Letters to Polly (Part 2) 7 December 2008
Posted by Renette in 2 The Lion the Witch and the Wardrobe, By Terb.3 comments
I wasn’t sure if I wanted to go on with this, given that Swanwhite already did something quite similar before. However, I noticed that I have a bad habit of not finishing things that I’ve begun, so I decided to finish this off so that I can start my next project, which Lea suggested – a letter from Alberta Scrubb to her friend complaining about the changes she noticed in Eustace. (I guess you can tell I’m beginning to enjoy writing fan fiction).
Anyway, here’s Professor Kirke’s next letter to Polly after hearing about the adventures of the Pevensies in Narnia. If you haven’t read part 1, it would be a good idea to read it first here.
My dear friend Polly,
I told you that I had a feeling that the children would have more adventures in Narnia, and I was right. This morning, I heard a knock on my study door again. It wasn’t a timid knock, like the last time; it was more of a firm rat-tat-tat-tat. I hurriedly opened the door because I had a feeling that it would be the children, and it was. The four children stood quite straight and proper on the hallway, and said, “Good morning, Professor” rather formally. “Good morning, children,” I replied, and looked at each of them solemnly. They looked back at me without blinking, until I asked, “It was Jadis, wasn’t it? I sure hope you have dealt with her before leaving Narnia. It is only quite logical to do so.” They all looked at each other and burst out in laughter, then they bounded inside my study and pulled chairs for themselves.
The entire story tumbled out, with each of the children finishing the other’s sentence. Indeed, the White Witch was our old acquaintance Jadis, just as I feared. I forgot to ask them how she came to be in Narnia in the first place – I mean, what about the Tree of Protection? I must ask Peter tomorrow. Also, hundreds and hundreds of years have already passed since the beginning of Narnia, and there were many kings of Narnia after King Frank. I knew time passed differently there, but I didn’t expect how fast it was compared to ours.
Anyway, it seems that Edmund did something really bad when they first got there. The other children skirted over the topic and wouldn’t go into details, out of consideration for poor Edmund. I must ask Peter about it in private tomorrow. The result was that Edmund was supposed to die in the hands of Jadis. I asked them what happened, since Edmund was very much alive in front of me and I doubt if Jadis would willingly let him go. There was an awkward silence, until Edmund himself begun to talk in a quiet voice. Did you know what happened next? Aslan himself took Edmund’s place and was killed by the White Witch. Imagine that! I couldn’t believe it at first – remember how Aslan didn’t even flinch when Jadis threw an iron bar at him? How could she hurt him this time, and hurt him enough to kill him? I asked them repeatedly if they were certain that he actually died, but Susan assured me of this point. She is not a liar and is not given to exaggerations, nor is she mad. So I must conclude that what she says is true. There are things about this that I don’t fully understand yet; I really must ask Peter for more details tomorrow.
While I was busy trying to grasp the concept of Aslan dying, Lucy excitedly broke into my thoughts by saying that Aslan did not stay dead – he rose again! She described the scene of his resurrection breathlessly, and I could almost imagine the magic in the air and the music in the winds when it happened. Oh, what I would give to be there with him at that moment! I suddenly remember how he looked at me with tears in his eyes and told me that we must be good to each other, for only we knew what grief was. Perhaps he was thinking forward to the moment when he would have to die for a son of Adam, in order to save all of Narnia.
Aslan (and his army) proceeded to kill the White Witch and defeat her minions, and the four Pevensie children became kings and queens of Narnia. They were there for more than twenty years, until they found themselves back through the wardrobe at the spare room.
At that point, Peter looked sheepish and told me that they were very sorry, but they “borrowed” four coats from the wardrobe since it was very cold on their first day together in Narnia, but they did not know where to find those now. I told them not to worry, and gave them a lot of sage advice which they would do well to remember. I do hope you can come and visit when the opportunity comes, so that you can meet them and hear the story for yourself.
Ever your friend,
Digory Kirke
LETTERS TO POLLY (Part 1) 28 October 2008
Posted by Renette in 1 The Magician's Nephew, 2 The Lion the Witch and the Wardrobe, By Terb, Sons of Adam and Daughters of Eve.7 comments
How did Professor Kirke feel when he first heard that Lucy has been to Narnia? Here’s a glimpse through his letter to his old friend. (By the way, this is my first attempt at fan fiction of any kind, so any suggestions will be most welcome.)
My dear friend Polly,
I hope this letter finds you in the best of health. I must smile a bit while writing your name because indeed, Polly is a funny name. I know you are thinking that it is not half so funny as Digory, and if you were here, we could go on about it, like we did as children.
I’m writing to share with you some news that will surprise you for sure. A month ago, I received a telegram from Mrs. Helen Pevensie of Finchley – I do not know if you remember her, she was a distant relation of my Aunt Letty. It is the usual story – the father is fighting in the war, the air raids are going on about London, and the mother knows their house in the middle of the city is not safe, especially for her children. Mrs. Pevensie cannot leave the house for fear that the dreaded telegram from the War Office should come one day and not find her there, but she implored me to take in her four children since she knew the country is much safer than the city. I remember how you adamantly told me once that London is not a beastly hole, but indeed it is, especially during these trying times.
I had no qualms in agreeing to her request, since it can get lonely out here with only my trusty housekeeper, Mrs. Macready, and the handful of servants to keep me company. You know that even I am a bit afraid of Mrs. Macready, so I thought it would be interesting to suddenly have four bustling children running around the country house.
More than a week ago, the four Pevensie children arrived, and such well-behaved children they were, except for one who is a bit of a rascal. The oldest boy is named Peter, and you’d think he was older than he really was. I reckon it’s because he is the oldest among the four, and so is taking on the role of the absent father for his siblings. The next one is named Susan, quite a lovely young lady and very mature for her age. She reminds me a lot of her mother, Mrs. Pevensie. The third is the rascal I mentioned earlier, who is named Edmund. I will admit something to you and trust that you will not repeat this to anyone else, but this boy Edmund reminds me a lot of myself when I was his age. The youngest is a dear little girl named Lucy, who is a favorite among the servants for her sweet smile and coaxing manners.
I noticed that they made sure never to disturb me – probably one of the rules of Mrs. Macready that I do not know about – except one morning when Peter and Susan knocked timidly at my study door. I hastened to find chairs for them and told them that I was at their disposal, and they begun to share such wonderful news. The youngest child, Lucy, has entered Narnia through the magical wardrobe in my country house! I’m sure you remember that the wardrobe was made from the apple tree I planted years ago, from the apple that Aslan himself handed to me for my sick mother.
While they were telling their story, I could not move out of surprise and a sudden flooding of memories – the Wood between the Worlds, the creation of Narnia, the cabby and the horse Strawberry whom we accidentally brought along – or should we call them King Frank and Fledge now?
Here comes the sad news however. Narnia is under a spell by a powerful enchantress whom Narnians refer to as the White Witch. She is styling herself as the Queen of Narnia, and I wonder whatever happened to King Frank and Queen Helen (remember how she first appeared in Narnia with soapsuds up to her elbows?). We have no idea how Narnian time has passed since we’ve been there last, so this White Witch could be anybody. But I have a sinking feeling that it could be none other than Jadis, the Queen of Charn, whom I woke up from her magical slumber. It is an act I have since regretted much – even though both you and Aslan have graciously forgiven me – but never more so than now.
The older children are afraid that their sister is going mad, because they found nothing special or magical about the wardrobe when they went to investigate. I was surprised that they never even considered the possibility that Lucy is telling the truth, even though it is the most logical explanation. What do they teach at schools these days?
I will write to you again when I have more news. I have a feeling that this is not the end of the children’s adventures in Narnia.
Ever your friend,
Digory Kirke
Quotes from THE MAGICIAN’S NEPHEW (Part 1) 23 October 2008
Posted by Renette in 1 The Magician's Nephew.2 comments
Here are my favorite quotes from chapters 1-5 of The Magician’s Nephew.
Quotes from CHAPTER 1 - THE WRONG DOOR
“It’s all rot to say a house would be empty all those years unless there was some mystery.”
“Daddy thought it must be the drains,” said Polly.
“Pooh! Grown-ups are always thinking of uninteresting explanations,” said Digory.
“It’s not every day that I see a little girl in my dingy old study; especially, if I may say so, such a very attractive young lady as yourself.”
Polly began to think he might not really be mad after all.
Quotes from CHAPTER 2 – DIGORY AND HIS UNCLE
“None of that!” he hissed in Digory’s ear. “If you start making a noise your Mother’ll hear it. And you know what a fright might do to her.”
As Digory said afterwards, the horrible meanness of getting at a chap in that way, almost made him sick. But of course he didn’t scream again.
It was not at all a nice face, Digory thought, though of course with those early photographs one could never really tell.
“That promise I did not keep.”
“Well, then, it was jolly rotten of you,” said Digory
“You mean that little boys ought to keep their promises. Very true: most right and proper, I’m sure, and I’m very glad you have been taught to do it. But of course you must understand that rules of that sort, however excellent they may be for little boys – and servants – and women – and even people in general, can’t possibly be expected to apply to profound students and great thinkers and sages. No, Digory. Men like me, who possess hidden wisdom, are freed from common rules just as we are cut off from common pleasures. Ours, my boy, is a high and lonely destiny.”
As he said this he sighed and looked so grave and noble and mysterious that for a second Digory really thought he was saying something rather fine. But then he remembered the ugly look he had seen on his Uncle’s face the moment before Polly had vanished: and all at once he saw through Uncle Andrew’s grand words. “All it means,” he said to himself, “Is that he thinks he can do anything he likes to get anything he wants.”
“Well why didn’t you go yourself then?”
Digory had hardly ever seen anyone so surprised and offended as his Uncle did at this simple question. “Me? Me?” he exclaimed. “The boy must be mad! A man at my time of life, and in my state of health, to risk the shock and the dangers of being flung suddenly into a different universe? I never heard anything so preposterous in my life! Do you realize what you’re saying? Think what Another World means – you might meet anything anything.”
“And I suppose you’ve sent Polly into it then,” said Digory. His cheeks were flaming with anger now. “And all I can say,” he added, “even if you are my Uncle – is that you’ve behaved like a coward, sending a girl to a place you’re afraid to go to yourself.”
“Silence, sir!” said Uncle Andrew, bringing his hand down on the table. “I will not be talked to like that by a little, dirty, schoolboy. You don’t understand.”
“Very well. I’ll go. But there’s one thing I jolly well mean to say first. I didn’t believe in Magic till today. I see now it’s real. Well if it is, I suppose all the old fairy tales are more or less true. And you’re simply a wicked, cruel magician like the ones in the stories. Well, I’ve never read a story in which people of that sort weren’t paid out in the end, and I bet you will be. And serve you right.”
“Oh very well then. Just as you please. Go down and have your dinner. Leave the little girl to be eaten by wild animals or drowned or starved in Otherworld or lost there for good, if that’s what you prefer. It’s all one to me. Perhaps before tea time you’d better drop in on Mrs. Plummer and explain that she’ll never see her daughter again; because you were afraid to put on a ring.”
“By gum,” said Digory, “don’t I just wish I was big enough to punch your head!”
Then he buttoned up his coat, took a deep breath, and picked up the ring. And he thought then, as he always thought afterwards too, that he could not decently have done anything else.
Quotes from CHAPTER 3 – THE WOOD BETWEEN THE WORLDS
“It was a rich place: as rich as plumcake.”
“It’s a good thing one of us has some sense,” said Polly.
“Well don’t keep on gassing about it,” said Digory.
Quotes from CHAPTER 4 – THE BELL AND THE HAMMER
“There’s not much point in finding a magic ring that lets you into other worlds if you’re afraid to look at them when you’ve got there.”
These were very solemn faces. You felt you would have to mind your P’s and Q’s, if you ever met living people who looked like that.
Years afterwards when he was an old man, Digory said he had never in all his life known a woman so beautiful. It is only fair to add that Polly always said she couldn’t see anything specially beautiful about her.
Make your choice, adventurous Stranger;
Strike the bell and bide the danger,
Or wonder, till it drives you mad,
What would have followed if you had.
“I expect anyone who’s come as far as this is bound to go on wondering till it sends him dotty. That’s the Magic of it, you see. I can feel it beginning to work on me already.”
“Well I don’t,” said Polly crossly. “And I don’t believe you do either. You’re just putting it on.”
“That’s all you know,” said Digory. “It’s because you’re a girl. Girls never want to know anything but gossip and rot about people getting engaged.”
“You looked exactly like your Uncle when you said that,” said Polly.
“Why can’t you keep to the point?” said Digory. “What we’re talking about is -”
“How exactly like a man!” said Polly in a very grownup voice; but she added hastily, in her real voice, “And don’t say I’m just like a woman, or you’ll be a beastly copy-cat.”
“I should never dream of calling a kid like you a woman,” said Digory loftily.
“Oh, I’m a kid, am I?” said Polly who was now in a real rage. “Well you needn’t be bothered by having a kid with you any longer then. I’m off. I’ve had enough of this place. And I’ve had enough of you too – you beastly, stuck-up, obstinate pig!”
Quotes from CHAPTER 5 – THE DEPLORABLE WORD
Low down and near the horizon hung a great, red sun, far bigger than our sun. Digory felt at once that it was also older than ours: a sun near the end of its life, weary of looking down upon that world.
“I had forgotten that you are only a common boy. How should you understand reasons of State? You must learn, child, that what would be wrong for you or for any of the common people is not wrong in a great Queen such as I. The weight of the world is on our shoulders. We must be freed from all rules. Ours is a high and lonely destiny.”
Digory suddenly remembered that Uncle Andrew had used exactly the same words. But they sounded much grander when Queen Jadis said them; perhaps because Uncle Andrew was not seven feet tall and dazzlingly beautiful.
“You are lying,” said the Queen. “Does not Magic always go with the royal blood? Who ever heard of common people being Magicians? I can see the truth whether you speak it or not. Your Uncle is the great King and the great Enchanter of your world. And by his art he has seen the shadow of my face, in some magic mirror or some enchanted pool; and for the love of my beauty he has made a potent spell which shook your world to its foundations and sent you across the vast gulf between world and world to ask my favour and to bring me to him. Answer me: is that not how it was?”
“Well, not exactly,” said Digory.
“Not exactly,” shouted Polly. “Why, it’s absolute bosh from beginning to end.”
A MESSAGE FROM ASLAN (Written and Read by Dearheart) 9 October 2008
Posted by Renette in By Terb's Friends.add a comment
The first time I heard about podcasts was in One Tree Hill, where there’s a character named Peyton Sawyer who would do regular podcasts. She’d talk about what was happening in her life and would share waaay too much personal information, as it would later turn out. Some psycho used the information she was sharing to pretend to be her long-lost brother, and nearly killed her and her friends. But that’s off topic.
Anyway, I just found out from the forum at The Lion’s Call (http://www.thelionscall.com/) that they actually have a couple of podcasts up. I listened to each one and enjoyed the fact that I now have a voice to match the username. I also loved their stories on how they got into TLC in the first place.
There’s this one podcast that I loved in particular, and I encourage all Narnia fans to listen to it. It’s called “A Message,” and it’s written and read by Dearheart. In this short piece, Dearheart masterfully combines Bible verses and direct quotes from The Chronicles of Narnia.
You may listen to the TLC podcasts at this site: http://thelionscall.podbean.com/.
BYRON ON WELLS… THE NICEST BIT O’ NARNIA 11 September 2008
Posted by Renette in 2 The Lion the Witch and the Wardrobe, By Terb's Friends.1 comment so far
This is the first time I’m posting an entry both in my Narnia blog – since this is a story that happened in Narnia – and my non-Narnia blog – since this is a story that can be understood and enjoyed even by people who have never read of Narnia. I just read “Byron on Wells,” a book written by someone I met in the TLC (The Lion’s Call) forum, EveningStar aka John Burkitt.
Byron on Wells is a town in Narnia, located far from Cair Paravel and all the other places familiar to Narnia fans. The narrator is Mountebank Beaverlee (Mountie for short), a young beaver with great dreams, who tells vignettes about life for Wellanites. To me, it’s like a funny, poignant coming-of-age, like The Adventures of Tom Sawyer (by Mark Twain) and Little Women (by Louisa May Alcott).
Mountie is close friends with Buck (a badger kit) and Bramble (a fox pup), who are always full of mischief but have hearts of gold. Along the way, we meet their family and friends too, and learn their tragedies and dreams, which make the stories even more heartwarming and homey.
Here are my favorite stories from Byron on Wells in order of preference:
# 1 – Good News (Chapter 4)
I cried a bit after reading this story. Don’t read it if you haven’t read the previous 2 chapters (The Regatta and Making Repairs), because they provide the background of the story, and if you don’t have an idea of Aslan’s sacrifice in The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe. Truly, He is risen!
# 2 – Brotherly Love (Chapter 21)
This is perhaps one of the most heart-wrenching stories in the book dealing with the loss of a child. If you only had to read one story from this book, I suggest you read this one, since it is pretty much a “stand-alone” story that you can understand even without reading the previous ones. I won’t give it away by telling you what happened, but here’s a short quote that would give you an idea:
Of all the gifts I’ve ever seen given, none ever compared with that selfless gesture of pure love. He gave back to my mother the most precious gift of all, the joy of living.
# 3 – The Succession (Chapter 26)
Again, I cried a bit after reading this one. If you’ve ever felt a tinge of guilt for disappointing your parents by not going after their dreams for you and instead, chasing your own dreams, then you have to read this story. Here’s how Mountie described the moment:
And then I saw something I wish I had not. It was Dad sitting on the bench with his face buried in his paws. It was only the second time in my life I saw Dad cry.
The depth of his pain cut me like a knife as he surrendered his cherished dreams for me. And though I’ve always loved my father, in that one moment I believe I loved him more than ever before and more than I ever could again.
# 4 – The Written Word (Chapter 8)
EveningStar (the author) actually shared the plot for this story in the TLC forum, so I knew what was going to happen before I even read it. But it was quite a different experience to read the story knowing the characters already – Mountie and his Dad, Horace, and his Mom, Crystal, and the Vicar, Faun Chios. I was moved when I read the plot, but I was even more moved when I read the entire story.
# 5 – Relatively Speaking (Chapter 13)
This is a story everyone can understand, about the typical snooty, well-to-do family who turned their back on their daughter because she chose to marry a poor guy. The only difference is that they are actually all foxes. It is a very painfully, poignant story that made me fall in love with the crusty old Nickaby, who said, “… family is not something you are, it’s something you do.”
# 6 – The Prize (Chapter 24)
This is a wonderful story about the things that really matter in life. Here’s what Horace had to say to his son, Mountie:
“It’s like that with us – I hope for the best, but I prepare for the worst. I want to go easy on you because I love you, but I stand firm in the end because I love you.”
# 7 – The Christmas (Chapter 19)
One of my favorite characters is Thorny (Bramble’s dad), whose young wife Clara died a few years before. On Christmas day, during the party at the inn where he worked, his sister-in-law Holly dropped by and asked him to dance. He hesitated at first, until his employer and dear friend Nickaby gave him permission and said:
“Remember lad, this can be the happiest day of the year… or the loneliest. Use your chances wisely.”
I understand exactly how it feels. For someone grieving the loss of a loved one, Christmas is always one of the most difficult days to go through. Anyway, here is what happened:
She rested her head on his shoulder. “You dance divinely,” she said. He was lost in a dream of happiness. The order of nature had been upset and time began to work backwards. Two lonely years had rolled back and for a moment all was as it should have been. Holly understood that it was Clara he was dancing with, but she did not mind.
# 8 – The Club With No Name (Chapter 1)
Of course this has to be in my list because it introduces us to all the main characters of Byron-on-Wells. To set up my favorite part (which is one of the most poignant), Mountie has a twin brother Sam who died years ago, but who “lived on in [his] imagination. Since Mountie didn’t have any friends, he got into the habit of going to the river to talk to “Sam” – who was actually his reflection. Towards the end of the story, after Mountie met and became friends with Buck the badger and Bramble the fox, he went back to “Sam” to say goodbye:
That evening I went to where the water was still. The sun was sinking low in the sky but I could still get a clear reflection. “Hello, Sam. It’s me again.”
I could see the melancholy look on his face, a reflection of my own mood. “I bet you can tell something is happening. Well it is. Today I made me some new friends. You’d like Buck and Bramble. They’re fun to be with. Someday you’ll get to meet them.”
I sighed… so did Sam… “It’s not that you weren’t fun to be with, but you have friends now in Aslan’s Country that you can touch, and now I do too. Each of us ought to spend more time with them and less with each other. Don’t worry though. I’ll never forget you.”
(As fellow Narnia fans know, Aslan’s Country represents heaven, where my two brothers are, happy and serene and patiently waiting for our entire family to be reunited again.)
To read Byron on Wells and other stories and poems by John Burkitt, please visit http://www.royalmagi.org.
ON THE BBC’S PRINCE CASPIAN AND DAWN TREADER 7 September 2008
Posted by Renette in 4 Prince Caspian, 5 The Voyage of the Dawn Treader, British Broadcasting Corporation.add a comment
Like I mentioned in my previous entry, I’ve had the complete VCD collection of the BBC adaptation of THE CHRONICLES OF NARNIA for 3 years now but I have only attempted to watch it once. I gave up after a few minutes because I was creeped out by the talking beasts – which were actually people wearing animal costumes, until friends from The Lion’s Callforum mentioned how they liked it, especially The Silver Chair. So I dug out my old VCD’s and watched SC, and liked it a lot.
Tonight, having nothing better to do (and not having cable connection at the moment for some reason), I thought I’d watch PRINCE CASPIAN and THE VOYAGE OF THE DAWN TREADER, which was meshed to one movie. My major problem is that I can’t find the last disc, so I couldn’t finish watching it. But still, here are my comments:
COMMENTS ON THE CAST
There’s something about Richard Dempsey’s portrayal as PETER PEVENSIE that I really liked. He was younger than I thought Peter would be from the book, but he has a certain kingliness and nobility about him that I could really imagine him as the High King.
Sophie Cook as SUSAN PEVENSIE had only a very short role in the film, and I don’t remember much about it.
Jonathan Scott as EDMUND PEVENSIE was okay, though he looked nearly Peter’s age.
I didn’t like Sophie Wilcox as LUCY PEVENSIE that much, because she didn’t quite capture the innocence and pureness of heart that Georgie Henley was able to portray in the Walt Disney-Walden Media version.
I loved both the young PRINCE CASPIAN, played by Jean Marc Perret, and the older KING CASPIAN, played by Samuel West. First, because they got the age right. When Caspian became a king, he was only a boy, not a 27 year old man. Second, because they got his hair right. Caspian had golden curls, not raven black wavy hair. Oh well. Plus, I love how the older Caspian resembled the younger Caspian.
As I mentioned before, David Twaithes as EUSTACE SCRUBB captured the whining, irritating quality of the character.
For the minor characters, I’ve got to say I also loved MIRAZ (Robert Lang), CORIAKIN (Preston Lockwood) and best of all, the HAG (which I just found out was played by Barbara Kellerman, who also played the White Witch and the Lady of the Green Kirtle).
COMMENTS ON THE SCRIPT
Again, I must say I’m really impressed with how many direct quotes they incorporated in the dialogue. I guess the main difference is that they combined PC and VDT into pretty much one single story. As I said before, I can’t find the last CD so I don’t know how the story ends, but they thought of a pretty good way to do it. When the Pevensies get back to Narnia after the end of PC, instead of everyone going to school, Peter is going to Professor Kirke’s, Susan to the USA (uh, in a train?) and Ed and Lucy to the house of their cousin Eustace Scrubb. Of course, this leads straight to the story of VDT.
I think though that if you watch this film without reading the book, you’d be hard-pressed to understand the back-story of the Telmarines and the battle.
OTHER COMMENTS
Uh, I thought it was weird for Aslan, Susan and Lucy to watch the second Battle of Beruna rather nonchalantly from the comforts of a tall hill. And I thought the dryads (spirits of the trees) were way too creepy and ghost-like.
I sort of wished I’ve seen the BBC adaptation of The Chronicles of Narnia when I was younger. I’m sure I would have enjoyed it more, but as it is, I still love it.
PRACTICAL PEOPLE IN NARNIA 21 August 2008
Posted by Renette in 1 The Magician's Nephew, 3 The Horse and His Boy, 4 Prince Caspian, 5 The Voyage of the Dawn Treader, Sons of Adam and Daughters of Eve, Talking Beasts.2 comments
In The Chronicles of Narnia, a total of seven people were described as being practical, and three of them were called practical in a rather negative way.
JADIS
The children were now afraid that Jadis would have something to say to them about what had happened in the wood. As it turned out, however, she never mentioned it either then or afterwards. I think (and Digory thinks too) that her mind was of a sort which cannot remember that quiet place at all, and however often you took her there and however long you left her there, she would still know nothing about it. Now that she was left alone with the children, she took no notice of either of them. And that was like her too. In Charn she had taken no notice of Polly (till the very end) because Digory was the one she wanted to make use of. Now that she had Uncle Andrew, she took no notice of Digory. I expect most witches are like that. They are not interested in things or people unless they can use them; they are terribly practical. So there was silence in the room for a minute or two. But you could tell by the way Jadis tapped her foot on the floor that she was growing impatient. – from Chapter 6, “The Beginning of Uncle Andrew’s Troubles,” The Magician’s Nephew
From this quote about Jadis, being practical means only paying attention to someone if you wanted to use the person in one way or another. Jadis didn’t pay attention to Polly because she was using Digory. Later on, she didn’t pay attention to Digory either because she was using Uncle Andrew. She didn’t waste her time in noticing or paying attention to people who didn’t suit her purposes.
UNCLE ANDREW
We must now go back a bit and explain what the whole scene had looked like from Uncle Andrew’s point of view. It had not made at all the same impression on him as on the Cabby and the children. For what you see and hear depends a good deal on where you are standing: it also depends on what sort of person you are.
Ever since the animals had first appeared, Uncle Andrew had been shrinking further and further back into the thicket. He watched them very hard of course; but he wasn’t really interested in seeing what they were doing, only in seeing whether they were going to make a rush at him. Like the Witch, he was dreadfully practical. He simply didn’t notice that Aslan was choosing one pair out of every kind of beasts. All he saw, or thought he saw, was a lot of dangerous wild animals walking vaguely about. And he kept on wondering why the other animals didn’t run away from the big Lion. – from Chapter 9, “The Founding of Narnia,” The Magician’s Nephew
From this quote about Uncle Andrew, being practical means only paying attention to something that involves yourself and nothing more. Uncle Andrew missed the point of the entire creation (or “founding”) of Narnia simply because he was only concerned that that the animals wouldn’t attack him. He didn’t waste his time in noticing or paying attention to things that didn’t concern him directly.
ARSHEESH
Sometimes if Arsheesh was there Shasta would say, “O my Father, what is there beyond that hill?” And then if the fisherman was in a bad temper he would box Shasta’s ears and tell him to attend to his work. Or if he was in a peaceable mood he would say, “O my son, do not allow your mind to be distracted by idle questions. For one of the poets has said, `Application to business is the root of prosperity, but those who ask questions that do not concern them are steering the ship of folly towards the rock of indigence’.”
Shasta thought that beyond the hill there must be some delightful secret which his father wished to hide from him. In reality, however, the fisherman talked like this because he didn’t know what lay to the North. Neither did he care. He had a very practical mind. – from Chapter 1, “How Shasta Set Out on His Travels,” The Horse and His Boy
From this quote about Arsheesh, being practical means only paying attention to something that you already know about. He never concerned himself with the lands beyond, like the free North. He didn’t waste his time in noticing or paying attention to things that he wasn’t familar with.
Being practical isn’t all that bad though. In fact, there were four others who were mentioned as being practical, but not in the way that Jadis, Uncle Andrew and Arsheesh were.
DUFFLE AND THE STAG
Presently, however, two more practical people arrived in the little wood. One was a Red Dwarf whose name appeared to be Duffle. The other was a stag, a beautiful lordly creature with wide liquid eyes, dappled flanks and legs so thin and graceful that they looked as if you could break them with two fingers.
“Lion alive!” roared the Dwarf as soon as he had heard the news. “And if that’s so, why are we all standing still, chattering? Enemies at Anvard! News must be sent to Cair Paravel at once. The army must be called out. Narnia must go to the aid of King Lune.”
“Ah!” said the Hedgehog. “But you won’t find the High King at the Cair. He’s away to the North trouncing those giants. And talking of giants, neighbours, that puts me in mind -”
“Who’ll take our message?” interrupted the Dwarf. “Anyone here got more speed than me?”
“I’ve got speed,” said the Stag. “What’s my message? How many Calormenes?”
“Two hundred: under Prince Rabadash. And -” But the Stag was already away – all four legs off the ground at once, and in a moment its white stern had disappeared among the remoter trees. - from Chapter 12, “Shasta in Narnia,” The Horse and His Boy
From this quote, being practical means doing what must be done. Upon learning of the coming army of Prince Rabadash, the other creatures didn’t exactly jump into action, but dawdled around chatting about it. Only Duffle, who took control of the situation, and the stag, who rushed to inform the High King, did their part in averting the danger.
SUSAN
“That’s the trouble of it,” said Trumpkin, “when most of the beasts have gone enemy and gone dumb, but there are still some of the other kind left. You never know, and you daren’t wait to see.” …
Lucy shuddered and nodded. When they had sat down she said: “Such a horrible idea has come into my head, Su.”
“What’s that?”
“Wouldn’t it be dreadful if some day, in our own world, at home, men started going wild inside, like the animals here, and still looked like men, so that you’d never know which were which?”
”We’ve got enough to bother about here and now in Narnia,” said the practical Susan, “without imagining things like that.” – from Chapter 9, “What Lucy Saw,” Prince Caspian
From this quote, being practical means focusing on the problem on hand. Susan didn’t want to worry about ”imaginary” things – she only wanted to deal with those that are ”here and now.” Perhaps that became her problem later on – when she got back to England, she only wanted to deal with the “here and now” and convinced herself that Narnia was only imaginary.
EUSTACE
“Why is it called Aslan’s table?” asked Lucy presently.
“It is set here by his bidding,” said the girl, “for those who come so far. Some call this island the World’s End, for though you can sail further, this is the beginning of the end.”
“But how does the food keep?” asked the practical Eustace.
“It is eaten, and renewed every day,” said the girl. “This you will see.” – from Chapter 13, “The Three Sleepers,” The Voyage of the Dawn Treader
From this quote, being practical means asking questions about things that don’t seem to add up logically. Eustace never lost this trait until The Last Battle, which adds charm to his character.
There is a positive and a negative side to being practical. As long as we make sure we’re not like Jadis, Uncle Andrew or Arsheesh, then being practical should be okay.
DOUBLE LUCY QUOTES 19 August 2008
Posted by Renette in 2 The Lion the Witch and the Wardrobe, 5 The Voyage of the Dawn Treader, Sons of Adam and Daughters of Eve.add a comment
I was listening to the audiobook of The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe today, and noticed that Lucy had two double quotes in LWW – meaning, she said a word twice (I didn’t count quotes like “Aslan, Aslan”). I also remember one double quote in The Voyage of the Dawn Treader, and since I have nothing better to do, I’m posting them here.
“I don’t care what you think, and I don’t care what you say. You can tell the Professor or you can write to Mother or you can do anything you like. I know I’ve met a Faun in there and – I wish I’d stayed there and you are all beasts, beasts.” (LWW, Chapter 5)
“Oh, how can they?” said Lucy, tears streaming down her cheeks. “The brutes, the brutes!” for now that the first shock was over the shorn face of Aslan looked to her braver, and more beautiful, and more patient than ever. (LWW, Chapter 14)
“Oh, the funnies, the funnies,” cried Lucy, bursting into laughter. “Did you make them like that?” (VDT, Chapter 11)
I have no idea if there are any more double quotes from Lucy, but I’ll be on the lookout from now on. In case you come across one, please let me know so that I can add it to my list.
THE LAMB IN THE LAST BATTLE 16 August 2008
Posted by Renette in 7 The Last Battle, By Terb's Friends, Talking Beasts.add a comment
In The Last Battle, there is an important scene in Chapter 3 where the animals were gathered at the stable. They have just heard the frightening news from Shift (the Ape) who told them that “Aslan” had sold all the Talking Beasts of Narnia to slavery. Of course, if you know the entire story, the pretend “Aslan” was actually a stupid donkey named Puzzle dressed up in lion’s skin, but it was effective in cowing the animals to obedience.
“And now here’s another thing,” the Ape went on, fitting a fresh nut into its cheek, “I hear some of the horses are saying, Let’s hurry up and get this job of carting timber over as quickly as we can, and then we’ll be free again. Well, you can get that idea out of your heads at once. And not only the Horses either. Everybody who can work is going to be made to work in future. Aslan has it all settled with the King of Calormen – The Tisroc, as our dark faced friends the Calormenes call him. All you Horses and Bulls and Donkeys are to be sent down into Calormen to work for your living – pulling and carrying the way horses and such-like do in other countries. And all you digging animals like Moles and Rabbits and Dwarfs are going down to work in The Tisroc’s mines. And -”
“No, no, no,” howled the Beasts. “It can’t be true. Aslan would never sell us into slavery to the King of Calormen.”
“None of that! Hold your noise!” said the Ape with a snarl. “Who said anything about slavery? You won’t be slaves. You’ll be paid – very good wages too. That is to say, your pay will be paid into Aslan’s treasury and he will use it all for everybody’s good.” Then he glanced, and almost winked, at the chief Calormene. The Calormene bowed and replied, in the pompous Calormene way:
“Most sapient Mouthpiece of Aslan, The Tisroc (may he-live-forever) is wholly of one mind with your lordship in this judicious plan.”
“There! You see!” said the Ape. “It’s all arranged. And all for your own good. We’ll be able, with the money you earn, to make Narnia a country worth living in. There’ll be oranges and bananas pouring in – and roads and big cities and schools and offices and whips and muzzles and saddles and cages and kennels and prisons – Oh, everything.”
“But we don’t want all those things,” said an old Bear. “We want to be free. And we want to hear Aslan speak himself.”
“Now don’t you start arguing,” said the Ape, “for it’s a thing I won’t stand. I’m a Man: you’re only a fat, stupid old Bear. What do you know about freedom? You think freedom means doing what you like. Well, you’re wrong. That isn’t true freedom. True freedom means doing what I tell you.”
“H-n-n-h,” grunted the Bear and scratched its head; it found this sort of thing hard to understand.
“Please, please,” said the high voice of a woolly lamb, who was so young that everyone was surprised he dared to speak at all.
“What is it now?” said the Ape. “Be quick.”
“Please,” said the Lamb, “I can’t understand. What have we to do with the Calormenes? We belong to Aslan. They belong to Tash. They have a god called Tash. They say he has four arms and the head of a vulture. They kill Men on his altar. I don’t believe there’s any such person as Tash. But if there was, how could Aslan be friends with him?”
All the animals cocked their heads sideways and all their bright eyes flashed towards the Ape. They knew it was the best question anyone had asked yet.
The Ape jumped up and spat at the Lamb.
Knowing that Aslan had appeared once before in The Chronicles of Narnia as a lamb (towards the end of The Voyage of the Dawn Treader), it is quite possible that this Lamb was also Aslan in another form. Siberian Christmas, a friend I met from The Lion’s Call forum, wrote a very beautiful poem about the Lamb which I’m posting here with her permission:
The Lamb Who Spoke the Truth
by Siberian Christmas
Where did you go, you precious?
What happened to you?
Did they hurt you?
When you spoke, oh! I felt your words touch us!
I lie here, dreaming in my bed
Of your innocence,
Of your courage,
And the truth that with valiant words you said.
Where did you come from, darling?
Did Aslan send you here?
Did he whisper his words to you?
Maybe I’ll know in the morning…
Lamb, little Lamb, I know now.
I dreamt of you.
I saw you.
You were laid out as a Lion on Aslan’s How.
LIKE EDMUND 14 August 2008
Posted by Renette in 2 The Lion the Witch and the Wardrobe, Sons of Adam and Daughters of Eve.add a comment
Among the four Pevensies, I’ve always liked Edmund the most because it is very easy to relate to his story. He started out rough, but was changed forever after Aslan saved his life and showed him mercy. While listening to the Harper-Collins audiobook of The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe this morning, I noticed three things about Edmund’s experience that rings true for most of us. These quotes are from Chapter 9, “In the Witch’s House.”
He had eaten his share of the dinner, but he hadn’t really enjoyed it because he was thinking all the time about Turkish Delight – and there’s nothing that spoils the taste of good ordinary food half so much as the memory of bad magic food.
How often do we not enjoy doing the right things like going to church or reading the Bible simply because we are doing something wrong? How often do we have the “vague, though uneasy, feeling that [we haven't] been doing very well lately” (quote from The Screwtape Letters by C S Lewis) that actually leads us to avoid any mention of God?
As for what the Witch would do with the others, he didn’t want her to be particularly nice to them – certainly not to put them on the same level as himself; but he managed to believe, or to pretend he believed, that she wouldn’t do anything very bad to them, “Because,” he said to himself, “all these people who say nasty things about her are her enemies and probably half of it isn’t true. She was jolly nice to me, anyway, much nicer than they are. I expect she is the rightful Queen really. Anyway, she’ll be better than that awful Aslan!” At least, that was the excuse he made in his own mind for what he was doing. It wasn’t a very good excuse, however, for deep down inside him he really knew that the White Witch was bad and cruel.
How often do we rationalize, thinking up of reasons to justify or excuse ourselves, when we know deep down that what we’re doing is wrong? This is because God has given everyone a conscience, and speaks to us in a still, small voice. However, if we don’t feed our conscience with the Word of God and continuously bombard our senses with things that are not good for us, our conscience can be dulled and de-sensitized in time.
“Even as it was, he got wet through for he had to stoop under branches and great loads of snow came sliding off on to his back. And every time this happened he thought more and more how he hated Peter – just as if all this had been Peter’s fault.”
How often do we blame someone else for everything that’s happening to our life, even if we know deep down that it is really nobody’s fault? We just need someone to fix the blame on to make us feel better about ourselves.
These quotes only show how much like Edmund we all can be. We’re also like him in another respect – we are all sinners who deserve to die. Thank goodness there’s One who died for us.
