Mr Tumnus - Free Printable PDF 2025

Few characters in children's literature welcome readers into a magical world quite like Mr. Tumnus, the kindly faun who appears in the opening chapters of C.S. Lewis's "The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe." With his red scarf, umbrella, and bundles of packages trudging through the snowy woods, Mr. Tumnus has become one of the most endearing figures in fantasy fiction. He is the first Narnian Lucy Pevensie ever meets, and in many ways, he serves as the reader's own guide into a land where animals speak, trees have spirits, and adventure waits behind every lamppost.

Mr. Tumnus is described as a faun, a creature from classical mythology with the legs of a goat and the upper body of a man. Lewis softens the wild nature of the traditional faun into something wonderfully domestic and warm. When Lucy stumbles into Narnia, Mr. Tumnus drops his packages in astonishment, then quickly recovers his manners, inviting her to tea in his cozy cave home. There, he serves her sardines on toast, sugar-topped cake, and a freshly fried egg, all while sharing stories of Narnia's forests and telling her about the eternal winter that has gripped the land.

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One of the reasons Mr. Tumnus resonates so deeply with readers is his quiet moral courage. Though he initially plans to kidnap Lucy and deliver her to the White Witch, as he is obligated to do under her tyrannical rule, he cannot bring himself to betray an innocent child. His confession and tearful apology to Lucy reveal a character defined by conscience. This small act of defiance against evil sets the tone for the entire chronicle, showing that even the humblest creature can choose goodness over fear.

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