CHAPTER 11 : Aslan is Nearer

 Edmund is surprised when the Witch does not fulfill any of the promises she
made to him before. She doesn't give him any Turkish Delight, and when he
asks about it she orders the Dwarf to bring him something to eat.
 The Dwarf brings Edmund some bread and water. He objects, but the Witch is
so angry and frightening that he starts eating the dry bread.
 While Edmund eats, the Dwarf prepares the Witch's sledge. When it's ready, the
Witch orders Edmund to come with her.
 Before they leave, the Witch orders Fenris Ulf to take some wolves to the
Beavers' house and kill anyone he finds there. (Luckily, as we know from
Chapter Ten, the Beavers and the children have already left the house, and the
falling snow has covered their tracks.)
 The Witch and Edmund ride on the sledge and the Dwarf drives it. Edmund has
a terrible time; he is extremely cold and wet without his coat, and he feels
miserable because it's obvious now that the Witch is evil.
 They drive all night and into the morning. Suddenly the Witch orders the sledge
to stop.
 At the foot of the tree, they see a group of animals and creatures, including a
family of squirrels, satyrs, a dwarf, and a fox, eating a delicious-smelling meal.
The Fox is standing up, about to propose a toast. When they see the Witch in
her sledge they are terrified.
 The Witch demands to know what's going on and where they got the feast from.
The Fox admits that they received the meal as a gift from Father Christmas.
 The Witch is enraged by the mention of Father Christmas and insists that the
Fox admit he is lying. One of the young squirrels cries out that Father Christmas
has been here.
 Furious, the Witch waves her wand and turns the entire group into stone.
Edmund begs her not to, but the Witch simply hits him in the face and orders
the Dwarf to continue driving.
 For the first time, Edmund feels sorry for someone other than himself as he
thinks about the friendly creatures eating their feast, now cold stone forever.
 As the sledge continues racing forward, Edmund notices that the snow is wetter
and the air is warmer and foggy. The sledge begins to have trouble moving; it
hits rocks, skids around, and eventually gets completely stuck.
 When the sledge stops, Edmund realizes that he can hear running water. He is
excited to discover that the frost is ending; all around him, snow is melting,
revealing green trees and grass.
 The Witch forces Edmund to help the Dwarf push the sledge out of the mud.
They continue driving, but then the sledge gets stuck again.
 The Dwarf tells the Witch that the sledge is unusable. The Witch says they must
walk. She has the Dwarf tie Edmund's hands behind him and lead him on a
rope, using a whip to keep him going quickly.
 The snow continues to melt, revealing a lush, green countryside around them.
The sun shines down on beautiful wildflowers. Birds begin to sing.
 The Witch urges them to move faster. As the landscape becomes even more
beautiful, the Dwarf says aloud that spring has come and it must be because of
Aslan.
 The Witch says that if either of them mentions Aslan again, she will kill him.
CHAPTER 12 : Peter's First Battle
 While Edmund is on his forced march with the Witch, his brother and sisters,
along with the Beavers, are also walking through the spring countryside,
watching the snow melt, the flowers bloom, and the birds fly around. They
leave the fur coats behind them.
 Although the children don't know that it is Aslan who has caused the spring,
they realize that the Witch's power is weakening. They are tired but pleased.
 Toward the evening, as the sun begins to go down, Mr. Beaver leads them
uphill. As they arrive at the top of the hill, they get a beautiful view of the forest
in every direction and the ocean to the east.
 In the middle of a clearing at the top of the hill stands the Stone Table, a very
large and very ancient monument covered with strange writing.
 To one side of the Stone Table there is a yellow and red pavilion (a fancy tent)
made of silk. Above the pavilion flies a banner with a picture of a red lion.
 The children hear a noise to their right and turn. They see Aslan in the center of
a group of creatures including Dryads (tree spirits) and Naiads (water spirits),
centaurs, a unicorn, a bull with a man's head, and other animals. Two leopards
carry Aslan's crown and standard.
 Aslan's presence is impressive and powerful and the Beavers and children don't
know what to do. They whisper to each other about who should approach him
first.
 Eventually Peter steps forward and presents himself to Aslan, saluting with his
sword.
 Aslan greets the children and beavers, using their names, which he knows
already.
 Aslan asks where the fourth child is, and Mr. Beaver explains that Edmund has
gone to the White Witch and betrayed them. Peter admits that his behavior
might have contributed to Edmund's actions.
 Lucy asks what can be done to save Edmund, and Aslan says that everything
possible will be done, but it will be very difficult.
 Aslan orders his followers to prepare a feast and sends Lucy and Susan away in
care of some of the women. Aslan and Peter are left alone together.
 Aslan takes Peter to the eastern edge of the hillside and shows him Cair
Paravel, the palace by the seaside. Aslan says that Peter will be a King in this
castle; in fact, Peter will be High King over the other three, because he is
oldest.
 Peter doesn't know what to say. Before he can think of something, they hear
the call of a horn. Aslan says it is Susan's horn, and they rush back to the
pavilion.
 In the clearing, Peter finds chaos; everyone is running, and an enormous Wolf
is chasing Susan. Susan has swung herself up into a tree, but she can't get high
enough to be completely out of the Wolf's reach.
 Peter feels sick and frightened, but he runs directly to the Wolf, drawing his
sword. When the Wolf howls in anger, Peter has time to stab it in the heart.
After a long struggle, the Wolf lies dead.
 Susan comes down from the tree and she and Peter hug in relief.
 Aslan sends some Centaurs and Eagles to follow a second Wolf, which was
lurking in the trees, and rescue Edmund.
 Aslan reminds Peter to clean his sword. Peter wipes his sword clean on the
grass, and then Aslan uses the sword to dub Peter a knight.
CHAPTER 13 : Deep Magic from the
Dawn of Time
 The Witch marches Edmund and the Dwarf a long ways until they come to a
dark valley in the shadow of yew and fir trees. Edmund lies down on his face,
exhausted.
 The Witch and the Dwarf argue about what they should do. The Dwarf says that
they are too late and the other children will already be at the Stone Table. The
Witch says that Fenris Ulf, the Wolf captain, may bring them good news.
 It occurs to the Witch that the prophecy requires four human beings to fill the
thrones at Cair Paravel. She considers murdering Edmund so that there will only
be three, and then, after Aslan leaves, she could attack the others.
 The Dwarf suggests that they might need Edmund, as a hostage, to bargain
with. The Witch doesn't want to take the chance that he might escape or be
rescued.
 The Dwarf says that, if they're going to kill Edmund, they should do it right
away. The Witch wants to kill him on the Stone Table, which she says is the
proper place for sacrifices.
 The Dwarf points out that Aslan's people hold the Stone Table. The Witch
agrees to murder Edmund right where they are.
 The other Wolf runs up and tells them that Peter slew Fenris Ulf and that some
of Aslan's army are following him. He tells the Witch that she should run.
 The Witch orders the Wolf to gather all the evil creatures to her. The Wolf runs
off to carry out her orders.
 The Witch and the Dwarf tie Edmund to a tree trunk and fold back his clothes so
that his neck is exposed. Edmund hears the sound of a knife being sharpened.
 Just as the Witch is preparing to kill Edmund, the centaurs and eagles and other
creatures that Aslan sent in pursuit of the Wolf arrive. The Witch screams and
everything is confused.
 Edmund is untied and laid down on the ground. His rescuers give him a little
wine to revive him.
 In the background, Edmund can hear his other rescuers talking about the Witch
and the Dwarf, who have escaped. Edmund faints. While he is unconscious,
they carry him back to the Stone Table.
 After Aslan's people leave with Edmund, a tree stump and a boulder in the
clearing turn back into the White Witch and the Dwarf. The Witch used her
magic powers to disguise them. She still has her wand.
 In the morning, Lucy, Susan, and Peter are told by Mrs. Beaver that Edmund
has been rescued.
 Aslan and Edmund have a long, private talk. Nobody else knows what is said,
but Edmund is a different person from this day forward.
 Aslan brings Edmund back to his brother and sisters. Edmund apologizes to
everyone and they all forgive him.
 The Witch's Dwarf arrives. Aslan agrees to let him approach, and the Dwarf
demands safe conduct for the Witch to come and speak to Aslan.
 Mr. Beaver objects to the Dwarf calling the Witch "Queen of Narnia." Aslan tells
the Beaver that soon everyone will have their own titles back.
 Aslan agrees to let the Witch approach if she leaves her wand behind. The
Dwarf agrees and Aslan's lions go with him to enforce this pact.
  The Witch comes forward and stands before Aslan. Everyone feels frightened
and cold at the sight of her. Mrs. Beaver notices that the Witch can't look Aslan
directly in the eyes.
 The Witch accuses Edmund of being a traitor. Aslan says that his offense was
not against her.
 The Witch reminds Aslan of the Deep Magic, which was written on the Stone
Table by the Emperor at the beginning of time: the Witch has the right to
punish traitors, and their lives are forfeit to her.
 Aslan's army is defiant, but Aslan says that the Witch is right: she has the right
to have blood as payment for Edmund's treachery. If she doesn't get it, then
Narnia will be destroyed in fire and water.
 Susan asks Aslan if they can work against the Deep Magic. Aslan's frown is so
severe that nobody asks this again.
 During the exchange, Edmund wonders if he should say or do something, but
he feels like he is just supposed to wait and do what he is told.
 Aslan tells his followers to fall back so that he can talk to the Witch alone.
 While Aslan and the Witch have their private conference, everyone waits and
wonders what will happen.
 Eventually, Aslan calls them back and says that the Witch has renounced her
claim on Edmund's blood.
 As the Witch leaves, she asks Aslan how she can know that he will keep his
promise. Aslan roars and she runs away.

CHAPTER 14 : The Triumph of the

Witch
 Aslan orders his people to move their camp from the Stone Table to the Fords
of Beruna. Nobody wants to ask what's going on or what he promised the
Witch.
 Aslan's people eat a meal, then pack and move their pavilion.
 While they are marching to their new campsite, Aslan explains the tactical
situation to Peter. He outlines one plan for Peter to follow if the Witch and her
followers reach her castle and wait to be besieged, and another plan for Peter to
follow if Aslan's army is able to intercept her before she gets there.
 Peter doesn't understand why Aslan is explaining everything to him – won't
Aslan be there himself? But Aslan says he can't promise that.
 After Aslan finishes giving Peter instructions, he spends the rest of the journey
with Susan and Lucy. He says little and seems sad.
 They arrive at the Fords of Beruna and Aslan orders them to set up camp. Peter
wants to camp on the far side of the river to protect them from a night attack,
but Aslan says it doesn't matter.
 Because Aslan is downcast, everyone feels depressed as they eat dinner and go
to sleep at their new campsite.
 Susan and Lucy can't fall asleep and begin talking. They both feel that
something is wrong with Aslan and that something bad is going to happen soon.
They decide to go look for him.
  The girls creep out of their tent and see Aslan leaving. They follow him, and he
leads them back toward the Stone Table, retracing their steps from earlier in
the day.
 In an open space, Aslan sees the girls following him in the moonlight. He asks
why they have come, and Lucy says they couldn't sleep. Susan asks if they can
come with him.
 Aslan says he will be glad of their company, but they will have to stop when he
tells them and let him go on alone. They agree.
 Aslan, Susan, and Lucy walk on together. Aslan is clearly depressed; his head
droops and his tail hangs, and he moans occasionally. Lucy and Susan beg him
to tell them what is wrong, but he won't. He asks them to lay their hands in his
mane as they walk together, and they do.
 They arrive at the top of the hill where the Stone Table is located. Aslan tells
Susan and Lucy to stop and not to let themselves be seen. Then he says
goodbye.
 Susan and Lucy weep and kiss Aslan goodbye. Then he walks away from them.
 The girls hide in the bushes and watch as Aslan walks toward the Stone Table.
The clearing is full of many different evil creatures, from ogres to wolves to
hags and beyond. In the center the White Witch stands by the Stone Table.
 When Aslan comes into sight, the evil army lets out a great howl. The Witch
laughs, calls Aslan a fool, and orders her people to tie him to the Stone Table.
 Susan and Lucy expect Aslan to destroy these creatures, but instead he remains
motionless and allows them to tie him up.
 Before they put him on the table, an ogre shaves Aslan's beautiful golden mane
with a pair of shears. When Aslan is shaved, the others taunt and mock him.
Lucy, looking at his face, notices how brave and patient he looks.
 Next, the creatures put a muzzle on Aslan. Although he could bite off their
hands, he doesn't move. Once Aslan is completely immobilized, the creatures
beat him, kicking and hitting, and also spit on him and continue to insult and
mock him.
 Eventually, the evil mob is tired of tormenting Aslan. They drag him to the
Stone Table, heave him up on it, and tie him down.
 The Witch bares her arms and sharpens her stone knife. Aslan looks at the sky,
quiet and sad.
 Before the Witch kills Aslan, she tells him that his sacrifice will not help: after
he is dead, she and her army will kill Edmund and his family anyway, and she
will rule Narnia forever!
 Susan and Lucy hide their eyes because they can't bear to watch as the Witch
kills Aslan.

CHAPTER 15 : Deeper Magic from

Before the Dawn of Time
 With Aslan dead, the Witch calls her followers to her and they move in a wild
mob toward Aslan's army, intending to carry out a surprise attack. Lucy and
Susan, still hiding in the bushes, are briefly in danger as the evil creatures pass
close by them.
 Once the Witch's army is gone, Lucy and Susan go to the Stone Table and weep
over Aslan's body. They cry and mourn for a long time.
 Eventually, when they seem to have run out of tears, Lucy suggests that they
take off Aslan's muzzle. They do, and it sets them crying again.
 Susan suggests that they untie Aslan's body from the table, but the knots are
so tight that they can't.
 For a long time, Susan and Lucy wait, quiet and shocked. Nothing seems to
matter anymore. Time passes. It gets colder.
 Lucy notices that it's beginning to get light outside. She also notices something
moving in the grass – mice!
 The mice crawl up onto Aslan's body. Susan tries to shoo them away, but Lucy
points out that the mice are eating through the cords that tie Aslan's body to
the Stone Table.
 It gets brighter; the sunrise has almost started. Only one star is visible, a big
bright star on the Eastern horizon. The mice finish eating through all of Aslan's
bindings and creep away.
 It continues to get brighter. Birds start to sing.
 Susan and Lucy feel cold and decide to walk around a little bit. They go to the
edge of the hill and look east. The large star is no longer visible.
 Susan and Lucy pace between Aslan's body and the edge of the hill, trying to
stay warm. They feel cold and tired.
 Finally, while the girls are looking east toward the castle of Cair Paravel, the
edge of the sun peeks up over the horizon. At the same moment, behind them
there is an enormous cracking, thunder-like noise.
 Lucy and Susan assume that the evil creatures are mutilating Aslan's corpse
and run back toward the Stone Table. When they get there, the Stone Table is
broken completely in half and Aslan's body is gone!
 Susan wonders if this is more magic, and a voice from behind her says that it
is. The girls turn around, only to see Aslan, alive and larger than before,
standing behind them.
 The girls are both happy and scared. Aslan assures them that he was dead, but
isn't anymore, and that he is not a ghost.
 Susan and Lucy hug and kiss Aslan with great joy.
 Once the girls calm down, Susan asks Aslan to explain. Aslan tells her that the
Witch's knowledge only goes back to the Dawn of Time, but that there is a
deeper magic from before the Dawn of Time that she didn't know about.
According to this deeper magic, when an innocent, willing victim was executed
in the place of a traitor, the Stone Table would crack and Death would work
backwards.
 For a while, Aslan frolics and leaps about, enjoying his returning strength. Lucy
and Susan play a strange game of tag with him, in which they all run around
and sometimes Aslan catches them and tosses them gently in the air, and
sometimes they roll around on the ground and wrestle. At the end of the game,
the girls no longer feel hungry or thirsty or tired.
 Next, the girls plug their ears while Aslan lets out a terrible roar.
 Aslan invites Lucy and Susan to ride on him. Once they are mounted, he rushes
down into the forest. For hours, they enjoy the ride, as Aslan runs swiftly
through the beautiful Narnian countryside.
 Around the middle of the day, they arrive at the Witch's castle. Aslan leaps over
the walls into the courtyard.
CHAPTER 16 : What Happened About
the Statues
 Lucy is amazed to see the Witch's courtyard; she thinks all the statues make it
look like a museum.
 Aslan begins bounding around, pouncing and romping like a big cat. Each time
he comes near one of the statues, he breathes on it.
 Lucy and Susan realize that Aslan's breath is un-petrifying the statues, turning
stone back into the people and creatures of Narnia!
 First, Aslan turns the statue of a lion back into a real lion. The real lion is
excited to see Aslan and follows him around.
 Soon the courtyard is full of different people and creatures laughing and talking.
 Susan notices Aslan arrive at the feet of the stone giant. She's worried that the
giant might not be friendly, but once Aslan has breathed on his feet and
restored him to health, Giant Rumblebuffin turns out to be the Witch's enemy
and their friend.
 After they finish with the courtyard, Aslan instructs everyone to go into the
Witch's house and find all the other prisoners and statues.
 While they are ransacking the Witch's castle, Lucy finds Mr. Tumnus, who has
indeed been turned to stone. Aslan breathes on him and soon he and Lucy are
having a happy reunion!
 Finally, everyone has been rescued. Aslan has Giant Rumblebuffin smash the
walls of the courtyard with his club and everyone emerges into the woods.
 Giant Rumblebuffin is sweaty after working hard to destroy the walls, so Lucy
lends him her handkerchief to mop his face. The handkerchief is far too small
for him, but he is very polite and thanks Lucy anyway. Mr. Tumnus tells Lucy
that all the Buffins are good giants.
 Aslan organizes everyone for the journey across country back to the site of the
battle, where they need to join in and help Peter, Edmund, and everyone else.
The other lion is flattered and excited to help Aslan, but not very helpful.
 Eventually, they set off. The animals that can track scents – dogs and lions and
wolves – pick up the scent of the army and lead the way. The animals that can
run trot along behind them, with everyone else riding on their backs. Lucy and
Susan ride on Aslan.
 As they come to the end of the valley and onto the plain, Lucy is able to hear
the sounds of the battle – metal clashing against metal, shouting, and
shrieking.
 On the battlefield, Peter, Edmund, and the rest of Aslan's army are valiantly
holding their ground against the Witch's forces, even though they are
outnumbered and exhausted.
 There are statues everywhere, but the Witch seems to have lost her wand and
is using the stone knife to fight Peter.
 Lucy and Susan get off Aslan's back and he rushes toward the Witch and
pounces on her!
 The people and creatures that Aslan has freed from the Witch's castle rush into
the battle, acting as reinforcements.
CHAPTER 17 : The Hunting of the
White Stag
 A few moments after Aslan and his followers arrive, the battle is ended. Most of
the evil creatures are dead and the rest flee.
 Peter and Aslan shake hands. Peter tells Aslan that Edmund changed the course
of the battle by attacking the Witch and destroying her magic wand. Once she
couldn't turn anyone to stone, she had no advantage.
 Edmund has been badly wounded. Aslan reminds Lucy that she has the flask of
magic medicine. She pours a few drops into Edmund's mouth.
 Lucy wants to wait to see if Edmund will recover, but Aslan reminds her that
there are many other wounded people who need her help.
 For about half an hour, Lucy and Aslan go around and care for the casualties on
their side of the battle. Lucy heals the wounded with her magic cordial, and
Aslan un-petrifies the people who were turned to stone.
 When Lucy sees Edmund again a little later, he is completely healed in both
body and spirit. Aslan makes him a knight.
 Lucy and Susan discuss whether Edmund should be told about Aslan's sacrifice
for his sake. Lucy thinks Edmund should be told, but Susan thinks he shouldn't.
Before they can decide what to do, they are interrupted.
 Aslan miraculously provides an enormous feast for everyone and then they
sleep in the field.
 The next day, everyone marches east toward Cair Paravel and the ocean. By
evening, the children are wading in the waves on the beach.
 The day after that, the four children are crowned by Aslan as Kings and Queens
of Narnia.
 The children sit in their throne wearing crowns and holding scepters. They
reward all their friends with honors and everyone has a feast in the evening.
Outside, mermaids and mermen sing to celebrate their coronation.
 Aslan slips away from the party. The children aren't surprised, because Mr.
Beaver warned them that Aslan would probably come and go.
 King Peter, King Edmund, Queen Susan, and Queen Lucy govern Narnia fairly
and justly for a long time. They seek out and destroy the rest of the evil
creatures who have gone into hiding. They make good laws and are generally
awesome.
 All the children grow up to be virtuous monarchs. Peter becomes a great warrior
and is called King Peter the Magnificent. The others all earn nicknames, too:
Queen Susan the Gentle, King Edmund the Just, and Queen Lucy the Valiant.
They don't really remember living in England, except the way you remember
dreams.
 One day, Mr. Tumnus brings them news that a magic White Stag has been seen
in the woods in the West. Anyone who catches the Stag is granted wishes, so
the Kings and Queens go out to hunt for him.
 While chasing the White Stag, the Kings and Queens are led back to the
lamppost. They don't remember what it is right away and are surprised to see
"a tree of iron" with a lamp on top.
 Seeing the lamppost starts to trigger memories for the four siblings. They have
a sense that beyond the lamppost they will find adventures. Susan wants to go
back to Cair Paravel, but the others want to keep going.
 The four siblings go past the lamppost. They begin to remember what a
lamppost is, and then the find themselves among coats hanging in a cupboard,
and then they find themselves getting out of the wardrobe into the empty
room.
 Back in England, it is still the same moment at which they first hid in the
wardrobe. Mrs. Macready and the tourists are outside in the hallway looking at
features of the famous house.
 The children tell the Professor about their adventures to explain why they lost
four of his fur coats.
 The Professor suggests that the children will get back to Narnia someday, but
probably not through the wardrobe again. From the way he talks about it, the
children wonder just how he knows so much about Narnia!