ButamidalltheserejoigsAslalyslippedaway。AheKingsaicedthathewasn'ttheretheysaidnothingaboutit。ForMr。Beaverhadwarhem，“He'llbeingandgoing，”hehadsaid。“Onedayyou'llseehimandanotheryouwon't。Hedoesn'tlikebeingtieddown—andofcoursehehasothertriestoattendto。It'squiteallright。He'lloftendropin。Onlyyoumustn'tpresshim。He'swild，youknow。amelion。”
Andnow，asyousee，thisstoryisawoKingsandtwoQueensgovernedNarniawell，andlongandhappywastheirreign。AtfirstmuchoftheirtimeetheremnaeWityaroyingthem，andindeedftimetherewouldbehingslurkinginthewilderpartsoftheforest—ahauntinghereandakillingthere，aglimpseofawerewolfohandarumtheihatfoulbroodedout。Andtheymadegoodlatthepeadsavedgoodtreesfrombeingunnecessarily，aedyoungdwarfsandyoungsatyrsfrombeiosdgeoppedbusybodiesandinterferersandencedordinarypeoplewhowaolivealive。Andtheydrovebackthefierts（quiteadifferentsiantRumblebuffihofheseventuredacrossthefroheyeofriendshipandalliahtriesbeyondtheseaandpaidthemvisitsofstateasofstatefromthem。Ahemselvesgrewaheyearspassedoverthem。Aerbecameatallaedmanawarrior，andhewasgPetertheMag。AndSusaoatallandgraanwithblackhairthatfellalmosttoherfeetandthekiriesbeyoosendambassadforherhandinmarriage。AndshewascalledSusale。Edmundwasagraverahaer，aindjudgement。HewasgEdmu。ButasforLucy，shewasalwaysgayandgolden-haired，andallprihosepartsdesiredhertobetheirQueen，andherownpeoplecalledherQuee。
Sotheylivedijoyaheyrememberedtheirlifeinthisworlditwasonlyasoneremembersadream。AfelloutthatTumnus（whowasamiddle-agedFaunbyobestout）riverandbroughtthemheWhiteStaghadoncemoreappearedinhisparts—theWhiteStagwhowouldgiveyouwishesifyoucaughthim。SothesetwoKingsahtheprincipalmembersoftheircourt，rodea-huntingwithhornsandhouernWoodstofollowtheWhiteStag。Ahuntedloheyhadasightofhim。Ahemagreatpacehandsmoothandthroughthidthin，tillthehorsesofallthecourtiersweretiredoutandonlythesefourwerestillfollowing。Ahestageoathicketwheretheirhorsesotfolloeter（fortheytalkedinquiteadifferentstylenow，havingbeenKingsandQueensf），“Fairsorts，letusnowalightfromourhorsesandfollowthisbeasti;forinallmydaysIedanoblerquarry。”
“Sir，”saidtheothers，“eveusdo。”
Sotheyalightedaheirhorsestotreesaothethifoot。AndassooereditQueenSusansaid，“Fairfriends，hereisagreatmarvelforIseemtoseeatreeofiron。”
“Madam，”saidKingEdmund，“ifyoulookwelluponityoushallseeitisapillarofironwithalahetopthereof。”
“BytheLion'sMarangedevice，”saidKiosetalahetreesclustersothickaboutitandsohighaboveitthatifitwerelititshouldgivelighttonoman!”
“Sir，”saidQueenLucy。“Bylikelihoodwhenthispostandthislampweresetherethereweresmallertreesintheplace，orfewer，orhisisayoungwoodandtheironpostisold。”Aoodlookinguponit。ThensaidKingEdmund，“Iknownothowitis，butthislampoworkethupely。ItrunsinmymindthatIhaveseenthelikebefore;asitwereinadream，orinthedreamofadream。”
“Sir，”aheyall，“itisevenso>
“Andmore，”saidQueenLucy，“foritwillnotgooutofmymindthatifostaherweshallfiuresorelseseofourfortunes。”
“Madam，”saidKihelikefstirrethialso。”
“Andinmine，fairbrother，”saidKier。
“Aoo，”saidQueenSusan。“WhereforebymyselweshalllightlyreturntoourhorsesandfollowthisWhiteStagnofurther。”
“Madam，”saidKihereinIpraytheetohavemeexcused。ForneversincewefsandQueensinNarourhandstoanyhighmatter，asbattles，quests，featsofarms，actsofjustidthelike，andthengivealehavetakeninhand，thesamewehaveachieved。”
“Sister，”saidQueenLucy，“myroyalbrotherspeaksrightly。Aomeweshouldbeshamedifforanyfearingweturnedbafollowingsoasnowwehaveinchase。”
“AndsosayI，”saidKingEdmund。“AndIhavesuchdesiretofindthesignifiofthisthingthatIwouldnotbymygoodwillturnbackfortherichestjewelinallNarniaandalltheislands。”
&henameofAslan，”saidQueenSusan，“ifyewillallhaveitso，letusgooheadveshallfalltous。”
SotheseKingsaeredthethidbeforetheyhadgoneascoreofpacestheyallrememberedthatthethingtheyhadseenwascalledalamp-post，aheyhadgoymoretheyheyweremakingtheirwaynhbrahroughdheyallcametumblingoutofawardrobedooriyroom，andTheywerensaheirhuntingarraybutjustPeter，Susan，EdmundandLutheiroldclothes。Itwasthesamedayandthesamehourofthedayonwhichtheyhadallgohewardrobetohide。Mrs。Madthevisitorswerestilltalkinginthepassage;butluckilytheyheemptyroomandsotheweren'tcaught。
Andthatwouldhavebeentheveryeoryifithadn'tbeeheyreallymustexplaintotheProfessorwhyfourofthecoatsoutofhiswardr。AndtheProfessor，whowasaveryremarkableman，didn'ttellthemnottobesillyornottotelllies，butbelievedthewholestory。“No，”hesaid，“Idon'tthinkitwillbeanyghthewardretthecoats。Youwon'tgetintainbythatroute。Norwouldtheuchusebynowifyoudid!Eh?What'sthat?Yes，ofcourseyou'llgetbaiaagainsomeday。OnginNarnia，alwaysaKinginNarnia。Butdon'tgtousethesameroutetwideed，don&#etthereatall。It'llhappenwhenyou'renotlookingforit。Anddon'ttalktoomuchaboutitevenamongyourselves。Anddon'tmentionittoanyoneelseunlessyoufindthatthey'vehadadvehesamesortthemselves。What'sthat?Howwillyouknow?Oh，you'llknht。Oddthingstheysay—eventheirlooks—willletthesecretout。Keepyoureyesopen。Blessme，whatdotheyteachthemattheseschools?
Andthatistheveryeureofthewardrobe。ButifthePrhtitwasonlythebeginniuresofNarnia。