"The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe" by C.S. Lewis, summary

This fairy tale by English writer C.S. Lewis was written in 1939 and first published in 1950. The book is a classic tale of the struggle between good and evil, intertwining Christian themes with European folklore. The narrative reflects the atmosphere of World War II, when children were evacuated from London to the countryside.

The 2005 film adaptation won an Oscar for Best Makeup and grossed over $745 million worldwide.

This work is part of the seven-book Chronicles of Narnia series. It is the first book in the series’ publication order, but ranks second in the series’ internal chronology.

Escape from War and the Secret of the Closet

Four children — Peter, Susan, Edmund, and Lucy Pevensie — leave London because of the air raids. They are taken in by an elderly professor living in a huge house 16 kilometers from the nearest post office. On their first rainy day, the children set out to explore the spacious estate. In one of the empty rooms, Lucy’s younger sister spots a large wardrobe with a mirrored door. Intrigued by the fur coats hanging inside, the girl ventures deeper and suddenly feels snow beneath her feet, and instead of a wooden wall, prickly tree branches.

Lucy finds herself in a snowy forest at night in the fairytale land of Narnia. Near a burning lamppost, she meets a faun named Mr. Tumnus. In one hand, the faun holds an umbrella to protect against the snow, and in the other, shopping bags. Tumnus invites Lucy into his dry, warm cave and treats her to tea with toast, sardines, and pie. He tells the girl about forest life, nymph dances, and festivals.

Suddenly, the faun covers his face with his hands and begins to cry. He confesses that he is in the service of the White Witch, Jadis. The ruler has seized power in Narnia and imposed an eternal winter, with no New Year or spring. Tumnus is forced to kidnap people and hand them over to the Witch. However, having fallen in love with Lucy, the faun repents and takes her back to the lamppost.

The girl returns through the wardrobe to the human world. Hours passed in Narnia seem like seconds. Her brothers and sister don’t believe Lucy’s story, dismissing it as fiction. Soon, during a game of hide-and-seek, Edmund decides to tease his younger sister and follows her into the wardrobe. He instantly finds himself in the frosty forest of Narnia and hears the jingle of bells. A sleigh pulled by white reindeer, driven by an evil dwarf, approaches. Seated on a high seat is the White Witch — a tall, pale woman wearing a golden crown and holding a magic wand.

The witch discovers from Edmund that he has a brother and two sisters. She treats the boy to magical Turkish delight, which becomes painfully addictive. The witch promises to make Edmund a prince and king of Narnia if he brings the other children to her castle between two hills.

Returning home, Edmund commits a cowardly act. Wanting to annoy his sister, he tells Peter and Susan that he and Lucy were simply playing in a fantasy world. Lucy is deeply upset. The older children decide to discuss their sister’s behavior with the professor. To their surprise, the elderly master of the house applies logic and advises them to believe Lucy’s honesty, as the girl shows no signs of madness or deceit.

Edmund’s betrayal and meeting with Eslan

Soon, the children escape from the housekeeper, Mrs. Macready, who is showing the house to tourists, and hide in that very wardrobe. All four suddenly find themselves in a snowy Narnian forest. Peter apologizes to Lucy for his lack of faith. To keep warm, the children put on the fur coats hanging in the wardrobe and head for Tumnus’s cave.

They find the faun’s abode in disarray. The door is torn off its hinges, the dishes are smashed, and a notice from Captain Maugrim, the wolf of the Secret Police, is nailed to the floor. The document states that Tumnus is under arrest for treason and harboring spies. Seeing a robin, the children follow it and encounter a talking beaver.

Mr. Beaver shows Lucy the handkerchief left by the faun and leads the children to his cozy house on the river dam. Mrs. Beaver treats the guests to fresh fried fish with potatoes and jam rolls. Over tea, Mr. Beaver whispers important news: the Great Lion Aslan has returned to Narnia and awaits them at the Stone Table. He recounts an ancient prophecy, which states that the Witch’s power will fall when two sons of Adam and two daughters of Eve sit on the four thrones of Cair Paravel.

At that moment, the boys notice Edmund’s disappearance. Craving Turkish delight and resenting his brother, Edmund secretly flees to the Witch’s palace. Realizing that the boy has betrayed them and will tell the ruler about the meeting place, Mr. Beaver urges everyone to flee. The fugitives gather supplies and abandon the dam.

While the Witch prepares for pursuit, the winter spell begins to fade. The travelers take refuge in an old beaver shelter, and in the morning they hear bells. It turns out to be Father Christmas, who has gained access to Narnia thanks to the weakening of the spell. He bestows upon the travelers important gifts: Peter receives a sword and a silver shield emblazoned with the crest of a scarlet lion; Susan receives a bow, arrows, and an ivory horn; Lucy receives a healing balm of sun-drenched flowers and a dagger; and the beavers receive a new sewing machine and a repaired dam.

Sacrifice at the Stone Table

Edmund reaches the Witch’s castle, where he finds a courtyard filled with stone statues of animals and fairytale creatures. Instead of a royal welcome and sweet treats, the Witch gives him only dry bread and water and chains him up. Having learned from the boy that Aslan is waiting for the children at the Stone Table, the Witch orders the sleigh to be harnessed without bells.

A rapid thaw sets in along the way. The snow melts, flowers and birds appear, and streams babble. Realizing that the sleigh is impossible, the Witch forces Edmund to walk with his hands bound. Along the way, she turns a group of feasting forest animals, who had received gifts from Father Frost, to stone.

Finally, the fugitives reach the Stone Table, perched atop a hill. Aslan’s camp, surrounded by centaurs, unicorns, and dryads, comes into view. Peter displays his first act of courage: when a wolf from the secret police attacks Susan, the boy plunges his sword into the beast’s heart. For this feat, Aslan knights Peter under the name Sir Peter, the Terror of Wolves. A party sent in pursuit of the second wolf rescues Edmund from the clutches of the Witch.

The Witch arrives for negotiations and demands Edmund’s handover. According to the ancient Secret Magic, carved on the sacrificial stone of the Forbidden Hill, the blood of any traitor belongs to the ruler. If this condition is not met, Narnia will perish. Aslan leaves for a private conversation with the Witch, after which she renounces her claim to the boy’s life.

That night, Aslan sadly leaves the camp. Susan and Lucy follow him unnoticed to the Stone Table. A vicious horde of kikimoras, werewolves, minotaurs, and witches gathers on the hill. The lion offers no resistance. Bound, Aslan is shaved, beaten, and mocked, after which the Witch plunges a ritual stone knife into his heart.

The girls weep over the Lion’s body, while field mice gnaw at the ropes entangling it. With the first rays of the sun, the Stone Table splits in two with a terrible crack, and a living and renewed Aslan appears before the astonished sisters. He explains the existence of an even more ancient Arcane Magic: if a pure, innocent victim voluntarily gives their life for a traitor, the Table breaks, and Death retreats.

Liberation of Narnia and the return home

Feeling a surge of strength, Aslan lifts the girls onto his back and races at incredible speed toward the Witch’s castle. Leaping over the walls, the Lion begins to circle the stone statues. With his breath, he brings to life the creatures turned to stone — fauns, centaurs, birds, and even the giant Rumblebuffin. After smashing the gates with the giant’s club, the freed army, led by Aslan, rushes to reinforce Peter’s forces.

A fierce battle rages on the battlefield. Peter’s army suffers losses as the Witch turns warriors to stone with her wand. Edmund displays heroism: instead of attacking the Witch herself, he smashes his sword into her wand, shattering it, but is seriously wounded.

Aslan appears, lets out a devastating roar and knocks the Witch to the ground, killing her. The enemy horde flees. Lucy takes out her magic balm and heals the gravely wounded Edmund, as well as many other warriors. Aslan knights the healed and transformed Edmund.

Victorious, the allies head to Cair Paravel Castle on the seashore. In the ivory-ceilinged Great Hall, to the sound of sirens and tritons, Aslan crowns the children. Peter is named Magnificent, Susan Magnanimous, Edmund Just, and Lucy Valiant.

The children rule Narnia for a long time and wisely. They root out the remnants of dark forces, enact just laws, befriend neighboring countries, and grow up. Many years later, while hunting the White Stag in the western forest, the rulers discover an iron pole with a lantern. Making their way through the thicket, they suddenly feel soft fur coats around them and fall out of the wardrobe into an empty room in the professor’s house.

It turns out that not even a second has passed in the human world. The children become little ones again. The Professor listens attentively to their story and assures them that they will definitely return to Narnia, but by different paths.