Top 10 Funny Moments in Narnia | Talking Beasts
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Jokes as well as justice come in with speech.
Aslan
We asked our listeners to send us things in The Chronicles of Narnia that made them laugh. In this episode, the podcasters pick out their favorite submissions.
Part 2 of this discussion: More funny moments that didn’t quite make the list.
This is our last episode of the season. See you next Fall!
Brilliant podcast, guys! Lots of fun and there were some lines there that I hadn’t even thought of, but I totally agree they’re all worthy of inclusion!
(Just one little point, by the way — I know it doesn’t look like it, but my name (it’s my real first name) is actually pronounced Courtney. I just have the old-fashioned spelling, that’s all!!)
Will try to remember that, thanks!
Digory-”It’s all in Plato, all in Plato:bless me, what do they teach them at these schools!” -The Last Battle. (This is an unusual funny moment in The Last Battle that harkens back to of course LWW. Lewis kept making references to LWW in the The Last Battle, another reason to read in published order.)
Narrator-”This is bad grammar of course but that is how beavers talk when they get excited; I mean, in Narnia – in our World they usually do not talk at all. ” -LWW
”Now sir, said the bulldog in his business-like way. ‘Are you a animal, vegetable, or mineral?” -The Magician’s Nephew.
The older Lion-”Did you hear what he said? Us Lions. That means him and me.”-LWW
I love how he inserts the bit about beavers using bad grammar- it’s so random and quirky!
I also crack a smile reading Lewis’ description of the dogs sniffing around Aslan’s country and making it clear through their frenzied excitement that they think “whatever they are doing at the moment extremely important.” Lewis knew dogs, lol.
I’m really glad you guys made this episode. On this podcast, you tend to say that you’re tired of all the self aware humor in modern science fiction/fantasy adventure movies and you want Narnia to be sincere. But I honestly think that one of the main things I love about Narnia is its self aware humor. (Well, I don’t know if self aware is the right term, but it’s not totally wrong.)
Now I feel like either making a list in this comment of what I think the Crowning Moment of Funny is for each individual Narnia book or a long list of things from The Magician’s Nephew to convince Movie Aristotle that it’s hilarious. (Of course, you can never really convince people that something they think isn’t funny is funny, but you can try.)
I’m not going to do either of those right now because I have blog posts that I’m working on, but while I was thinking about the first one, I had some interesting revelations. The Narnia books that have the most competition for funniest moment (for me) are my two favorites, The Horse and his Boy and The Magician’s Nephew. And the ones that have the fewest amount of laugh-out-loud moments are my three least favorites, The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe, Prince Caspian and The Last Battle. (Being my least favorite Narnia books still means they’re some of my favorite books for the record.) But of the Narnia books that I feel have the fewest really funny moments, the one with the most is Prince Caspian, which many say is the weakest of all the Narnia books. Fascinating.
One bit I’ve always found funny is from the Dawn Treader movie and Eustace is trying to row away and says “You’re a magical boat in a magical land, can’t you row yourself?” Heck, Eustace as a whole is a comedic gem. See ya’ll again in the fall!
Mr. and Mrs. Beaver arguing about the sewing machine. That’s really funny.
Thanks for your thoughtful submission! In the podcast, I was not being totally serious when I said: “Other than that, The Magicians Nephew is not a funny book. Is that a funny book?” I was making a callback joke to your comment that “The Magician’s Nephew doesn’t get enough credit” for its humor. Unfortunately, I didn’t make that playfulness obvious enough via vocal cues in the podcast itself. However, I did want to mention it here and to thank you for bringing the humor of “The Magician’s Nephew” to my attention!
Haha this episode was hilarious! Thanks for making me laugh out loud (literally) at the end of a difficult week. So glad the quote about maps in their heads made the list. XD
You know, Eustace literaly hates Reepicheep (mouse)that is one of the funniest parts hahahahahahahhaha
Here’s my attempt at listing the funniest moments from each book, which isn’t the same as the funniest moments in general. If I were doing those, I’d try to do multiple ones from the same books, not just one from each. (I’ve edited one of these to get to the funny part faster.)
My funniest moment from The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe is either the one Eustace (the commentator) mentioned about beavers and grammar of the one Eric Geddes mentioned about the sewing machine.
The first house they
came to was a school: a girls’ school, where lot of Narnian girls, with
their hair done very tight and ugly tight collars round their necks and
thick tickly stockings on their legs, were having a history lesson. The
sort of “History” that was taught in Narnia under Miraz’s rule was
duller than the truest history you ever read and less true than the most
exciting adventure story.
“If you don’t attend, Gwendolen,” said the mistress, and stop looking
out of the window, I shall have to give you an order-mark.”
“But please, Miss Prizzle —” began Gwendolen.
“Did you hear what I said, Gwendolen?” asked Miss Prizzle.
“But please, Miss Prizzle,” said Gwendolen, “there’s a LION!”
“Take two order-marks for talking nonsense,” said Miss Prizzle. “And
now —” A roar interrupted her. Ivy came curling in at the windows of
the classroom. The walls became a mass of shimmering green, and
leafy branches arched overhead where the ceiling had been. Miss
Prizzle found she was standing on grass in a forest glade. She clutched
at her desk to steady herself, and found that the desk was a rose-bush.
Wild people such as she had never even imagined were crowding
round her. Then she saw the Lion, screamed and fled, and with her fled
her class, who were mostly dumpy, prim little girls with fat legs.
Gwendolen hesitated.
“You’ll stay with us, sweetheart?” said Aslan.
“Oh, may I? Thank you, thank you,” said Gwendolen.
Prince Caspian (I feel that moment gets overshadowed by the pigs moment.)
“And we’re extremely regrettable,” said the Chief Monopod, “that we
can’t give you the pleasure of seeing us as we were before we were
uglified, for you wouldn’t believe the difference, and that’s the truth,
for there’s no denying we’re mortal ugly now, so we won’t deceive
you.”
“Eh, that we are, Chief, that we are,” echoed the others, bouncing
like so many toy balloons. “You’ve said it, you’ve said it.”
“But I don’t think you are at all,” said Lucy, shouting to make herself
heard. “I think you look very nice.”
“Hear her, hear her,” said the Monopods. “True for you, Missie. Very
nice we look. You couldn’t find a handsomer lot.” They said this
without any surprise and did not seem to notice that they had changed
their minds.
“She’s a-saying,” remarked the Chief Monopod, “as how we looked
very nice before we were uglified.”
“True for you, Chief, true for you,” chanted the others. “That’s what
she says. We heard her ourselves.”
“I did not,” bawled Lucy. “I said you’re very nice now.”
“So she did, so she did,” said the Chief Monopod, “said we were very
nice then.”
“Hear ’em both, hear ’em both,” said the Monopods. “There’s a pair
for you. Always right. They couldn’t have put it better.”
“But we’re saying just the opposite,” said Lucy, stamping her foot
with impatience.
“So you are, to be sure, so you are,” said the Monopods. “Nothing
like an opposite. Keep it up, both of you.”
The Voyage of the Dawn Treader
My funniest moment from The Horse and his Boy is probably one of the ones Glumpuddle and Movie Aristotle mentioned. It’s hard to make up my mind.
“Good-bye, dear Puddleglum,” said Jill, going over to the Marsh-wiggle’s bed. “I’m sorry we called you a wet blanket.”
“So’m I,” said Eustace. “You’ve been the best friend in the world.”
“And I do hope we’ll meet again,” added Jill.
“Not much chance of that, I should say,” replied Puddleglum. “I
don’t reckon I’m very likely to see my old wigwam again either. And
that Prince — he’s a nice chap — but do you think he’s very strong?
Constitution ruined with living underground, I shouldn’t wonder. Looks
the sort that might go off any day.”
“Puddleglum!” said Jill. “You’re a regular old humbug. You sound as
doleful as a funeral and I believe you’re perfectly happy. And you talk
as if you were afraid of everything, when you’re really as brave as —
as a lion.”
“Now, speaking of funerals,” began Puddleglum, but Jill, who heard
the Centaurs tapping with their hoofs behind her, surprised him very
much by flinging her arms round his thin neck and kissing his muddy looking face, while Eustace wrung his hand. Then they both rushed
away to the Centaurs, and the Marsh-wiggle, sinking back on his bed,
remarked to himself, “Well, I wouldn’t have dreamt of her doing that.
Even though I am a good-looking chap.”
The Silver Chair
“And who is this young person, Andrew, may I ask?” said Aunt Letty
in icy tones.
“Distinguished foreigner — v-very important p-person,” he stammered.
“Rubbish!” said Aunt Letty, and then, turning to the Witch, “Get out
of my house this moment, you shameless hussy, or I’ll send for the
police.” She thought the Witch must be someone out of a circus and
she did not approve of bare arms.
“What woman is this?” said Jadis. “Down on your knees, minion,
before I blast you.”
“No strong language in this house if you please, young woman,”
said Aunt Letty.
Instantly, as it seemed to Uncle Andrew, the Queen towered up to an 48 Clive Staples Lewis
even greater height. Fire flashed from her eyes: she flung out her arm
with the same gesture and the same horrible-sounding words that had
lately turned the palace gates of Charn to dust. But nothing happened
except that Aunt Letty, thinking that those horrible words were meant
to be ordinary English, said:
“I thought as much. The woman is drunk. Drunk! She can’t even
speak clearly.”
It must have been a terrible moment for the Witch when she
suddenly realized that her power of turning people into dust, which
had been quite real in her own world, was not going to work in ours.
But she did not lose her nerve even for a second. Without wasting a
thought on her disappointment, she lunged forward, caught Aunt Letty
round the neck and the knees, raised her high above her head as if she
had been no heavier than a doll, and threw her across the room. While
Aunt Letty was still hurtling through the air, the housemaid (who was
having a beautifully exciting morning) put her head in at the door and
said, “If you please, sir, the ‘ansom’s come.”
“Lead on, Slave,” said the Witch to Uncle Andrew. He began
muttering something about “regrettable violence must really protest”,
but at a single glance from Jadis he became speechless.
“Oh, Master Digory,” said the housemaid (who was really having a
wonderful day), “I think Miss Ketterley’s hurt herself somehow.”
The Magician’s Nephew (Like I was quoted as saying in the podcast, there are lot of things in this book I find hilarious. I’m not sure if this is really the funniest, but it’s a good candidate.)
“And this is the marvel of marvels, that he called me, Beloved, The Last Battle 103
me who am but as a dog — ”
“Eh? What’s that?” said one of the Dogs.
“Sir,” said Emeth. “It is but a fashion of speech which we have in
Calormen.”
“Well, I can’t say it’s one I like very much,” said the Dog.
“He doesn’t mean any harm,” said an older Dog. “After all, we call
our puppies, Boys, when they don’t behave properly.”
“So we do,” said the first Dog. “Or, girls.”
“S-s-sh!” said the Old Dog. “That’s not a nice word to use.
Remember where you are.”
The Last Battle
I never fail to guffaw when I remember the opening line from the beginning of The Voyage of the Dawn Treader. I am so glad “There was a boy called Eustace Clarence Scrubb, and he almost deserved it” made your list.
I concur that another moment of humorous brilliance was the reason given for Cor and Aravis’ marriage.
I have always loathed the line about girls never having maps in their heads, but, then, I am a geographer. Huzzah, Lucy, for standing up for the sisterhood.
As a child, C.S. Lewis was the one adult I would have given anything to sit down for lunch and a walk with.
Interesting topic. I thought it was kind of funny, from The Last Battle, when Shift was talking to the crowd at Stable Hill.. “And Aslan..” “Tashlan, Fool!”, whispered Rishda Tarkaan. Probably a good topic for a future podcast would be top favorite Narnia villains.