At the end of "Voyage of the Dawn Treader" we learn that Edmund & Lucy are not going to return to Narnia, because they are getting too old. At the beginning of the Silver Chair, we find Eustace Scrubb and Jill Pole looking to escape from bullies at their English school. Eustace tells Jill about the magical land of Narnia & encourages her to stand next to him, hold out their hands, and chant "Aslan, Aslan, Aslan. Please let us two go into...". But they are interrupted by their pursuers, and run through a door that leads them onto a sunny hill that turns out to be Aslan's mountain. The hill leads to the top of very high cliff. They struggle with each other at the top of the cliff, and Eustace falls off. Jill then encounters Aslan (who has used his breath to blow Eustace to Narnia). Aslan tells Jill that he called her and Eustace into Narnia, and he has a task for them to fulfill. Jill is very confused by this: "... nobody called me and Scrubb, you know. It was we who asked to come here." "You would not have called to me unless I had been calling to you", said the Lion.
Aslan tells Jill that their task is to find the lost prince of Narnia (the only son of the now aged King Caspian) who was stolen many years ago. Aslan tells Jill that, although no one in Narnia knows this, the Prince is still alive and Jill and Eustace are to find him and return him to Narnia. The Lion gives Jill 4 signs by which he says he will guide them in their quest. Jill must memorize these signs and repeat them to herself every night and every morning. Then, Aslan blows Jill to Narnia on his breath.
This story follows them on their quest. A central theme of the story is the difficulty they have keeping their mission first in their mind, and remembering the signs when they face adversity. This story has always struck me as being a little "Pilgrim's Progress-ish".
(Hmm - Pilgrim's Progress. It's been awhile since I've read that one...)
Sojourner
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