The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe (book)



"This is going to be exciting enough without pretending."

- Peter Pevensie

The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe presents the story of four ordinary children, Peter, Susan, Edmund, and Lucy Pevensie, who find their way into the magical land of Narnia where they meet the great lion Aslan and take part in breaking the evil White Witch's reign of power while becoming kings and queens of this world.

Book Facts
Published in 1950, The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe was originally written as a stand alone book and was not intended to have any sequels. It was written for four children that had come to live with C.S. Lewis during the Second World War. The original characters were named Ann, Martin, Rose, and Peter. The book is dedicated to his goddaughter. It is the first of the series published. However it is the second in order of occurance.

Plot Summary
Because of the dangers of war, the four Pevensie children - Peter, Susan, Edmund, and Lucy- are sent away from London to the home of an old Professor who lives in a very large old house with many rooms for hiding and exploration. While exploring this home, Lucy decides to investigate an antique wardrobe they found in one of the remote rooms. Upon entering the wardrobe, Lucy finds herself walking through trees, rather than the expected coats. She presses on and finds herself standing in the middle of a snowy wood. Lucy is not there long before she encounters Tumnus the Faun, who befriends her. She enjoys several hours with Tumnus before he reveals that his true intention was to hand her over to the White Witch, the supposed Queen of Narnia.

Tumnus decides that he cannot betray Lucy and helps her back to the lantern under which they first met. She returns to the room from which she left, discovering that no time has passed since her departure. The other children did not believe her story. Investigation of the wardrobe showed that there was no country inside the wardrobe.

It was later during a game of hide-and-seek that Lucy once again entered the wardrobe and found herself in Narnia. This time, however, cynical brother Edmund followed her and he too entered Narnia. Not able to find Lucy, Edmund decides to leave when he hears the sound of bells in the distance. Before long, a sledge drawn by white reindeer rounds a curve in the path and stops beside Edmund. The passenger on the sledge, the White Witch, asks Edmund from whence he came. His explanation is shocking to the Witch who, after further questioning, is extremely alarmed at the fact that there are four children, two boys and two girls, and that one of the girls had previously met a faun. The witch convinces Edmund to secretly deliver his siblings to her at her home and that His reward would be a princeship. The witch drives on and Edmund is left alone in the road.

Almost immediately, Lucy spots Edmund and revels in the fact that the others would now have to believe in Narnia. They return to the wardrobe room and run to tell their brother and sister about Narnia. Upon questioning, Edmund denies the existence of Narnia as simply "playing." Lucy is devastated and Edmund reprimanded by Peter and Susan.

The two elder siblings (Peter and Susan) decide to inform the Professor of Lucy's imaginings. He reacts less than predictably when he agrees that there may indeed be a country somewhere inside the house. His advice is for them to mind their own business.

The children decide to drop the matter and not mention it again. But, as fortune would have it, Mrs. McCready is giving some guests a tour of the house. The children, having been told not to interfere with her tours, scramble to avoid being seen. Presently they find themselves in the wardrobe room. Hearing footsteps outside, the four take refuge in the wardrobe.

It is not long before many strange things happen and they find themselves standing in the middle of a snowy wood. Lucy leads the four to the cave of Mr. Tumnus (but not before Edmund betrays his secret knowledge of Narnia by giving directions to the lamppost). Upon arriving at the cave, the children find the cave in ruin. Mr. Tumnus has been taken away. According to a note which Peter finds, Tumnus is to stand trial for a variety of offenses, not the least of which is "fraternising with Humans". They are not quite sure what to do but decide that they must help Tumnus. They begin to depart when they are approached by what seems to be a friendly robin.

The children decide to follow the robin as far as he will lead. The bird leads them deep into the wood before disappearing into the distance. It is then that Susan spots an animal moving among the trees nearby. It motions for them to come near. When they do, the animal, a talking beaver, motions for them to keep quiet and follow him. Mr. Beaver leads them further into the forest where he tells them that they are not safe and must go to his house where they can talk and eat.

They follow the beaver to his home. There the beaver tells them of the White Witch, her plans, and prophecies that will be fulfilled when Four Sons of Adam and Daughters of Eve come to Narnia and join with Aslan, the Great Lion King. Mr. Beaver is to take the four to meet Aslan at the stone table. During this conversation, Edmund slips out of the house and into the snowy outdoors. Only later do the four realize that Edmund has gone. Mr. Beaver concludes that Edmund has betrayed them and gone to the White Witch. The three remaining children flee the house with Mr. and Mrs. Beaver leading the way.

Edmund arrives at the White Witch's house and enters the gate. He sees dotting the courtyard numerous stone statues of lions, fauns, dryads,and even a giant. He remembered that Lucy had mentioned the witch's ability to turn things into stone. He goes up the stairway to enter the castle when an enormous wolf confronts him and asks what his business is. Edmund explains and the wolf informs the witch. Edmund is escorted into the witch's chamber where he is chastised for not bringing his siblings. Edmund tells her that they are nearby at the Beavers' house. The witch sends Fenris Ulf (the wolf with whom Edmund had just spoke) to the Beavers' house with the instructions to kill whatever he may find there, then to proceed to stone table. She then instructs her dwarf to prepare the sledge for travel.

Meanwhile, the three children are traveling in the direction of the stone table. They stop to rest in an old cave where they eat and sleep. Early the following morning, they hear sleigh bells and Mr. Beaver goes to investigate. He yells sharply, then quickly returns to the cave, calling the children out. They emerge and proceed to the road for an unexpected visitor. They see before them Father Christmas, whom the witch had kept out of Narnia for years. This is the first sign that her power is weakening. Father Christmas gives gifts all around. To Lucy he gives a bottle filled with a healing cordial. Susan receives a bow and arrows and a horn that, when sounded, will bring some kind of help. Peter receives a sword and shield. Santa then gives them a platter full of breakfast food which they take to the cave to eat before continuing their journey. Edmund was having a less enjoyable time, being forced to travel with the witch to the point where she could cross the river and head for the stone table. They are encountering some difficulty, however, because the snow is melting and the sledge is impossible to drive over the rocky ground. Forced to walk, the witch, Edmund and the dwarf proceed onward to the stone table. Only after they decide that it will be impossible to reach the stone table before the other three does the witch decide to take care of Edmund.

The other three children arrive at the stone table and meet Aslan. He greets them and inquires as to the whereabouts of Edmund. All is explained and Peter is shown castle Cair Paravel where he is to sit as high king. Aslan is explaining when Susan's horn sounds and Peter runs to her aid. Fenris Ulf is chasing Susan, who jumps into a tree and holds on for dear life. Peter rushes forward and, after some fighting, kills the wolf. Aslan spots a companion wolf and instructs some of the swifter animals to follow it on hope of rescuing Edmund.

The witch has decided to kill Edmund and is preparing to do so when a wolf rushes up and tells her of Fenris Ulf's death. She instructs this wolf to call out the evil spirits to meet her and prepare for battle. He obeys as the witch turn her focus back to Edmund. Just as she is preparing to deliver the death blow to Edmund she is attacked, the knife knocked from her hand, and Edmund whisked away. Edmund is returned to Aslan's camp and the care of his brother and sisters. The three children awake to the announcement that Edmund has returned and is with Aslan. Aslan speaks with Edmund before giving him back to Peter, Susan and Lucy with the instruction that they are not to inquire about what has happened.

Shortly after breakfast, the witch's dwarf comes to Aslan to request an audience for the witch. Granted, the witch approaches and claims that Edmund is rightly hers because of his treachery. There is a deep magic which the Emporer (Aslan's Father) had put into effect at the dawn of time. Because of this magic, Edmund's life is forfeit to the witch. Aslan speaks privately with the witch and gets her to renounce the claim on Edmund's life. He then instructs the party to take down the camp and move to the Fords of Beruna where they will spend the night.

Aslan appears to be sad during the trip and his mood is such all night. He gives Peter battle instructions, telling him that He could not guarantee that He would be present during the battle. Susan and Lucy have difficulty sleeping that night and get up to look for Aslan. They find him slowly leaving camp, headed in the direction from which they had come that afternoon. They follow for some time before Aslan spots them. He grants them permission to follow Him provided they stop when He asks them to do so. They agree. Aslan leads them back to the stone table before He asks the girls to stop. Susan and Lucy hide in the trees and watch as Aslan approaches the table where the witch and her followers are waiting.

Aslan is quickly seized and bound before being dragged to the stone table. The rabble mock Him, spit on Him, muzzle Him, beat Him and then shave his mane. The witch brandishes an ugly stone knife and, after a lengthy discussion of Aslan's foolishness, stabs Aslan to death. The girls are horrified by the sight and cover their eyes. The death blow having been struck, the witch and her followers run wildly into the woods to prepare for the battle with the humans.

Susan and Lucy run to Aslan's side. They remove the muzzle but find it impossible to remove the ropes which bind Him. They cry over his body while some mice come and chew the ropes which hold Aslan to the table. Unable to cry anymore, the girls begin to walk around. They go to where Peter had looked toward Cair Paravel earlier that day. The horizon is just beginning to light up and the sun just eclipses the horizon when they hear a deafening crack. They run to the stone table to find it broken in half and Aslan's body missing.

Unsure of what has happened they ask if more magic has taken place. A voice behind them affirms the idea and they turn to find Aslan, living and restored to His former beauty, standing before them. They run to Him and ask Him how He was alive. Aslan tells them of the deeper magic from before the dawn of time. In this incantation, when a willing victim gives himself in a traitor's stead, the table would break in half and death would begin to work backwards. Having explained, Aslan tells them to climb up on His back because they have much to do. They do and He runs swiftly to the witch's house. There He collects reinforcements by restoring all those who had been turned to stone by the witch including, much to Lucy's delight, Mr. Tumnus the Faun. Aslan gives instructions and the entire crew proceed to the Fords of Beruna to join in the battle.

When they arrive they find that not all is going well. Edmund has been severely injured and the witch is turning her enemies into stone. Peter is engaged in battle with her when Aslan roars and pounces on the witch, crushing her into black smoke. At the sight of the witch's death, her army flees into the forest. Edmund is restored with a drop from Lucy's bottle and those who were turned to stone are restored by Aslan. All proceed the following morning to Cair Paravel for the coronation of the kings and queens.

Aslan presides over the coronation but departs during the celebration. Several years pass and the four reign in truth. The witch's army is stamped out and all live in peace. Well into their years as kings and queens, the four are told that the white stag has been sighted near Tumnus's home. The white stag, when caught, would grant wishes. Not being able to pass up the adventure, the four don hunting array and give chase to the stag. They follow it into lantern waste where they are forced to dismount from their horses. They proceed into the thicket where they find a "tree of iron." Edmund recognizes it as having a lamp on it. All think it a strange place to put a light. Susan suggests that they return to their horses and ride back to Cair Paravel because the lamp "worketh strangely upon" her. The other three disagree, suggesting that they would be dishonored by giving up pursuit of the stag. They proceed, only to recall that the lantern was called a lamppost. They soon find that they are walking not through trees but through coats, and all four step out of the wardrobe into the spare room. They are young children again and no time has passed since they went into the wardrobe as they still hear footsteps of McCready in the hall.

The four tell the professor of their exploits and he believes them entirely. He tells them that they will not get back to Narnia through the wardrobe but they would have future adventures in Narnia.

Themes
Like all books The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe has themes or lessons. Some of these may include:
 * Embracing Destiny
 * Death
 * Resurrection
 * Sacrifice
 * Good versus Evil
 * Friendship

Time
The Narnian time of The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe was 1000 to 1015. It was the second book in the series chronologically. The English time or time on Earth was 1940 AD. The children return from Narnia in the exact moment they left their own world. This allows the children to be adults in Narnia and children when they return. The Professor advised them not to talk too much about it, but that does not mean they ever forgot about Narnia.

Atmosphere
In Narnia, consistent with the acceleration of time, the atmosphere seems different and it changes the children stirring in them feelings of bravery and maturity. This may explain why they grow up in Narnia but are the same age when the return from it.

Locations

 * London countryside
 * Old Professor's house
 * Wardrobe
 * Lamp-post
 * Narnia
 * Mr. Tumnus' home
 * Cair Paravel
 * Mr. and Mrs. Beavers' dam
 * Fords of Beruna
 * The Stone Table

Movie adaption
In The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe (Disney movie) there are many differences.


 * In the book, the bombings of London were mentioned only while in the movie adaption there is a sequence which shows the Pevensies hiding from death in their shelter.
 * In the book, Lucy is waiting at Edmund's side to see him recover. In the film, she runs immediately to aid the others with her gift.
 * The last chapter is shortened in the film.

Der König von Narnia (Buch)