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| Edition: | HarperCollins (Hardcover) |
| Author: | C. S. Lewis |
| Published: | November 2005 |
| Pages: | 208 |
| ISBN 10: | 0060845244 |
| New: | $94.28 (8) |
| Used: | $3.69 (31) |
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Four children, Peter, Susan, Edmund and Lucy Pevensie, are evacuated from London during the London Blitz of World War II, and placed with an elderly Professor in a large country-house. It is a house of many rooms that the children eagerly explore.
One day during a game of hide and seek, Lucy, the youngest of the children, climbs into a wardrobe located at the far end of an empty room. As she creeps through a rack of fur coats hanging in the wardrobe she is surprised to find herself not in the wardrobe, but in a snowy wood. As she walks farther into the wood, she encounters a faun (a horned creature whose upper body is that of a man and whose lower body is that of a goat) who introduces himself as Mr. Tumnus and invites her to tea.
Over tea, Mr. Tumnus tells Lucy about the land she has stumbled into. Called Narnia, it is a wonderous place of talking beasts, centaurs, fauns, nyaids, dryaids, and more. Unfortunately, explains Tumnus, Narnia is ruled over by a ruthless White Witch who ensures that it is always winter but never Christmas. Mr. Tumnus then begins to play his flute, which after her lovely tea, begins to make Lucy very sleepy. Suddenly, Mr. Tumnus bursts into inconsolable tears, telling Lucy that he had been coerced by the Witch to keep watch for a ‘daughter of Eve’ or a ‘son of Adam’, and, if found, turn him or her over to the evil Witch. Confessing that he had not realized how nice a human could be, he sends Lucy back through the woods to the door of the wardrobe.
Back in the house of the old Professor, Lucy excitedly tells the other children of her adventure. They, of course, find her story too fantastic to be true and refuse to believe her veracity for when they check the wardrobe, they find only fur coats. Edmund, sometimes a spiteful and unthinking boy, continues to tease Lucy until she feels her heart will break.
Several days later during another game of hide and seek, Lucy again hides in the wardrobe. Edmund, who had been following her, decides to enter the wardrobe in order to tease her once more. Pushing his way through the coats, he suddenly finds himself in a snowy wood. Calling for Lucy to no avail, he hears the sound of bells and soon sees a magnificent reindeer-drawn sleigh, driven by a fat dwarf, and carrying tall, fur-clad woman with a golden crown upon her head and a long golden wand in her hand.
The woman, who declares herself to be the Queen of Narnia, draws from Edmund the information that not only is he human and a son of Adam, but that he has three siblings. Exuding kindness and gentility, she conjures Edmund’s favorite sweet, Turkish Delight, which she has also enchanted so that once tasted, the imbiber fervently continues to want more. The Witch then points out two hills in the distance, telling him that is where her castle is situated. She encourages Edmund to bring his brother and sisters to her castle where they shall become Dukes and Duchesses and Edmund will not only be a King, but could have all the Turkish Delight he can eat. Swearing him to secrecy, the Witch disappears in a flurry of bells.
Edmund spies Lucy coming through the wood. She is overjoyed to see him and does not notice how snappish and irritable he is at having to admit to her that her stories were true. They leave through the wardrobe door and Lucy rushes to find Peter and Susan in order to tell them that Edmund, too, had been to her wonderful land.
Confronted, Edmund tells Peter and Susan it was only a silly game—he’d only gone along with Lucy to tease her. Heartbroken and in tears, Lucy rushes away. Peter, angry that Edmund provoked and deliberatly hurt Lucy, calls Edmund a beastly little prig and decides he and Susan should speak with the Professor. Presented with the entire story, as well as their concern for Lucy, the Professor asks Peter and Susan why they should feel Lucy’s story is not true.
Several days later, in trying to evade the housekeeper who was conducting a tour of the house, all four children find themselves leaping into the wardrobe together. Pushing and shoving through the coats, the children find themselves in a snowy wood. Lucy is ecstatic; Peter and Susan are amazed; Edmund is uncomforable and more than a little nervous.
Lucy guides the children to Mr. Tumnus’ house which they find ransacked. A note stating that Mr. Tumnus has been arrested is tacked to the door. Knowing that many animals in Narnia can speak, Lucy approaches a robin and asks of Tumnus. The robin, through sparkling eye and bright red breast, convinces the children to follow, and leads them through the wood until they encounter Mr. Beaver.
Mr. Beaver, after initial introductions, takes them to his home on the river where they meet and are fed a delicious meal by Mrs. Beaver. After dinner, Mr. Beaver tells the children of Aslan, Lord of the Wood and Son of the Emperor-across-the-sea. He tells them that Aslan is once again in Narnia and that with his help, the children shall fullfill the prophecy that two sons of Adam and two daughters of Eve shall defeat the White Witch.
When Adam’s flesh and Adam’s bone Sits at Cair Paravel in throne, The evil time will be over and done.
Edmund, still thinking of Turkish Delight, had been uncomfortable and silent throughout most of the visit. Suddenly, everyone notices that he is missing. Mr. Beaver, realizing that Edmund has probably gone to the White Witch, decides they must leave the area before Edmund can betray them. Donning the fur coats (taken from the wardrobe) and packing a basket of food, the children and the Beavers leave the warm comfort of the house to meet Aslan at the Stone Table.
Edmund had indeed crept away from the group and silently left the Beaver’s home. Thinking only of Turkish Delight and of being King of Narnia, Edmund stoicly trudges towards the Witch’s castle between the hills. He thinks of ways to punish Peter for calling him a beast for his treatment of Lucy. He thinks of lording over his brother and sisters for their terrible treatment of him. Deep down inside, however, he is terribly afraid he is making a terrible mistake.
Edmund reaches the Witch’s castle and while passing through the courtyard, tries very hard not to think that the hundreds of stone statues scattered about had once been alive. Defiantly, he scribbles a mustache onto the nose of a stone lion, convinced that it is Aslan, and that he has made the correct choice of befriending the all powerful Witch.
Once inside the castle and before the Witch, Edmund explains that he could not bring his brother and sisters and gives her not only their location, but informs her of all they had talked about with the Beavers. Upon hearing that Aslan had returned, the Witch becomes infuriated and calls for her sledge. Grabbing a bewildered Edmund, she sets out for the Stone Table.
Mr. and Mrs. Beaver lead Peter, Susan, and Lucy through the woods until Mr. Beaver shows them a small cave, a secret hideaway used by beavers in emergencies, so they may get a few hours sleep. Hours later, they are awakened by the sound of bells. Fearing it is the Witch, Mr. Beaver scrambles out in order to survey which direction she will go. He immediately calls Mrs. Beaver and the children out. It is not the Witch. It is Father Christmas. Aslan’s presence in Narnia as weakened the Witch’s magic and Christmas has arrived and has brought gifts. Mrs. Beaver receives a new sewing machine; Mr. Beaver is told that upon returning to his home, he will find his dam repaired and a new sluice gate installed; the children receive the most wonderful gifts of all. To Peter, he gives a sword and shield—reminding him that they are tools, not toys, and the time to use them is near at hand. To Susan he gives a bow and quiver of arrows, reminding her that it is not for battle and to be used only in great need. He also gives her a small silver horn which, when blown, help will always arrive. To Lucy he gives a small diamond vial and a small dagger. He explains that the bottle contains a cordial that when put upon a wound, no matter how grievious, that wound shall be healed. After a lovely tea, magically pulled from Father Christmas’ bag, the Beavers and the children continue their trek to the Stone Table.
Edmund, meanwhile, is miserable. Cold, for he had forgotten his fur coat at the Beavers’, starving for more Turkish Delight, and burdened with the realization that the Witch, now cruel and abusive, is every bit as bad as Tumnus had told Lucy she was. He is further horrified when, coming across a group of woodland creatures enjoying a wonderful feast, the Witch angrily turns them all to stone when they confess the meal came from Father Christmas.
Together, they travel on but the sleigh runs sluggishly. Edmund starts to notice that he is hearing the dripping of water and that patches of ground are showing through the endless snow. Aslan is on the move and winter is thawing to spring. The Witch, the dwarf, and Edmund abandon the sleigh and continue on foot.
The Beavers, Peter,Susan, and Lucy also notice the change and by the time they reach the Stone Table, the world is green and lush. A pavilion has been erected near the site and it teems with creatures of all kinds: Centaurs, Dryads, Naiads, Unicorns, Fauns, and many more. Aslan, a magnificent Lion, stands at the center.
Aslan takes Peter away from the Pavilion to speak of the legends of Narnia and prepare Peter for the mantle of Kingship. While they speak, they hear Susan's horn and rush to her aid—finding Susan and Lucy treed by the wolf, Fenris Ulf, the Witch’s Police Commissioner. Drawing his sword, Peter fights and slays the beast. After the battle, Aslan knights Peter as Sir Peter Fenris-Bane.
Reaching the area of the Stone Table, the Witch realizes that the other children are safe with Aslan. Understanding that in order for the prophecies to be fulfilled, all four thrones at Cair Paravel must be filled, she devises a plan to defeat Aslan. She sends her wolves to collect those creatures loyal to her: the Ghouls, the Boggles, the Ogres, the Hags, the Spectres and such. She then has Edmund tied to a tree and begins to sharpen her knife. Suddenly a great company of Aslan’s followers emerge from the trees. The Witch flees in the confusion and the animals take Edmund to Aslan who speaks to him privately.
The following day, the Witch approaches Aslan’s camp and informs Aslan that by the rules of the Deep Magic, the traitor Edmund is forfiet to her. Aslan speaks privately with the Witch and then tells his followers that they must remove their camp from the area of the Stone Table to the Fords of Beruna.
As the camp moved, Aslan gives Peter instructions on the possible actions of the Witch, provides him with advice for the inevitable battle, and tells him he will not be there to help him. He then retires into the Pavillion.
In the hours before dawn, Lucy awakens Susan, telling her something is wrong. They leave the tent and spy Aslan walking in the direction of the Stone Table. Aslan allows them to accompany him but makes them promise to return when he tells them to—a promise they do not keep. They hide and watch as Aslan allows himself to be tied to the Stone Table by the Witch’s minions, muzzled, shorn of his mane, and eventually stabbed to death by the Witch.
With Aslan dead, the Witch and her followers leave to begin the battle against the creatures of Narnia. Susan and Lucy creep up the steps to the Stone Table, shocked and overwhelmed that Aslan so meekly allowed the Witch to win. Weeping, they attempt to untie the knots until they notice the movement and sounds of mice crawling over and gnawing the ropes that bind the Lion to the Table. As the ropes fall away, the girls, cold and miserable, descend the stairs to return to the Fords. All at once there is a loud cracking noise and they turn to find a restored (mane and all) Aslan leaping down the steps towards them. He tells them of a magic far older than the Deep Magic; magic that the Witch did not know. Older than the dawn of time, this magic holds that if a “willing victim who had committed no treachery was killed in a traitor's stead, the Table would crack and Death itself would start to work backwards.”
Taking Susan and Lucy upon his back, Aslan races through Narnia to the Witch’s castle where he proceeds to transform the many stone statues back to life. Lucy finds Mr. Tumnus. Together, all the restored creatures, Aslan,Susan, and Lucy, proceed back to the Fords where Peter and Edmund are valiantly leading their outnumbered army in battle. Stone statues scatter the field and Peter is engaged in a desperate battle with the White Witch. Aslan has the girls slip off his back and “with a roar that shook all Narnia from the Western lamppost to the shores of the Eastern sea” he flung himself upon the Witch and killed her.
After the battle had been won—with the assistance of the creatures from the Witch’s castle and the demoralized flight of the enemy after the death of the Witch, Peter praises Edmund for his quick thinking in breaking the Witch’s wand, thereby eliminating her statue-creating ability. Sadly, he informs his sisters that his act of bravery also resulted in grievious wounds and he is close to death.Lucy produces her vial of healing cordial and cures not only Edmund but the many others wounded in their fight for freedom.
The following day, Aslan takes the children to Cair Paravel where he crowns them Kings and Queens of Narnia. There is great feasting and merriment and at some point, noone is quite sure, Aslan slips away. Many years pass and the children grow to adulthood, ruling fairly and honorably the land of Narnia. High King Peter grew into a great warrior and for his feats of bravery became known as High King Peter the Magnificent. Susan, always pretty, developed into a gracious lady, sought after for marriage by the kings and princes of many lands. She came to be called Queen Susan the Gentle. Edmund, perhaps as consequence of his youthful folly, was graver and quieter than Peter and renowned for his council and fair judgment, was called King Edmund the Just. Merry and golden-haired, Lucy became known as Queen Lucy the Valiant.
Many years later. in the full bloom of their adulthood, the four engaged in a hunt for the White Stag whose capture would bring wishes. As they ride through the Western Wood, they pass a strange lighted post. The sight of it intrigues them and bits of memory flicker within them. Dismounting from their steeds they walk deeper in the wood, brush and branch are replaced by soft fur, and the four children, no older than when they first entered Narnia, tumble out of the door of the Wardrobe.
