When his mother told him that he was going to meet the famous author C. S. Lewis, 8-year-old Douglas Gresham could hardly contain himself. The Chronicles of Narnia were among his favorite bedtime stories and now he was about to be introduced to their creator.

As they walked through the door of Mr. Lewis's cottage, called The Kilns, Douglas heard a big, booming voice welcoming them: "Aha! Here they are. Here they are!"

Before them stood a slightly stooped, balding gentleman in baggy trousers and a rumpled tweed jacket, with the elbows worn away. His teeth were yellowish and his large face was rather red—though alive with warmth and expression.

At first, Douglas was terribly disappointed: "Here was a man who was on speaking terms with King Peter, with the Great Lion, Aslan, himself. Here was the man who had been to Narnia; surely he should at least wear silver chain mail and be girt about with a jewel-encrusted sword-belt. This was the heroic figure of whom Mother had so often spoken?"

But Douglas's disappointment did not last long. Over the years, as he got to know the man who would become his stepfather, he discovered him to be every bit the hero he had imagined—a funny, clever, kind, and generous man who touched the hearts and minds of countless people around the world.

According to a recent estimate, C. S. Lewis's books have been translated into more than 30 languages and have sold over 200 million copies worldwide. He is routinely quoted by preachers and professors, presidents and prime ministers. Many of the most prominent leaders of the Christian faith today readily acknowledge having been profoundly influenced by Lewis and his writings. And on December 9, a whole new generation will be wowed by the big-screen adaptation of The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe, the first book in Lewis's Narnia series.

A brilliant scholar, Lewis was an avowed atheist until the age of 31, when a series of heated debates with his fellow professors at Oxford challenged him to rethink his beliefs. After his conversion, Lewis went on to become the greatest Christian apologist of the century. He convincingly presented the case for Christianity like no one ever had—ably defending the faith and refuting the arguments of the most clever atheists and agnostics. Lewis's approach was so effective—he led so many members of the intellectual and academic community to faith in Christ—that the media dubbed him "the apostle to the skeptics." He wrote books on theology, faith, and the Christian life, including Mere Christianity, The Problem of Pain, and The Screwtape Letters.

But to children all over the world, he is best known as the beloved author of The Chronicles of Narnia.

Behind the wardrobe
It began with a picture in his head—a picture of a faun carrying an umbrella and parcels in a snowy wood. Clive Staples Lewis (or "Jack" to family and friends) was only 16 at the time. But more than 30 years later, he still remembered the scene he had vividly imagined. One day he decided to write a story about the picture. As he thought about it, other pictures began to appear in his mind's eye: a queen on a sledge, and a magnificent lion.

"Suddenly Aslan came bounding in," Lewis once explained. "I don't know where the Lion came from or why he came. But once he was there, he pulled the whole story together."

As he sat down to write the book that would become The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe, Lewis drew from many of his own real-life experiences. He recalled how he and his brother Warren ("Warnie") used to climb up into an old wardrobe and tell each other stories about talking animals, magic kingdoms, knights, and dragons. Much later, a little girl visiting Lewis's home had asked him if there was anything behind the wardrobe he still kept there. Perhaps there was, Lewis thought. What if other worlds really did exist—and you could get to them by stepping into a wardrobe? Lewis let his imagination soar.

Childish things
A number of children had recently come to stay with Jack and Warnie and their housekeeper, Mrs. Moore. It was during World War II and German fighter planes were dropping thousands of bombs on the most heavily populated cities of Great Britain. Whenever possible, parents sent their children to live with friends and relatives out in the country, where it was safer.

C.S. Lewis

Lewis was a bachelor at the time and had no children of his own. He hadn't really spent any time with young people in years. But as he got to know the children who stayed in his home, Lewis discovered something that alarmed him. They didn't know how to entertain themselves. They didn't have much imagination. They didn't read. And they were in way too much of a hurry to become adults. These children didn't have any time for things they considered "baby-ish."

Lewis understood. He had felt that way once—but he knew better now.

"When I was 10, I read fairy tales in secret and would have been ashamed if I had been found doing so," he admitted. "Now that I am 50, I read them openly. When I became a man I put away childish things, including the fear of childishness and the desire to be very grown-up."

Lewis thought of all the wonderful stories he loved to read as a child, and how they impacted his life. It made him sad to think what the children of his day were missing. Yet there weren't many contemporary books he could recommend to them—books that would not merely educate but encourage and inspire them. It was all the more reason Lewis should write stories of his own. "People won't write the books I want, so I have to do it for myself," he said.

The heart of a lion
Lewis's first children's book began with the sentence, "Once there were four children whose names were Peter, Susan, Edmund, and Lucy." The adventure begins when the children tumble through the door of a mysterious wardrobe and into the magical world of Narnia.

As Lewis created Narnia, he drew on the stories written by the children's authors he loved—Edith Nesbit, Beatrix Potter, and George MacDonald. He filled Narnia with all the creatures from his favorite fairy tales and legends. And then suddenly, he was inspired to weave into the story something infinitely more precious to him—his Christian faith. Through the Great Lion Aslan, Lewis would introduce his readers to the character and person of Jesus Christ—the Son of God, who willingly laid down His life for sinners and rose from the dead in power and glory. (The name "Aslan" comes from the Turkish word for "lion," and in the Bible, Jesus is sometimes referred to as "the Lion of Judah.")

When The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe was first published in 1950, it became an instant bestseller. Hundreds of children wrote letters to C. S. Lewis, and with the help of Warnie, he answered nearly every one. Lewis never forgot what it was like to be a child. He remembered wrestling with his questions and thoughts and feelings—and how he felt adults ignored or dismissed them.

Lewis always responded to his fans with thoughtful letters of his own. He thanked them for the drawings they sent of their favorite characters. He answered their questions about Narnia and writing and life in general. Sometimes he gave them simple but profound spiritual advice. Less than a month before he died in 1963, he penned the following letter. It turned out to be a fond and fitting farewell to all of his devoted readers:

Dear Ruth,

Many thanks for your kind letter, and it was very good of you to write and tell me that you like my books; and what a very good letter you write for your age!

If you continue to love Jesus, nothing much can go wrong with you, and I hope that you may always do so. I'm so thankful that you realized the "hidden story" in the Narnian books. It is odd, children nearly always do, grown-ups hardly ever.

I'm afraid the Narnian series has come to an end, and am sorry to tell you that you can expect no more.

God bless you.

Yours sincerely,
C. S. Lewis.

Christin Ditchfield's latest book is A Family Guide to The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe (Crossway).

See also the related article entitled "Jack Would Be Amazed."

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