Chapter 11

He feeds them and tells them how wonderful the queen is and won’t hear of any criticism of her.  He then tells them about the curse that has been put on him.  He believes the queen is protecting him and will eventually free him of the spell.   He says the queen and the earthmen are digging a tunnel and will conquer the land they are tunnelling to.  A short time later, he tells them that his “fit” is coming upon him and asks them to stay with him as he doesn’t want to be alone.  He tells them not to free him from the silver chair he will be bound onto or he will, in a fit of rage kill them.  He tells them not to listen to his pleading when he is under the spell.  The guards come in and bind him onto the silver chair.  When the enchantment is upon him, he begs them to let him go and eventually asks them in the name of Aslan to release him.  That is the fourth sign, so although they don’t know what will happen, they obey Aslan and release him.  Prince Rilian identifies himself and destroys the silver chair and the queen returns.
 


I would probably have freaked out if I had been with Eustace.  In our world it can be hard to make a decision when we don't know the outcome, especially if there are good reasons to think the result might be not in our favor.  If I might get into trouble for telling the truth, should I anyway as in when people hid the Jews from the Nazis?  Puddleglum is very correct when he says that Aslan didn't tell them what would happen when they obeyed just that they were to do what he said.

Chapter 10

They plunge into darkness so black that they can’t see each other when they finally land at the bottom of the tunnel.  They are spoken to by an underlander who with his army takes them to see the queen of the underland.  They pass by a huge ancient giant who is sleeping.  He is Father Time they are told and he will awaken at the end of the world.  Throughout their long march they keep being told, “many come down but few return to the sunlit lands.”  They get into a boat and sail to a castle.  The queen is not home but the prince demands to see the travellers.  He invites them for a meal.


Creepy, scary underground men are "scaring me."  The monster men seem very depressed and should think about taking Prozac. It's hard to imagine a world with no sunlight and utter darkness where you can't see your hand in front of your face.

Chapter 9

The king and queen leave on a hunt.  Jill acts as though she is sad they are leaving and asks permission to explore the castle.  When they get to the kitchen, while they are waiting for the cook to fall asleep so they can escape through the cat’s special door, Jill looks through a cookbook and is horrified to see a recipe for manpie and marshwiggle stew.  They realize that they are to be cooked and eaten the next day at the Autumn Feast.  The cook falls asleep and the three make a run for it.   The hunting party returns just then and send the dogs after the escaping trio.  They find a hole in the rocks and crawl into it, not knowing that they have entered a steep tunnel which they fall through.

The question is how did the giants get dogs that were so huge or how did the little dogs survive with such huge giants.  Especially since these giants eat all kinds of things, including talking beasts.

Chapter 8

They are given hot bathes and sent to bed.  Jill has forgotten the signs and dreams that Aslan is angry with her.  The three get together the next day and see the third sign on the rocks below the castle.  They begin to plan how they might escape.  They are not sure what giants’ intentions are for them.
Jill's conscience must have been bothering her and she dreamt about Aslan being angry.  Or maybe she had a vision or dream from Aslan.  They are feeling uneasy at the castle and realize they pretty much prisoners there.
Sometimes it takes a while for us to see that sometimes the pleasures we want, even good things,  can become traps for us like addictions, etc.

Chapter 7

Our heroes continue on their journey and it begins to snow.  It gets very cold and windy.  The ground they travel on becomes very rough.  Jill falls into a trench which they investigate briefly and then continue their journey to Harfang.  Puddleglum is always very pessimistic about everything.  They are allowed into Harfang and are given food and water.  Puddleglum is given liquor to drink and gets tipsy.  The three are brought before the king and queen giants who are delighted to see them and welcome them just in time for the autumn feast.

Those trenches were probably used during WWI in Vime Ridge.  The kids are very eager to "get boiled alive."
Sometimes temptations look very good.  Puddleglum is still thinking more about Aslan than the kids are when he reminds them that the signs didn't say anything about visiting with giants gentle or otherwise.  Could that have something to do with his age?

Chapter 6

The three travellers set out on their adventure only to have to go through an area where idiotic giants are playing a game of throwing rocks at an object.  Fortunately the giants take no notice of the three companions.  They cross a river over an old giants’ bridge and come across a beautiful lady in green riding with a black night who doesn’t speak.  She tells them to go to a castle of gentle giants and to give them her regards.  She tells them they will have warm beds, hot food and hot baths there.  Eustace, Jill and Puddleglum are tired, cold and hungry.  The children are eager to go to Harfang Castle.  Puddleglum is reluctant and doesn’t trust the lady in green.
I think the green lady and the black knight are evil.  Puddleglum is not always wrong with his everything is bad and dangerous predictions.  With all the kids have been through, I can understand why they would want warm beds, hot food and hot baths.  She is probably sending them to a dangerous place where they will be boiled JK.

Chapter 5

The owls fly them to a marshwiggle named Puddleglum which is a creature which is 25% frog and 75% human.  The owls leave and the children spend the night in the marshwiggle’s wigwam.  The next morning over a breakfast of stewed eel, they plan to leave the next day for the north and the ruinous city, the second of Aslan’s signs or instructions.

I'm still trolling about Puddleglum's emo humor and how he thinks that everything will turn out wrong or for the worst.  There are people in this world that are really like that.