THE PRODIGAL
I am sure most of you are familiar with the story of the prodigal son. It's always been one of my personal favorites. It's very sweet, and it has an excellent moral to it. So, I thought, why not retell it in the style of Narnia? It's not a bad idea! I've been wanting to try something with Puck when he is older anyway, and I decided this would be the perfect opportunity.
It also gives me another chance to share my spiritual beliefs with the world.
Don't think I'm trying to be all preachy here. I'm not trying to force my beliefs down your throats, and I don't expect everyone to agree with me. We all have our own values, our own opinions. Everyone is different. It's important for me to share my beliefs (it's important for all of us), but I know I can't force anyone to believe in anything. Even if you yourself don't agree with me, the least you can do is be nice about it. I should do the same for you. Just because we're different doesn't mean we can't get along and be friends, right?
Characters (with exceptions) © C.S. Lewis and Disney/Walden Media
Story © unicorn-skydancer08
All rights reserved.
Part 1
"Father." Tumnus, who was sitting at his desk in his private study, lifted his eyes from the book and sheaves of ink-filled parchment he had been poring over to find his son Puck standing before him, looking determined about something.
"Hello, son," Tumnus greeted him, a warm, fatherly smile illuminating his face. "What may I do for you?"
"I have come to discuss an important matter with you, Father."
Tumnus lifted an eyebrow in question. "Oh?" Setting his quill aside and motioning toward the spare chair next to him, he beckoned, "Well, then, sit down, son. Let's talk about it."
Puck readily accepted the seat. Tumnus made sure to mark his place in his book before closing it and shoving it away, and stacking his papers together neatly before laying those aside as well. Then he leaned against the edge of the gleaming wood, centered his gaze upon his son, and said conversationally, "All right, Puck, let's hear it. I'm all ears."
"Father," Puck began, "I have grown up. I have come of age."
"And so you have," Tumnus mused, marveling at how much his son had indeed grown over the years, how much Puck resembled him.
The two fauns looked almost exactly alike, except Puck's hair was a lighter shade of blonde, and the fur that covered his legs was tawny rather than cinnamon-brown like his father; also, the beard on his chin wasn't quite as prominent as the one Tumnus sported.
"And yet here I am," said Puck, his tone rising significantly, "stuck in this dreary castle, with everyone pushing me around, criticizing every little thing I do—and you still treating me like a child!"
This took Tumnus aback, and he straightened up in his chair. "Do I?"
"I am not a child anymore, Father," Puck said stubbornly. "I want to be free! I want to go out and see the world, where big and exciting things await me. I want to explore other lands, have an adventure, and not be weighed down with so many responsibilities."
"Son, everyone has responsibilities," Tumnus broke in gently, "no matter who they are, or what their status might be in life. Responsibility is something you can never truly avoid."
"Well, I'll prove to you just how 'responsible' I can really be," said Puck self-importantly. "Give me my inheritance now, Father, and I'll show you and everybody what I can do with my life."
A troubled look crossed Tumnus's face. The elder faun sighed and bowed his head, raking his fingers distractedly through his own honey-brown curls.
"Son," he began slowly, "I don't know. Really, you're much too—"
"Now, there you go again, Father," Puck abruptly cut in. "The same old lecture."
The younger faun's tone took on a mocking quality as he recited, "'You're too young, Puck; you're too inexperienced. It's too dangerous out there. Stay here at Cair Paravel, where you will be safe. Be like Selena, your sensible sister.' Well, tell me, Father, which of your two children is the one with dreams, hopes, and ambitions? Which of the two of us actually wants to make something useful of our life? Not Selena—oh, no, my baby sister is much too afraid to even consider sticking so much as a hoof outside Narnia. She is always so meek and loyal, always following orders, doing everything she is told without a fuss. Well, Selena may be content to stay here and rot away in the palace, but I'm not!"
Tumnus closed his eyes while Puck ranted and raved about these things, but he said nothing. When Puck had finished, Tumnus still didn't speak right away, but propped his elbows up on the desk and buried his face in his hands. With his hands over his face, he shook his head slowly from side to side for a time. Then, finally, he looked up again.
"Well, my son," he said soberly, "if that is the way you truly feel, I won't keep you here against your will. At the end of this month, I'll have your share of the inheritance ready."
Puck's eyes widened with genuine astonishment. "You mean, you'll actually do it, Father? You're actually going to let me go?"
"If I don't," said Tumnus ruefully, "my one and only son in all the world will never forgive me, and I shall forever be haunted by the notion that his life may have turned out for the better, if only I had given him the opportunity."
He looked Puck very gravely in the face. "Well, I'll give you your opportunity, Puck. I'll give you your chance—and it is purely your responsibility to decide what you do with it. Do as you will with your inheritance, but this is all you're getting. You'll get no more or less than your rightful share. You shall have no further claim on me, or anyone else. After this, you will be on your own."
Puck nodded, and stood. "That suits me well enough," he said, before turning to leave the room. "I wouldn't have it any other way."
Tears now welled in Tumnus's eyes as he said in a soft voice, "May Aslan protect you, my son."
Puck just held his head up at that, and replied defiantly, "I'll take care of myself."