I am reading The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe to the children, and no, it’s not because the movie is coming out in December. I’m reading it to them because it’s a wonderful story, and I loved hearing it as a child and hope they will/are, too. And also because the movie is coming out in December, and I want them to know it as a book before they know it as a movie.
Here’s a favorite moment, read today.
“‘Aslan a man!'” said Mr. Beaver sternly. ‘Certainly not. I tell you he is the King of the wood and the son of the great Emperor-Beyond-the-Sea. Don’t you know who is the King of the Beasts? Aslan is a lion–the Lion, the great Lion.’
‘Ooh!’ said Susan, ‘I’d thought he was a man. Is he– quite safe? I shall feel rather nervous about meeting a lion.’
‘That you will, dearie, and no mistake,’ said Mrs. Beaver, ‘if there’s anyone who can appear before Aslan without their knees knocking, they’re either braver than most or else just silly.’
‘Then he isn’t safe?’ said Lucy.
‘Safe?’ said Mr. Beaver. ‘Don’t you hear what Mrs. Beaver tells you? Who said anything about safe? ‘Course he isn’t safe. But he’s good. He’s the King, I tell you.'”
-C.S. Lewis
Which do we prefer: safe and not good? or not safe but good?
And really, what makes him unsafe isn’t so much Him as me.
