Another Narnian gem (this time from The Silver Chair) is Puddleglum hurling defiance at the Green Witch after helping to deliver Prince Rilian from his long enchantment. The character of Lewis's beloved marshwiggle was based on his gardener Fred Paxford, but his inspired stand for Aslan ("even if there isn't any Aslan") may owe much more to MacDonald. In Thomas Wingfold, Curate, the hero outfaces futility with an eloquence very similar to Puddleglum's, and it is easy to imagine Lewis writing the following speech with part one of the Wingfold trilogy firmly fixed in his mind.