Long ago, amid dark winter days, Peter, Susan, Edmund, and Lucy went to London to live in an old, creaky house in the countryside. The house, which seemed to go on forever and ever and had rooms hidden like treasures, seemed one that would have spellbinding stories to tell if it were alive. The professor who owned it was a curious man but kind enough to leave the children to explore.
And so they did, tumbling through halls, racing down staircases, and throwing open every door, looking for wonder they weren’t even sure existed. It was the youngest of the siblings, Lucy, who discovered the wardrobe.
At first glance, it was ordinary—tall and wooden, tucked away at the back of a quiet room. One could easily ignore it. But when Lucy stepped inside to explore it, brushing past coats that smelled faintly of mothballs, she felt something soft beneath her feet.
“Snow!?”
She quickly turned just to find out that she was now standing not inside a cupboard but in a winter forest; the trees around her were heavy with frost, and the howling gusts of sharp, cold air struck her like ice shards. A few feet away, she saw a single lamppost glowing, its light casting a golden pool against the white.
And then she met Mr. Tumnus, a faun with furry legs and curling horns; he was a strange creature but kind to Lucy. Mr Tumnus led Lucy to his cave, where a fire crackled and served her tea. Then he told her the truth of the land she had entered – the land of Narnia.
“Always winter and never Christmas here,” he seemed sad while saying it.
“The White Witch has cast her spell on us due to which the rivers are frozen; the flowers are gone; and the trees are silent. Though she calls herself Queen, she is truly a tyrant who has enslaved us all.”
Lucy listened with wide eyes. “But surely someone can stop her?”
The faun shook his head. “There is talk that Aslan the Great Lion will return. But who can say when? Until then, the snow remains.”
When Lucy returned through the wardrobe, she tried to tell the others, but nobody believed her, not at first. Edmund, who had a streak of envy and mischief, even mocked her—until the day he stumbled into Narnia himself and met the White Witch – a beautiful yet terrible figure dressed in white with a crown of ice. Her voice was soft, almost sweet, as she fed Edmund enchanted Turkish Delight that made his heart crave more.
“Bring your brother and sisters to me. Then you shall be a prince.”
The promise of power sank its claws into Edmund’s heart, so much so that he did not see the danger in her cold smile.
A few days later, when all four children entered Narnia together, they were greeted with wonder. Mr. Beaver, a kindly creature with a gruff voice, brought them to his dam and told them of a prophecy according to which, “Two Sons of Adam and two Daughters of Eve will sit on the Cair Paravel thrones. They will be the ones to break the Witch’s power forever.”
All but Edmund listened with awe. His face, however, darkened. So, he escaped, slipping away into the snow, guided by the greed of the Witch’s hollow promises. But he was mistaken, for when Edmund finally reached her castle, the Witch’s true nature revealed itself: a sharp voice and cold, evil eyes.
Her furious voice roared, “You are no prince, silly boy. You have failed to deliver your siblings.”
Then, she ordered for Edmund to be chained and thrown into the dungeons.
Meanwhile, the others followed Mr. Beaver to meet Aslan, for it was true: the Great Lion had really returned. He had a golden mane and a deep, strong voice, and he waited for them at the Stone Table. The children felt both fear and wonder at the sight of him, for Aslan was no tame lion—he was power and goodness intertwined.
“Welcome, Adam’s Sons and Eve’s Daughters,” he greeted them. “Indeed, evil has held Narnia for too long, but it is high time that change came.”
Peter was the first one to muster up his courage; he stepped forward, his back straight and his voice steady, “We will fight for you, Aslan, and we’ll do whatever it takes to free Edmund and Narnia.”
Aslan responded, “Bravery will be required and faith as well, for the path is hard.”
Peter nodded, understanding, though his heart trembled with fear. He was just a kid, not yet a warrior. But something noble and true inside him gave him the bravery required to meet Aslan’s words.
Everyone knew a battle was coming, but before it could begin, Aslan acted to save Edmund. With the help of his allies, he freed the boy from the Witch’s grasp, and the boy returned to his siblings with a face pale with shame. “I’m sorry,” he whispered. Peter placed a hand on his shoulder, and Lucy hugged him fiercely.
“You are forgiven,” Aslan said in a soft but serious tone. “But the Witch will not let it slide.”
And it turned out to be true: White Witch came to Aslan with a cruel demand, stating, “The boy is a traitor, and as per the Law, all traitors belong to me. Thus, his life is mine.”
The children froze in horror, but Aslan did not argue, “I will speak with you alone,” he told the Witch.
That night, the Great Lion walked to the Stone Table under a sky heavy with stars. Lucy and Susan, unable to sleep, followed him in silence. There, they saw what Aslan had agreed to: the brave lion would sacrifice himself in Edmund’s place. The Witch’s servants bound him in ropes, shaved his mane, and jeered as she raised her dagger.
But Aslan did not resist. Instead, he knelt with quiet dignity, grace, and unshaken courage.
“Why doesn’t he fight?” Lucy whispered while her eyes filled up with tears.
“Because he knows something we don’t,” Susan replied with a trembling voice.
At dawn, the girls wept beside Aslan’s lifeless body, but as the first light touched the Stone Table, a great crack rang out; they looked up and saw the table split in two, and Aslan stood before them, whole and strong as ever.
“Death itself has been overturned, and the Witch’s power is breaking,” Aslan said in his grand manner.
Hope surged through the land as the snow began to melt and the rivers began to run. In the great battle against the Witch and her allies, Peter led the charge with a courage he had not known he possessed. Beside him fought Edmund, redeeming himself by shattering the Witch’s wand.
As for Aslan, he came like a storm, scattering the Witch’s army, and with a single leap, he ended her reign forever.
The children were crowned that day at Cair Paravel
Peter was given the title ‘the Magnificent’, Susan called ‘the Gentle’, Edmund named ‘the Just’, and Lucy ‘the Valiant’. The land of winter, Narnia, was no longer cold but had become a land of warmth, peace, and beauty, one where trees bloomed and rivers sang.
Before they returned home, Aslan stood before them, “You have shown great bravery, but you must remember, bravery alone is not enough. It was your faith—in me, in each other, and in what is good and true—that brought you through.”
Lucy looked up at Aslan with hopeful eyes, “Will we see you again?”
“Yes,” Aslan said, “but not always in the way you expect.”
And so, the children left Narnia with their hearts forever changed: they had faced evil; they had seen sacrifice; and they had discovered that courage, when bound to faith, could bring even the darkest winter to an end.
