King Frank

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Formerly a London cab driver, King Frank was the first King of Narnia in the Chronicles of Narnia. Frank ruled with his wife, Queen Helen.

[edit] Early history

His first appearance was made in The Magician's Nephew, from which one may draw a sketchy history from his own words, first to his horse (when the horse becomes a Talking Horse) and then to Aslan the Lion of Narnia. Frank was an ordinary English country dweller during the latter part of the reign of Queen Victoria. A devout Christian, he sang regularly in his church's choir. But unfavorable economic conditions impelled him and his wife Helen to remove to London, where he began work driving a hackney coach. With them came the horse named Fledge, originally called Strawberry.

[edit] The Fight at the Lamp-post

Frank's last fare almost proved the end of his life, for it was none other than Jadis, Empress of Charn, accompanied by her bumbling squire, Andrew Ketterley. Jadis seems to have "hired" his cab after robbing a jewelry store. Exactly what transpired in the cab is unclear, but Jadis hijacked the cab and drove the horse so hard that the cab was utterly destroyed. When Frank finally caught up with the cab, it was a total shambles, and Jadis was astride the horse and was whipping the horse into a dangerous frenzy. Frank prevailed upon the police constables at the scene to allow him to try to calm the horse, but Jadis demanded that he keep his hands off her "royal charger." Frank apparently paid her little heed, even when she wrenched off a bar from a lamp-post and started to attack three constables with it. Frank's first and only concern was for his horse--and thus he still had contact with the horse when Digory Kirke grabbed hold of Jadis and then used his yellow ring to take Jadis to the Wood between the Worlds. In this way, Digory, Polly Plummer, Jadis, the horse, and Frank himself came into that Wood.

They did not stay in the Wood long. Jadis, severely weakened by being in the Wood, could not direct the horse any longer. The horse, immediately calmed, ambled into another pool to drink. The others followed and, with everyone in contact with one another, Digory used a green ring to bring them to the world that this pool represented--which was Narnia, but Narnia when it was formless and empty.

[edit] King of Narnia

Of the party that were now landed in Narnia, Frank was the only one who had complete command of himself. He urged everyone to remain calm, and suggested that they ought to "pass the time" by singing a hymn. This he proceeded to do, choosing Come Ye Thankful People, Come, but only the two children joined in. He later broke off singing when Aslan began to sing his own song of creation--a song that Frank liked, to the point of chiding the others for talking when he wanted to listen. Only the children and the horse enjoyed the song as much as he.

When at length Aslan had Narnia laid out and the first animals created, Frank was surprised to see his own horse "awakened" to become a Talking Horse. Frank's first discussion with his old cab horse was inauspicious at first, because the horse remembered being a slave, a memory the horse did not find pleasant. Frank eventually confessed that he never liked working in London, which was no place for him or his horse.

When Aslan called his first council-of-war to deal with the Jadis situation, Digory announced his desire to seek an audience with Aslan, in the hope that Aslan might give him some kind of cure for his ailing mother. Frank offered to accompany the children, because he wanted to see Aslan himself.

When he first saw Aslan face to face, Frank doffed his hat in respect--and when he finally spoke to Aslan, he began to lose the harsh Cockney accent he had affected in London and to speak with the accent of the country dweller. Frank also realized, when Aslan asked him, that he knew Aslan, though not in Aslan's present aspect; Aslan told him,

You know me better than you think you know, and you shall come to know me better yet.

Aslan asked him whether he, Frank, would enjoy living in Narnia for life, and Frank hesitated, only because he was married and his wife was not present. So Aslan, by singing a single pure note, brought Frank's wife to stand by his side. Aslan then dumbfounded Frank by announcing that he and Helen would become the first King and Queen of Narnia. Frank protested that he lacked sufficent education for such a job--but Aslan helped him to realize that he had every qualification that a King of Narnia would require--facility with the practices of agriculture, a basic sense of justice, and a willingness to try his courage in war, when war would inevitably come. Frank accepted, and he and Helen celebrated their coronation after Digory brought back an apple and used it to plant the Tree of Protection.

Their descendants became the original Kings and Queens of Narnia, who were later succeeded by the Pevensie children. The White Witch Jadis also ruled for a short time, but illegitimately (as she was a Daughter of Lilith, not Eve). King Frank later appears in "The Last Battle" with Queen Helen at the end of time.

Preceded by None: Title not created

King of Narnia (Ruled with Queen Helen) 1–Unknown (Narnian time)

Succeeded by Possibly King Frank's first son (If not eventually King Frank V)