1. What does it mean that Aslan calls all times soon?
I have often wondered about this and felt that it has a specific meaning. Although that meaning seems to be just out of my reach. Of course I’m going to try to answer it. Aslan is the god of Narnia. He was present in the beginning and throughout the history of Narnia. He does not seem to age. Time would be very different for him than it is for us. Also, Lewis had a theory that God is outside of time and sees every moment as present. This could be a similar idea. I love this quote and like to use when “soon” may mean anything. I often tell students their parents will come “soon” although I do not know when their parents will arrive. I justify it to myself by thinking of this quote.

2. Do you agree with the Magician that it is better for the Dufflepuds to admire their chief than to admire nobody? Is it important for people to have someone to admire?
Yes, I suppose so. The chief is relatively harmless. I imagine a bunch of creatures not admiring anybody would be difficult to control. Each one might admire himself which would mean quarrels could happen due to each one thinking he was the best. If they admire no one, they might lack a thread to make them a community or to form relationships. I have heard a lot about the influence of role models for good and ill so I think people will admire people whether it is important or not. I think admiration can be dangerous if it is too strong. The object of the admiration will likely let the admirer down or the admirer will end up worshiping the object of the admiration which is dangerous if the object is not God. On the other hand, if one is admiring another he is not thinking solely of himself; it is important to think about other people.

3. Are there any of the Dufflepuds illogical ideas about doing things that appeal sort of appeal to you? If so which one?
I like the idea of washing dishes before dinner to save time afterwards. I dislike washing dishes after dinner. However, since they were likely washing the clean dishes before dinner I know this won’t work. I do try to wash as many of the dishes as I can before dinner (such as dishes from breakfast and any cooking utensils I am finished with).

4. In this chapter, it is often mentioned how funny the Dufflepuds are both in appearance and manner. Is that their main purpose or is there something we can learn from them?
They are a kind of comic relief but I think we can learn from them. They teach about bravery and wisdom by showing us what those qualities are not. I imagine sometimes God relationship to us is similar to the magician’s relationship to the Dufflepuds. We must do things that make sense to us but do not align with the wisdom of God.
5. Do you agree that the Duffers were uglified by the Magician's first spell?
They were changed but it is hard to say if they were uglified. I am guessing theat their facial features did not change so they weren’t made ugly in that respect. I’m not sure having one leg makes means they are ugly.

6. Are the Dufflepuds more or less sympathetic now that we've heard more of their history?
Less, it seems they were disobeying and need to be corrected or guided. There punishment might be a little extreme but I’m not sure what else would get their attention.

7. What do you make of Coriakin the Magician?
He seems wise, good natured, and kind. However, he has (or had) a rebellious streak because he did something that deserved punishment. He seems to bear his punishment well.

8. Why do you think Coriakin longs for the day he can govern the Dufflepuds by wisdom instead of rough magic? Why do you think he can't govern them by wisdom now?
It would be much easier for him if he could reason with them and teach them wisdom. Since he can’t do that he needs find other ways of getting his point across and getting them to do what they ought to be doing. I imagine it is similar to dealing with small children. One can try to show them why they should do something but most of the time one has to use tricks, rewards, and consequences. The Dufflepuds do not have the mental capacity yet to handle wisdom or even common sense.

1. What does it mean that Aslan calls all times soon?
I agree with you there, Twig's; it echoes another's words: Behold, I come quickly.
It also means that he will be there when he is needed. Aslan is timeless, as he moves between different worlds with different passages of time. If he were bound by the strictures of space and matter, he wouldn't be able to do this. As Trumpkin points out in PC, he must be a very old lion.

2. Do you agree with the Magician that it is better for the Dufflepuds to admire their chief than to admire nobody? Is it important for people to have someone to admire?
It seems to be a quality built into humans, for sure. Though it tends to be disappointing at times, as the admired person is almost certain to let you down, one way or another. The Duffers seemed easily satisfied, so perhaps they would not suffer that type of disillusionment.

3. Are there any of the Dufflepuds illogical ideas about doing things that sort of appeal to you? If so which one?
It does make sense to plant cooked potatoes and pre-wash the dishes, except--well, it doesn't work out in real life (having to scrub neglected dishes before the meal, for instance).

4. In this chapter, it is often mentioned how funny the Dufflepuds are both in appearance and manner. Is that their main purpose or is there something we can learn from them?
For one thing, while it is good to be agreeable and pleasant, there are limits. We should not blindly follow anyone else's lead. If the Chief Duffer had been evil, would the other Duffers have resisted him?

5. Do you agree that the Duffers were uglified by the Magician's first spell?
I would tend to go with the Magician's interpretation. He seems a good bit more reliable than the other party.

6. Are the Dufflepuds more or less sympathetic now that we've heard more of their history?
It's rather funny, because normally if I hear of someone being stubborn and foolish, it bugs me. But Lewis manages to endear them to us, in spite of their crazy ways. Not to say that we would agree with their views on how life is. The more we see of them, the more we can recognize their folly.

7. What do you make of Coriakin the Magician?
I really like him. He has a sense of humour, towards himself as well, which was a good thing, considering who he had to superintend. He is hospitable and thoughtful for the comfort of others. There is no trace of resentment for the punishment he has been given. In fact, we don't even find out that it is one, until Ramandu tells us so.

8. Why do you think Coriakin longs for the day he can govern the Dufflepuds by wisdom instead of rough magic? Why do you think he can't govern them by wisdom now?
Yes, they're sort of like children--they need to be watched over, lest they get into mischief. And yet, they are not children, so if they won't listen and obey, they have to be ruled in "rougher" ways. These creatures, while being more kindly and harmless, remind me of the dwarfs in LB, who would not be convinced no matter what was said and done.

Interestingly, this week I ran across a reference to Sir John Mandeville, a traveller in the 1300's, and evidently a real Pinocchio. I think Lewis must have read about him, and borrowed his idea, for this is what he had written:
"In Ethiope, are such men that have but one foot, and they go so fast that it is a grete marvel; and that is a large foot, for the shadow thereof covereth the body from sun or rain when they lie on their backs."

1. What does it mean that Aslan calls all times soon?

Aslan's idea of time might not be the same as that of humans, even Narnian humans. It reminds me of Dain Ironfoot and the Black rider who visited the Lonely Mountain looking for a little ring. “The time of my thought is my own to spend.”

2. Do you agree with the Magician that it is better for the Dufflepuds to admire their chief than to admire nobody? Is it important for people to have someone to admire?

The Dufflepuds are not so different from the dwarfs of a later Narnian story who said "The dwarfs are for the dwarfs". These Dufflepuds don't seem very bright, and since they admire the Chief Dufflepud, and do what he says, it makes dealing with them a little bit simpler, since all they have to do is reason with the Chief. Not that reasoning with the Chief is easy.

3. Are there any of the Dufflepuds illogical ideas about doing things that appeal sort of appeal to you? If so which one?

Washing up the dishes before dinner, to save having to wash them afterwards. Sometimes as I go I do the washing so that there isn't a great clutter after an enjoyable meal to clean up. It also makes more space, to clean up pots and pans once finished with, and if I play my cards right, I only have to wash the cutlery, the dinner and serving dishes and clean up afterwards.

4. In this chapter, it is often mentioned how funny the Dufflepuds are both in appearance and manner. Is that their main purpose or is there something we can learn from them?

I don't think it was their main purpose to be funny, however, in their older form they must have become rather tiresomely vain, and so they ended up as Dufflepuds. In which form they ended up making themselves invisible.

5. Do you agree that the Duffers were uglified by the Magician's first spell?

No, uglification is often a self-inflicted point of view rather than a condition. And beauty is in the eye of the beholder. The trouble is that it isn't just Dufflepuds who fall into that trap, Lucy almost did as well.

6. Are the Dufflepuds more or less sympathetic now that we've heard more of their history?

Yes, they do become more understandable.

7. What do you make of Coriakin the Magician?

He seems quite a reasonable, decent sort of person. He doesn't seem like the tyrant and slave-driver the Dufflepuds like to think he is.

8. Why do you think Coriakin longs for the day he can govern the Dufflepuds by wisdom instead of rough magic? Why do you think he can't govern them by wisdom now?

Coriakin can't reason with the Dufflepuds. They stubbornly stick to their own ideas, and won't listen to him. If he had some way of getting through to them he would, but has to resort to frightening them to get them to behave, and to look after themselves properly.