Phantastes reading meeting

Phantastes

In distant past when days were shorter
When Bryan's boys and Bryan's girls
Few in number Knew each other
Then a Junior Joy by name
Not yet travelled Never been to other worlds
Heard the call Come to Narnia

With five others Found the way
Through the dead land Damned by Jadis
Who despairing, death Dealt with a word
That word of secrets Since forgotten
Word of terror, Winning nothing
Save the pride Of the Speaker of doom




There the witch
They saw awoken
By the children Brought from our world
And through this
They entered Narnia
Watching how the Witch came also
Seeing Narnia New created

(Here the several lines become illegible, ruined by water, reportedly
in the great flood of Robinson Hall, or North as its name was called
in the ancient times).

On they went Through days and months
Seeking always Some adventure
Others joining On the way
Then at last They spoke together.
Chose a regent Ruler of them
Formed a club Phantastes named it

(Here the rest of the poem is lost, blurred with water. Most scholars
believe that it contained more information concerning the formation of
the club and the adventures continuing afterwards. The following
portion was discovered in the kitchen of Robinson, being used as shelf
paper. While some scholars debate the authenticity of the manuscript,
most agree it is the ending of the poem).

Still the Narnians* Seek adventure

Thursday now They travel on
Still the Regent Sends out e-mails
Calling Narnians Come and travel


*Although the group was officially called Phantastes, a letter
recovered from an e-mail account of the original Lord Regent shows
that among themselves, they used the name Narnians.


These are pictures from the sketch of the original Illustrator, yours truly.

I was not one of the original six, but was there when the club was formed. We met once a week in the evenings to read children's literature, passing the book from one to another



I almost always had a sketch book along. Others would bring knitting, paper cutting, sewing

- and yes, even homework...















Goodnight