The Lion And The Stream

In one of the Chronicles of Narnia, C.S. Lewis writes of an exchange between a little girl named Jill and the great lion, Aslan, who represents the Savior. She is very thirsty as she walks through a forest and as she comes through a little clearing she sees a stream. She breaks into the clearing heading for the stream and then sees this great lion sitting by it – and freezes.

She knew at once that it had seen her, for its eyes looked straight into hers for a moment and then turned away.

“If you’re thirsty, you may drink.”

For a second she stared here and there, wondering who had spoken.

Then the voice said again, “If you are thirsty, come and drink,” the voice was not like a man’s. It was deeper, wilder, and stronger; a sort of heavy, golden voice.

“Are you not thirsty?” said the Lion.

“I’m dying of thirst”, said Jill.

“May I – could I – would you mind going away while I do?”, said jill.

The Lion answered this only by a look and a very low growl. And as Jill gazed at its motionless bulk, she realized that she might as well have asked the whole montain to move aside for her convenience.

The delicious rippling noise of the stream was driving her nearly frantic.

“Will you promise not to – do anything to me, if I do come?”, said Jill.

“I make no promise”, said the Lion.

Jill was so thirsty now that, without noticing it, she had come a step nearer.

“Do you eat girls?”, she said.

“I have swollowed up girls and boys, women and men, kings and emperors, cities and realms”, said the Lion. It didn’t say this as if it were boasting, nor as if it were sorry, nor as if it were angry. It just said it.

“I daren’t come and drink”, said Jill.

“Then you will die of thirst”, said the Lion.

“Oh dear!”, said Jill, coming another step nearer. “I suppose I must go and look for another stream then.”

“There is no other stream”, said the Lion.

There is no other way. To whom shall we go? There is no other light. And if I understand that, even though it’s a hard saying, even though it’s difficult, I can succeed.

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