The story begins in 1940 during World War II, when four children, Peter, Susan, Edmund and Lucy Pevensie, are evacuated from London to escape the Blitz. They are sent to live with Professor Digory Kirke, who lives in a country house in the English countryside. While the four children are exploring the house, Lucy looks into a wardrobe and discovers a portal to a mysterious world called Narnia, in which she meets a faun named Tumnus who takes her to tea in his home. He confesses he planned to report her to the tyrannical White Witch but has thought better of it.
Upon returning to our world, Lucy's siblings do not believe her story about Narnia. Her spiteful older brother Edmund enters the wardrobe and meets the White Witch, who befriends him and offers him magical Turkish delight that enchants him. She encourages him to bring his siblings to her in Narnia, with the promise that he shall rule over them. Edmund meets Lucy in Narnia and returns to England with her, but after returning to our world he denies to Susan and Peter that there is anything behind the wardrobe.
Eventually all four of the children enter Narnia together while hiding in the wardrobe. They meet Mr. and Mrs. Beaver, who invite them to dinner. The beavers recount a prophecy that the witch's power will fail when two Sons of Adam and two Daughters of Eve fill the four thrones at Cair Paravel. The beavers tell of the true king of Narnia — a great lion called Aslan — who has been absent for many years but is now "on the move again".
Edmund sneaks away to the White Witch. Her astle is filled with stone statues; enemies whom she petrified. The beavers realize where Edmund has gone and abandon their home, leading the children to join Aslan. As they travel, they notice that the snow is melting, indicating that the White Witch's spell is breaking. A visit by Father Christmas confirms this.The children and the Beavers meet with Aslan and his army. Peter engages in his first battle, killing a wolf who threatens Susan.The Witch approaches to speak with Aslan, insisting that according to "deep magic from the dawn of time" she has the right to execute Edmund as a traitor.
Aslan speaks with her privately and persuades her to renounce her claim on Edmund's life. That evening, Aslan secretly leaves the camp, but is followed by Lucy and Susan. Aslan has bargained to exchange his own life for Edmund's. The Witch ties Aslan to the Stone Table and then kills him with a knife. The following morning Aslan is restored to life; for unbeknownst to the witch, "deeper magic from before the dawn of time" allows someone who willingly dies in the place of another to be returned to life.
Aslan allows Lucy and Susan to ride on his back as he travels to the Witch's castle, where he breathes upon the statues and restores them to life. Peter and Edmund lead the Narnian army in a battle against the White Witch's army, and Aslan arrives with the former statues as reinforcements. The Narnians rout the evil army, and Aslan kills the Witch.
The Pevensie children are named kings and queens of Narnia.
On a hunt several years later, they rediscover the lamp post, walk through the wardrobe, and end up right back in the mansion just moments after they had entered the wardrobe.
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