Entertaining an Angel
"Be not forgetful to entertain strangers: for thereby some have entertained angels unawares." Hebrews 13:2
The rain poured endlessly down on the Narnian landscape, flooding the rivers and running down the hillsides in little streams. On one of the hills overlooking Cair Paravel there stood a young man, and beside him was a huge lion, yet if anyone would have passed by they would not have seen these two out of place figures.
"Is that it?" the young man asked.
"Yes. That is Cair Paravel, where the two Sons of Adam and two Daughters of Eve rule."
"Am I really to go to them, Aslan?"
"Yes. Now, go on."
The young man smiled broadly at the lion then walked down the hill toward the castle.
OoOoOoOoOoOo
Lucy sighed and rested her head on her hands. She and Edmund had long since forgotten the game of chess they were playing. Now Lucy sat looking out the window at the endless rain while Edmund helped Peter with some important documents. Susan sat comfortably embroidering, yet Lucy saw in her eyes a look of longing for sunshine.
"Peter, it's been raining for the last two days," Lucy said sorrowfully. "I've run out of things to do."
"I know, Lu," Peter said kindly, taking a break from the documents.
"But just think, Lucy," Susan said, setting down her embroidery, "all this rain will help the flowers and things to grow in the spring. Yet, I would also like it to stop raining. You can't embroider your whole life!"
The four siblings laughed then returned to their activities. Lucy looked back out the window but suddenly sat up straight.
"There's a man out there!" she cried.
"Lu, what're you talking about?" Edmund asked. "For one thing no one would go out in this weather, and for another thing, we're the only humans in Narnia."
"I know what I'm seeing, Ed!" Lucy protested. "Just look! He's coming up to the gates! Oh, now he's out of sight, but just you wait, he's going to knock!"
Not long after this a loud knock sounded on the door. With a cry of happy triumph Lucy ran to answer it, her siblings close behind her. Yet when Lucy came to the door she hesitated to open it.
"Peter, you better open it," she said, turning to her brother. "After all, you are the High King."
Peter nodded and stepped forward. He reached up and opened the huge door. Standing outside was a young man, dripping wet, not many years older than Peter.
The Kings and Queens of Narnia just stood there, frozen in shock, even Lucy. If a faun or satyr or a talking beast had come up they would have rushed him in immediately without a second thought, but to see another human besides each other was beyond them, so they stood there, staring.
Susan was the first to recover. She cried out at the man's dripping state.
"Come in quickly out of the rain! I'm so sorry we kept you out there, it's just-" but the Queen could not finish her statement.
The young man just smiled. "It's all right," he said softly. "I enjoy being able to feel the rain."
The siblings exchanged confused glances but said nothing. Peter then opened his mouth to speak but nothing came out.
"Do you have any work that needs done?" the young man asked suddenly. "I would love to do it."
"Well, the one ball room does need a little cleaning," Lucy said softly.
"Lucy!" Susan cried. "We're not going to make him work!"
"Please, your Highness, I would love to clean it," the young man interrupted. "If you'd just show me where it is please."
After some persuading Susan agreed and they showed the boy to one of the somewhat cleaner ball rooms and gave him the proper cleaning tools. Then they all went to the kitchen and began to prepare a little bit of food for the stranger. At this the cooks loudly protested but Peter told them they could have the day off.
"I think we should make it ourselves," Susan explained, "since it is so nice of him to do that for us we ourselves ought to do something for him. Besides, it gives us something to do."
So, the four siblings set to work preparing a small meal for the young stranger. Meantime, the young man himself happily began scrubbing the ball room from top to bottom.
After a little while Edmund was sent to fetch the young man. A few minutes later they both walked into the dining room. It was obvious that they had been talking but they stopped when they reached the dining room. Edmund had a very thoughtful look on his face and somehow he looked both older and wiser.
The stranger sat down and gratefully accepted the food. Occasionally while he was eating one of the siblings would try to start up a conversation but all of them led nowhere.
Lucy studied the young man carefully. He had golden hair and kind blue eyes. In his blue eyes was much wisdom and understanding, yet Lucy could never explain afterward just why she got that impression. His face was so kind and youthful, and yet, almost old at the same time, as if he had lived long and knew much, yet was still as young as ever. Afterward she always said that it was something you had to see to understand and her siblings agreed immediately.
After the young man finished eating they all stood.
"I must go now," the stranger said. "I have enjoyed being here so much. Thank you for the food and for everything."
Peter nodded. "You are welcome here anytime," the High King said kindly.
The young man smiled and bowed to the Kings and Queens, then walked out of the dining room. A moment later the siblings heard the large front door open then close. Immediately it was as if they had woken up and they looked about themselves.
"I say, that was strange!" Susan exclaimed. "I felt as if I were somehow in a dream."
"So did I," Peter said thoughtfully.
"There was something about him that was just...oh, how can I explain it?" Lucy said. "He was...different, somehow."
"I don't understand how he was even here," Edmund answered. "There are no other humans in Narnia. And I know what you mean, Lu."
"I say," Peter exclaimed, "what was his name?"
"We didn't even ask!" Susan cried. "And we didn't thank him! Peter, we must go find him!"
With that the four siblings ran out of the dining room, into the main hall, and up to the door. Peter threw it open.
"Stay here, you two," he said to Susan and Lucy, then he and Edmund disappeared into the rain.
Running at full speed through the rain Peter squinted his eyes, looking for the young man. He stopped and shook his head in disbelief. The walls of Cair Paravel stretched far beyond his sight to both sides. The stranger was nowhere in sight. Edmund came up beside Peter with water running down his face.
"Where is he?" Edmund yelled above the roaring of the rain.
Peter shook his head again. "He's gone."
The two kings returned to the castle soaking wet. Their sisters rushed to meet them.
"Well, where is he?" Lucy asked.
"He's not here," Peter said quietly.
"What do you mean, Peter?" Susan asked, confused.
"He only had three ways he could have gone," Peter explained. "He could have gone to either side of the door or straight forward. Any way he could have gone we would still be able to see him."
Susan handed Peter and Edmund each a cup of hot tea then sank to the soft couch.
"Now that's very strange," she whispered.
For a while everyone was silent, each pondering the strange event, until Lucy finally asked:
"Well, Ed, you were with him and it looked like you had been talking, so what did he say?"
Edmund blushed and looked sheepishly down at the floor. Susan cast a reproachful look at Lucy then turned to Edmund.
"If you don't want to say, Edmund, you don't have to."
"No," Edmund answered softly, "it's all right." The young king sighed then began.
"Well, I went in and told him we had made him some food. He looked at me so kindly and just stood up and walked over. We started to walk down the hallway and suddenly I felt ashamed to be in his presence. Ashamed, because of what Aslan did for me..."
"Oh Edmund!" Lucy cried, jumping to her feet, followed closely by Susan. "How do you know?"
Edmund gave them all a sad smile. "Sit down," he said softly. "I found out a while ago. I felt horrible. I did until...Well, yes, that's what the stranger talked to me about."
Lucy and Susan slowly took their places again, exchanging worried glances. Lucy had noticed that Edmund seemed more reserved and distant lately. Edmund continued softly.
"Yes, well, he said that I shouldn't feel guilty about it. He didn't even say what 'it' was, but I knew. I asked him how I couldn't. He said that Aslan gave his life willingly for me, because He loves me. I said I don't understand how He can. The stranger said it wasn't for me to understand, I just had to be thankful and live to serve Aslan. And I will, as long as I live."
"Good for you, Ed," Peter said softly.
"I think Aslan sent him," Lucy finally whispered.
The others slowly nodded their agreement, and for the rest of their lives none of them ever forgot that rainy night when they had entertained an angel.
A/N- I thought that since we have angels in our world (I believe in them) why shouldn't there be angels in Narnia? Tell me what you think. :)