The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe

The Witch and her army of followers depart to prepare for the battle against Aslan’s remaining supporters, leaving Aslan’s corpse on the Stone Table. Lucy and Susan emerge and cry over the lion’s body. The sisters take off the humiliating muzzle and are at first horrified when they see a group of mice scampering over Aslan, but they soon realize that the rodents are nibbling through the ropes that still bind his body.

As the sun rises, Lucy and Susan look toward Cair Paravel, watching the first rays of light breaking across the horizon. A deafening noise frightens the sisters, who worry that the Witch has returned to further desecrate Aslan’s body. Turning around, the girls see that the Stone Table has “broken into two pieces by a great crack that ran down it from end to end; and there was no Aslan” (174). Lucy fears that the Witch has taken Aslan’s body, but then Aslan appears, resurrected, and reassures them that he is not a ghost with his hot breath.

Aslan explains that there is an even older, deeper magic than the one the White Witch used. This magic decrees that when an innocent person willingly gives their life in place of a traitor, the Stone Table will crack and “Death itself [will] start working backwards” (176).