Reepicheep's Story



One of the most distinguished and memorable characters in C.S. Lewis's The Chronicles of Narnia is Reepicheep the mouse.  He came to mind when I first uprooted my life to travel to the far east.  As I considered it, I felt increasing solidarity with Reepicheep, his life, his values, and his drive. 
 
Reepicheep was a valiant warrior of King Caspian’s court in Narnia.  He came from an old, honorable family, noted for generations of unswerving devotion in the face of adversity.  When the White Witch slew Aslan on the stone table, he was abandoned by everyone except the Pevensie sisters - and a family of mice.  The mice demonstrated their faithfulness by chewing away the cords that bound his body.  After he was restored to himself, Aslan blessed the family with the gift of speech to thank them for their loyalty.  As Narnia’s dedication to Aslan ebbed and flowed over time, Reepicheep’s family remained ever committed to his service.

Reepicheep was no mere soldier.  He was a sworn sword, noted for his speed, skill, and dexterity.  He was the model of courtesy in the presence of a lady, yet didn’t hesitate to speak his mind with menacing clarity when dealing with proud and presumptuous fools, whether friend or foe.  As a warrior-mouse, he was consistently mocked, but he never lost his sense of dignity and honor.  He followed his king in deed and heart, steadfast
and tireless in his service.

Reepicheep was a person of action and loyalty.  He played a pivotal role in the uprising of Prince Caspian, where he lost his tail in battle.  Aslan himself healed Reepicheep when his soldiers prepared to cut off their own tails in honor of their leader's wound.

In The Voyage of the Dawn Treader Reepicheep sailed with King Caspian, King Edward, and Queen Lucy as they searched the Lone Islands for the seven lost lords who had been faithful supporters of Caspian's father.  Unfortunately, the Pevensies accidentally brought along their terrible cousin, Eustace Scrubb.  The spoiled, pompous brat and the staunchly dignified, small soldiers were natural enemies from the start.  Reepicheep drew clear lines, fighting to teach Eustace respect for authority at every turn.  Before long, a series of selfish, greedy mistakes changed Eustace completely: he was transformed into a dragon.  Fear, uncertainty, remorse, and helplessness consumed Eustace until he had no choice but to throw himself on the mercy of Aslan.  As Eustace changed, so did the nature of his relationship with Reepicheep.  Reepicheep was willing to see, acknowledge, and accept the maturation of the boy.

Toward the end of The Voyage of the Dawn Treader, Reepicheep exits the story in a most remarkable way.  After living his life as a respected soldier and leader, he left it all behind for the most remarkable adventure he could fathom - finding Aslan's land.  He explained it to the baffled Pevensies and Caspian by relaying a prophecy spoken over him as a child:
"'Where sky and water meet,
Where the waves grow sweet
Doubt not, Reepicheep,
To find all you seek,
There is the utter East.
I do not know what it means.  But the spell of it has been on me all my life."


Reepicheep worked hard, fought well, and always had clarity of purpose.  Stubborn as always, he kept his course set on finding Aslan's country despite the concerns and coercion of his friends and king.

"My own plans are made.  While I can, I sail east in the Dawn Treader.  When she fails me, I paddle east in my coracle.  When she sinks, I shall swim east with my four paws.  And when I can swim no longer, if I have not reached Aslan's country, or shot over the edge of the world into some vast cataract, I shall sink with my nose to the sunrise."
Even now, his inspired determination strikes me as one of the noblest things I've ever read.

The title of this blog is Following Reepicheep because of the yearning deep in the heart of this character.  He knew that his devotion and loyalty belonged to the pursuit of Aslan first and foremost, stretching above and beyond any loyalty to king, country, family, and friend.  Even as a child, I identified with that deep-seated inner propulsion, and the impulse to go.  Like the Dawn Treader, my home community is filled with people devoted to Aslan/Jesus, but few are compelled to follow Aslan by venturing into the unknown as Reepicheep was.  It is thrilling, isolating, incomparable, and success is far from guaranteed.  But the possibility of what could be is worth the risk of everything else.

I've worked and studied with my fellow Christians for years.  Now it's time for me to follow Reepicheep's lead, step into my coracle and move eastward again.  I will travel, learn, work, and serve Jesus in China, and everywhere else I go.  I welcome the uncertainty and mystery ahead of me because of who and what I'm pursuing - Jesus, and His will for my life's work.

This blog tells the story of my travels, my faith, and the discoveries I make while searching for Aslan's land.


"This is a very great adventure, and no danger seems to me so great as that of knowing when I get back to Narnia that I left a mystery behind me through fear."


- Reepicheep, The Voyage of the Dawn Treader

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