(Some edits for readability, excerpt from “The Silver Chair,” The Chronicles of Narnia, by C.S. Lewis)

Stumbling through the forest with her lips cracked and her mouth parched, Jill was desperate for a drink of water. Suddenly, she heard the distant sound of a flowing stream. As her pace quickened, she moved ever closer to the sound of the rushing water that would quench her thirst. But when she saw the Lion, she stopped in her tracks and became still as a stone. You see, the Lion was lying across the path, blocking her way to the flowing stream of fresh, clean water.

As she stood there frozen with fear, she noticed that the Lion had raised his head as if he were expecting her. She thought of turning around and running away as fast as she could, but she knew that she would be no match for the Lion who would quickly overtake and devour her. But, on the other hand, if she kept moving toward the stream, she would walk straight into the Lion’s mouth. She stood motionless, looking into his eyes, wondering what she should do.  

As her thirst grew even more intense, she realized that turning around was not an option. She had to move forward, cautiously, toward the stream that would satisfy her thirst. For Jill, it was worth the chance that just maybe the Lion would move out of the way long enough for her to reach the stream and taste of its life-giving water, even if the lion devoured her as she knelt by the stream.    

But before she took a step, she heard a voice. Looking from side to side, and even behind her, Jill saw no one. And then she heard the voice again and saw the Lion’s lips moving and realized that it was the Lion who was speaking to her in a deep and strong voice. He said to her, “If you are thirsty, come and drink.” As she stood there, still motionless, the Lion asked, “Are you not thirsty?” Jill responded, “Yes, I’m dying of thirst,” to which the Lion replied, “Then drink.” It was then that Jill asked the Lion if he wouldn’t mind going away for just a little while so that she could come to the stream and drink. The Lion did not answer a word, but just responded with a faint growl. 

Jill spoke again to the Lion, “Will you promise not to harm me if I do come?” The Lion responded, “I make no such promise.” As Jill took a step closer to the Lion, she asked, “Do you eat girls?” The Lion answered, “I have swallowed up girls and boys, women and men, kings and emperors, and cities and realms.” Jill was tempted to turn and run, sensing that if she came any closer to the Lion, he would devour her just like he did the others. She responded by saying, “If this is true, then I dare not come and drink.” The Lion replied, “Then you will die of thirst.” 

Perplexed as to what she should do, Jill replied, “Then I suppose I must go and look for another stream to satisfy my thirst.” The Lion responded, “There is no other stream.” It was the way he spoke that caused Jill to believe what the Lion had said, and so she began moving closer toward the stream, walking right past the Lion, so close that she could feel the breath from his mouth. As the Lion watched with a deep sense of joy, Jill knelt at the water’s edge and began to scoop water with her hands into her mouth. It was the coldest, most refreshing water she had ever tasted. Her thirst was finally satisfied. And the Lion smiled.