|
|
|
The Chronicles of Narnia:
'It was about a cup and a sword and a tree and a green hill, I know that
much. But I can't remember and what shall I do?' And she never could remember;
and ever since that day what Lucy means by a good story is a story which reminds
her of the forgotten story in the Magician's Book." -The Voyage of the Dawn
Treader
Although the Narnia books are numbered in the sequence of their writing,
beginning with The Lion, the correct chronological order of the events narrated
is as follows: The Magician's Nephew, The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe, The
Horse and His Boy, Prince Caspian, The Voyage o f the Dawn Treader, The Silver
Chair, and The Last Battle. We will not only briefly review each story, but fill
in the events between the stories from information provided by an outline of
Narnian history which Lewis wrote after the stories were published and which is
reproduced in Walter Hooper's essay "Past Watchful Dragons" in Imagination and
the Spirit.
The Magician's Nephew The events in The Magician's Nephew take place in 1900.
Chronologically, this is the first book of the series because it describes how
Narnia was created. The whole adventure begins one day in England when a 12 year
old boy named Digory peers over a wall and meets a little girl named Polly
Plummer. One day, they accidently find themselves in the secret attic study of
Digory's eccentric Uncle Andrew, a dabbler in magic. By tricking Polly into
touching a special ring he has created out of magic dust, Uncle Andrew sends
Polly off into a place called the Wood Between the Worlds. Bravely deciding to
rescue her, Digory follows with another magic ring, and two different ones to
bring them back. The two children discover that through dozens of small pools in
this drowsy, quiet woodland they can enter various other worlds. Diving into one
of the pools they find themselves in Charn, a dead world where everyone,
including Jadis the Witch, is frozen into immobility by means of an enchantment.
Digory, insatiably curious, strikes a tiny bell which wakes the Witch. By
grabbing hold of Digory, she comes back with them to England-much to the
children's dismay!
After causing havoc with Uncle Andrew and his sister, as well as the police and
a cabby (English taxi driver), the Witch is yanked back into still another world
by Digory and a magic ring. Unfortunately, Polly, Andrew, the Cabby and his
horse Strawberry are also transported into this new world of Nothing- nothing,
that is, until they hear the voice of a magnificent Lion who sings life into
being and gradually creates a world before their eyes: sun, flowers, grass,
beasts. Two of each animal are chosen by the Lion to be Talking Beasts and set
over all the other animals. The Cabby's wife, Helen, is summoned into Narnia,
soapsuds still on her arms, and she and the Cabby become the first King and
Queen of Narnia, for in that land only humans can rule.
Meanwhile, Digory is sent on the task of getting an apple from a hill far away
in the Western Wilds. He is provided with aid from Polly and Strawberry-who has
now become Fledge, a Flying Horse. When they arrive at the garden, Digory again
encounters Jadis, who tempts him convincingly to eat an apple as she is doing.
Although Digory is certainly hungry and also desperately wishes to take an apple
back to his mother to cure her of her illness, he does not submit to the witch's
enticement but obediently returns with an apple to Aslan the Lion. From this
apple comes the Tree of Protection which guards Narnia against the Witch for
many years. Aslan rewards Digory's obedience and patience by presenting him with
an apple which wonderfully cures his mother. The seed of this apple grows into a
tree in England, from the wood of which Digory later builds a magic wardrobe.
During the years that follow, 41 earth years and 2303 Narnian years pass before
humans return to Narnia, and, according to Lewis's outline, several events occur
involving surrounding countries. King Frank and Queen Helen's youngest son, Col,
leads followers into Archenland, which lies just south of Narnia, and becomes
its first king. Then outlaws from Archenland set up a kingdom further south,
called Calormen. The Calormenes, in turn, colonize Telmar (to the west of
Narnia), but behave so wickedly that Aslan turns them into dumb beasts. The Lone
Islands in the Great Sea east of Narnia are given to King Gale as his reward for
delivering the inhabitants from a dragon. Then, 898 Narnian years after its
creation, Jadis returns out of the North and the long winter begins.
The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe
The events in this book take place 1000 Narnian years after the creation of
Narnia, or the year 1940 in England. By now Digory is old professor Kirke, and
the four Pevensie children-Peter, Edmund, Susan, and Lucy-come to stay with him
to get away from the air-raids in London. One day, Lucy, hiding in the
professor's magic wardrobe, accidentally discovers, not the expected back wall
of the closet, but the crunch of snow underfoot and lines of dark fir trees
ahead of her. She meets a faun, Mr. Tumnus, who explains that this is Narnia, a
land where it is always winter and never Christmas because of the reign of the
White Witch. When Lucy returns home, however, it is not only the exact same
moment as when she entered, but, worse, none of her brothers and sisters believe
her story of entering Narnia.
Next, Edmund accidentally enters Narnia through the same wardrobe and
unfortunately encounters the Witch herself, who appears to him exceedingly
beautiful. Enticing him with Turkish Delight and the promise of being King of
Narnia, she convinces him to return, bringing the others with him for her to
destroy, for a prophecy says that when four humans gain the throne, her reign
will be ended. Edmund returns to the professor's house but, having become
increasingly nasty from his contact with the Witch, refuses to admit that Lucy
was right about Narnia all along.
Finally, all four children enter the wardrobe one day. They discover that Mr.
Tumnus has been punished for disobeying the Witch, and a robin leads them to Mr.
and Mrs. Beaver, who help them. The Beavers explain that Aslan, King of Narnia
and of all the Beasts-the Great Lion himself-is on the move and has returned to
Narnia, and all four children experience totally different reactions to his
name. Peter, Susan and Lucy decide to hurry to Aslan as soon as possible.
Edmund, however quietly slips off to find the Witch, only to discover that she
seems quite a different person than before. Horrified that Aslan has returned,
she wildly sets off in her sledge, dragging with her poor, cold, hungry Edmund.
All around them Springtime gradually but steadily reverses the frozen
enchantment which has paralyzed Narnia for 100 years. Celandines, crocuses,
primroses, laburnums, bluebells all begin to bloom-and in the very same order as
they bloom in our own world!
The three children reach Aslan in time to be ensnared in a brief battle in which
Peter bravely kills the Witch's chief, Fenris Ulf, and Edmund is rescued. He
ashamedly asks forgiveness but, according to the Deep Magic, the law of the
Emperor-Over-Sea, he must be killed as a traitor. Aslan offers to be sacrificed
instead. Lucy and Susan then watch that terrible scene when Aslan willingly
submits himself to the mockery and jests of the Witch's horrible lackeys and is
stabbed with a Stone Knife on the great Stone Table.
But Aslan knew that according to a Deeper Magic, if a willing and perfect victim
were sacrificed in a traitor's stead, the Witch would not only lose her claim on
the individual, but death would start working backwards. While Lucy and Susan
are mourning his death, Aslan opens his eyes, leaps from the broken table and
appears to the girls more vibrant and alive than ever, romping joyously with
them to the castle. Aslan breathes on every statue of a creature frozen by the
Witch and frees them, leading them all in a victorious battle against the Witch
and her forces. Peter becomes High King of Narnia and the three other children,
Kings and Queens. They rule in Narnia for 15 Narnian years. During their reign,
the next story takes place.
The Horse and His Boy
A boy named Shasta, living in Calormen with Arsheesh the fisherman, discovers
one day that Arsheesh is not his real father. In fact, he overhears him
bargaining to sell him to a Tarkhan, or great lord. He decides to fly to the
north to Narnia with the Tarkhan's horse Bree, a Narnian Talking Horse, who was
stolen from his homeland. In an effort to outrun what they believe are several
lions pursuing them, Shasta and Bree overtake Hwin, another Narnian Talking
Horse, and her rider Aravis. Aravis is a Calormen "princess" who is also running
away to escape a distasteful marriage to an old lord.
To get to Narnia, the group must pass in disguise through the Calormen capital
of Tashbaan. Shasta becomes separated from the others when the visiting Narnian
King Edmund and Queen Susan mistake him for the Prince Corin. Shasta is taken to
their quarters where he overhears Susan's plot to secretly escape Calormen
instead of marrying Rabadash. Shasta comes face-to-face with his lookalike,
Corin, who helps him escape. He awaits the others at the designated meeting
place, the deserted Tombs of the Ancient Kings outside the city. There a giant
Cat comforts and protects him at night.
Meanwhile, Aravis is aided by an old but silly friend, Lasaraleen, another
Calormen "princess." By accident, the two girls overhear Rabadash's plans to win
Susan by conquering Archenland and later Narnia. Lasaraleen helps Aravis escape
the city, and she and Shasta and their two horses are once again reunited.
Quickly they begin the tiring and lengthy journey north, over the mountains, the
desert, and a valley. During the ride, a Lion snaps at the horses and scratches
Aravis on the back. While a Hermit cares for Aravis and the horses, a tired and
disheartened Shasta must travel on alone to Archenland and warn King Lune of
Rabadash's plans.
He alerts Lune, but gets separated for a time from his army. That night, lost on
a mountain pass, Shasta is joined by a giant Shadow in the darkness, who
explains to him that all along there has been but one Lion who has protected
him, spurred him on to his duty, and even helped a boat bring him to Calormen as
a baby. Shasta recognizes the glory of Aslan himself, and refreshed by a tiny
stream Aslan provides for him, Shasta sets off in the morning.
He rejoins the battle, though wounded during most of it. Rabadash's army is
soundly defeated and Aslan punishes Rabadash by turning him into a donkey if he
strays from Tash's temple. Shasta learns that he is the twin brother of Corin,
stolen as a baby because of a prophecy that he would one day save Archenland. He
eventually becomes King Cor of Archenland.
One day after they have long been reigning in Narnia, the four Kings and Queens
set out to hunt for the White Stag. Upon discovering the very same lamp- post
where they entered Narnia, they return home through the wardrobe to find that no
time has elapsed since they entered.
Many years after the children leave Narnia, the Telmarines invade and conquer it
and Caspian I becomes King. The Telmarines silence the Talking Beasts and spread
false rumors about Aslan and the "Old Narnia." One of Caspian's descendants,
Caspian IX, is murdered by his own brother Miraz, who usurps the throne. Caspian
X is born, and the story of his attempts to defeat his wicked uncle and restore
the Old Narnia is told in the next book.
Prince Caspian
Young Caspian, raised by his uncle Miraz, is told the real story of his past by
his tutor, Dr. Cornelius, who is part Dwarf. Caspian runs away in order to find
the Old Narnian Talking Beasts. He meets Trufflehunter the badger, the dwarfs
Nikabrik and Trumpkin, and eventually, many other Narnian beasts. At the Council
of Dancing Lawn, the small army of Narnian creatures plan to make war on Miraz.
After minor skirmishes and defeats, Caspian decides to blow the magic horn that
will send for help. Though skeptical, Trumpkin offers to journey to Cair Paravel,
once the Narnian capital, to await the possible return of the four Kings and
Queens.
Thus, just one year after the Pevensies had returned to England, they find
themselves "pulled" back into Narnia by the blast of Caspian's horn. But they
are horrified to find that 100 years have passed since they were last in Narnia.
Trumpkin, on the other hand, cannot believe that these four children are the
help they had been awaiting and has to be convinced that they are indeed royal
material!
As the group travels to the meeting place at Aslan's How, they find that after
all these years the landmarks and terrain of Narnia are so altered that they get
lost. Asian appears to Lucy and points the way, but the rest of the children
stubbornly continue in the opposite direction. Naturally, they reach a dead end,
barely miss a confrontation with Miraz's forces, and must re-track to where they
started. Asian appears to Lucy once more and, though the others cannot see him,
this time they grudgingly follow his leading. One by one, each child begins to
see the Great Lion guiding them easily to the How.
Arriving just in time to overhear Nikabrik's plan to call on the Witch for aid,
they defeat him and his evil cohorts, a werewolf and a hag, in hand-to-hand
combat. Next, Peter challenges Miraz to a duel, and Sopespian and Glozelle,
Miraz's lords, dupe their monarch into accepting. The duel culminates in a
battle between both armies; Miraz is killed and his army defeated. Asian leads a
band of joyous revellers (including Bacchus himself!) through the villages,
celebrating Caspian's restoration to the throne. Then Asian prepares a doorway
in the sky for the Telmarines who wish to return to their homeland in the South
Seas. Peter and Susan sadly learn that they are now too old ever to return to
Narnia, and all four children step through the doorway, back into their own
world.
The Voyage of the Dawn Treader
Three Narnian years and one earth year pass before Lucy and Edmund are called
back to Narnia. The two Pevensie children are staying with their bumptious young
cousin, Eustace Clarence Scrubb, and one day all three are drawn into a picture
on Eustace's wall into Narnia's Eastern Sea and Caspian's ship, the Dawn
Treader. Caspian, they learn, is setting out for the Eastern Islands to find
seven of his father's lost lords who long before were sent off by his evil
uncle, Miraz, on a voyage of exploration. On the journey too is Reepicheep, King
of the Talking Mice and most valiant of the beasts of Narnia. He is seeking
Asian's country at the End of the World. Eustace is miserably seasick and
indignant at the whole affair, but the Pevensie children eagerly anticipate a
new adventure.
Their first stop after several days of sailing is the island of Felimath where
they find the first lost lord, Lord Bern. Felimath is one of the Lone Islands,
and although Lewis hints that he would like to tell their story in another book,
we learn no more about them. The children are captured by slave traders, but
Caspian is bought by Lord Bern, who, on learning Caspian is Narnia's king, helps
them plan their escape. Felimath is ruled by an incompetent and bumbling man
named Gumpas, the stereotyped politican who sticks solely to statistics, graphs,
and appointments on his calendar. By feigning to have an entire fleet of forces,
Caspian overthrows Gumpas and declares Lord Bern ruler of the Lone Islands.
After nearly three weeks on Felimath, the little company leaves to continue its
mission. Twenty six days later, badly damaged by a storm, the ship and its crew
find haven on an island which they dub Dragon Island. In order to escape work,
Eustace wanders off and comes upon a dying dragon. But Eustace, who has read all
the wrong books, has no idea what the creature is. Taking shelter in the
dragon's cave, Eustace discovers a cache of magnificent treasures and, after
slipping a bracelet on his arm and cramming his pockets full of precious things,
he falls asleep. But when he awakens, feeling not quite himself, he finds he is
walking on all fours and breathing smoke. Peering into a stream, he discovers he
has turned into a dragon!
When the others figure out what has happened, they find their cousin's plight
has much improved him, causing him to become more helpful and reasonable. Then
one night Asian appears and orders Eustace to follow him. After Eustace
unsuccessfully attempts to remove his skin by shedding it like a banana peel,
Asian tears off the last layer of painful scales and bathes him in a clear pool,
restoring him to true boyhood. Thereafter, Eustace's behavior is markedly
changed. The children deduce that Lord Octesian was probably the other dragon or
had been destroyed by the dragon.
After the Dawn Treader visits Burnt Island (which has been ravaged by fire) the
crew battles a fearful Sea Serpent who almost engulfs the ship. Five days of
sailing bring them to Deathwater Island, where the crew discovers a pool which
turns anything dropped in it to gold. Lord Restimar, they realize, must have
bathed in this water and been turned into a gold "statue." When they begin to
quarrel over the great possibilities of capitalizing on the wealth this magic
pool would give, Aslan sternly appears to bring them to their senses. On the
next island, the Island of the Voices, Lucy is asked by the Dufflepuds, strange
creatures who hop around on one umbrella-like foot, to find a spell to "de-uglify"
them. To accomplish this, she must go into a Magician's House and read his Magic
Book. Among other things, Lucy finds a spell to make herself beautiful, a
wonderful story about a cup, sword and green hill, as well as a spell to let her
know what her friends think of her. When Lucy says this spell, Aslan appears to
her. He introduces her to the Magician, who turns the invisible Dufflepuds into
visible Monopods.
Then, for thirteen days they sail for the Dark Island where nightmarish dreams
come true. There, the group discovers haggard and white-haired Lord Rhoop, and
Aslan appears as an albatross to guide them out. At World's End Island, the
group finds the last three of the lost lords- Revilian, Argoz and Mavramorn-sleeping
at a sumptuous banquet table. There they also meet Ramandu, a "retired" star,
and his beautiful daughter. This is Aslan's Table where the food, renewed daily,
is served for those who travel this far. The three lords had quarreled over the
sacred Stone Knife (once used by the White Witch to stab Aslan). At the moment
they touched it they had been cast into an enchanted sleep.
All but one sailor set off for the End of the World. The light grows brighter
and brighter, the sea smoother and white with lilies, and the water, clear and
luminous like "drinkable light," keeps the group nourished and unwearied.
Quivering with excitement, Reepicheep sails off alone to Aslan's Country. Now,
after a year of travelling, Caspian regretfully decides to turn back with the
ship to Narnia. The three children meet Aslan who appears to them first as a
Lamb, then a Lion, and promises them that they can come to his land from all
worlds and will know him even better in their own. Through a rip in the sky,
they return to Cambridge. Thus ends Lucy's and Edmund's last adventure in
Narnia. Caspian returns to Narnia to marry Ramandu's daughter three years after
his voyage. Fifteen years later a son, Rilian, is born. One day, as Ramandu's
daughter is riding in Narnia she stops to rest. A Green Serpent stings her, and
she dies. Twenty year old Rilian sets off to avenge her death and, entranced by
a beautiful lady dressed in green, is not heard from again, though many seek for
him. Ten years later, Eustace and his schoolmate Jill Pole are called into
Narnia to find Rilian.
The Silver Chair
Although it is still 1942, the year of the Dawn Treader voyage, 70 Narnian years
have now passed since Eustace visited Narnia. Miserably unhappy and desperate to
leave their school, Experiment House, Jill and Eustace enter Narnia through a
gate in the wall. They find themselves high on a precipice in Aslan's country,
overlooking all of Narnia. After Eustace accidently tumbles off the cliff and
floats away, Jill finds herself alone with Aslan. Their task, she learns, is to
find the lost Rilian, which they will accomplish only if they obey four "signs":
First, they will meet an old, dear friend whom they must greet if they are to
receive help, then they must journey from Narnia north to a ruined giant city
where they will find writing on a stone. They must do what it says. Prince
Rilian will be recognized by the fact that he will be the first person who asks
them to do something in Aslan's name. Jill is then blown softly on Aslan's sweet
breath to Narnia where she rejoins Eustace.
Caspian, now 66 and thus unrecognizable by Eustace, is preparing to sail to
Terebinthia in hopes of finding Aslan and seeking his advice. Glimfeather the
Owl carries the children first to Cair Paravel, then to a Parliament of Owls
where they are briefed on Rilian's story, then North to the swampy home of a
gloomy, lanky, frog-like creature named Puddleglum, a Marshwiggle who becomes a
member of their team.
On their mission of search and rescue the three head north to Ettinsmoor, the
land of the giants. A lovely lady, the Lady of the Green Kirtle who is
accompanied by an armored knight, advises them to press on to the giant city of
Harfang where they will receive food and shelter. Against Puddleglum's better
judgment, the children desperately insist on finding the city to get relief from
the bitter, snowy cold. Through a series of ruins and trenches, they reach the
castle where they are welcomed, fed and bathed. Aslan appears to Jill in a dream
and shows her the inscription UNDER ME written outside on the ruins. When the
three discover that the giants mean to have them as the main course of their
Autumn Feast, they slip through a crack in the ruins-the third sign. They now
realize they have muffed the first three signs.
Beneath the earth, they descend through tunnel after dark tunnel into a strange
land where the varied faces of Earthmen sadly and silently labor in the city.
Among a variety of creatures, they even see Father Time himself sleeping until
the world's end. They are taken to the castle of a Green Witch, who boasts:
"Though under Earth and throneless now I be, Yet, while I lived, all Earth was
under me." She is the cruel ruler of this country called the ShallowLands. In
her castle also lives a knight (Rilian himself) who the witch has promised will
be King of Overland once the Earthmen dig through to the surface. During one
hour of every day, however, he is under a spell by which he becomes enraged and
is transformed into a serpent. Daily, during this hour, the Witch binds him to a
silver chair. The children fearfully watch as the awful change comes over him-
and then he bids them in Aslan's name to free him! Recognizing the last sign as
well as the danger of obeying it, the three nevertheless unbind the Prince, who
destroys the awful chair.
The Witch returns to discover what has been done and causes a drowsy smoke and
music to fill the room, enchanting them into believing there is no other world
but hers. But stout-hearted Puddleglum stamps out the fire and, after renouncing
her world, leads Caspian into killing the Witch as she turns into a snake. Noisy
fireworks signal the Earthmen's glee at the end of the Witch's hold over them.
Golg, a gnome, explains that beneath the Witch's land is the Really Deep Land of
Bism, inhabited by gnomes and salamanders-a fiery world of live gems and a
delicious smell. The gnomes dive into that realm through a crack before a shift
in the earth closes it forever.
Through one of the tunnels to the Overworld, the four escape the Witch's Realm
to discover that they are back in Narnia itself! They are rescued by Dwarfs
performing the Great Snow Dance. Riding on centaurs, the children arrive in time
to see Rilian greeting his sick father's returning ship. Although Caspian dies,
the children are taken to Aslan's country where, on Aslan's Mountain, they
witness Caspian's restoration to life with a drop of blood from the great Lion's
paw. Promising that some day they too will return to stay forever, Aslan leads
them triumphantly back to their school, where he terrifies the children and
Headmistress so badly that there is a grand shake-up and Experiment House ends
up as a much better school! Other than the uprising of outlaws in Lantern Waste
and the building of towers to guard the region, we know little of the 199 years
of Narnian history between The Silver Chair and the final book.
The Last Battle
During the final days of Narnia, Shift the Ape who lives near Lantern Waste
finds a lion's skin in the water. He convinces his poor, gullible donkey
follower Puzzle to put it on and pose as Aslan. Then he spreads false rumors
that Aslan has returned and aggressively demanded changes in Narnia-trees
felled, Talking Animals driven to work, Dwarfs and animals sold as slaves to the
Calormenes. The Narnians begin to believe that Aslan is not at all like the Lion
they have heard about in stories and legends.
Meanwhile, King Tirian of Narnia, seventh in descent from Rilian, and his dear
friend Jewel the Unicorn hear of all these changes and believe them to be lies.
Tirian angrily murders two Calormenes and is captured. Desperate and only half-
believing that the changes are from Aslan, he calls for help from the past Kings
and Queens. In a dream he sees all seven "friends" of Narnia-Digory and Polly
(now in their sixties), Peter, Edmund, Lucy, Jill and Eustace -eating around a
table. Immediately, Jill and Eustace (now teen-agers) appear before him rescuing
not only Tirian, but Jewel and Puzzle as well.
During this time much has happened on earth: Digory and Polly, feeling that they
are somehow "needed" in Narnia, hold a sort of "reunion" for all who have been
to Narnia. Peter and Edmund are sent to London to dig up the magic rings Digory
used many years ago to first enter Narnia and are scheduled to meet the train to
hand them over. Jill, Eustace, Digory, Polly, Lucy, and, it so happens, Mr. and
Mrs. Pevensie, all go on the same train which crashes at the station, killing
all of them, as well as Peter and Edmund. At that moment (nearly one earth week
after seeing Tirian), Aslan brings Jill and Eustace into Narnia "in his own
way."
Tirian and the children optimistically determine to explain the ape's deception
to the Narnians and restore the old order. However, all Dwarfs except Poggin
bitterly refuse to believe in anything but themselves. After Tirian's group sees
the nightmarish, birdlike Calormen god, Tash, flying toward Shift's camp, they
join forces with a meager band of loyal Narnians led by Roonwit, the centaur.
Cair Paravel, he reports, has been taken over by the enemy. Thus they hurry to
Shift's camp, hoping to reveal the truth to the Narnians.
They find that Shift has set up a stable where the Narnians gather at night by a
giant bonfire. His new cohorts, Rishda the Calormen captain and Ginger the Cat,
have now convinced the Narnians that Aslan and Tash are the same. Ginger and the
Ape frustrate all their hopes of unmasking the imposter by telling the Narnians
that there is a donkey loose, masquerading as Aslan. Ginger the Cat cockily
enters the Stable expecting to find nothing, but instead finds Tash and shoots
out again, terrified out of speech. This of course fulfills Aslan's prophecy
(given many years earlier when Narnia was created) that Talking Beasts would
return to dumb beasts if they chose evil. A Calormen named Emeth bravely goes in
next in hopes of meeting Tash and never returns.
The real battle then begins. While the dogs and moles join Tirian's side, the
Dwarfs fight for themselves. In vast confusion as the enemy presses in on them,
Eustace is hurled into the Stable, followed by all eleven dwarfs, Rishda (taken
by Tash), and Tirian. But instead of finding the fearful god Tash in the Stable,
as he had feared, Tirian sees the seven glorious Kings and Queens of Narnia and
Aslan himself standing before him. Beyond the Stable door he has entered a
luscious, green and fragrant country. The Dwarfs, however, see only darkness,
hear Aslan's voice as an angry snarl, and taste rotten food instead of the
sumptuous banquet he spreads for them.
Aslan shows all the Kings and Queens that Narnia on the other side of the Stable
Door is ending. First, Father Time is called to blow his horn, and the living
stars fall gleaming to the ground. Next, all the animals stream to Aslan and
either pass through the Door if they love him, or to his left and into his
Shadow if they fear him. Giant dragons and lizards then devour the vegetation,
and the sea rises to cover it all. The sun and moon turn red, flame into each
other, and Father Time squeezes the burning ball like an orange until all is
dark. Finally, Peter locks the door on Narnia-icy, cold and void.
Aslan then leads them "further up and further in" through the Stable Door to his
own country. There they find not only the fragrant, green land they had always
longed for, and discover their own bodies to be full of life and vigor, but they
see all the old friends they had ever known or heard about. Susan, however, is
not among them for she is "no longer a friend of Narnia." On the other hand,
Emeth the Calormen is there, for he had always sought the truth. They scale the
Great Waterfall and enter the golden gates of a garden with a tree at its
center. Far below, Narnia and England stretch out like spurs jutting off from
the mountains of Aslan's country. But they are the real Narnia and England-those
which they had known before were only imitations. The children are now ready to
begin the Great Story Lucy had once read about in the Magician's Magic Book, a
story which goes on forever!
