CHAPTERONE

lucylooksintoawardrobe

oncetherewerefourchildrenwhosenameswerepeter,susan,edmundandlucy.thisstoryisaboutsomethingthathappenedtothemwhentheyweresentawayfromlondonduringthewarbecauseoftheair-raids.theyweresenttothehouseofanoldprofessorwholivedintheheartofthecountry,tenmilesfromthenearestrailwaystationandtwomilesfromthenearestpostoffice.hehadnowifeandhelivedinaverylargehousewithahousekeepercalledmrsmacreadyandthreeservants.(theirnameswereivy,margaretandbetty,buttheydonotcomeintothestorymuch.)hehimselfwasaveryoldmanwithshaggywhitehairwhichgrewovermostofhisfaceaswellasonhishead,andtheylikedhimalmostatonce;butonthefirsteveningwhenhecameouttomeetthematthefrontdoorhewassoodd-lookingthatlucy(whowastheyoungest)wasalittleafraidofhim,andedmund(whowasthenextyoungest)wantedtolaughandhadtokeeponpretendinghewasblowinghisnosetohideit.

assoonastheyhadsaidgoodnighttotheprofessorandgoneupstairsonthefirstnight,theboyscameintothegirlsroomandtheyalltalkeditover.

"wevefallenonourfeetandnomistake,"saidpeter."thisisgoingtobeperfectlysplendid.thatoldchapwillletusdoanythingwelike.”

"ithinkhesanolddear,"saidsusan.

"oh,comeoffit!"saidedmund,whowastiredandpretendingnottobetired,whichalwaysmadehimbad-tempered."dontgoontalkinglikethat.”

"likewhat?"saidsusan;"andanyway,itstimeyouwereinbed.”

"tryingtotalklikemother,"saidedmund."andwhoareyoutosaywhenimtogotobed?gotobedyourself.”

"hadntweallbettergotobed?"saidlucy."theressuretobearowifwereheardtalkinghere.”

"notherewont,"saidpeter."itellyouthisisthesortofhousewherenoonesgoingtomindwhatwedo.anyway,theywonthearus.itsabouttenminuteswalkfromheredowntothatdining-room,andanyamountofstairsandpassagesinbetween.”

"whatsthatnoise?"saidlucysuddenly.itwasafarlargerhousethanshehadeverbeeninbeforeandthethoughtofallthoselongpassagesandrowsofdoorsleadingintoemptyroomswasbeginningtomakeherfeelalittlecreepy.

"itsonlyabird,silly,"saidedmund.

"itsanowl,"saidpeter."thisisgoingtobeawonderfulplaceforbirds.ishallgotobednow.isay,letsgoandexploretomorrow.youmightfindanythinginaplacelikethis.

didyouseethosemountainsaswecamealong?andthewoods?theremightbeeagles.

theremightbestags.therellbehawks.”

"badgers!"saidlucy."foxes!"saidedmund."rabbits!"saidsusan.butwhennextmorningcametherewasasteadyrainfalling,sothickthatwhenyoulookedoutofthewindowyoucouldseeneitherthemountainsnorthewoodsnoreventhestreaminthegarden.

"ofcourseitwouldberaining!"saidedmund.theyhadjustfinishedtheirbreakfastwiththeprofessorandwereupstairsintheroomhehadsetapartforthem-along,lowroomwithtwowindowslookingoutinonedirectionandtwoinanother.

"dostopgrumbling,ed,"saidsusan."tentooneitllclearupinanhourorso.andinthemeantimewereprettywelloff.theresawirelessandlotsofbooks.”

"notforme"saidpeter;"imgoingtoexploreinthehouse.”

everyoneagreedtothisandthatwashowtheadventuresbegan.itwasthesortofhousethatyouneverseemtocometotheendof,anditwasfullofunexpectedplaces.thefirstfewdoorstheytriedledonlyintosparebedrooms,aseveryonehadexpectedthattheywould;butsoontheycametoaverylongroomfullofpicturesandtheretheyfoundasuitofarmour;andafterthatwasaroomallhungwithgreen,withaharpinonecorner;andthencamethreestepsdownandfivestepsup,andthenakindoflittleupstairshallandadoorthatledoutontoabalcony,andthenawholeseriesofroomsthatledintoeachotherandwerelinedwithbooks-mostofthemveryoldbooksandsomebiggerthanabibleinachurch.andshortlyafterthattheylookedintoaroomthatwasquiteemptyexceptforonebigwardrobe;thesortthathasalooking-glassinthedoor.therewasnothingelseintheroomatallexceptadeadblue-bottleonthewindow-sill."nothingthere!"saidpeter,andtheyalltroopedoutagain-allexceptlucy.shestayedbehindbecauseshethoughtitwouldbeworthwhiletryingthedoorofthewardrobe,eventhoughshefeltalmostsurethatitwouldbelocked.tohersurpriseitopenedquiteeasily,andtwomoth-ballsdroppedout.

lookingintotheinside,shesawseveralcoatshangingup-mostlylongfurcoats.therewasnothinglucylikedsomuchasthesmellandfeeloffur.sheimmediatelysteppedintothewardrobeandgotinamongthecoatsandrubbedherfaceagainstthem,leavingthedooropen,ofcourse,becausesheknewthatitisveryfoolishtoshutoneselfintoanywardrobe.soonshewentfurtherinandfoundthattherewasasecondrowofcoatshangingupbehindthefirstone.itwasalmostquitedarkinthereandshekeptherarmsstretchedoutinfrontofhersoasnottobumpherfaceintothebackofthewardrobe.shetookastepfurtherin-thentwoorthreestepsalwaysexpectingtofeelwoodworkagainstthetipsofherfingers.butshecouldnotfeelit.

"thismustbeasimplyenormouswardrobe!"thoughtlucy,goingstillfurtherinandpushingthesoftfoldsofthecoatsasidetomakeroomforher.thenshenoticedthattherewassomethingcrunchingunderherfeet."iwonderisthatmoremothballs?"shethought,stoopingdowntofeelitwithherhand.butinsteadoffeelingthehard,smoothwoodofthefloorofthewardrobe,shefeltsomethingsoftandpowderyandextremelycold."thisisveryqueer,"shesaid,andwentonasteportwofurther.

nextmomentshefoundthatwhatwasrubbingagainstherfaceandhandswasnolongersoftfurbutsomethinghardandroughandevenprickly."why,itisjustlikebranchesoftrees!"exclaimedlucy.andthenshesawthattherewasalightaheadofher;notafewinchesawaywherethebackofthewardrobeoughttohavebeen,butalongwayoff.

somethingcoldandsoftwasfallingonher.amomentlatershefoundthatshewasstandinginthemiddleofawoodatnight-timewithsnowunderherfeetandsnowflakesfallingthroughtheair.

lucyfeltalittlefrightened,butshefeltveryinquisitiveandexcitedaswell.shelookedbackoverhershoulderandthere,betweenthedarktreetrunks;shecouldstillseetheopendoorwayofthewardrobeandevencatchaglimpseoftheemptyroomfromwhichshehadsetout.(shehad,ofcourse,leftthedooropen,forsheknewthatitisaverysillythingtoshutoneselfintoawardrobe.)itseemedtobestilldaylightthere."icanalwaysgetbackifanythinggoeswrong,"thoughtlucy.shebegantowalkforward,crunch-crunchoverthesnowandthroughthewoodtowardstheotherlight.inabouttenminutesshereacheditandfounditwasalamp-post.asshestoodlookingatit,wonderingwhytherewasalamp-postinthemiddleofawoodandwonderingwhattodonext,sheheardapitterpatteroffeetcomingtowardsher.andsoonafterthataverystrangepersonsteppedoutfromamongthetreesintothelightofthelamp-post.

hewasonlyalittletallerthanlucyherselfandhecarriedoverhisheadanumbrella,whitewithsnow.fromthewaistupwardshewaslikeaman,buthislegswereshapedlikeagoats(thehaironthemwasglossyblack)andinsteadoffeethehadgoatshoofs.

healsohadatail,butlucydidnotnoticethisatfirstbecauseitwasneatlycaughtupoverthearmthatheldtheumbrellasoastokeepitfromtrailinginthesnow.hehadaredwoollenmufflerroundhisneckandhisskinwasratherreddishtoo.hehadastrange,butpleasantlittleface,withashortpointedbeardandcurlyhair,andoutofthehairtherestucktwohorns,oneoneachsideofhisforehead.oneofhishands,asihavesaid,held

theumbrella:intheotherarmhecarriedseveralbrown-paperparcels.whatwiththeparcelsandthesnowitlookedjustasifhehadbeendoinghischristmasshopping.hewasafaun.andwhenhesawlucyhegavesuchastartofsurprisethathedroppedallhisparcels.

"goodnessgraciousme!"exclaimedthefaun.

CHAPTERTWO

whatlucyfoundthere"goodevening,"saidlucy.butthefaunwassobusypickingupitsparcelsthatatfirstitdidnotreply.whenithadfinisheditmadeheralittlebow.

"goodevening,goodevening,"saidthefaun."excuseme-idontwanttobeinquisitive-butshouldiberightinthinkingthatyouareadaughterofeve?”

"mynameslucy,"saidshe,notquiteunderstandinghim.

"butyouare-forgiveme-youarewhattheycallagirl?"saidthefaun.

"ofcourseimagirl,"saidlucy.

"youareinfacthuman?”

"ofcourseimhuman,"saidlucy,stillalittlepuzzled.

"tobesure,tobesure,"saidthefaun."howstupidofme!butiveneverseenasonofadamoradaughterofevebefore.iamdelighted.thatistosay-"andthenitstoppedasifithadbeengoingtosaysomethingithadnotintendedbuthadrememberedintime.

"delighted,delighted,"itwenton."allowmetointroducemyself.mynameistumnus.”

"iamverypleasedtomeetyou,mrtumnus,"saidlucy.

"andmayiask,olucydaughterofeve,"saidmrtumnus,"howyouhavecomeintonarnia?”

"narnia?whatsthat?"saidlucy.

"thisisthelandofnarnia,"saidthefaun,"wherewearenow;allthatliesbetweenthelamp-postandthegreatcastleofcairparavelontheeasternsea.andyou-youhavecomefromthewildwoodsofthewest?”

"i-igotinthroughthewardrobeinthespareroom,"saidlucy.

"ah!"saidmrtumnusinarathermelancholyvoice,"ifonlyihadworkedharderatgeographywheniwasalittlefaun,ishouldnodoubtknowallaboutthosestrangecountries.itistoolatenow.”

"buttheyarentcountriesatall,"saidlucy,almostlaughing."itsonlyjustbackthere-atleast-imnotsure.itissummerthere.”

"meanwhile,"saidmrtumnus,"itiswinterinnarnia,andhasbeenforeversolong,andweshallbothcatchcoldifwestandheretalkinginthesnow.daughterofevefromthefarlandofspareoomwhereeternalsummerreignsaroundthebrightcityofwardrobe,howwoulditbeifyoucameandhadteawithme?”

"thankyouverymuch,mrtumnus,"saidlucy."butiwaswonderingwhetherioughttobegettingback.”

"itsonlyjustroundthecorner,"saidthefaun,"andtherellbearoaringfire-andtoast-andsardines-andcake.”

"well,itsverykindofyou,"saidlucy."butishantbeabletostaylong.”

"ifyouwilltakemyarm,daughterofeve,"saidmrtumnus,"ishallbeabletoholdtheumbrellaoverbothofus.thatstheway.now-offwego.”

andsolucyfoundherselfwalkingthroughthewoodarminarmwiththisstrangecreatureasiftheyhadknownoneanotheralltheirlives.

theyhadnotgonefarbeforetheycametoaplacewherethegroundbecameroughandtherewererocksallaboutandlittlehillsupandlittlehillsdown.atthebottomofonesmallvalleymrtumnusturnedsuddenlyasideasifheweregoingtowalkstraightintoanunusuallylargerock,butatthelastmomentlucyfoundhewasleadingherintotheentranceofacave.assoonastheywereinsideshefoundherselfblinkinginthelightofawoodfire.thenmrtumnusstoopedandtookaflamingpieceofwoodoutofthefirewithaneatlittlepairoftongs,andlitalamp."nowweshantbelong,"hesaid,andimmediatelyputakettleon.

lucythoughtshehadneverbeeninanicerplace.itwasalittle,dry,cleancaveofreddishstonewithacarpetonthefloorandtwolittlechairs("oneformeandoneforafriend,"saidmrtumnus)andatableandadresserandamantelpieceoverthefireandabovethatapictureofanoldfaunwithagreybeard.inonecornertherewasadoorwhichlucythoughtmustleadtomrtumnussbedroom,andononewallwasashelffullofbooks.lucylookedatthesewhilehewassettingouttheteathings.theyhadtitleslikethelifeandlettersofsilenusornymphsandtheirwaysormen,monksandgamekeepers;astudyinpopularlegendorismanamyth?

"now,daughterofeve!"saidthefaun.