# Lona's Narrative explained — Lilith > Chapter companion for Lilith by George MacDonald. ## What happens Lona recounts to Vane the events that transpired during his absence, including the giants' increased hostility, the Little Ones' migration to the treetops, their growing bond with forest animals, and the arrival of a woman from Bulika with her baby. She also describes the children's training in stone-throwing and a strange fight between two leopardesses. ## Themes in this chapter ### Innocence and Growth The Little Ones grow physically and mentally after moving to the treetops, learning from animals and developing new skills. ### Motherhood and Family Lona's maternal nature is emphasized; the woman from Bulika cares for her baby, and the Little Ones regard all babies as their property. ### Nature and the Divine The Little Ones form deep bonds with forest animals, addressing them as brothers and sisters, and treat butterflies as sacred. ## Character check-ins ### Mr. Vane Listens to Lona's narrative and reflects on his love for her. ### Lona Tells Vane everything that happened since he left, showing practical wisdom and maternal care. ### The Little Ones Adapt to treetop living, befriend forest animals, and prepare to defend against giants. ### The Princess Lives in terror of a prophesied infant; her hostility to children is noted by the Bulikans. ### Lilith Referenced as Lona's mother, with her beauty softened by childlikeness and deepened by motherhood. ## Key lines > I had been struck, the moment I saw her again, with her resemblance to the princess, and could not doubt her the daughter of whom Adam had told me; but in Lona the dazzling beauty of Lilith was softened by childlikeness, and deepened by the sense of motherhood. Vane immediately noticed Lona's likeness to the princess and realized she must be Adam's daughter, yet her beauty was gentler and more maternal than Lilith's. _Vane recognizes Lona's parentage and contrasts her with Lilith._ > She told me that after I left the orchard valley, the giants began to believe a little more in the actual existence of their neighbours, and became in consequence more hostile to them. Lona explained that the giants grew more aggressive toward the Little Ones after Vane departed, as they started to believe more in their presence. _Lona recounts the giants' increased hostility._ > Thus reasoned the Lovers, and eagerly adopted Lona’s suggestion—with the result that they were soon as much at home in the treetops as the birds themselves, and that the giants came ere long to the conclusion that they had frightened them out of the country. The Little Ones embraced Lona's idea of living in trees, quickly becoming as comfortable as birds, and the giants soon thought they had driven them away. _The Little Ones adapt to treetop living, fooling the giants._ > Most of them would have nothing to do with a caterpillar, except watch it through its changes; but when at length it came from its retirement with wings, all would immediately address it as Sister Butterfly, congratulating it on its metamorphosis—for which they used a word that meant something like repentance —and evidently regarding it as something sacred. The Little Ones ignored caterpillars but celebrated butterflies as sacred sisters, using a term akin to 'repentance' for their transformation. _The children view butterflies as sacred and connect metamorphosis with repentance._ ## Links - HTML: https://www.betterreads.online/discover/lilith_se/chapters/xxxiii-lona-s-narrative - Book: https://www.betterreads.online/discover/lilith_se - All chapters: https://www.betterreads.online/discover/lilith_se/chapters