吧！哈里斯覺得這群人真不知道感恩戴德。

最後人們吵成一團，後來還是管理員來了。他爬上梯子，對人群叫道：“在那兒等著，我來幫你們出去。”

可是這個年輕人偏偏又是個新手，他進了迷宮找不到那群人，結果自己也迷了路。大家不時看見他在圍牆那邊跑來跑去，還大聲叫喊著：“你們都別動，我來了！”

五分鐘以後，他又在原來的老地方出現了，還問大家為什麼又動了位置。

他們只好等著那位年老的管理員吃完中午飯回來，才把他們領出去。

哈里斯說那個迷宮的確很不錯，我們一致同意回來的路上讓喬治也進迷宮逛一逛。