CHAPTER ELEVEN

ASLAN IS NEARER

Edmund meanwhile had been having a most disappointing time . The White Witch would start being nice to him, as she had been at their last meeting. While he was still chewing away the first dwarf came back and announced that sledge was ready. The White Witch went out, ordering Edmund to go with her. Edmund drove out under the archway and on and away into the darkness and the cold. This journey for Edmund was terrible. And still they went on and on, with no sound, but everlasting switch off this snow and the creaking of the reindeers harness. Suddenly, they heard some voices. The White Witch had stopped for quite reason. There were a squirrel and his wife with their children and two satyrs and a dwarf and an old dog fox, all on stools round a table. They had  a party when they saw the sledge stopping and who was in it, all the gaiety went out of their faces. The Father squirrel stopped eating with his fork. The White Witch was surprised and shocked. She asked who gave these things to you? Father Christmas they said. Edmund saw the Witch bite her lips so that a drop of blood appeared on her white cheek. Then she raised her wand. And the merry party had been there were only statues of creatures.

Now they were steadily racing on again. A soon Edmund noticed that the snow was much wetter, in fact it grow foggier and warmer. This snow was really melting in earnest and patches of green grass were beginning to appeared in every direction. The sledge went slower and slower.  Finally the sledge stopped again. They decided to go on foot. Soon there were more wonderful things happening. Edmund saw the little yellow flowers, the noise of water, within five minutes whole wood was ringing with birds music. There was no trace of the fog now the sky became blue and blue, the trees began to come fully alive, a bee buzzed across their path. This was spring. Winter has been destroyed. The dwarf told that this was Aslans doing.