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114-476: The use of talking animals enables storytellers to combine the basic characteristics of the animal with human behavior, to apply metaphor, and to entertain children as well as adults. Animals are used in a variety of ways in fictional works including to illustrate morality lessons for children, to instill wonder in young readers, and as a tool for inserting social commentary. In addition talking animals can be utilized for satirical purposes, for humorous purposes like in

228-610: A 2012 poll by School Library Journal . In 2010, the New York Public Library reported that Charlotte's Web was the sixth most borrowed book in the library's history. Its awards and nominations include: The book was adapted into an animated feature of the same name in 1973 by Hanna-Barbera Productions and Sagittarius Productions with a score by the Sherman Brothers . In 2003, a direct-to-video sequel to that film, Charlotte's Web 2: Wilbur's Great Adventure ,

342-636: A Ghost , Keepers of the Earth , and The Orphan and the Polar Bear , just to name a few. In the Disney franchises of The Jungle Book and Tarzan , Mowgli along with Shanti and Ranjan can talk to the animals (such as a sloth bear, an elephant, a black panther, a tiger and a python) in the jungles of India, and Tarzan along with Jane and her father can talk to the animals: gorillas and elephants in African jungle. Out of

456-450: A child in 1958 if he would please write another book entitled "Susan of Narnia" so that the entire Pevensie family would be reunited, C. S. Lewis replied: "I am so glad you like the Narnian books and it was nice of you to write and tell me. There's no use just asking me to write more. When stories come into my mind I have to write them, and when they don't I can't!…" Lucy is the youngest of

570-521: A children's story on an odd sheet of paper which has survived as part of another manuscript: This book is about four children whose names were Ann, Martin, Rose and Peter. But it is most about Peter who was the youngest. They all had to go away from London suddenly because of Air Raids, and because Father, who was in the Army, had gone off to the War and Mother was doing some kind of war work. They were sent to stay with

684-449: A different way, Wilbur goes through a change when he switches locations. Amy Ratelle explains that when he moves from Fern's house to Homer Zuckerman's farm, Wilbur goes from being a loved pet to a farm animal. Fern, the little girl in the novel, goes from being a child to being more of an adult. As she experiences this change, Kinghorn notes that it can also be considered a fall from innocence . Wilbur also starts out young and innocent at

798-411: A dragon for a while. His distress at having to live as a dragon causes him to reflect upon how horrible he has been, and his subsequent improved character is rewarded when Aslan changes him back into a boy. In the later books, Eustace comes across as a much nicer person, although he is still rather grumpy and argumentative. Nonetheless, he becomes a hero along with Jill Pole when the pair succeed in freeing

912-656: A fan that he thought she may eventually believe again: "The books don't tell us what happened to Susan   … But there is plenty of time for her to mend, and perhaps she will get to Aslan's country in the end—in her own way." Peter is the eldest of the Pevensies. In The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe , he kills Maugrim, a talking wolf, to save Susan, and leads the Narnian army against the White Witch. Aslan names him High King , and he

1026-465: A kind of relation of Mother's who was a very old professor who lived all by himself in the country. In "It All Began with a Picture" C. S. Lewis continues: At first, I had very little idea how the story would go. But then suddenly Aslan came bounding into it. I think I had been having a good many dreams of lions about that time. Apart from that, I don't know where the Lion came from or why he came. But once he

1140-426: A new manuscript, the only copy of Charlotte's Web then in existence, which she read soon after and enjoyed. Charlotte's Web was released on October 15, 1952. In light of White's Death of a Pig , published in 1948, which gives an account of his own failure to save a sick pig (bought for butchering), Charlotte's Web can be seen as White's attempt "to save his pig in retrospect". White's overall motivation for

1254-568: A part of the Native American family/community. Distinctions between humans and animals are more fluid. In these stories animals represent the ability to adapt and serve as mentors and guides. For example, in Louise Erdrich’s book Chickadee the protagonist is saved by a Chickadee, who instructs him in finding food and water, after he escapes a kidnapping. Other examples of Native American works with talking animal stories include How I Became

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1368-405: A plan. Reasoning that Zuckerman would not kill a famous pig, Charlotte weaves words and short phrases in praise of Wilbur into her web. Charlotte weaves the words Some Pig into the web, and the next morning, the farmhand, Lurvy, sees the web and runs to find Mr. Zuckerman. This turns Wilbur, and the barn as a whole, into tourist attractions, because many people believe the web to be a miracle. After

1482-401: A prequel and presents Narnia's origin story : how Aslan created the world and how evil first entered it. Digory Kirke and his friend Polly Plummer stumble into different worlds by experimenting with magic rings given to them by Digory's uncle. In the dying world of Charn they awaken Queen Jadis, and another world turns out to be the beginnings of the Narnian world (where Jadis later becomes

1596-570: A safe distance. For example, Charlotte’s Web introduces the concept of death when Charlotte dies and Wilbur is charged with taking care of her offspring. Similarly, naturalist animal fictions also provide a vehicle with which to provide commentary on the humane treatment of animals, animal rights, and the conservation of animals. A good example of this would be the Doctor Doolittle series. Finally, in this digital age where modern childhood generally has very little contact and exposure to animals in

1710-575: A school teacher in California conceived of a project for her class in which they would send out hundreds of drawings of spiders (each representing Charlotte's child Aranea going out into the world so that she can return and tell Wilbur of what she has seen) with accompanying letters; they ended up visiting a large number of parks, monuments, and museums, and were hosted by and/or prompted responses from celebrities and politicians such as John Travolta and then-First Lady Laura Bush . In 2003, Charlotte's Web

1824-399: A sense of poetry with scientific fact. White incorporated details from Comstock's accounts of baby spiders, most notably the "flight" of the young spiders on silken parachutes. White sent Gertsch's book to illustrator Garth Williams. Williams's initial drawings depicted a spider with a woman's face, and White suggested that he simply draw a realistic spider instead. White originally opened

1938-443: A signifier of change . The change Kinghorn refers to is that of both the human world and the farm/barn world. For both of these worlds, change is something that cannot be avoided. Along with the changing of the seasons throughout the novel, the characters also go through their own changes. Jordan Anne Deveraux also explains that Wilbur and Fern each go through their changes to transition from childhood closer to adulthood throughout

2052-511: A visionary as well as a warrior, and ultimately his willing self-exile to Aslan's Country breaks the enchantment on the last three of the Lost Lords, thus achieving the final goal of the quest. Lewis identified Reepicheep as "specially" exemplifying the latter book's theme of "the spiritual life". Reepicheep makes one final cameo appearance at the end of The Last Battle , in Aslan's Country. Puddleglum

2166-407: Is Lewis's best-selling work, having sold 120 million copies in 47 languages. The series has been adapted for radio, television, the stage, film and video games. Although Lewis originally conceived what would become The Chronicles of Narnia in 1939 (the picture of a Faun with parcels in a snowy wood has a history dating to 1914), he did not finish writing the first book The Lion, the Witch and

2280-486: Is Shasta's mount and mentor in The Horse and His Boy . A Talking Horse of Narnia, he wandered into Calormen as a foal and was captured. He first appears as a Calormene nobleman's war-horse; when the nobleman buys Shasta as a slave, Bree organises and carries out their joint escape. Though friendly, he is also vain and a braggart until his encounter with Aslan late in the story. Charlotte%E2%80%99s Web Charlotte's Web

2394-477: Is a book of children's literature by American author E. B. White and illustrated by Garth Williams . It was published on October 15, 1952, by Harper & Brothers . The novel tells the story of a livestock pig named Wilbur and his friendship with a barn spider named Charlotte. When Wilbur is in danger of being slaughtered by the farmer, Charlotte writes messages in her web praising Wilbur, such as "Some Pig", "Terrific", "Radiant", and "Humble", to persuade

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2508-483: Is a series of seven portal fantasy novels by British author C. S. Lewis . Illustrated by Pauline Baynes and originally published between 1950 and 1956, the series is set in the fictional realm of Narnia , a fantasy world of magic, mythical beasts and talking animals. It narrates the adventures of various children who play central roles in the unfolding history of the Narnian world. Except in The Horse and His Boy ,

2622-699: Is a wise, compassionate, magical authority (both temporal and spiritual) who serves as mysterious and benevolent guide to the human children who visit, as well as being the guardian and saviour of Narnia. C. S. Lewis described Aslan as an alternative version of Jesus as the form in which he may have appeared in an alternative reality. In his book Miracles , C.S. Lewis argues that the possible existence of other worlds with other sentient life-forms should not deter or detract from being Christian : [The universe] may be full of lives that have been redeemed in modes suitable to their condition, of which we can form no conception. It may be full of lives that have been redeemed in

2736-479: Is able to escape his death, Charlotte, the spider who takes care of Wilbur, is not able to escape her own. Charlotte passes away, but, according to Trudelle H. Thomas, "even in the face of death, life continues and ultimate goodness wins out". Jordan Anne Deveraux explains that E.B. White discusses a few realities of death. From the novel, readers learn that death can be delayed but that no one can avoid it forever. For Norton D. Kinghorn, Charlotte's web also acts as

2850-676: Is away at sea, and he appears briefly in this role (now elderly and very deaf) in The Silver Chair . Reepicheep the Mouse is the leader of the Talking Mice of Narnia in Prince Caspian . Utterly fearless, infallibly courteous, and obsessed with honour, he is badly wounded in the final battle but healed by Lucy and Aslan. In The Voyage of the Dawn Treader , his role is greatly expanded; he becomes

2964-457: Is befriended by a barn spider named Charlotte, whose web sits in a doorway overlooking Wilbur's enclosure. When Wilbur discovers that he is being raised for slaughter, she promises to find a way to save his life. Fern often sits on a stool, listening to the animals' conversation, but over the course of the story, as she starts to mature, she begins to find other interests. As the summer passes, Charlotte ponders how to save Wilbur and comes up with

3078-567: Is common in the fantasy genre. For example, in L. Frank Baum 's Land of Oz , creatures (such as the Cowardly Lion and the Hungry Tiger) talk. The chicken Billina gains the ability to talk when she is swept away by a storm to land near Oz, as do other animals, and Toto, as explained in a retcon , always had the ability since arriving in Oz, but never used it. In C. S. Lewis 's Chronicles of Narnia ,

3192-528: Is known as Peter the Magnificent. In Prince Caspian , he duels the usurper King Miraz to restore Caspian's throne. In The Last Battle , it is Peter whom Aslan entrusts with the duty of closing the door on Narnia for the final time. Eustace Clarence Scrubb is a cousin of the Pevensies, and a classmate of Jill Pole at their school Experiment House. He is portrayed at first as a brat and a bully, but comes to improve his nasty behaviour when his greed turns him into

3306-498: Is nonsensical if one has already read The Magician's Nephew . Other similar textual examples are also cited. Doris Meyer, author of C. S. Lewis in Context and Bareface: A Guide to C.S. Lewis's Last Novel , writes that rearranging the stories chronologically "lessens the impact of the individual stories" and "obscures the literary structures as a whole". Peter Schakel devotes an entire chapter to this topic in his book Imagination and

3420-622: Is the first to see Aslan when he comes to guide them. In The Voyage of the Dawn Treader , it is Lucy who breaks the spell of invisibility on the Dufflepuds . As an adult in The Horse and His Boy , she helps fight the Calormenes at Anvard. Although a minor character in The Last Battle , much of the closing chapter is seen from her point of view. Edmund is the second child to enter Narnia in The Lion,

3534-502: Is the next-door neighbour of the young Digory Kirke. She is tricked by a wicked magician (who is Digory's uncle) into touching a magic ring which transports her to the Wood between the Worlds and leaves her there stranded. The wicked uncle persuades Digory to follow her with a second magic ring that has the power to bring her back. This sets up the pair's adventures into other worlds, and they witness

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3648-575: Is why humans are responsible for caring for animals. The talking creature concept is featured within much traditional literature , and several mythologies, including Greek , Chinese and Indian mythologies. A notable example from the Judaeo-Christian tradition is the talking serpent from the Book of Genesis , which tempts Eve to eat the forbidden fruit of the Tree of the knowledge of good and evil . In

3762-620: The Sailor Moon franchise, the protagonist Usagi Tsukino and her friends awaken their powers as Sailor Guardians thanks to talking cats Luna and Artemis , who also serve as mentoring figures and advisors to them.In the Pokémon franchise. Meowth of Team Rocket is considered a unique Pokémon in that he can understand and use human language, even serving as a translator for his fellow Pokémon, where they can only usually call out their own names verbally. Narnia The Chronicles of Narnia

3876-630: The Qur’ān , animals are seen as gifts from God and thus are meant to serve humans. Aside from a few animals being able to speak, they are never anthropomorphized, personified, or given names. There are only a handful of times that animals speak in the Qur’ān and most of these occurrences happen in relation to Solomon. For example, it is a hoopoe (a bird native to Africa, Asia, and Europe) that tells King Solomon of Queen Sheba’s idolatrous ways. In Native American mythology, animals are integral to human survival and thus

3990-606: The White Witch ). The story is set in 1900, when Digory was a 12-year-old boy. He is a middle-aged professor by the time he hosts the Pevensie children in The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe 40 years later. Completed in March 1953 and published 4 September 1956, The Last Battle chronicles the end of the world of Narnia. Approximately two hundred Narnia years after the events of The Silver Chair , Jill and Eustace return to save Narnia from

4104-583: The "startling note of realism" in the opening line, "Where's Papa going with that ax?" Illustrator Henry Cole expressed his deep childhood appreciation of the characters and story, and calls Garth Williams's illustrations full of "sensitivity, warmth, humor, and intelligence". Illustrator Diana Cain Bluthenthal states that Williams's illustrations inspired and influenced her. An unabridged audio book read by White himself reappeared decades after it had originally been recorded. Newsweek writes that White reads

4218-961: The 2006 film adaptation (see below), the book has sold more than 45 million copies and been translated into 23 languages. It was a Newbery Honor book for 1953, losing to Secret of the Andes by Ann Nolan Clark for the medal . In 1970, White won the Laura Ingalls Wilder Medal , a major prize in the field of children's literature, for Charlotte's Web , along with his first children's book, Stuart Little (1945). Seth Lerer, in his book Children's Literature , finds that Charlotte represents female authorship and creativity, and compares her to other female characters in children's literature such as Jo March in Little Women and Mary Lennox in The Secret Garden . Nancy Larrick brings to attention

4332-793: The Arts in C. S. Lewis: Journeying to Narnia and Other Worlds , and in Reading with the Heart: The Way into Narnia he writes: Aslan, the Great Lion, is the titular lion of The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe , and his role in Narnia is developed throughout the remaining books. He is also the only character to appear in all seven books. Aslan is a talking lion, the King of Beasts, son of the Emperor-Over-the-Sea . He

4446-687: The Atlas is a map of ancient Italy. Lewis had underscored the name of a little town called Narnia, simply because he liked the sound of it. Narnia – or ' Narni ' in Italian ;– is in Umbria , halfway between Rome and Assisi . The Chronicles of Narnia's seven books have been in continuous publication since 1956, selling over 100 million copies in 47 languages and with editions in Braille . The first five books were originally published in

4560-619: The Blue Falcon and Tsarevitch Ivan, the Fire Bird and the Gray Wolf have the hero aided by a fox and a wolf respectively, but in the similar tale The Golden Bird , the talking fox is freed from a spell to become the heroine's brother, and in The Bird 'Grip' , the fox leaves the hero after explaining that it was the dead man whose debts the hero had paid. Whether shape-shifted or merely having

4674-432: The Dawn Treader ), and eventually become Kings and Queens of Narnia reigning as a tetrarchy. Although introduced in the series as children, the siblings grow up into adults while reigning in Narnia. They go back to being children once they get back to their own world, but feature as adults in The Horse and His Boy during their Narnian reign. All four appear in The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe and Prince Caspian ; in

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4788-401: The Dawn Treader , Aslan calls Eustace back to Narnia along with his classmate Jill Pole . They are given four signs to aid them in the search for Prince Caspian's son Rilian , who disappeared ten years earlier on a quest to avenge his mother's death. Fifty years have passed in Narnia since the events from The Voyage of the Dawn Treader ; Eustace is still a child, but Caspian, barely an adult in

4902-512: The English countryside in anticipation of attacks on London and other major urban areas by Nazi Germany. As a result, on 2 September 1939, three school girls named Margaret, Mary and Katherine came to live at The Kilns in Risinghurst , Lewis's home three miles east of Oxford city centre. Lewis later suggested that the experience gave him a new appreciation of children and in late September he began

5016-523: The Greek Aesop’s Fables . The Panchatantra , a collection of Indian animal fables, is another early example. Both use talking animals for didactic purposes. More recent fables like Sarah Trimmer’s History of the Robins (1786) use talking animals to instruct children on how to behave in society as well as how to maintain the social order. They also reiterate the superiority of humans to animals which

5130-500: The Just. In Prince Caspian and The Voyage of the Dawn Treader , he supports Lucy; in The Horse and His Boy , he leads the Narnian delegation to Calormen and, later, the Narnian army breaking the siege at Anvard. In The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe , Susan accompanies Lucy to see Aslan die and rise again. She is named Queen Susan the Gentle. In Prince Caspian , however, she is the last of

5244-468: The Marsh-wiggle guides Eustace and Jill on their quest in The Silver Chair . Though always comically pessimistic, he provides the voice of reason and as such intervenes critically in the climactic enchantment scene. Shasta, later known as Cor of Archenland , is the principal character in The Horse and His Boy . Born the eldest son and heir of King Lune of Archenland, and elder twin of Prince Corin, Cor

5358-614: The Pevensie children when they are evacuated from London and defends Lucy's story of having found a country in the back of the wardrobe. In The Magician's Nephew , the young Digory, thanks to his uncle's magical experimentation, inadvertently brings Jadis from her dying homeworld of Charn to the newly created world of Narnia; to rectify his mistake, Aslan sends him to fetch a magical apple which will protect Narnia and heal his dying mother. He returns in The Last Battle . Polly Plummer appears in The Magician's Nephew and The Last Battle . She

5472-621: The United Kingdom by Geoffrey Bles. The first edition of The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe was released in London on 16 October 1950. Although three more books, Prince Caspian , The Voyage of the Dawn Treader and The Horse and His Boy , were already complete, they were not released immediately at that time, but instead appeared (along with The Silver Chair ) one at a time in each of the subsequent years (1951–1954). The last two books ( The Magician's Nephew and The Last Battle ) were published in

5586-571: The United Kingdom originally by The Bodley Head in 1955 and 1956. In the United States, the publication rights were first owned by Macmillan Publishers , and later by HarperCollins . The two issued both hardcover and paperback editions of the series during their tenure as publishers, while at the same time Scholastic, Inc. produced paperback versions for sale primarily through direct mail order, book clubs, and book fairs. HarperCollins also published several one-volume collected editions containing

5700-470: The Wardrobe until 1949. The Magician's Nephew , the penultimate book to be published, but the last to be written, was completed in 1954. Lewis did not write the books in the order in which they were originally published, nor were they published in their current chronological order of presentation. The original illustrator, Pauline Baynes, created pen and ink drawings for the Narnia books that are still used in

5814-466: The Wardrobe was complete by the end of March 1949. The name Narnia is based on Narni , Italy, written in Latin as Narnia . Green wrote: When Walter Hooper asked where he found the word 'Narnia', Lewis showed him Murray's Small Classical Atlas , ed. G.B. Grundy (1904), which he acquired when he was reading the classics with Mr [William T.] Kirkpatrick at Great Bookham [1914–1917]. On plate 8 of

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5928-469: The Witch and the Wardrobe , completed by the end of March 1949 and published by Geoffrey Bles in the United Kingdom on 16 October 1950, tells the story of four ordinary children: Peter , Susan , Edmund , and Lucy Pevensie , Londoners who were evacuated to the English countryside following the outbreak of World War II . They discover a wardrobe in Professor Digory Kirke 's house that leads to

6042-491: The Witch and the Wardrobe . The protagonists, a young boy named Shasta and a talking horse named Bree , both begin in bondage in the country of Calormen . By "chance", they meet and plan their return to Narnia and freedom. Along the way they meet Aravis and her talking horse Hwin , who are also fleeing to Narnia. Completed in February 1954 and published by Bodley Head in London on 2 May 1955, The Magician's Nephew serves as

6156-465: The Witch, and the Wardrobe , where he falls under the White Witch's spell from eating the Turkish delight she gives him. Instantiating the book's Christian theme of betrayal, repentance, and subsequent redemption via blood sacrifice, he betrays his siblings to the White Witch, but quickly realizes her true nature and her evil intentions, and is redeemed by the sacrifice of Aslan's life. He is named King Edmund

6270-401: The animals because she is telling her mother stories about the animals talking. Mrs. Arable then goes to visit Dr. Dorian, who persuades her that being among animals is natural and likely therapeutic for Fern. Wilbur is eventually entered into the county fair, and Charlotte and Templeton accompany him. He fails to win the blue ribbon but is awarded a special prize by the judges. Charlotte weaves

6384-564: The animals, Sabor the leopard does not speak. In the French feral child comic book Pyrénée , Pyrénée can talk to the forest animals in the French mountains of Pyrenees . In Go, Diego, Go! and Dora the Explorer , Dora and her cousin Diego can talk to the animals in the rainforest. Animal fictions with more conservation-oriented themes allow young readers to engage with challenging messages at

6498-413: The ape Shift , who tricks Puzzle the donkey into impersonating the lion Aslan, thereby precipitating a showdown between the Calormenes and King Tirian . This leads to the end of Narnia as it is known throughout the series, but allows Aslan to lead the characters to the "true" Narnia. Fans of the series often have strong opinions over the order in which the books should be read. The issue revolves around

6612-416: The beginning of the novel. A comparison is drawn between the innocence and youth of Fern and Wilbur. Sophie Mills states that the two characters can identify with one another. Both Wilbur and Fern are, at first, horrified by the realization that life must end; however, by the end of the novel, both characters learn to accept that, eventually, everything must die. According to Matthew Scully, the novel presents

6726-458: The book has not been revealed, and he once wrote: "I haven't told why I wrote the book, but I haven't told you why I sneeze, either. A book is a sneeze." When White met the spider who originally inspired Charlotte, he called her Charlotte Epeira (after Epeira sclopetaria , the Grey Cross spider, now known as Larinioides sclopetarius ), before discovering that the more modern name for that genus

6840-405: The book. It was in production for a few months, and was slated to premiere in 2024 on Cartoon Network and HBO Max . On November 3, 2022, it was reported that the miniseries would not be moving forward. However, Canadian animation studio Guru Studio claimed the miniseries is still in production. A musical production was created with music and lyrics by Charles Strouse . A video game of

6954-473: The case of Frog and Toad, and to decentralize and deemphasize the human experience. Talking animals can also be used to create analogies or allegories. For example, in Narnia , Aslan the Lion can be seen as an allegory for Christ. Finally, fictional works with talking animals challenge the human-animal divide and they identify children as the members of society who take on the responsibility of being ecological/environmental changemakers. In textual representations

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7068-476: The creation of Narnia as described in The Magician's Nephew . She appears at the end of The Last Battle . Tumnus the Faun , called "Mr Tumnus" by Lucy, is featured prominently in The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe and also appears in The Horse and His Boy and The Last Battle . He is the first creature Lucy meets in Narnia, as well as the first Narnian to be introduced in the series; he invites her to his home with

7182-517: The creature retains its original form, other than being able to speak. Sometimes it may only speak as a narrator for the reader's convenience. The rabbits in Watership Down who, except for the ability to discuss their actions, behave exactly as normal rabbits, also come under this category, as do characters from animated films like Happy Feet and The Lion King . The tradition of using talking animals in stories dates as far back as 550 BCE with

7296-431: The creatures. This serves as a warning to mankind's thoughtless pursuit of technological advancement. Animated toys in fictional works are popular for expressing human developmental and existential concerns. In toy literature, there are a few common motifs talking toys are used to convey. For example, talking toys can embody human anxiety about what it means to be “real” as well as reflect struggles of power when they are at

7410-416: The death scene of Charlotte. And finally, they would walk outside, and E.B. White would go, this is ridiculous, a grown man crying over the death of an imaginary insect. And then, he would go in and start crying again when he got to that moment." Bantam released Charlotte's Web alongside Stuart Little on CD in 1991, digitally remastered, having acquired the two of them for rather a large amount. In 2005,

7524-406: The difference in the worldview of adults versus the worldview of children. Children, such as Fern, believe killing another for food is wrong, while adults have been gradually conditioned to believe that it is natural. Charlotte's Web was published three years after White began writing it. White's editor Ursula Nordstrom said that one day in 1952, E. B. White arrived at her office and handed her

7638-793: The disposal of humans. Another common motif is the religious allusion to divine creation when humans create toys that come alive. Some examples of talking toy animals include the animals in Winnie the Pooh , the wooden toy dog in Poor Cecco , the Skin Horse and Velveteen rabbit in The Velveteen Rabbit , and the Slinky Dog toy and Tyrannosaurus Rex toy in Disney’s Toy Story . Anthropomorphism of animals

7752-414: The editions published today. Lewis was awarded the 1956 Carnegie Medal for The Last Battle , the final book in the saga. The series was first referred to as The Chronicles of Narnia by fellow children's author Roger Lancelyn Green in March 1951, after he had read and discussed with Lewis his recently completed fourth book The Silver Chair , originally entitled Night under Narnia . Lewis described

7866-503: The end is resurrected in Aslan's Country. Trumpkin the Dwarf is the narrator of several chapters of Prince Caspian ; he is one of Caspian's rescuers and a leading figure in the "Old Narnian" rebellion, and accompanies the Pevensie children from the ruins of Cair Paravel to the Old Narnian camp. In The Voyage of the Dawn Treader , we learn that Caspian has made him his Regent in Narnia while he

7980-466: The excitement dies down, Charlotte weaves the word Terrific into her web, beginning the cycle anew. To maintain the public's interest in Wilbur, Charlotte then tells Templeton, a barn rat, to get another word for the web. He goes to the dump and finds a laundry detergent ad with the word radiant, which she then weaves into her web. Fern's mother starts to get worried that Fern is spending too much time around

8094-403: The fair's events in order to go on the Ferris wheel with Henry Fussy, one of her classmates. Wilbur waits out the winter, a winter he would not have survived but for Charlotte. He is initially delighted when Charlotte's children hatch but is later devastated when most leave the barn until there are only three remaining spiders. Pleased at finding new friends, Wilbur names one of them Nellie, while

8208-436: The farmer to let him live. Charlotte's Web is considered a classic of children's literature, enjoyed by readers of all ages. The description of the experience of swinging on a rope swing at the farm is an often-cited example of rhythm in writing, as the pace of the sentences reflects the motion of the swing. In 2000, Publishers Weekly listed the book as the best-selling children's paperback of all time. Charlotte's Web

8322-478: The four Pevensie siblings. Of all the Pevensie children, Lucy is the closest to Aslan, and of all the human characters who visit Narnia, Lucy is perhaps the one who believes in Narnia the most. In The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe , she initiates the story by entering Narnia through the wardrobe, and (with Susan) witnesses Aslan's execution and resurrection. She is named Queen Lucy the Valiant. In Prince Caspian , she

8436-406: The four to believe and follow Lucy when the latter is called by Aslan to guide them. As an adult queen in The Horse and His Boy , she is courted by Prince Rabadash of Calormen, but refuses his marriage proposal, and his angry response leads the story to its climax. In The Last Battle , she has stopped believing in Narnia and remembers it only as a childhood game, though Lewis mentioned in a letter to

8550-537: The full text of the series. As noted below (see Reading order ), the first American publisher, Macmillan, numbered the books in publication sequence, whereas HarperCollins, at the suggestion of Lewis's stepson, opted to use the series' internal chronological order when they won the rights to it in 1994. Scholastic switched the numbering of its paperback editions in 1994 to mirror that of HarperCollins. The seven books that make up The Chronicles of Narnia are presented here in order of original publication date: The Lion,

8664-507: The human-animal divide. Other examples of animal autobiographies include The Life and Perambulations of a Mouse (1783), The Biography of a Spaniel (1806), The Adventures of a Donkey (1815), The Curious Adventures of a Field Cricket (1881), and Thy Servant, a Dog (1930). For some authors talking animals, rather than human characters, allowed them to publish their satirical commentary by protecting them from censure. Chaucer’s Canterbury Tales and Orwell’s Animal Farm are some of

8778-419: The intention of betraying her to Jadis, but quickly repents and befriends her. In The Horse and His Boy , he devises the Narnian delegation's plan of escape from Calormen. He returns for a brief dialogue at the end of The Last Battle . Lewis's initial inspiration for the entire series was a mental image of a faun in a snowy wood; Tumnus is that faun. Caspian is first introduced in the book titled after him, as

8892-404: The internal chronological order. When HarperCollins took over the series rights in 1994, they adopted the internal chronological order. To make the case for the internal chronological order, Lewis's stepson, Douglas Gresham , quoted Lewis's 1957 reply to a letter from an American fan who was having an argument with his mother about the order: In the 2005 HarperCollins adult editions of the books,

9006-448: The last word into her web, Humble . Charlotte hears the presentation of the award over the public address system and realizes that the prize means Zuckerman will cherish Wilbur for as long as the pig lives and will never slaughter him for his meat. However, Charlotte, being a barn spider with a naturally short lifespan, is already dying of natural causes by the time the award is announced. Knowing that she has saved Wilbur, and satisfied with

9120-521: The latter, however, Aslan tells Peter and Susan that they will not return, as they are getting too old. Susan, Lucy, and Edmund appear in The Horse and His Boy —Peter is said to be away fighting giants on the other side of Narnia. Lucy and Edmund appear in The Voyage of the Dawn Treader , where Aslan tells them, too, that they are getting too old. Peter, Edmund, and Lucy appear as Kings and Queens in Aslan's Country in The Last Battle ; Susan does not. Asked by

9234-416: The lost Prince Rilian from the clutches of an evil witch. He appears in The Voyage of the Dawn Treader , The Silver Chair , and The Last Battle . Jill Pole is a schoolmate of Eustace Scrubb. She appears in The Silver Chair , where she is the viewpoint character for most of the action, and returns in The Last Battle . In The Silver Chair , Eustace introduces her to the Narnian world, where Aslan gives her

9348-487: The magical ability to speak, the talking creature is perhaps the most common trait of fairy tales . The motif is certainly present in many more tales than fairies. A good example of the science fiction genre is the webcomic Anima: Age of the Robots which uses anthropomorphism to portray an alternate world as modern as ours, but inhabited by creature-lookalikes. The intelligent robots that they have made do rebel and threaten

9462-505: The magical land of Narnia. The Pevensie children help Aslan, a talking lion, save Narnia from the evil White Witch , who has reigned for a century of perpetual winter with no Christmas. The children become kings and queens of this new-found land and establish the Golden Age of Narnia, leaving a legacy to be rediscovered in later books. Completed after Christmas 1949 and published on 15 October 1951, Prince Caspian: The Return to Narnia tells

9576-852: The most famous examples of this. Contemporary novels such as Alexis Wright 's The Swan Book , Colin McAdam 's A Beautiful Truth , Erin Hortle's The Octopus and I and Laura Jean McKay 's The Animals in That Country show animal voices alongside human characters. These novels portray animals as equally deserving of a place in the narrative. In the industries of illustration , cartooning , and animation , professionals refer to these types of creature characters as talking animals , funny animals , or anthropomorphic characters . Many fairy tales include talking creatures that prove to be shapeshifted people, or even ghosts . The fairy tales How Ian Direach got

9690-497: The natural environment, naturalist animal fictions allow authors to portray natural animal behavior. For instance Bambi , both the 1928 novel and the Disney film, realistically portrays the life cycle of deers. The hunting dogs in the film adaptation do not talk. Fictional works told from an animal’s perspective, like the horse in Black Beauty , encourage readers to empathize with animals. Furthermore, more generally they challenge

9804-433: The novel with an introduction of Wilbur and the barnyard (which later became the third chapter) but decided to begin the novel by introducing Fern and her family on the first page. White's publishers were at one point concerned with the book's ending and tried to get White to change it. Charlotte's Web has become White's most famous book, but White treasured his privacy and that of the farmyard and barn that helped inspire

9918-427: The novel, White makes the concept of death normal for Wilbur and for the readers. Neither Wilbur nor the rat Templeton sees death as a part of his life; Templeton sees it only as something that will happen at some time in the distant future, while Wilbur views it as the end of everything. Wilbur constantly has death on his mind at night when he is worrying over whether or not he will be slaughtered. Even though Wilbur

10032-430: The novel, which have been kept off limits to the public according to his wishes. Charlotte's Web was generally well-reviewed when it was released. In The New York Times , Eudora Welty wrote: "As a piece of work it is just about perfect, and just about magical in the way it is done." Aside from its paperback sales, Charlotte's Web is 78th on the all-time bestselling hardback book list. According to publicity for

10146-406: The novel. This is evidenced by Wilbur accepting death and Fern giving up her dolls. Wilbur grows throughout the novel, allowing him to become the caretaker of Charlotte's children just as she was a caretaker for him, as is explained by scholar Sue Misheff. But rather than accept the changes that are forced upon them, according to Sophie Mills, the characters aim to go beyond the limits of change. In

10260-436: The origin of The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe in an essay entitled "It All Began with a Picture": The Lion all began with a picture of a Faun carrying an umbrella and parcels in a snowy wood. This picture had been in my mind since I was about sixteen. Then one day, when I was about forty, I said to myself: "Let's try to make a story about it." Shortly before the start of World War II, many children were evacuated to

10374-411: The outcome of her life, she does not return to the barn with Wilbur and Templeton and instead remains at the fairgrounds to die. However, she allows Wilbur to take with him her egg sac, from which her children will hatch in the spring. Meanwhile, Fern, who has matured significantly since the beginning of the novel, loses interest in Wilbur and starts paying more attention to boys her age. She misses most of

10488-500: The placement of The Magician's Nephew and The Horse and His Boy in the series. Both are set significantly earlier in the story of Narnia than their publication order and fall somewhat outside the main story arc connecting the others. The reading order of the other five books is not disputed. When first published, the books were not numbered. The first American publisher, Macmillan, enumerated them according to their original publication order, while some early British editions specified

10602-405: The previous book, is now an old man. Eustace and Jill, with the help of Puddleglum the Marsh-wiggle, face danger and betrayal on their quest to find Rilian. Begun in March and completed at the end of July 1950, The Horse and His Boy was published on 6 September 1954. The story takes place during the reign of the Pevensies in Narnia, an era which begins and ends in the last chapter of The Lion,

10716-517: The protagonists are all children from the real world who are magically transported to Narnia, where they are sometimes called upon by the lion Aslan to protect Narnia from evil. The books span the entire history of Narnia, from its creation in The Magician's Nephew to its eventual destruction in The Last Battle . The Chronicles of Narnia is considered a classic of children's literature and

10830-410: The publisher cites this letter to assert Lewis's preference for the numbering they adopted by including this notice on the copyright page: Paul Ford cites several scholars who have weighed in against this view, and continues, "most scholars disagree with this decision and find it the least faithful to Lewis's deepest intentions". Scholars and readers who appreciate the original order believe that Lewis

10944-474: The remaining two name themselves Joy and Aranea. Further generations of spiders keep Wilbur company in subsequent years. Death is a major theme seen throughout Charlotte's Web and is brought forth by that of the spider, Charlotte. According to Norton D. Kinghorn, Charlotte's web acts as a barrier that separates two worlds. These worlds are that of life and death. Scholar Amy Ratelle says that through Charlotte's continual killing and eating of flies throughout

11058-459: The ship Dawn Treader to find the seven lords who were banished when Miraz took over the throne. This perilous journey brings them face to face with many wonders and dangers as they sail toward Aslan's country at the edge of the world. Completed at the beginning of March 1951 and published 7 September 1953, The Silver Chair is the first Narnia book not involving the Pevensie children, focusing instead on Eustace. Several months after The Voyage of

11172-608: The story "without artifice and with a mellow charm", and that "White also has a plangency that will make you weep, so don't listen (at least, not to the sad parts) while driving". Joe Berk, president of Pathway Sound, had recorded Charlotte's Web with White in White's neighbor's house in Maine (which Berk describes as an especially memorable experience) and released the book in LP. From Michael Sims: "The producer later said that it took him 17 takes to read

11286-458: The story he marries Aravis and becomes King of Archenland. Aravis, daughter of Kidrash Tarkaan, is a character in The Horse and His Boy . Escaping a forced betrothal to the loathsome Ahoshta, she joins Shasta on his journey and inadvertently overhears a plot by Rabadash, crown prince of Calormen, to invade Archenland. She later marries Shasta, now known as Prince Cor, and becomes queen of Archenland at his side. Bree (Breehy-hinny-brinny-hoohy-hah)

11400-415: The story of the Pevensie children's second trip to Narnia, a year (on Earth) after their first. They are drawn back by the power of Susan's horn, blown by Prince Caspian to summon help in his hour of need. Narnia as they knew it is no more, as 1,300 years have passed, their castle is in ruins, and all Narnians have retreated so far within themselves that only Aslan's magic can wake them. Caspian has fled into

11514-437: The task of memorising a series of signs that will help her and Eustace on their quest to find Caspian's lost son. In The Last Battle , she and Eustace accompany King Tirian in his ill-fated defence of Narnia against the Calormenes. Digory Kirke is the nephew referred to in the title of The Magician's Nephew . He first appears as a minor character in The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe , known only as "The Professor", who hosts

11628-418: The very same mode as our own. It may be full of things quite other than life in which God is interested though we are not. The four Pevensie siblings are the main human protagonists of The Chronicles of Narnia . Varying combinations of some or all of them appear in five of the seven novels. They are introduced in The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe (although their surname is not revealed until The Voyage of

11742-493: The woods to escape his uncle, Miraz , who has usurped the throne. The children set out once again to save Narnia. Written between January and February 1950 and published on 15 September 1952, The Voyage of the Dawn Treader sees Edmund and Lucy Pevensie, along with their priggish cousin, Eustace Scrubb , return to Narnia, three Narnian years (and one Earth year) after their last departure. Once there, they join Caspian's voyage on

11856-412: The word "Narnia" appears in the first paragraph as something already familiar to the reader. Moreover, they say, it is clear from the texts themselves that The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe was intended to be read first. When Aslan is first mentioned in The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe , for example, the narrator says that "None of the children knew who Aslan was, any more than you do" — which

11970-481: The world of Narnia is ruled by a talking lion by the name of Aslan , and many minor characters are talking woodland animals, both of which interact with both the humans of Narnia, and the children who act as the protagonists of the books. The popularity of talking animals in Western fantasy has fluctuated over time, with a new wave of animal stories appearing in the 1970s, but they became less common in subsequent decades. In

12084-571: The young nephew and heir of King Miraz. Fleeing potential assassination by his uncle, he becomes leader of the Old Narnian rebellion against the Telmarine occupation. With the help of the Pevensies, he defeats Miraz's army and becomes King Caspian X of Narnia. In The Voyage of the Dawn Treader , he leads an expedition out into the eastern ocean to find Seven Lords , whom Miraz had exiled, and ultimately to reach Aslan's Country. In The Silver Chair , he makes two brief appearances as an old, dying man, but at

12198-426: Was Aranea . In the novel, Charlotte gives her full name as "Charlotte A. Cavatica", revealing her as a barn spider, an orb-weaver with the scientific name Araneus cavaticus . The arachnid anatomical terms (mentioned in the beginning of chapter nine) and other information that White used, came mostly from American Spiders by Willis J. Gertsch and The Spider Book by John Henry Comstock , both of which combine

12312-480: Was adapted into an animated feature film by Hanna-Barbera Productions and Sagittarius Productions in 1973. Paramount released a direct-to-video sequel , Charlotte's Web 2: Wilbur's Great Adventure , in the US in 2003. Universal Home Entertainment Productions released the film internationally. A live-action feature film version of E. B. White's original story was released in 2006. A video game based on this adaptation

12426-404: Was also released in 2006. After a little girl named Fern Arable pleads for the life of the runt of a litter of piglets, her father gives her the pig to nurture, and she names him Wilbur. She treats him as a pet, but a month later, Wilbur is no longer small and is sold to Fern's uncle, Homer Zuckerman. In Zuckerman's barnyard, Wilbur yearns for companionship but is snubbed by the other animals. He

12540-506: Was kidnapped as an infant and raised as a fisherman's son in Calormen . With the help of the talking horse Bree, Shasta escapes from being sold into slavery and makes his way northward to Narnia. On the journey his companion Aravis learns of an imminent Calormene surprise attack on Archenland; Shasta warns the Archenlanders in time and discovers his true identity and original name. At the end of

12654-646: Was listed at number 170 on the BBC's The Big Read poll of the UK's 200 "best-loved novels". A 2004 study found that Charlotte's Web was a common read-aloud book for third-graders in schools in San Diego County, California . Based on a 2007 online poll, the National Education Association listed the book as one of its "Teachers' Top 100 Books for Children." It was one of the "Top 100 Chapter Books" of all time in

12768-427: Was released by Paramount Pictures and Universal Pictures . Paramount Pictures, with Walden Media , Kerner Entertainment Company, and Nickelodeon Movies , produced a live-action adaptation , starring Dakota Fanning as Fern and Julia Roberts as the voice of Charlotte, which was released on December 15, 2006. On March 8, 2022, it was announced that Sesame Workshop was working on an animated miniseries based on

12882-411: Was simply being gracious to his youthful correspondent and that he could have changed the books' order in his lifetime had he so desired. They maintain that much of the magic of Narnia comes from the way the world is gradually presented in The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe – that the mysterious wardrobe, as a narrative device, is a much better introduction to Narnia than The Magician's Nephew , where

12996-411: Was there, he pulled the whole story together, and soon he pulled the six other Narnian stories in after him. Although Lewis pleaded ignorance about the source of his inspiration for Aslan, Jared Lobdell , digging into Lewis's history to explore the making of the series, suggests Charles Williams 's 1931 novel The Place of the Lion as a likely influence. The manuscript for The Lion, the Witch and

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