Peter, Susan, Edmund, and Lucy Pevensie are evacuated from London during the Blitz and sent to

live with an old professor (identified in a later book as Digory Kirke) in the English countryside. While
exploring the professor's house, Lucy enters a magic wardrobe that leads her into a wooded area
with a lighted lamppost growing from the ground. Lucy meets Tumnus, a faun who befriends her and
informs her that she is in the land of Narnia. Tumnus intends to send Lucy to the White Witch, a ruler
who keeps Narnia frozen in a perpetual winter and who requires that any human found in Narnia be
sent to her. Tumnus repents, however, and escorts Lucy back to the lamppost; once there, she
returns to her own world by re-entering the wardrobe and finds that only a few seconds have passed
there during her absence. None of her siblings believe her story about Narnia; upon inspection, the
wardrobe appears solid and leads nowhere.
Lucy enters the wardrobe again, and it leads her into Narnia. Edmund follows Lucy. Upon entering
Narnia, Edmund encounters the White Witch. When the Witch learns that Edmund is human and has
siblings, she plies him with sweet Turkish Delight. The Witch promises to reward Edmund with more
Turkish Delight if he brings his brother and sisters to her castle. Upon returning to his own world,
Edmund denies that he has been to Narnia.
Soon afterwards, all four children enter Narnia together while hiding in the wardrobe. Lucy leads the
group to Tumnus's home, but finds that it has been ransacked and that the faun has been arrested.
The children are befriended by Mr. Beaver, a talking animal who takes them to his home. He informs
the Pevensies that because of the Witch, it is always winter and never Christmas in Narnia. He and
his wife tell the children about a prophecy that the Witch's tyranny will end when "two Sons of Adam
and two Daughters of Eve" sit on the four thrones of Cair Paravel, and that Narnia's true ruler – the
great lion Aslan – is returning from a long absence.
Edmund slips away to the Witch's castle. In the courtyard, he is surprised by the many statues of
Narnians the Witch has turned to stone. The Witch greets him coldly, as he has come alone and with
news that Aslan – her enemy – is returning. She takes Edmund prisoner and leaves the castle to find
and capture the other Pevensie children. Meanwhile, the Beavers – correctly surmising that Edmund
has betrayed them – take the other children to meet Aslan at the Stone Table. As they travel, they
find that the Witch's winter is giving way to spring. They are greeted by Father Christmas, who had
been kept out of Narnia by the Witch's magic. The group arrive at their destination as winter ends
and are greeted by Aslan. The Witch's enforcer (the wolf Maugrim) approaches the camp and
attacks Susan, but is killed by Peter. Aslan sends a rescue party for Edmund; it arrives just in time to
save him from the Witch, who had decided to kill him. The Witch parleys with Aslan, invoking the
"Deep Magic" which gives her the right to kill Edmund for his treason. Aslan denies her claim, but
secretly trades his life for Edmund's.
That evening, Susan and Lucy accompany Aslan to the Stone Table. They watch from a distance as
the Witch puts Aslan to death. After the Witch and her followers depart to prepare for battle against
Aslan's followers, Susan and Lucy remain with Aslan's body. In the morning, the girls find the Stone
Table broken and Aslan restored to life. Aslan explains that the "Deeper Magic" has the power to
reverse death if a willing victim takes the place of a traitor. Aslan takes the two girls to the Witch's
castle and revives the Narnians that the Witch had turned to stone. They join the Narnian forces
battling the Witch's army. The Narnian army prevails, and Aslan kills the Witch. The Pevensie
children are then crowned kings and queens of Narnia at Cair Paravel.
After a long and happy reign, the Pevensies return to England during a hunt when they
unintentionally pass the lamp-post and return through the wardrobe; they are children again, with no
time having passed since their departure.