Reepicheep

"Sire, my life is ever at your command, but my honour is my own."

- Reepicheep (Chapter 13)

Reepicheep was one of the Talking Mice of Narnia, and was their leader. He was also one of Caspian's most loyal and bravest knights. His second-in-command was Peepiceek. Reepicheep lived before and during the reign of Caspian X, and was completely loyal and faithful to Aslan. He took part in the Narnian Revolution, nearly getting killed in the process, and also sailed with Caspian on the Dawn Treader to the End of the World. He appears in Prince Caspian, The Voyage of the Dawn Treader, and The Last Battle, and has a major role in his first two book appearances.

Early Life
Reepicheep is descended from the dumb mice who chewed away Aslan's binds at the Stone Table during the Winter Revolution. Aslan gave the mice the ability to talk as a reward for their kindness.

In childhood, Reepicheep lived in the forest, and one of the dryads used to sing him a lullaby that later became very important to him: -

Where the sky and water meet,

Where the waves grow sweet,

Doubt not, Reepicheep,

To find all you seek,

There is the utter East.

In the VDT movie, he stated that he had once traveled with some pirates, possibly as part of their crew, and met a dragon, although this was never mentioned in the book. Presumably, this occurred before the Narnian Revolution, though how he came to do this is unknown.

Narnian Revolution
Reepicheep had always had an adventurous spirit, which together with his skill with a sword led him to eventually becoming leader of all Narnia's mice. Some time after he became a leader, he played a major role in the Narnian Revolution, in which he swore his allegiance to Caspian, and fought alongside the Old Narnians in their attempt to take the country back from the Telmarines and the usurper, Miraz. He was joined by several of his fellow mice, including his second-in-command, Peepiceek, and was an advisor and friend to Prince Caspian, and the Kings and Queens of Old, the Pevensies.

He participated in the Second Battle of Beruna, and suffered near-fatal wounds in the fight. Queen Lucy healed most of his injuries with her magic cordial, but was not able to restore his severed tail. Aslan was at first reluctant to restore what Reepicheep considered "the honour and glory of a mouse", for fear it would encourage the mouse's pride. However, the love between Reepicheep and his followers (evidenced by their willingness to cut off their own tails if Reepicheep had to go without his) eventually convinced the Lion, and the mouse regained his tail.

After he was healed, he was made a knight of the Most Noble Order of the Lion by Caspian, after he himself was knighted by Peter, along with Trufflehunter and Trumpkin.

In the 2008 Prince Caspian (Disney movie), Reepicheep also fought with the Narnians during the Telmarine Castle Night Raid. When Prince Caspian first joined with the Narnians, Reepicheep and his mice stole various weapons from the Telmarines, leaving behind a taunting message for Miraz and his men apparently from Caspian, saying: -

"You were right to fear the woods. X"

During the night of the raid, they crept into Miraz's Castle, binding and gagging a cat along the way, and lowering the draw-bridge for the Narnian raiders to enter the castle.

On the Dawn Treader
Reepicheep sailed with Caspian on the Dawn Treader to the end of the world.

He demonstrated that he was a good chess player, often playing with Lucy and Eustace during the voyage. He won most games, even though the pieces were large and required him to use both paws to move them about the board. On occasion, he forgot that he was playing chess and acted as if the game was a real battle, making ridiculous moves that caused him to lose.

During the voyage, he had some minor scrapes with Eustace Scrubb, who showed the mouse no respect and once swung him around by his tail. Angered, Reepicheep challenged him to a duel, but he declined on the grounds of being a pacifist. When he did this, Reepicheep began to whip him with the flat of his blade until he was forced to apologise. The two were almost complete opposites in character, creating extreme conflicts and dislike between the two.

Reepicheep's problems with Eustace ended on Dragon Island, when Eustace was temporarily turned into a Dragon. Reepicheep forgave former disagreements, and comforted Eustace by telling him stories at night, when they were the only ones awake. After this incident taught Eustace humility and kindness, the two of them became good friends.

Reepicheep was the only native Narnian to travel toward the end of the world with Edmund, Lucy and Eustace, after the Silver Sea became too shallow for the Dawn Treader.

After the humans waded toward the island, where they met Aslan, he sailed over the edge of the Narnian world and reached Aslan's Country, fulfilling his life-long wish.

In 2010 film of The Voyage of the Dawn Treader, Reepicheep was not so easily angered by Eustace's antics as he was in the book. In fact, he seemed more amused than anything, with the exception of when Eustace tried to steal rations, and then proceeded to grab Reepicheep's tail, but didn't swing him by it.

When he did this, Reepicheep challenged him to a duel, but Eustace actually went ahead with the swordfight, and judging by the way they fought, it appeared as though Reepicheep was trying to teach Eustace fencing more than anything.

Aslan's Country
Reepicheep was there to greet the Seven Friends of Narnia, when they arrived after the Narnian world ended, into Aslan's Country, saying: -

"Welcome, in the Lion's name. Come further up and further in."

- Reepicheep (Chapter 16)



Physical Description
He was about "two feet tall", weighed about "seven pounds", with dark fur that was almost black (golden-brown in the films), and looked, according to Lucy, "so cute!", a description he didn't appreciate much. He always wore a short belt around his middle, with a rapier at his side, and a thin band of gold around his head with a long crimson feather sticking out of it, possibly as a sign of his leadership.

Personality
Reepicheep was exceedingly brave, a trait apparantly shared by all Narnian Mice. He was loyal to the death, willing to fight and die for his King and Lord. His honor was very important to him, even to the point where Aslan had to warn him that he thought too much of his honor. This was apparently because Reepicheep was secretly worried about how others perceived him. Reepicheep was fierce in battle, always eager to fight for Narnia's cause. He did not fear death because he knew that when he died, he would go to Aslan's Country, which was his one dream. See also: Reepicheep/personality

Weapon
Reepicheep wielded a rapier sword, but it is unknown exactly from where he got it.

Most likely, he would have had it made for him by Dwarf weapon-smiths inside the Shuddering Woods, since he couldn't have left there.

The sword was very nearly as long as his own tail, with a slightly flexible blade that was made of dwarf-tempered steel.

Upon reaching the world’s end, he threw his sword across the Silver Sea, having no further use for it, and where it landed its hilt remained above the surface before it sank.

Centuries later, when Reepicheep greeted the Seven Friends of Narnia to Aslan’s Country, it was noted that he had a long sword on his person.

However, it is not known if this was the same sword that he had thrown into the sea at the World’s End.

Trivia

 * Warwick Davis, who played Nikabrik in Disney and Walden media film of Prince Caspian, played Reepicheep in the BBC version of Prince Caspian & The Voyage of the Dawn Treader (BBC).
 * Eddie Izzard voices Reepicheep in the film adaptation of Prince Caspian.
 * Simon Pegg voices Reepicheep in the film adaptation of The Voyage of the Dawn Treader.
 * Reepicheep is descended from the mice who helped cut Aslan's bonds at the Stone Table. The mice were wild, but became talking mice because of this noble deed.
 * Reepicheep is named Ripipip in Scandinavian language (Swedish, Danish, Norwegian) and Ripchip in Portuguese.
 * Reepicheep says that a Dryad sung him the song about the Utter East, but how could that be, since the Dryads were all trapped in their slumber?
 * Personality
 * In the Prince Caspian (video game), he is the only character who cannot pick things up.
 * Reepicheep and Eustace's relationship is a lot different in the film from the book. While they were constantly at odds throughout the book, in the film, however, Reepicheep was not so easily angered by Eustace's antics. In fact, he seemed more amused than anything, and their relationship appeared to be based more on a teacher/pupil role.
 * In the Prince Caspian book, Reepicheep is described as being only over a foot high. In The Voyage of the Dawn Treader, though, he is described as being about two feet high.
 * In the films, Reepicheep's fur is golden-brown coloured, while in the books it is described as being very dark, almost black.
 * In the VDT book, Reepicheep's song goes as, "Where the sky and water meet, Where the waves grow sweet, Doubt not, Reepicheep, To find all you seek, There is the utter East." While in the film it went as, "Where sky and water meet, Where the waves grow ever sweet, Doubt not, you Reepicheep, To find all that you seek, There is the utter East."

Ripitchip Reepicheep