how the adventure ended.

"And then--but, mind you, it may have been all a dream...I looked up and saw the very last thing I expected: a huge lion coming slowly toward me. And one queer thing was that there was no moon last night, but there was moonlight where the lion was. So it came nearer and nearer. I was terribly afraid of it. But it wasn't that kind of fear. I wasn't afraid of it eating me, I was just afraid of it--if you can understand. Well, it came close up to me and looked me straight into my eyes. And I shut my eyes tight. But that wasn't any good because it told me to follow it.

"And I knew I'd have to do what it told me, so I got up and followed it. And it led me a long way. And there was always moonlight over and round the lion. At last we came to a well. I thought if I could get in there and bathe, it would ease the pain in my leg. But the lion told me I must undress first.

"So I started scratching myself and my scales began coming off all over the place. So I started to go down into the well for my bathe.

"But just as I was going to put my feet into the water I looked down and saw that they were all hard and rough and wrinkled and scaly just as they were before. So I scratched and tore again."

"Then the lion said 'You will have to let me undress you.' I was afraid of his claws. I can tell you, but I was pretty nearly desperate now. So I just lay flat down on my back and let him do it. The first tear he made was so deep that I thought it had gone right into my heart. And when he began pulling the skin off, it hurt worse than anything I've ever felt. Then he caught hold of me and threw me into the water. It smarted like anything but only for a moment. After that it became perfectly delicious.

"And then I saw why. I'd turn into a boy again."

--The Voyage of the Dawn Treader