THE CHRONICLES OF NARNIA
THE LION THE WITCH AND THE WARDROBE BBC
PART 12
THE SPELL BEGINS TO BREAK
PREVIOUSLY: Pevensies, beavers and Chirp have left from the Beaver Dam right before Maugrim, Snowstorm and the Secret Police arrived. The wolves raid the dam, but find no one there. The Witch's evil minions search the nearby woods to find the humans' tracks, and when they find them, they give the chase. The beavers and Chirp lead the children into their secret hideout under the snow-covered bushes, where they hope they can be safe from the Secret Police. Despite their hopes, they are almost discovered by Maugrim until, however, they are unexpectedly distracted by the old red fox. Mr. Fox slyly sets the Secret Police to the wild goose chase, but not before being badly mauled. Despite Mr. Beaver's distrust, Mr. Fox and his companions - Satyr, two Dwarfs, two squirrels and Mama Bear with two bear cubs - are allowed into the beavers' hideout for shelter, where they tell the children about their home village being invaded and the villagers turned to stone by the Witch in her effort to suppress any potential revolution over the spreading word of humans being seen in Narnia. The animals reveal that they have been summoned by Aslan to join in his army he has assembled for the Pevensies to lead in the war against the Witch. Lucy, determined to save Edmund and Mr. Tumnus, is ready to fight but both Peter and especially Susan are reluctant to participate into any fighting.
After a few hours, morning began to dawn behind the wooded hills to the east, by the time of which it had stopped snowing.
Inside the beaver hideout, the Pevensies, beavers, Chirp, Mr. Fox, bears, squirrels, Satyr and the Dwarfs were still sleeping soundly and peacefully.
However, at the entrance, Chirp was the first one to stir awake, but not because of the cold daylight coming in through the mouth of the cave, but because of he heard something out there. Drowsily, robin peeked his head out of the cave and peered under the bushes into the open air and was completely silent while he listened what was out there.
However, Chirp was immediately very wide awake when he recognized the sound he'd heard as the very sound he and his companions had all beendreading to hear during their walk last night.
It was a sound of jingling bells.
"CHIRP! CHIRP! CHIRP! CHIRP! CHIRP! CHIRP! CHIRP! CHIRP! CHIRP! CHIRP!" Chirp chirped in alarm while flapping his wings frantically, loud enough for everybody to wake up, but also low enough for the snow-covered bushes to muffle all the sound from outside.
Mr. Beaver and Mr. Fox were the first ones to snap awake, while the others were still stirring awake.
"Chirp, what is it?" Mr. Beaver asked, rubbing the sleep away from his eyes with his paw.
"Shh-shh-shh-shh-shh-shh!" Chirp quickly hussed with one feather in front of his beak to signal Mr. Beaver and everyone that was now awake to be quiet.
"Listen!" Chirp said quietly.
Both Mr. Beaver and Mr. Fox went quiet and listened for the moment... and then both animals' eyes went wide from dread when they heard that dreadful sound of jingling bells.
"Everybody, wake up! WAKE UP!" Mr. Beaver said sharply as he began to shake Peter awake and Chirp began to shake Mrs. Beaver and Susan and Lucy awake, while Mr. Fox did the same thing with his own companions.
The squirrels uncurled themselves before standing up from the floor, both rubbing the sleep from their eyes with their paws, while Mama Bear and her little ones yawned loudly.
"Five more minutes, please." one of the little bears demanded sleepily, as he was seeing a rather delicious dream about sweet honey cakes he believed he was eating right now.
"Is it spring yet?" another little bear asked groggily, his sleepy eyes rolling in their sockets while rubbing his chest fur with his paw and smacking his lips.
Satyr yawned and stretched himself a little in the corner while the Dwarfs, who didn't really like waking up so early, let alone being shaken awake, grumbled grumpily under their breaths as they stood up from their somewhat comfortable poses and merry dreams about the merry celebrations and good beer.
The children, feeling a dreadfully cold and stiff after sleeping several hours in the uncomfortable floor, woke up one by one and looked up at the beavers and Chirp drowsily and confused.
"Dear Beaver, what is it?" Mrs. Beaver asked, rubbing the sleep from her eyes.
Mr. Beaver was quick to silence his mate by hussing at her sharply with his clawed finger over his lips. "SHHH! Quiet, Mrs. Beaver! Hear the bells?"
"Bells?" Peter asked confusedly and he stood to sit up.
Mrs. Beaver, Susan and Lucy turned towards the entrance of the cave, and they could swear to themselves that they could hear the faint but certainly approaching jingling of bells, as well as the stamping of hooves and the sleigh's skitting along the snow.
"I can hear it! The tinkling bells! Who is it?" Lucy asked.
"SHH!" Mr. Beaver hastily hussed at her. "It's her! IT'S HER! THE WITCH!"
"THE WITCH IS HERE!" Mr. Fox cried in whisper.
Hearing those dreadful words about the Witch being right outside of their hiding place, as well as those twinkling bells, the children and the animals quickly backed away from the entrance against the back of the cave.
Peter quickly pulled Susan and Lucy protectively behind his back, and they were further shielded by Mrs. Beaver. The Satyr and the Dwarfs pressed themselves against the wall of the cave in near panic, and the squirrels clutched from each other. They all trembled in fear that the Witch might find them and subject them to the same cruesome fate as she had done to their loved ones. Only Mama Bear managed to maintain her own courage as she pulled her little ones behind her back and let out a low growl as she prepared to fight the Witch to the tooth and claw to defend her cubs and everybody else, however hopeless the battle against her might be.
Then, Mr. Beaver grabbed to the spear and headed towards the entrance of the cave.
"Where are you going?" Peter asked.
"To make sure she will surely pass us and that the coast is clear." Mr. Beaver told him and was out of the cave like a flash before Peter could say anything else.
Mr. Beaver, however, wasn't the only one who went outside, because as soon as he had gone, Chirp followed him immediately out of the cave, and transformed back into his regular robin form as soon as he stepped out from under the bushes into the daylight and took off in the air as Mr. Beaver headed towards the direction of the approaching bells.
The children were completely bewildered by this, which they thought was very silly of Mr. Beaver and Chirp to do, as they've learned by now in their time here that as long as the Witch is around, they should keep a low profile and stay hidden until it's safe to move more openly. .. and that time was not now!
"But they will be seen?" Susan pointed out.
"I don't think so, deary." Mrs. Beaver said assuredly. "Mr. Beaver knows how to scramble to the top of the bank among bushes and brambles without being seen. And besides, he has the eyes in the sky as long as Chirp is with him. He won't get caught."
"Let's hope so." Mr. Fox told her. "Because if they get caught after all... Aslan help us."
###
Outside of the cave, the first thing Mr. Beaver did was to quickly hide behind of the nearby tree as the twinkling bells were coming even nearer, and Chirp perched quietly on the lowest branch of the tree just above him.
Mr. Beaver then cautiously peeked out from behind the tree into the woods and looked alertly from side to side to make sure that the Witch was nowhere in sight so he would not be seen by her walking in the snowy terrain.
Chirp then took off from a tree branch and flew ahead of him, stopping at least three tree branches along the short flight to make sure the coast was clear at each stop before continuing its flight.
And after perching on the fourth tree branch and making sure it was still clear, Chirp turned back to Mr. Beaver's direction and made out a low-sounding chirps to inform him that there was no Witch in sight yet.
Mr. Beaver came out from behind the tree and walked quickly but as quietly as he could after Chirp, looking around alertly in case of the Witch's minions, because there hasn't been the day when the Witch wouldn't have appeared anywhere without her minions: whether it be Snowstorm, her wolves, the trees that are on her side, or any other traitorous Narnians and spies she has under her disposal.
However, suddenly and quite unexpectedly, the source of the clatter of hooves, the sleigh's skidding on the snow, and the tinkling bells came around the corner, and Mr. Beaver, filled with dread that he might have been seen, quickly rushed to hide behind another tree. Chirp too let out a alarming chirp before he took off the branch of the tree - which was ironically the same tree behind of which Mr. Beaver was hiding - and landed on Mr. Beaver's shoulder .
Both Mr. Beaver and Chirp held their breaths with dread, which only increased when they heard the clatter of hooves the sleigh's skidding on the snow, and the tinkling bells coming to stop... right behind of the tree they were hiding behind.
The White Witch was right in front of their hiding spot, leaving them with no way to escape here without being seen by her.
Both animals waited for some time in their hiding spot, expecting the Witch to call them to come out... but his chilling high-pitched commanding voice was not heard, which confused both Mr. Beaver and Chirp.
If she hadn't seen them yet, then why did she stop right there?
And why is she's staying so calm, even though she is not known for having this long lasting patience.
Mr. Beaver decided to take the risk to find out what was taking her so long and slowly and cautiously peeked from behind the tree to see, with Chirp on his shoulder.
However, both Mr. Beaver and Chirp then saw something they had NEVER expected to see in one hundred years, which caused their eyes go wide and mouths hung slack in surprise and wonderment.
###
Inside the cave, the children and the animals waited for Mr. Beaver and Chirp's return in tense silence, wondering what might happen to Mr. Beaver and Chirp and to all of them.
However, nearly five minutes after Mr. Beaver and Chirp had exited from the cave to investigate, they noticed that the clatter of hooves, the sleigh's skidding on the snow, and the tinkling bells had all ceased, telling them that the Witch had stopped not too far from their hiding spot.
It was followed by an eerie silence, which only increased the children and the animals' nervousness.
Suddenly, they heard the distant voices from outside, which sounded unmistakenly a lot like Mr. Beaver's cries and Chirp's high-pitched chirping, which frightened them very much.
"Oh, no!" Lucy gasped in fright. "They've been seen! She's caught them!"
"Oh, no! Beaver! Chirp!" Mrs. Beaver gasped with dread.
"Those fools have doomed us all!" Mr. Fox barked.
"Let her come!" Mama Bear growled. "I'll tear her apart!"
"It's no use, Mama Bear!" Satyr chided from the back of the cave. "She'll turn you into stone before you manage even touch her!"
But before Mama Bear could've retort back, to everybody's great surprise, they heard Mr. Beaver and Chirp's voices - which strangely sounded a quite loud and rather excited - calling to them from just outside the cave.
"It's all right! It's all right! Come out! Come out!"
"Chirp, chirp! Everything is fine! Come out! Chirp, chirp!"
Surprised, confused but greatly relieved that Mr. Beaver and Chirp were at least still alive and well, everyone came bundling out of the cave: first the children, then Mrs. Beaver - to whom Susan politely held out her hand and helped her out of the cave - and Mr. Fox, then Mama Bear and her cubs, then the squirrels, then the Dwarfs, and finally the Satyr.
Once everyone were outside the cave, they all blinked their eyes in the daylight as they encountered Chirp standing by the bushes, having already transformed into his anthropomorphic form, and saw Mr. Beaver running hurriedly towards them.
Both Mr. Beaver and Chirp were laughing happily and wearing a wide and enthusiastic grins on their lips, like the little children rushing out of their room at the Christmas morning to see what Father Christmas had left for them under the Christmas tree.
"What is it?" Peter asked, a little confused of Mr. Beaver's and Chirp's behavior.
"You two shouldn't be so enthusiastic after meeting the Witch, you know?" Mr. Fox chided.
"Chirp, chirp! But it isn't her! Chirp, chirp!" Chirp said back excitedly and leaping in joy.
"Yes! This is a nasty knock for the Witch! I tell you, her power is crumbling." Mr. Beaver said, almost dancing with delight.
"The Witch's power is... crumbling?" one of the squirrels repeated, confused.
"Crumbling? When did that happen?" the red-caped Dwarf asked as well.
"The ground is still very frowsty, Beaver." Mr. Fox reminded, gesturing his paw at the still snow-covered forest floor.
"Not for long, Mr. Fox! Not for long!" Mr. Beaver chuckled.
"What do you mean, Mr. Beaver?" Peter asked, confused as much as the animals were.
"Come and see!" Mr. Beaver said, before he hurriedly went back to where he had came from, with Chirp, who didn't bother to transform into his regular form, jumping after him.
The children, Mrs. Beaver, Mr. Fox and the rest of the animals quickly followed Mr. Beaver and Chirp in the direction they led them.
Mr. Beaver and Chirp seemed to be quite busy because of their enthusiasm, that they rushed forward at such a speed that the others were left behind, although they sometimes stopped to wait for the others for a moment and urged them to come faster before continuing to rush towards what they wanted to show them.
They eventually arrived to the small opening of the woods, where Mr. Beaver and Chirp finally came to stop and turned to the others who had finally managed to catch up with them.
"Didn't I tell you that she'd made it always winter and never Christmas?" Mr. Beaver told to everybody.
The children and the animals nodded their heads in answer, though still confused that what Mr. Beaver was after.
"Well, I hope you've all been good 'cause there's someone here to see you." Mr. Beaver said as he pointed at forward with his claw.
The children and the animals looked at where Mr. Beaver was poin ting at, before they all gasped in surprise and delight.
Out there in middle of the opening was a light green sleigh, that was pulled by nine brown reindeer with the golden bells on their harness.
And on the sleigh sat a person who was a huge man in a bright red robe with white fur-lined sleeves, and a red hat with the mistletoe wreath around it, and he had a great white beard that fell like a foamy waterfall over his chest, and his face were wrapped with merriment.
The children knew who he was the moment they laid their eyes on him, the very person they have heard about and seen in the various pictures - where he had been described to have a round stomach and being bioth funny and jolly - but never really having seen him in person, until now, in their own world.
Father Christmas!
"Ho, ho, ho, ho, hoo! I have come at last." Father Christmas laughed with cheery voice upon noticing the children and the animals staring at him from afar, and beckoned them to come to him.
And upon him noticing the children and the animals, all the reindeer turned to look at them as well, as if they too had their own consciousness.
As the children and the animals walked towards the Father Christmas, Peter, Susan and Lucy couldn't help but to take the look at the nine reindeer that pulled his sleigh, wondering if they were those particular named reindeer that always pull Father Christmas' sleigh on Christmas Eve: Dasher, Dancer, Prancer, Vixen, Comet, Cupid, Donner, Blitzen, and the last but not least, Rudolph.
Well, when they took a little closer look of the ninth and lead reindeer, they immediately assumed him to be definitely none other than Rudolph, as his nose indeed was red and bright as holly-berries.
The children and the animals were then standing right in front of Father Christmas, as he stepped out of his sleight to greet them face to face.
"Merry Christmas, sir." Lucy greeted him first.
"Merry Christmas, Lucy Pevensie." Father Christmas greeted with the merry smile while nodding his head. "And Merry Christmas to all of you."
The beavers, Chirp, Mr. Fox, bears, squirrels, Dwarfs and Satyr all gave him a light bow, while Peter and Susan could only stare in wonderment.
"I've put up with a lot since I got here, but this." Susan told Peter with the smile.
Peter then stepped forward to adress Father Christmas personally.
"We thought you were the Witch, since the bells and..." Peter said in humble and almost apologetic manner as he gestured towards the bells in the reindeers' harness.
Father Christmas only nodded in understantment. "Yes, yes, I'm sorry about giving you such alarm, but in my defense, I have been driving my sleigh longer than the Witch has driven her own."
Susan then stepped forward with the frown on her face. "But we've already heard from many sources that there was no Christmas in Narnia."
Father Christmas gave her a sad look. "No. The Witch has kept me out... a long time. But thanks to you all, I have got in at last. The Witch's magic is finally weakening by the hope you have brought with you to Narnia! The Great King Aslan is on the move!"
"HOORAY!" the animals around the children cheered and threw their paws/hands up in the air.
"Say! He's right! Look around you!" Mr. Fox told happily to everybody, gesturing their surroundings with his paw. "the Witch's power is weakening! Snow is already starting to melt! The spring is near!"
Everyone looked around and saw to their surprise what Mr. Fox meant: the air was starting to slowly warm up and the cold fade away, snow on the tree branches was already starting to melt away and the fresh spring grass began to peek from under the snow.
"Spring is almost near! Spring is almost near!" the squirrels and bear cubs squealed happily, holding each others paws and hopping in joy and merriment-
"By my beard! It is true!" the green-caped Dwarf exclaimed in wonderment.
"Everything will be warm and green again!" The satyr shouted excitedly. "And there will be joy, feasting and dancing with the Nymphs again!"
"Chirp, chirp, chirp, chirp!" Chirp chirped with high-pitched voice in joy.
"I never believed I'd live to see the spring again... only if my mate would be here to see it." Mama Bear sighed with happiness.
Father Christmas laughed merrily at the animals excitment, before he turned back to his sleigh.
"And now... back to the business. Winter is almost over, and things do pile up when you've been gone a hundred years." Father Christmas laughed as he pulled out a huge red sack out of his sleigh and put it down in the snow.
"Presents!" Lucy, along with the bear cubs and squirrels squealed in unision in excitement.
Father Christmas laughed joylly at this, before he cleared his throat to speak.
"Mrs. Beaver?" he called.
Mrs. Beaver stepped forward and made a curtsey before the Father Christmas, who pulled out of the sack to show her...
"A new and better sewing machine for you, madam." he said with the smile, holding a sewing machine in his hands, much to Mrs. Beaver's delight, as she thought that her old sewing machine was most likely destroyed by the Witch's wolves. "I will drop it in your house as I pass." Father Christmas added as he put the sewing machine carefully back into his sack.
"Um, if you please, sir." Mrs. Beaver said. "It's all locked up."
"Chirp, chirp! And most likely the whole house has been torn apart by the Witch's Secret Police. Chirp, chirp!" Chirp lamented.
"Locks and bolts make no difference to me." Father Christmas said, before he turned to Mr. Beaver. "And as for you, Mr. Beaver."
Mr. Beaver immediately stepped forward, as Father Christmas held his four fingers up.
"When you get home you will find your dam finished, the damages from the frost and the Witch's Secret Police's raid mended, a new sluice gate fitted and all the leaks stopped." he listed via his fingers.
Mrs. Beaver was so pleased that he opened his mouth into a very wide grin, but found himself unable to say anything at all. Instead, he began to jump in joy.
"And Chirp?" Father Christmas said, and the robin stepped forward. "I don't have anything for you myself, but since it's spring soon and the air will be again filled of insects and worms that you've been wishing to eat all your life, I hope it's enough for you as a Christmas present."
"Chirp, chirp! Yes, sir. I wish nothing more or less than that. Chirp, chirp! Chirp said humby with the bow.
Father Christmas then proceeded to give all the other animals their own presents: To the squirrels he gave the bag full of nuts, as well as the wooden nutcracker, which was made into the likeness of the anthropomorphic lion, to be used for cracking the shells of nuts. To the bear cubs he gave their own stuffed teddy bears, as well as a huge jar of glowing golden and delicious looking honey for the whole bear family. To the Dwarfs he gave the barrel of beer, which he claimed to be something they hadn't ever tasted in hundred years. Both Dwarfs were excited to put the taste of their present into the test and compare it to their people's own beer. And to the Satyr, he gave a new red coat covered with the mistletoe leaves to replace his old and torn one, which the Satyr immediately threw away and put his new coat on, marveling it. Only Mr. Fox politely declined from any presents, stating that in this age he actually didn't need much of anything.
Father Christmas then turned his attention to the Pevensies.
"And now you, Son of Adam and the Daughters of Eve. You still have a long and difficult path ahead and the destiny to be fulfilled. So I dare say you could do with the help of these." Father Christmas said, before he cleared his throat. "Peter, Son of Adam?"
"Here, Sir." Peter said, stepping forward.
"These are your presents." Father Christmas said, as he took out of his sack a sword, that bore the shape and the design of the knightly sword (arming sword), in the ruby-red and golden sheath with a sword belt. The hilt of the sword was of gold and its pommel is shaped like a golden lion's head.
Father Christmas handed the sword to awestruck Peter, who immediately but reverently pulled the sword out of the sheath to examine it. The sword was just the right size and weight for him to use.
Peter was silent and solemn as he stared at his mirror reflection on the sword's fine and shiny silver-coloured blade's surface as if in trance and immediately felt that this sword was a very serious kind of present that shouldn't taken lightly.
"Ooooh!" the animals around of him gasped as they looked at the sword in Peter's hand.
"My, Peter, what a wonderful sword!" Mr. Beaver said in wonderment. "Is it heavy?"
The question snapped Peter out of his trance and he turned to look at Mr. Beaver.
"Oh, no, it's not." Peter said. "Not too heavy at least."
"Rhindon." Father Christmas said.
Peter then looked back at the Father Christmas, slightly confused look on his face.
"I beg your pardon, Sir?"
"The sword's name is Rhindon." Father Christmas repeated. "It has defended Narnia from evil as long as it has been carried by the rightful royal hand. Many past kings of Narnia before the Witch have proudly carried this sword with Aslan's blessing. Read the runes on both sides of the blade."
Putting the sheath under his arm, Peter took the sword into both hands - holding carefully with his left hand from its blade so that he wouldn't hurt himself in the process - and examined the blade again, runes neatly written/engraved in the middle of the blade.
"When Aslan Bares His Teeth, Winter Meets Its death."
Peter then turned the sword around to read the next runes from its other side.
"When He Shakes His Mane, We Shall Have Spring Again."
"Aren't those lines directly from the prophecy?" Lucy stated, recalling them from what Mr. Beaver had told them about the prophecy yesterday.
Indeed they are." Father Christmas confirmed. "It is said that just before Narnia fell under the Witch's power, Aslan helped in secret the Last King of Narnia to carve those lines into the blade to bind the prophecy to both the sword and its next owner, who is destined to save Narnia from the Witch's evil. And so, the sword is now yours, Peter, along with this."
Father Christmas then picked up from the sack the knight shield, which was the colour of gold and across it there ramped a red lion, as bright as a ripe strawberry. He held out the shield towards Peter, who put his sword back in the sheath and took the shield in his other hand from the Father Christmas.
Thank you, Sir." Peter said.
"Remember..." Fathert Christmas added, holding up a finger in cautioning manner. "These are tools not toys. The time to use them may be near at hand. Bear them well and wisely."
Peter nodded in understantment before he stepped back with his presents.
"Susan, Daughter of Eve." Father Christmas called, beckoning Susan to step forward.
As Susan walked to him, Father Christmas pulled out of the sack a recurve- style bow made from wood with the colour of gold, and a red quiver decorated with an S-shaped golden leaf vine pattern, which was full of gold-feathered arrows.
"These are for you." Father Christmas said as he held out the bow and arrows to Susan, who took them in her hands with a little hesitation on her face.
"You must use the bow only in great need." Father Christmas advised. "for I do not mean you to fight in the battle. And know of the arrow, that it does not easily miss."
"And remember that when you put this horn to your lips and blow it..." Father Christmas added, as he pulled out of his sack a little horn made of ivory, and which golden bell was carved in the shape of a roaring lion's head "Wherever you are, I think help will come to you."
"Thank you, Sir." Susan said a bit awkwardly for her presents before stepping back.
"Now, Lucy, Daughter of Eve." Father Christmas called.
With eager grin on her lips, Lucy almost ran forward to receive her presents.
Father Christmas then took out of the sack a little cone-shaped glass bottle decorated with gold, and it had a corck shaped like a golden lion's head. Inside of the bottle seemed to be something amber-colored liquid. The bottle was small enough to be carried on a fine golden chain around the neck, like a pendant.
"In this bottle is a cordial made of the juice of the fire-flowers that grows in the mountains of the sun. If you're hurt or if any of your friends are hurt, even in the brink of death, a few drops of this cordial will restore them." Father Christmas explained as he handed the bottle to Lucy, who marveled it in her fingers for a moment before putting it on her neck.
Father Christmas then picked out from the sack a small dagger with the golden hilt, which was stored in the ruby-red and golden sheath, which he handed to Lucy.
"This dagger is to defend yourself, but only in the time of the great need. For you also are not to be in the battle." Father Christmas advised.
"But why can't I? I'm sure I'm brave enough." Lucy said in light protest.
Father Christmas chuckled. "I'm sure you are but that is not the point. The battles are ugly fairs for the women. But after the battle there will be other work for you to do." he assured.
"Thank you, Sir." Lucy said as she stepped back.
"And now." Father Christmas said, suddenly sounding less grave. "Here's something for the moment for you all."
Father Christmas then waved his hands forward and bright lights like sparks flew out of them as if out of nowhere. And when the lights hit the snowy ground in front of the children and the animals, out of the thin air appeared a round table with a red tablecloth and decorations of holly around of it, along with the stools for each and everyone of them.
Father Christmas then waved his hands forward one more time, and as the magical lights hit the table, out of them onto the table appeared out of nowhere cups, saurcers, glass goblets, bowls and cutlery for each of them, a large bowl of lump sugar and a large jug of cream, a great big teapot all sizzling and piping hot, a bowl of fruit and grapes, a finely made glass pitcher of wine, a piece of bread with butter and a jar of jam, plates full of Narnia-style Christmas cookies, frosted cakes, delights, roasted salmon and ham, a bowl of boiled potatoes and another bowl of steaming porridge with cream and berries, and to crown the whole table, there was in middle of it a delicious-looking plum pudding with cream toppled over it.
The children gasped awestruck of this while the animals cheered merrily at such of Christmas serving, earning a merry laughter from the Father Christmas.
However, Lucy's smile suddenly fell from her lips as one thing came back to her mind.
"But Sir, what about Edmund?" she asked from the Father Christmas almost in whisper, catching only her siblings, beavers and Chirp's attention. "Doesn't he get anything, even though he hasn't been very good and honest lately?"
Father Christmas, as if reading Lucy's mind by the look on her face and apparently aware of how their brother has been behaving lately and what had happened to him as a result – but no one knew how – gave Lucy a sympathetic look.
"Edmund will have to bear the burden of the consequences of his actions... but the fact that you're willing to try to save him despite everything, should be gift enough for Edmund." Father Christmas said assuringly to them.
The children each nodded determinedly their heads to confirm his words, that even if Edmund has been a rotten little beast to all of them, they were still willing to try to save him. Father Christmas acknowledged this determination with proud smile and noding of his own head.
"Now, I must be off." he eventually told them. "Goodbye and Merry Christmas to you all! And may you meet him soon. LONG LIVE ASLAN, THE TRUE KING!"
"LONG LIVE ASLAN!" the animals around the children cheered in one voice.
With that, the Father Christmas cracked his reins and the reindeer pulled his sleigh quickly out of sight into the woods, leaving the children and the animals to wave goodbye to him.
"Merry Christmas!"
"Merry Christmas!"
"Goodbye!"
"See you in next year!"
"Goodbye!"
Once Father Christmas was out of sight, Lucy suddenly turned around to give Susan a look of 'I told you so'.
"See? I told you he was real." she said with the smirk.
Susan gave Lucy a narrowed look, a little annoyed that Lucy used the Father Christmas' appearance here in Narnia as a proof to their old quarrell that whether he was real or not in their world. She was just about to say something in retort to her claim until Mrs. Beaver opened her mouth to speak.
"Now then, now then! Don't stand around talking or the tea gets cold. Let's all go to the table and we'll all have breakfast." she told to everyone.
"Well, said, Mrs. Beaver." Mr. Beaver said. "This shall be a glorious moment!"
"Indeed." Mr. Fox said then. "This is the first time in many, many years, when one can look forward to a Merry Christmas."
"Oh, and what a mercy I thought of bringing the bread-knife. How else we could've cut the bread and ham into sandwiches?" Mrs. Beaver said, sounding relieved.
This earned an amused laughter from everyone around.
Then the children and animals sat around the table and the feast began: Mr. Beaver cut bread and ham with a bread-knife and made sandwiches out of them with either jam or butter, while Mrs. Beaver poured out hot tea for both the children, herself, and Mama Bear, who used honey from the jar Father Christmas had given to sweeten her tea instead of sugar. Everybody ate their sandwiches before turning on to their personal favorites. The Dwarfs immediately and almost impatiently opened their beer barrel and poured beer into two mugs - and they also poured some into a third mug which was for Mr. Beaver who had asked to taste that beer for himself - and laughing joylly, the two little bearded men toasted with each other before sipping their drinks down. Mr. Fox picked up the pitcher of wine from the table and poured wine, which smelled good, into his glass goblet and politely poured it into Satyr's own as well. After tasting the wine, Mr. Fox decided to take a bite of the roasted salmon with potatoes while the Satyr himself began eating grabes from the bowl. The squirrels were immediately hooked on the nuts they got from Father Christmas and used their gift, the lion-shaped nutcracker, to crack open the nuts' shells so they could eat the seeds inside. In addition to nuts, they also ate several cookies, especially those ones with nuts in them. One of Mama Bear's cubs had scooped some of a steaming porridge into his bowl to eat, while another bear cub took a pawfuls of honey from the jar and stuffed it into his mouth, leaving his lips and muzzle quite stained with honey. Mrs. Beaver also scooped up some berries and crumbles of bread to the bowl, which she gave for Chirp to eat. Susan picked up a palm-sized red apple from the bowl and took a bite from the side, savoring its juicy and sweet taste in her mouth before she gulped it down and ate the rest of the fruit. Lucy immediately tried the frosted cakes and ate one swiftly, and it tasted almost as good as the ones she had eaten in Mr. Tumnus' cave when she first came to Narnia. And Peter took the honor of being the first to cut a piece of the plum pudding.
The atmosphere around the Christmas table was one of celebration, laughter and happy chatter.
But eventually, long before the children and their animal companions had finished enjoying themselves, Mrs. Beaver stood up from her stool and turned towards the children.
"Now then, children, time has come when we must move on." Mrs. Beaver told them.
Mr. Beaver put his empty mug down to the table and stood up from his stool as well.
"True, true, Mrs. Beaver. We must go now." he agreed.
"And we still need to retrieve our sacks from the cave before continuing southeast." Mrs. Beaver reminded.
"Chirp, chirp! Come along then! Let's be off! Chirp, chirp!" Chirp chirped.
Peter, Lucy, and Susan were a little reluctant to stop celebrating so soon, but they did so anyway when they remembered the reason or two why they were heading to the southeast.
They got up from the stools and took their gifts that they had put aside for a while for the celebration and were about to head back towards the beaver cave to get the rest of their things until Lucy noticed that none of the other animals had gotten off the benches or stopped celebrating.
"Oh! Aren't you coming?" Lucy called to them, for she remembered that their new friends were on their way to the Stone Table and to Aslan just like they were, and was confused that none of them seemed to be going with them as Lucy had initially thought.
"Nah! What's the rush there?" the red-capped Dwarf questioned, waving his mug in the air.
"Yeah! As long as there is enough beer and eats, there is no rush." a green-capped Dwarf added.
"And after all, my friends, it's still a Christmas." Satyr said, gesturing towards the table and all the foods, of which only one quarter had already gone.
"That's right, honey. Besides, the children here deserve a little joy and pleasure in Christmas." Mama Bear added while gesturing her paw towards her cubs and the little squirrels.
Mr. Fox then stood up to address her personally. "My lady, Lucy Pevensie, forgive us, but we have decided to stay a little while longer and enjoy this feast as long as we can... now that we have a chance to do so for the first time in the hundred years."
This earned him nods of approval from the other animals as they turned from Mr. Fox to Lucy.
"But don't you worry. We'll catch up as soon as the party is over." Mr. Fox assured the children. "We'll see you with Aslan at the Stone Table."
"Well, if you say so…" Peter said with the nod, seeing no point in trying to persuade these animals to come with them.
Besides, Peter thought it would only be fair that these animals should be able to celebrate Christmas in peace and withour fear for the first time in a hundred years, while he and his siblings have themselves celebrated the Christmas once every year.
Mr. Beaver then held out his paw for Mr. Fox, who accepted it and both animals shook their paws.
"Mr. Fox? Goodbye for now, and my personal thanks for what you did for us the last night. That was indeed very brave for you." Mr. Beaver said in gratitude.
"The pleasure is all mine, Mr. Beaver." Mr. Fox said. "Goodbye for now."
Mr. Beaver gave a one last nod to Mr. Fox, before he took from his mate's paw and began to lead her up the hill and towards their hideout to get the rest of their stuff so that they could resume their journey.
"Bye, bye! And thank you!" Lucy called, waving her hand in goodbye to the animals as she along with her siblings and Chirp followed the beavers into the woods.
"Bye, bye!" Susan called as well, before she took from Lucy's hand and began to lead her away from the party.
"And Merry Christmas!" Peter called, sounding like the royal host of the party beckoning the celebrants to enjoy the meal.
Mr. Fox and the animals waved back at them in goodbye.
"Bye, bye." Satyr said, waving his hand at them.
"Save journey, my dears!" Mama Bear wished as she and her cubs waved their paws... while the honey-stained bear cub stuffed another pawful of honey into his mouth.
"Bye, bye! It was nice to meet you!" the other bear cub called.
"Good luck, you lot!" the Dwarfs cheered.
"Bye! Goodbye!" the squirrels called.
"May Aslan keep you safe between his paws!" Mr. Fox called after them.
As the children, Chirp and the beavers - still waving their hands/paws/wings at the animals - vanished into the woods, Mr. Fox and the animals turned back to the table and resumed their Christmas feast.
TO BE CONTINUED...