"Well, Aslan," said Polly, "he might send someone else. He's so excited about the bar 
off the lamp-post growing into a lamp-post tree and he thinks-"
    
    "He thinks great folly, child," said Aslan. "This world is bursting with life for 
these few days because the song with which I called it into life still hangs in the air 
and rumbles in the ground. It will not be so for long. But I cannot tell that to this old 
sinner, and I cannot comfort him either; he has made himself unable to hear my voice. If 
I spoke to him, he would hear only growlings and roarings. Oh Adam's sons, how cleverly 
you defend yourselves against all that might do you good! But I will give him the only 
gift he is still able to receive."
    
    He bowed his great head rather sadly, and breathed into the Magician's terrified 
face. "Sleep," he said. "Sleep and be separated for some few hours from all the torments 
you have devised for yourself." Uncle Andrew immediately rolled over with closed eyes and 
began breathing peacefully.
    
    "Carry him aside and lay him down," said Aslan. "Now, dwarfs! Show your smith-craft. 
Let me see you make two crowns for your King and Queen."
    
    More Dwarfs than you could dream of rushed forward to the Golden Tree. They had all 
its leaves stripped off, and some of its branches torn off too, before you could say Jack 
Robinson. And now the children could see that it did not merely look golden but was of 
real, soft gold. It had of course sprung up from the half-sovereigns which had fallen out 
of Uncle Andrew's pocket when he was turned upside down; just as the silver had grown up 
from the half-crowns. From nowhere, as it seemed, piles of dry brushwood for fuel, a 
little anvil, hammers, tongs, and bellows were produced. Next moment (how those dwarfs 
loved their work!) the fire was blazing, the bellows were roaring, the gold was melting, 
the hammers were clinking. Two Moles, whom Aslan had set to dig (which was what they 
liked best) earlier in the day, poured out a pile of precious stones at the dwarfs' feet. 
Under the clever fingers of the little smiths two crowns took shape-not ugly, heavy 
things like modern European crowns, but light, delicate, beautifully shaped circles that 
you could really wear and look nicer by wearing. The King's was set with rubies and the 
Queen's with emeralds.
    
    When the crowns had been cooled in the river Aslan made Frank and Helen kneel before 
him and he placed the crowns on their heads. Then he said, "Rise up King and Queen of 
Narnia, father and mother of many kings that shall be in Narnia and the Isles and 
Archenland. Be just and merciful and brave. The blessing is upon you."
    
    Then everyone cheered or bayed or neighed or trumpeted or clapped its wings and the 
royal pair stood looking solemn and a little shy, but all the nobler for their shyness. 
And while Digory was still cheering he heard the deep voice of Aslan beside him, saying:
    
    "Look!"
    
    Everyone in that crowd turned its head, and then everyone drew a long breath of 
wonder and delight. A little way off, towering over their heads, they saw a tree which 
had certainly not been there before. It must have grown up silently, yet swiftly as a 
flag rises when you pull it up on a flagstaff, while they were all busied about the 
coronation. Its spreading branches seemed to cast a light rather than a shade, and silver 
apples peeped out like stars from under every leaf. But it was the smell which came from 
it, even more than the sight, that had made everyone draw in their breath. For a moment 
one could hardly think about anything else.
    
    "Son of Adam," said Aslan, "you have sown well. And you, Narnians, let it be your 
first care to guard this Tree, for it is your Shield. The Witch of whom I told you has 
fled far away into the North of the world; she will live on there, growing stronger in 
dark Magic. But while that Tree flourishes she will never come down into Narnia. She dare 
not come within a hundred miles of the Tree, for its smell, which is joy and life and 
health to you, is death and horror and despair to her."
    
    Everyone was staring solemnly at the Tree when Aslan suddenly swung round his head 
(scattering golden gleams of light from his mane as he did so) and fixed his large eyes 
on the children. "What is it, children?" he said, for he caught them in the very act of 
whispering and nudging one another.
    
    "Oh-Aslan, sir," said Digory, turning red, "I forgot to tell you. The Witch has 
already eaten one of those apples, one of the same kind that Tree grew from." He hadn't 
really said all he was thinking, but Polly at once said it for him (Digory was always 
much more afraid than she of looking a fool.)
    
    "So we thought, Aslan," she said, "that there must be some mistake, and she can't 
really mind the smell of those apples."
    
    "Why do you think that, Daughter of Eve?" asked the Lion. '
    
    "Well, she ate one."
    
    "Child," he replied, "that is why all the rest are now a horror to her. That is what 
happens to those who pluck and eat fruits at the wrong time and in the wrong way. The 
fruit is good, but they loathe it ever after."
    
    "Oh I see," said Polly. "And I suppose because she took it in the wrong way it won't 
work for her. I mean it won't make her always young and all that?"
    
    "Alas," said Aslan, shaking his head. "It will. Things always work according to their 
nature. She has won her heart's desire; she has unwearying strength and endless days like 
a goddess. But length of days with an evil heart is only length of misery and already she 
begins to know it. All get what they want; they do not always like it."
    
    "I-I nearly ate one myself, Aslan," said Digory. "Would I-"
    
    "You would, child," said Aslan. "For the fruit always works-it must work-but it does 
not work happily for any who pluck it at their own will. If any Narnian, unbidden, had 
stolen an apple and planted it here to protect Narnia, it would have protected Narnia. 
But it would have done so by making Narnia into another strong and cruel empire like 
Charn, not the kindly land I mean it to be. And the Witch tempted you to do another 
thing, my son, did she not?"