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Silver Chair

The Silver Chair is the fourth book in The Chronicles of Narnia fantasy series by C.S. Lewis. In the alternative chronology, which deals with the books in reading rather than publication order, The Silver Chair is the sixth book. It is the first book in the series in which the Pevensie children do not appear.

The story begins with Eustace Scrubb, who was introduced in The Voyage of the Dawn Treader, returning to Narnia with his classmate Jill Pole. Both children are unhappy at their school, Experiment House, where bullies are left unrebuked. Aslan explains to Jill that she and Eustace have been called to find a prince who disappeared under mysterious circumstances some years before. The prince, named Rilian, is the son of King Caspian (formerly Prince Caspian), who is now an old man. Rilian has in fact been taken captive through the evil spells of an enchantress named The Lady of the Green Kirtle— said to be one of the same crew of Northern Witches as the White Witch in The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe—and needs to be brought back to inherit the throne. Initially, Jill and Eustace are aided by a parliament of talking owls; on their journey to the far north of Narnia, they are accompanied by a gloomy but stalwart Marshwiggle, appropriately named Puddleglum.

In this volume Lewis deals with such topics as temptation, guidance, and discipleship. Again it is to be stressed that his pedagogic intent is secondary to his main aim of creating a good story. One of The Silver Chair's most memorable scenes is of a mental struggle between the enchantress and Puddleglum concerning the true nature of reality. The enchantress then loses her temper and turns into a serpent, she is quickly killed by Rillian. Almost immediately after the Green Lady's death, the underworld begins to collapse and Eustace, Jill, Rillian and Puddleglum make their escape. They finally return to Narnia and Rillian goes back to Cair Paravel. Eustace and Jill watch as King Caspian returns home and meets his long-lost son just before dying.

Aslan then appears and congratulates Eustace and Jill on achieving their goal of returning Rillian to Narnia, before they return to Aslan's country and arrive at the stream where Jill first met Aslan. The body of King Caspian appears in the stream and Aslan instructs Eustace to drive a thorn into his paw. Eustace obeys, and Aslan's blood flows over the dead King, who is then revived and re-appears as the young Caspian. Aslan explains that when Jill and Eustace return to their own world, Caspian will go with them briefly, to help set things right there. They reach the wall which surrounds Experiment House, and part of the wall collapses. Caspian, Eustace and Jill run towards the wall and the school bullies run back towards the school in terror, having also seen Aslan. Aslan and Caspian return to Aslan's country while Eustace and Jill sneak back into their school.

The headmistress at Experiment House reports the 'collapsed wall, convicts and lion' to the police but when the police arrive there is no sign of any of this. The headmistress is eventually replaced, the bullies are expelled, and Experiment House becomes a good school.

In Narnia, Prince Rillian succeeds his late father Caspian and becomes King Rillian the Disenchanted.