4. Find in the text the synonyms to the following words:

furious

distraught

fair

powerful

feel

courage

save

betrayer

animal

dress

5. Fill in the gaps with suitable adjectives from the box below.

cool rich enormous tall cold deep solitary beautiful cruel hard

1. Although the Witch was _______ and beautiful, there was something very ____ and ______ about her.

2. She looked as as _____ ice, but as _____ as rock.

3. A _______ cherry tree was blossoming...

4. Lucy gasped as an _______, ________ lion stepped out of the tent.

5. “Welcome, Peter, Son of Adam,” Aslan said in his ________, _______ voice.

6. Translate into English:

1. Ты попал прямо в яблочко.

2. Она вдруг разразилась слезами.

3. Он доковылял до прекрасного цветущего сада, опустошенный упал на землю и долго вглядывался в глубокое бездонное небо.

4. Ты забрызгал мое новое вечернее платье.

5. Он быстро спустился вниз по холму к маленькой редко посещаемой гостинице.

6. Портной позвал меня завтра на примерку нового костюма.

7. Render the situations with the following words and expressions.

On the bank, Aslan’s camp, the Great Lion, under a spell, a struggle with Maugrim, the Witch in the camp.

8. Discussion points.

1) Why did Narnia explode into spring?

2) How is Aslan’s camp depicted in this story?

3) Describe the appearance of the Lion.

4) How was Susan’s behaviour changing throughout the story?

5) Did Lucy have faith in Peter? Tell about her attitude to him.

6) How do you think, wherefore did the White Witch let the boy go?

Chapter Six

Aslan and the fate of Narnia

Lucy and Susan hid in the bushes as the Lion trudged heavily to the Stone Table. They saw a terrible sight - a crowd of horrible creatures waited for him. There were Ogres¹⁰ and Hags¹¹, Minotaurs¹² and Goblins¹³ - and at the end of the table... the White Witch.

... The Witch grinned. “Behold,” she said with a sneer, “the Great Lion.”

Aslan did not protest as the creatures rushed at him, knocking him onto his back and tying his paws.

“Why doesn’t he fight back?” Lucy whispered to her sister. It didn’t make any sense. Aslan was powerful enough to defeat all of these monsters. Yet he would not fight. It was the worst thing that Lucy had ever seen, as the beautiful Lion was tortured and beaten, and had all his marvellous golden fur cruelly shaved off. Then the Witch raised a magical stone knife high.

“Please,” thought Lucy, “please Aslan ... save yourself.” At that moment, Aslan turned his eyes from the sky and looked straight at Lucy.

She couldn’t watch and hugged her sister out of fear. She heard the knife fall. There was a terrible thud and then ... the White Witch’s icy, cruel voice cried out, “the Great Cat is dead!”

It was quiet at the Stone Table now. The Witch and her monstrous army had gone to prepare for the battle tomorrow. Only Susan and Lucy ... and the dead Aslan remained.

Lucy thought that perhaps her fire flower potion could save him, but it was too late. He was dead and his body was as cold as the White Witch’s evil stare.

“He must have known what he was doing...” Susan said as she looked at the Lion’s lifeless face.

Lucy wrapped her arms around Susan, and the sisters cried as though their hearts would never be mended.

They continued to cry and hug until the sun came up. The light danced across the motionless Lion.

“He looks better in the light, doesn’t he?” said Lucy hopefully. She and Susan knew that Peter would be getting the army ready and that they ought to go back and help. They began to walk away when they heard a low rumble and a sudden noise like thunder. Lucy felt the whole world shake and fell to the floor.

When she stood up, she was shocked to see the Stone Table was cracked in two and Aslan had disappeared.

“Is this more magic?” Susan asked.

“Yes. It is more magic!” replied a low voice. Lucy recognised it immediately, but how was it possible? She turned and there ... was Aslan. Not only was he not dead, but he also seemed more powerful and splendid than ever before.

“The Witch has learned the Deep magic well. But if she could have looked back further, into the stillness before the dawn of time, she would have seen there was a different incantation. That when a willing victim who has committed no treachery is killed in the traitor’s stead... the Table would crack and even death itself would start working backwards,” proclaimed Aslan and then he gave a mighty roar. The roar was so strong that Lucy thought it must surely fill the whole of Narnia.

Lucy laughed almost as loudly as Susan screamed. They were riding on Aslan’s back as he leapt across the countryside. He was rushing to the White Witch’s castle. Lucy didn’t think that anything could travel so fast.

When they reached the castle, they were confronted with a horrible sight. Statues. There were statues everywhere. Statues that had once been living, breathing creatures. Lucy stopped in her tracks. She couldn’t breathe. In front of her was Mr Tumnus, frozen in cold, dead stone. Lucy was too late to save her friend ... yet, she believed in Aslan. If his magic was more powerful than the Witch’s, could he save her friend?

Aslan leaned forward and breathed on Mr Tumnus’ face. Although the White Witch’s magic was cold and terrible, the Lion’s breath was warm and life-giving. A glow spread across Mr Tumnus and then he spoke ... “Lucy Pevensie.”

Lucy hugged her friend. He was alive! And, in only a few moments, so were all the other creatures that the Witch had turned into statues.

Lucy stood with Aslan, Susan, Mr Tumnus and many, many more creatures and looked at the battlefield below. Aslan’s army, under Peter’s command, had fought well, but the Witch’s forces were stronger. Lucy knew that Aslan could turn the tide of the battle ... and so he did. She watched with pride as the fierce creature jumped into the fight. All the cowardly monsters in the Witch’s army who had so meanly beaten Aslan when he was tied up were now unwilling to fight and fled from him in fear.

Lucy cheered as she saw Aslan pounce onto the Witch. She was defeated and her army was fleeing. Lucy could see her brother Peter, but...

“Where is Edmund?” she asked.

He was lying on the ground. His eyes were closed and half of the Witch’s wand was sticking out of his body.

He had saved Peter from the White Witch, but had been seriously injured. He looked like he was dying. Lucy did not despair. She had seen Aslan return from the dead and save those that she had thought lost. Lucy knew that she had the power to save Edmund; she had the fire flower liquid.

With great love and attention, she tipped the glass tube and sent one drop falling into Edmund’s mouth. She hoped with all her heart that it would heal him. It did! He was alive and saved. Lucy then moved around the battlefield healing all the wounded creatures.

As she did so, she looked around. Her brothers and sister were alive. Mr Tumnus was rescued. Narnia was saved. All her wishes had come true ...

It still felt too good to be true, even when Mr Tumnus pinned a silver laurel to her hair and she and her family sat in the four beautiful thrones at Cair Paravel.

As the celebration carried on throughout the day, Lucy spied a familiar golden figure silently slipping outside. She rushed to the balcony and watched as Aslan strode away along the seashore... away from Cair Paravel.

”Is he coming back?” she asked Mr Tumnus, who had quietly joined her.

“In time,” he replied. “But you mustn’t press him.”

Lucy tried to feel better. “After all, he’s not a tame lion, is he?”

“No,” Mr Tumnus smiled. “But he is good.”

* * *

“The White Stag¹⁴ makes wishes come true,” explained King Peter to Queen Lucy. King Edmund and Queen Susan rode behind them. It was many years since the battle against the White Witch and the two Kings and two Queens of Narnia were chasing through the forest, hunting the White Stag.

Queen Lucy wasn’t very interested in the White Stag. She didn’t have any wishes she wanted to come true ... except that she had been recently dreaming about another world and about a lovely woman who she missed very much ... a mother?

All four monarchs reached a clearing in the woods and saw a very unusual sight ... it was a metal tree with a light at the top. For some reason, it seemed familiar to Queen Lucy. Then she remembered. It was here that she had first met her good friend Mr Tumnus. But where had she come from ... where had they all come from?

They all got off their horses and walked into the dense forest. There was a smell that Queen Lucy thought she hadn’t smelt since she was a little girl of eight. It was a smell ... of mothballs!

The wood had disappeared and the trees had turned into fur coats and suddenly ... THUMP!

Lucy fell out of the wardrobe and landed on her brother Edmund. Peter and Susan were underneath him. They were children once again!

The door to the room opened and in walked Professor Kirke. Not one minute had passed since the four Pevensies had entered Narnia. Lucy remembered where she was ... she was back in England.

It was late at night and nothing was stirring in Professor Kirke’s house. Nothing, except young Lucy Pevensie. She was standing before the large wardrobe, alone. She took a deep breath, opened the door and ... coats. There was nothing but coats.

“I’m afraid you won’t get back in that way,” said a kind voice. It was Professor Kirke.

“Will we ever go back?” Lucy asked.

“Oh my, yes,” said the Professor with a smile. “Best to keep your eyes open.”

Lucy smiled as well. She could fancy another adventure in Narnia one day. But not today.