Fill the Stage

In the second-to-last book of the Narnia series, Aslan calls two children to Narnia and gives them a mission to find a lost prince. To guide them, Aslan reveals four signs that they must remember and follow at all costs. Glimfeather and another talking owl introduce them to a strange guide named Puddleglum, a frog-like creature, who is uncommonly humorous and brave.

They set out through the Northern lands, through a country of giants, where they meet a lady in the company of a black knight. She tells them of a place of respite. Tired from their journey, the children want a warm meal and a place to rest, but their lack of focus on the signs puts them in grave danger.

After a narrow escape, the party slips down an underground passage. Suddenly, earthmen of various sizes and shapes surround them and take them to the queen of the underworld. Meeting the black knight, their beliefs in Aslan and his signs are put to a terrifying test.

One of C.S. Lewis’ scarier Narnia tales, The Silver Chair, provides a picture of what it means to live by the truth. It also shows what deception looks and feels like. (A beautiful enchantress endeavors to mislead and trick those within her power.) Essential to the story’s meaning are two scenes (i.e., Aslan giving the four signs to the children, and the thorn driven into the Lion’s paw) that allude to the Bible and the atonement of Christ.

Lewis masterfully combines elements of fairy tales, romantic literature, journey stories, and Christian allegory to produce an experience that teaches and warns, and reveals hope and joy.