The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe

The Lion the Witch, and the Wardrobe by C. S. Lewis, 1950 Harper Collins

     During the chaos of World War II and the bombardment of London, the Pevensie children--Peter, Susan, Edmund, and Lucy--are sent away, like many children of the time, to a house in the country. While there, they children live with the strange old Professor Kirke who owns the house and his housekeeper. One rainy day while Lucy Pevensie, the youngest, plays Hide and Seek with her siblings she discovers an old wardrobe in one of the many rooms. It is the ideal place to hide, but as she moves further and further toward the back, she fails to find the back of the wardrobe. Instead she discovers a winter forest behind the many thick coats.
     Lucy goes into the forest, expecting it to be imaginary, and discovers Mr. Tumnus, a faun. After several hours at tea with this intriguing creature, Lucy worries her family will miss her and rushes home through the wardrobe to find that only a few moments have passed and her siblings haven't even noticed her journey. Peter, Susan, and Edmund can't believe the fantastic story Lucy tells them of her adventure, and write it off as her imaginings--she begins to believe them, but drops the subject to keep the peace.
     On a second indoor day, the children are entertaining themselves when Lucy decides to venture back into the magical wardrobe. This time, Edmund follows her. Lucy hurries to visit Mr. Tumnus for a second afternoon of tea. Edmund falls behind and encounters the White Witch. She plies him with candies, magic, and sweet talk encouraging him to return with his siblings. She speaks of a prophecy that would make Edmund king, and tells him of her power over the land, over Narnia. Meanwhile Lucy discovers that Narnia is ruled by a cruel White Witch who makes it "always winter and never Christmas" through her magic. Mr. Tumnus tells her of a prophecy telling of the Witch's overthrow, but warns her that the White Witch will use any means she sees fit to maintain power. Lucy and Edmund both return through the wardrobe, and Edmund refuses to support her story to Peter and Susan.
     After a late-night chat with the Professor, Peter begins to question the validity of Lucy's story--if one who is known to lie is challenging one who is know to tell the truth, who should he believe?
     The day comes when the housekeeper is searching for the four children and to avoid her, they find the only hiding place is the old wardrobe. Peter, Susan, and Edmund follow Lucy through and her story is proven true. Thus begins their adventure into Narnia.
     Lucy leads her sister and brothers to Mr. Tumnus' home, hoping to find him, but the faun has been taken by the witch for harboring Lucy rather than turning her in. The children are found by Mr. Beaver and taken to his dam. It is at the dam that the children learn the contents of the prophecy and why the White Witch wants them taken to her: when two Sons of Adam and two Daughters of Eve sit on the thrones at Cair Paravel the White Witch's reign will be done and Aslan will return to the land. At some point during the evening, Edmund sneaks out into the night to join the White Witch--leading her to his siblings and threatening the safety of the Beavers' home.
     When his deception is discovered, Peter, Susan and Lucy leave with the Beavers in hopes of finding Aslan, the Great Lion who watches over Narnia, and restoring prosperity to the land. Their journey takes them across Narnia, and they encounter talking animals, forest spirits, other mythological creatures, and Father Christmas himself as the Witch's hold over the land weakens. Their encounter with Father Christmas results in gifts that later tip the scales in the children's favor: a sword and shield for Peter, a bow, quiver, and magical hunting horn for Susan, and a cordial of healing solution for Lucy.
     They meet Aslan and an assembly of Narnians willing to fight for their freedom. When Lucy and Susan are attacked in the woods by two of the White Witch's wolves, Susan uses her horn to call help: Peter and Aslan arrive, kill the Witch's lieutenant and follow the other wolf to Edmund, whom they rescue.
     The White Witch calls an audience with Aslan, claiming Edmund's blood as traitor, but Aslan lays down his life in accordance with the Deep Magic to save him. The Great Lion is sacrificed by the White Witch on the Stone Table, Susan and Lucy follow him and witness the death, but are surprised when he is resurrected the next morn, in accordance with an even deeper magic. Aslan takes the Pevensie girls to the White Witch's castle and the trio rescues the array of Narnians the Witch had turned to stone.
     Lucy, Susan, Aslan, and the revived Narnians return to the battle with the Witch. Aslan defeats the Witch, killing her, and the siblings are reunited. They set up a kingdom at Cair Paravel and the four become well-known as Kings and Queens of Narnia. After years of successful rule, known as the Golden Age of Narnia, the adult Pevensies return to the Wardrobe between worlds and return home to England at the precise moment they left from.
     While the Pevensies grow both developmentally and physically in Narnia, the story is about the struggles between siblings, good and evil, and learning to trust one's own values. It has been criticized for a resemblance to the Christian story, but also has elements of Norse, Greek, and other mythologies. The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe highlights the dangers of jealousy and spite in Edmund's journey, and the joys of unconditional love in Lucy's innocent faith. Peter and Susan's skepticism belies a realistic outlook, and their more mature vantage as older siblings. The Professor, while not a key character, becomes a 'devil's advocate' and challenges Peter to look beyond his first impression of the world, and Susan's independence--though rooted in a desire to be 'grown-up'--leads her to become both a warrior and gentle queen.
     The suggested audience for The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe is third grade or eight-years-old, but it speaks to readers of all ages.