Lesson Plans The Magicians Nephew

The Magician's Nephew Curriculum

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View all 28 comments. Despite the fact that The Magicians Nephew is the first book in the Chronicles of Narnia, strangely, it is frequently overlooked. People skip straight ahead to The Lion, The Witch, and The Wardrobe, and then, at a later date come back to this book. Personally, I like this book just as well as any others in the series. I love to see how everything got started, the lamp post, the wardrobe, the White Witch.

Not to mention the beautiful allegory of Creation. The Magician's Nephew also has good morals Despite the fact that The Magicians Nephew is the first book in the Chronicles of Narnia, strangely, it is frequently overlooked. The Magician's Nephew also has good morals, and I really appriciate that. I would recommend this book to anyone, boy or girl, old or young. Please feel free to read and enjoy the series however you deem best. I haven't read any of the Chronicles of Narnia in six years, and now have very little opinion on the debate of what order to read these good books in.

My previous opinion was based on my long-lived, chronological order reading preference. I liked to see things in a linear sequence. View all 19 comments. Oh gosh, how many years must it be since I last read this book, 30? A true joy to read, that is how writing should be. Probably one of the lesser known Narnia books but the start of the series none the less and our first introduction to Aslan, and a delight to read. I had no intention of starting this series this year or even anytime soon, but I saw the boxed set on the shelf Oh gosh, how many years must it be since I last read this book, 30?

I had no intention of starting this series this year or even anytime soon, but I saw the boxed set on the shelf and thought why not. What a great decision that was. View all 9 comments. Lewis tan bello y sutil. I really enjoyed reading this one. Fun and fast read, and I also loved reading about how it all started. And even though I noticed a lot of connections with Christianity, I didn't pay a lot of attention to it. I just enjoyed the story in general. I think this is probably my favorite, right after Lion, Witch and the Wardrobe. Feb 29, Deborah rated it it was amazing Recommends it for: Everyone - of all ages.

This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it, click here. The Magician's Nephew tells of how it all started. How Narnia was created. And, how the wardrobe came to be. A wonderful read, full of magic, wit, adventure, and hope. That's not a good thing. Uncle Andrew was selfish, un-caring, and really, a blundering fool. While reading, I often found myself wondering if The Magician's Nephew tells of how it all started.

While reading, I often found myself wondering if Digory was destined to end up like his Uncle. But, my dear friends, I can happily tell you he does not. The power to overcome our weaknesses, our evil tendencies, and even our bad genes, is very real. Especially when we surround ourselves with good people, as Digory did.

Though we may not always have all the power needed residing in our own being, know there is a much higher, and greater power to call on. The evil Queen Jadis, so horribly magnificent. She is obviously, the serpent of the story. I find it interesting that Queen Jadis had to be awakened, before she could cause any damage.

Is that not how it really works? We let, and somtimes invite, our own serepnt in, even if we don't specifically mean to do just that. And it's usually through those weaknesses that it happens. Digory was a very curious boy. Digory woke her by ringing a bell that was sitting in the middle of the room. He had no idea what he was doing, when he did it. But sometimes curiosity overrides judgement. Polly, Digory's friend throughout the story, was never even tempted to ring the bell. I find she is a great support for Digory, even though they may be very different.

Surrounding yourself with others with different strengths and opinions, help us to be balanced and reasonable.

And of course, the regal and just Aslan. The king, the savior of the Story. I laughed throughout this book, but there were two times that I cried. You should know that Digory left behind a Mother who is deathly ill. He wanted nothing more than to have her be healed and well again. Aslan sent Digory on a mission, to make up for awakening the queen, and thus bringing her to Narnia. Before he leaves, and Aslan asks him if he's ready for his mission.

He had had for a second some wild idea of saying "I'll try to help you if you'll promise to help my Mother," but he realized in time that the Lion was not at all the sort of person one could try to make bargains with. But when he had said "Yes," he thought of his Mother, and he thought of the great hopes he had had, and how they were all dying away, and a lump came in his throat and tears in his eyes, and he blurted out: What he saw surprised him as much as anyhting in his whole life.

For the tawny face was bent near his own and wonder of wonders great shining tears stood in the Lion's eyes. They were such big, bright tears compared with Digory's won that for a moment he felt as if the Lion must really be sorrier about his Mother than he was himself.

Only you and I in this land know that yet. He didn't know how it was to be done but he felt quite sure now that he would be able to do it. These apples give you endless life. So he takes an apple, puts it in his pocket, and returns to Aslan. They throw the apple, and it plants itself in the earth, where a new, large and wonderful tree grows.

And this is what happens next. What I give you now will bring joy. It will not, in your world, give endless life, but it will heal. Pluck [your Mother] an apple from the Tree. It was as if the whole world had turned inside out and upside down. And then, like someone in a dream, he was walking across to the Tree, and the King and Queen and were cheering him and all the creatures were cheering too. After doing Aslan's bidding, knowing he will get nothing in return, he does receive something in return.

What he's wanted with his whole heart throughout the book. This kind, just, and merciful creator of Narnia. View all 4 comments. I read and re-read those books until they literally fell apart. Tumnus, Eustace, Prince Caspian, Reepicheep, and all the other lovely characters in the series.

I re-read this series every few years because the stories are still incredibly enjoyable for me. Religious allegory and symbolism never enter my head as I read this For Christmas when I was 9 years old, my parents gave me a box set of The Chronicles of Narnia. Religious allegory and symbolism never enter my head as I read this series I enjoy it as delightful children's fantasy and leave the author's religious views out of it.

The books do impart important lessons on friendship, loyalty, cowardice and bravery, respect, forgiveness, and love. Just a lovely book series for children and adults alike! So, as part of GAR, I'm re-reading this series. I started with The Magician's Nephew because even though this book was published as the fifth book of the series, it is a prequel to the other books explaining how Narnia was created. I listened to an audio book version of this novel.

At just under 4 hours long, it was an easy afternoon listen as I did housework and worked in my garden. He read at a nice even pace. Despite my hearing loss, I could easily hear and understand the entire book. It was great to re-visit an old favorite! I'm currently on my library's waiting list for the next audio book: The Lion, The Witch and the Wardrobe. I'm happy to be 16 waiting on 4 copies. The wait means that others are reading this lovely series, and that makes me happy!

I have the "real'' book on my keeper shelf, of course. But I'm going to continue listening to audio book versions until I've listened to the whole series. Up til now I have read the books, watched video versions Loving it so far! I know as a young child the books gave me hours and hours of happiness Since the s when the books were first published, this series has given so much joy and wonder to so many readers. Favorite character -- easy choice for me -- Reepicheep, the very brave mouse!

Before all is said and done, I will have re-read all 7 books in the series. While I wait for The Lion, The Witch and the Wardrobe to come available at the library, I will move on and read other books from the list. I can't wait until the television series starts airing on PBS on September 11, !! Originally reviewed at Bookwraiths. Lewis is one of those books I read just because. Because I always wondered what exactly Narnia was. So because of all those reasons, I wiped the dust off of it and read it. This b Originally reviewed at Bookwraiths.

Well, I guess Aslan is there toward the end, but honestly, the majority of the book is about Digory Kirke and Polly Plummer and that was okay, because their story was easy to grasp. You see, these two neighbors met, become friends then decide to explore the attic connecting their houses.

Hence the name of our book: It seems Uncle Andrew has been dabbling in ancient magic that allows one to travel between worlds. In order to save Polly, Digory is blackmailed by his uncle into testing another magic ring so as to follow Polly; our young hero also takes two green ones just in case they can actually try to return home. When Digory touches his yellow ring it transports him to a wood between the worlds where he finds Polly alive and well.

Also, there is a series of pools which the two discover leads to separate universes. Of course, our two, young adventures decide not to immediately return home to England but to explore a different world and so jump into one of the nearby pools. Instantaneously, Digory and Polly find themselves in a desolate, abandoned city of some strange, ancient world, which they later learn is Charn.

Inside an ancient building, which they surmise must have been a palace, they discover a huge room filled with statuesque figures of Charn's former kings and queens. These perfect statues are beautiful beyond compare but seem to degenerate from the fair and wise of the first to the unhappy and cruel of the later. Among these images from some long forgotten past, there is a bell and a hammer with these words written: Make your choice, adventurous Stranger Strike the bell and bide the danger Or wonder, till it drives you mad What would have followed if you had.

The story of Narnia start with that bell. Everything else spirals out from the fateful choice placed before Digory and Polly on whether to ring that bell. But it begins at the decision before the bell. All in all, this was a very entertaining story. For that reason alone, I recommend fans of the series give it a try. I've gotten so used to always having a new Narnia book to read when I feel in the mood and now I only have one more book to read.

It's kinda sad actually lol But I really had a good time reading this one! But who am I kidding? I hope they continue making them! Anyone else feel the same? P Great book all-in-all. Loved getting to see I've gotten so used to always having a new Narnia book to read when I feel in the mood and now I only have one more book to read.

Loved getting to see how Narnia got started! Nov 18, Nadine Brandes rated it it was amazing. Just finished reading this to hubby. He is now, officially, a Narnian. Nov 21, Annie rated it liked it Shelves: I'm not really a fantasy fan, but I have always wanted to read the Chronicles of Narnia, especially after watching the movies.

The Magician's Nephew, although 6th in the publication order, chronologically it is the first in the series. I read that C. Lewis himself had recommended reading this as the first in the series. Although written way later than the Lion Witch and the Wardrobe, I can understand why the author wanted the readers to start his Chronicles with Magician's Nephew. Here the rea I'm not really a fantasy fan, but I have always wanted to read the Chronicles of Narnia, especially after watching the movies.

Here the readers are introduced to the world of Narnia and the great Lion - Aslan. It also introduces the characters of Jadis who will become the White Witch, Digory who will be Professor Kirke, and it also explains the famous lamp post in Narnia and the wardrobe through which the passage to Narnia was secured. The story is a beautiful introduction to the series was good. It sets the pace well for the chronicles to unfold.

The creation of Narnia is so beautifully done and I felt so glad to have entered that amazing world. The read was interesting and engaging. Looking forward to read the rest of the chronicles in their chronological order. Oct 03, AnnaMarie rated it it was amazing.

I thought this book was so beautiful. He put on a white waistcoat with a pattern on it and arranged his watch chain across the front. He took his eye-glass, with the thick black ribbon, and screwed it into his eye; then he looked at himself in the mirror. Children have one kind of silliness, as you know, and grown-ups have another kind.

At this moment Uncle Andrew was b I thought this book was so beautiful. At this moment Uncle Andrew was beginning to be silly in a very grown-up way. Now that the Witch was no longer in the same room with him he was quickly forgetting how she had frightened him and thinking more and more of her wonderful beauty. Daily Lessons each have a specific objective and offer at least three often more ways to teach that objective.

Lessons include classroom discussions, group and partner activities, in-class handouts, individual writing assignments, at least one homework assignment, class participation exercises and other ways to teach students about The Magician's Nephew in a classroom setting.

You can combine daily lessons or use the ideas within them to create your own unique curriculum. They vary greatly from day to day and offer an array of creative ideas that provide many options for an educator. Fun Classroom Activities differ from Daily Lessons because they make "fun" a priority. The 20 enjoyable, interactive classroom activities that are included will help students understand The Magician's Nephew in fun and entertaining ways.

Fun Classroom Activities include group projects, games, critical thinking activities, brainstorming sessions, writing poems, drawing or sketching, and countless other creative exercises. Many of the activities encourage students to interact with each other, be creative and think "outside of the box," and ultimately grasp key concepts from the text by "doing" rather than simply studying. Fun activities are a great way to keep students interested and engaged while still providing a deeper understanding of The Magician's Nephew and its themes.

Students should have a full understanding of the unit material in order to answer these questions. They often include multiple parts of the work and ask for a thorough analysis of the overall text. They nearly always require a substantial response. Essay responses are typically expected to be one or more page s and consist of multiple paragraphs, although it is possible to write answers more briefly.

These essays are designed to challenge a student's understanding of the broad points in a work, interactions among the characters, and main points and themes of the text. But, they also cover many of the other issues specific to the work and to the world today. The 60 Short Essay Questions listed in this section require a one to two sentence answer. They ask students to demonstrate a deeper understanding of The Magician's Nephew by describing what they've read, rather than just recalling it. The short essay questions evaluate not only whether students have read the material, but also how well they understand and can apply it.

They require more thought than multiple choice questions, but are shorter than the essay questions. The Multiple Choice Questions in this lesson plan will test a student's recall and understanding of The Magician's Nephew. Use these questions for quizzes, homework assignments or tests. The questions are broken out into sections, so they focus on specific chapters within The Magician's Nephew.

This allows you to test and review the book as you proceed through the unit. Typically, there are questions per chapter, act or section. Use the Oral Reading Evaluation Form when students are reading aloud in class. Pass the forms out before you assign reading, so students will know what to expect. You can use the forms to provide general feedback on audibility, pronunciation, articulation, expression and rate of speech. You can use this form to grade students, or simply comment on their progress.

Use the Writing Evaluation Form when you're grading student essays. This will help you establish uniform criteria for grading essays even though students may be writing about different aspects of the material. By following this form you will be able to evaluate the thesis, organization, supporting arguments, paragraph transitions, grammar, spelling, punctuation, etc. And he has such awful eyes. That was how Polly and Digory got to know one another; and as it was just the beginning of the summer holidays and neither of them was going away to the sea that year, they met nearly every day.

Their adventures began chiefly because it was one of the wettest and coldest summers there had been for years. That drove them to do indoor things: It is wonderful how much exploring you can do with a stump of candle in a big house, or in a row of houses. Polly had discovered long ago that if you opened a certain little door in the box-room attic of her house you would find the cistern and a dark place behind it which you could get into by a little careful climbing. The dark place was like a long tunnel with brick wall on one side and sloping roof on the other.

In the roof there were little chinks of light between the slates.

The Magician's Nephew Lesson Plans for Teachers

There was no floor in this tunnel: If you stepped on this you would find yourself falling through the ceiling of the room below. Polly had used the bit of the tunnel just beside the cistern as a smugglers' cave. She had brought up bits of old packing cases and the seats of broken kitchen chairs, and things of that sort, and spread them across from rafter to rafter so as to make a bit of floor.

Here she kept a cash-box containing various treasures, and a story she was writing, and usually a few apples. She had often drunk a quiet bottle of ginger-beer in there: Digory quite liked the Cave she wouldn't let him see the story but he was more interested in exploring. I mean, does it stop where your house ends? He was a good deal more excited than you'd have thought from the way he spoke. For of course he was thinking, just as you would have been, of all the reasons why the house might have been empty so long. Neither of them said the word "haunted. They decided they would have to go out into the box-room and walk across it taking steps as long as the steps from one rafter to the next.

That would give them an idea of how many rafters went to a room. Then they would allow about four more for the passage between the two attics in Polly's house, and then the same number for the maid's bedroom as for the box-room. That would give them the length of the house. When they had done that distance twice they would be at the end of Digory's house; any door they came to after that would let them into an attic of the empty house. We shall probably discover a gang of desperate criminals and get a reward. It's all rot to say a house would be empty all those years unless there was some mystery.

Grown-ups are always thinking of uninteresting explanations," said Digory.

Now that they were talking by daylight in the attic instead of by candlelight in the Smugglers' Cave it seemed much less likely that the empty house would be haunted. When they had measured the attic they had to get a pencil and do a sum. They both got different answers to it at first, and even when they agreed I am not sure they got it right.

They were in a hurry to start on the exploration. Because it was such an important occasion they took a candle each Polly had a good store of these in her cave. It was very dark and dusty and draughty and they stepped from rafter to rafter without a word except when they whispered to one another, "We're opposite your attic now" or "this must be halfway through our house.

There was no bolt or handle on this side of it, of course, for the door had been made for getting in, not for getting out; but there was a catch as there often is on the inside of a cupboard door which they felt sure the would be able to turn. Both felt that it was becoming very serious, but neither would draw back.

Digory pushed round the catch with some difficulty. The door swung open and the sudden daylight made them blink. Then, with a great shock, they saw that they were looking, not into a deserted attic, but into a furnished room. But it seemed empty enough. It was dead silent. Polly's curiosity got the better of her. She blew out her candle and stepped out into the strange room, making no more noise than a mouse.

It was shaped, of course, like an attic, but furnished as a sitting-room. Every bit of the walls was lined with shelves and every bit of the shelves was full of books. A fire was burning in the grate you remember that it was a very cold wet summer that year and in front of the fireplace with its back towards them was a high-backed arm-chair. Between the chair and Polly, and filling most of the middle of the room, was a big table piled with all sorts of things—printed books, and books of the sort you write in, and ink bottles and pens and sealing-wax and a microscope.

But what she noticed first was a bright red wooden tray with a number of rings on it. They were in pairs—a yellow one and a green one together, then a little space, and then another yellow one and another green one. They were no bigger than ordinary rings, and no one could help noticing them because they were so bright. They were the most beautifully shiny little things you can imagine. If Polly had been a very little younger she would have wanted to put one in her mouth. The room was so quiet that you noticed the ticking of the clock at once.

And yet, as she now found, it was not absolutely quiet either. There was a faint—a very, very faint humming sound. If Hoovers had been invented in those days Polly would have thought it was the sound of a Hoover being worked a long way off—several rooms away and several floors below. But it was a nicer sound than that, a more musical tone: She was speaking above a whisper now. And Digory came out, blinking and looking extremely dirty—as indeed Polly was too. We'd better bunk before any one comes.

He never finished what he was going to say for at that moment something happened. The high-backed chair in front of the fire moved suddenly and there rose up out of it—like a pantomime demon coming up out of a trap-door—the alarming form of Uncle Andrew. They were not in the empty house at all; they were in Digory's house and in the forbidden study!

Both children said "O-o-oh" and realised their terrible mistake. They felt that they ought to have known all along that they hadn't gone nearly far enough. Uncle Andrew was very tall and very thin. He had a long-clean-shaven face with a sharp nose and extremely bright eyes and a great tousled mop of grey hair. Digory was quite speechless, for Uncle Andrew looked a thousand times more alarming than he had ever looked before. Polly was not so frightened yet; but she soon was. For the very first thing Uncle Andrew did was to walk across to the door of the room, shut it, and turn the key in the lock.

Then he turned round, fixed the children with his bright eyes, and smiled, showing all his teeth. It was dreadfully unlike anything a grown-up would be expected to do. Polly's heart came into her mouth, and she and Digory started backing towards the little door they had come in by. Uncle Andrew was too quick for them. He got behind them and shut that door too and stood in front of it. Then he rubbed his hands and made his knuckles crack. He had very long, beautifully white, fingers. I wanted two children. You see, I'm in the middle of a great experiment. I've tried it on a guinea-pig and it seemed to work.

But then a guinea-pig can't tell you anything. And you can't explain to it how to come back. You must let us out. Digory and Polly glanced at one another. They dared not say anything, but the glances meant "Isn't this dreadful? Then he seemed to change his mind. I can't expect two youngsters like you to find it much fun talking to an old duffer like me. Go to your dinner.

But I must give you a present before you go. It's not every day that I see a little girl in my dingy old study, especially, if I may say so, such a very attractive young lady as yourself. But I'd be delighted to give you any of the yellow ones: Come and try one on. Polly had now quite got over her fright and felt sure that the old gentleman was not mad; and there certainly something strangely attractive about those bright rings.

She moved over to the tray. I declare," she said. It's almost as if the rings were making it. It sounded a very natural laugh, but Digory had seen an eager, almost a greedy, look on his face. It was too late. Exactly as he spoke, Polly's hand went out to touch one of the rings. And immediately, without a flash or a noise or a warning of any sort, there was no Polly. Digory and his Uncle were alone in the room.

It was so sudden, and so horribly unlike anything that had ever happened to Digory even in a nightmare, that he let out a scream. Instantly Uncle Andrew's hand was over his mouth. And you know what a fright might do to her. As Digory said afterwards, the horrible meanness of getting at a chap in that way, almost made him sick.

But of course he didn't scream again. It is a shock when you first see someone vanish. Why, it gave even me a turn when the guinea-pig did it last night. The little girl's gone—vanished—right out of the world. Uncle Andrew sat down and said, "Well, I'll tell you all about it.

Have you ever heard of old Mrs. Digory looked and saw a faded photograph: And he could now remember that he had once seen a photo of the same face in an old drawer, at home, in the country. He had asked his Mother who it was and Mother had not seemed to want to talk about the subject much. It was not at all a nice face, Digory thought, though of course with those early photographs one could never really tell. People are so narrow minded.

She certainly got very queer in later life. Did very unwise things. That was why they shut her up. There were a good many different things. We needn't go into all that. She was always very kind to me. Lefay out before she died and I was one of the very few people whom she would allow to see her in her last illness. She had got to dislike ordinary, ignorant people, you understand.

But she and I were interested in the same sort of things. It was only a few days before her death that she told me to go to an old bureau in her house and open a secret drawer and bring her a little box that I would find there. The moment I picked up that box I could tell by the pricking in my fingers that I held some great secret in my hands. She gave it to me and made me promise that as soon as she was dead I would burn it unopened, with certain ceremonies. That promise I did not keep. You mean that little boys ought to keep their promises.

But of course you must understand that rules of that sort, however excellent they may be for little boys—and servants—and women—and even people in general, can't possibly be expected to apply to profound students and great thinkers and sages. Men like me who possess hidden wisdom, are freed from common rules just as we are cut off from common pleasures. Ours, my boy, is a high and lonely destiny. As he said this he sighed and looked so grave and noble and mysterious that for a second Digory really thought he was saying something rather fine.

But then he remembered the ugly look he had seen on his Uncle's face the moment before Polly had vanished: For my godmother was a very remarkable woman. The truth is, she was one of the last mortals in this country who had fairy blood in her. She said there had been two others in her time. One was a duchess and the other was a charwoman. In fact, Digory, you are now talking to the last man possibly who really had a fairy godmother. That'll be something for you to remember when you are an old man yourself. My first task was of course to study the box itself.

It was very ancient. It was older than any of those nations. Ah—that was a great day when I at last found out the truth. The box was Atlantean; it came from the lost island of Atlantis. That meant it was centuries older than any of the stone-age things they dig up in Europe.

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And it wasn't a rough, crude thing like them either. For in the very dawn of time Atlantis was already a great city with palaces and temples and learned men. He paused for a moment as if he expected Digory to say something. But Digory was disliking his Uncle more every minute, so he said nothing. That meant that I came to have a fair idea what sort of things might be in the box. By various tests I narrowed down the possibilities. I had to get to know some—well, some devilish queer people, and go through some very disagreeable experiences. That was what turned my head grey.

One doesn't become a magician for nothing. My health broke down in the end. But I got better. And at last I actually knew. Although there was not really the least chance of anyone overhearing them, he leaned forward and almost whispered as he said,. Nothing much to look at. Not much to show for a lifetime of toil, you might say. Ah, but when I looked at that dust I took jolly good care not to touch it and thought that every grain had once been in another world—I don't mean another planet, you know; they're part of our world and you could get to them if you went far enough—but a really other world—another Nature—another universe—somewhere you would never reach even if you travelled through the space of this universe for ever and ever—a world that could be reached only by Magic—well!

But the difficulty was to get it into the right form. My earlier experiments were all failures. I tried them on guinea-pigs. Some of them only died. Some exploded like little bombs——". I'd bought them myself. Let me see—where was I? At last I succeeded in making the Rings: But now a new difficulty arose.

I was pretty sure, now, that a yellow Ring would send any creature that touched it into the Other Place. But what would be the good of that if I couldn't get them back to tell me what they had found there? The whole point of sending anyone into the Other Place is that I want to find out what it's like. Digory had hardly ever seen anyone look so surprised and offended as his Uncle did at this simple question. A man at my time of life, and in my state of health, to risk the shock and the dangers of being flung suddenly into a different universe?

I never heard anything so preposterous in my life! Do you realise what you're saying? Think what Another World means—you might meet anything—anything.

His cheeks were flaming with anger now. I am the great scholar, the magician, the adept, who is doing the experiment. Of course I need subjects to do it on. Bless my soul, you'll be telling me next that I ought to have asked the guinea-pigs' permission before I used them! No great wisdom can be reached without sacrifice. But the idea of my going myself is ridiculous. It's like asking a general to fight as a common soldier. Supposing I got killed, what would become of my life's work? The Green Rings draw you back. And now of course Digory saw the trap in which he was caught: His cheeks had gone very pale.

I should be very sorry to think that anyone of our family had not enough honour and chivalry to go to the aid of—er—a lady in distress. But I know you won't. I see I've got to go. But you are a beast. I suppose you planned the whole thing, so that she'd go without knowing it and then I'd have to go after her.

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But there's one thing I jolly well mean to say first. I didn't believe in Magic till to-day. I see now it's real. Well if it is, I suppose all the old fairy tales are more or less true. And you're simply a wicked, cruel magician like the ones in the stories. Well, I've never read a story in which people of that sort weren't paid out in the end, and I bet you will be.

And serve you right. Of all the things Digory had said this was the first that really went home. Uncle Andrew started and there came over his face a look of such horror that, beast though he was, you could almost feel sorry for him. But a second later he smoothed it all away and said with a rather forced laugh, "Well, well, I suppose that is a natural thing for a child to think—brought up among women, as you have been.

Old wives' tales, eh? I don't think you need worry about my danger, Digory. Wouldn't it be better to worry about the danger of your little friend? She's been gone some time. If there are any dangers Over There—well, it would be a pity to arrive a moment too late. What have I got to do? Wearing gloves, I can pick them up—like this—and nothing happens. If you carried one in your pocket nothing would happen: The moment you touch a Yellow Ring, you vanish out of this world. When you are in the Other Place I expect—of course this hasn't been tested yet, but I expect —that the moment you touch a Green Ring you vanish out of that world and—I expect—re-appear in this.

I take these two Greens and drop them into your right-hand pocket. Remember very carefully which pocket the Greens are in. G for Green and R for right. One for you and one for the little girl. And now you pick up a Yellow one for yourself. I should put it on—on your finger—if I were you. There'll be less chance of dropping it. Uncle Andrew shrugged his shoulders, walked across to the door, unlocked it, threw it open, and said:.

Just as you please. Go down and have your dinner. Leave the little girl to be eaten by wild animals or drowned or starved in Other World or lost there for good, if that's what you prefer. It's all one to me. Perhaps before tea time you'd better drop in on Mrs. Plummer and explain that she'll never see her daughter again; because you were afraid to put on a ring. Then he buttoned up his coat, took a deep breath, and picked up the Ring. And he thought then, as he always thought afterwards too, that he could not decently have done anything else.

Uncle Andrew and his study vanished instantly. Then, for a moment, everything became muddled. The next thing Digory knew was that there was a soft green light coming down on him from above, and darkness below.

He didn't seem to be standing on anything, or sitting, or lying. Nothing appeared to be touching him. Then his head suddenly came out into the air and he found himself scrambling ashore, out on to smooth grassy ground at the edge of a pool. As he rose to his feet he noticed that he was neither dripping nor panting for breath as anyone would expect after being under water.

His clothes were perfectly dry. He was standing by the edge of a small pool—not more than ten feet from side to side—in a wood. The trees grew close together and were so leafy that he could get no glimpse of the sky. All the light was green light that came through the leaves: It was the quietest wood you could possibly imagine. There were no birds, no insects, no animals, and no wind. You could almost feel the trees growing. The pool he had just got out of was not the only pool. There were dozens of others—a pool every few yards as far as his eyes could reach. You could almost feel the trees drinking the water up with their roots.

This wood was very much alive. When he tried to describe it afterwards Digory always said, "It was a rich place: The strangest thing was that, almost before he had looked about him, Digory had half forgotten how he had come there. At any rate, he was certainly not thinking about Polly, or Uncle Andrew, or even his Mother. He was not in the least frightened, or excited, or curious. If anyone had asked him: As he said long afterwards, "It's not the sort of place where things happen.

The trees go on growing, that's all. After Digory had looked at the wood for a long time he noticed that there was a girl lying on her back at the foot of a tree a few yards away. Her eyes were nearly shut but not quite, as if she were just between sleeping and waking. So he looked at her for a long time and said nothing.

And at last she opened her eyes and looked at him for a long time and she also said nothing. Then she spoke, in a dreamy, contented sort of voice. I had a sort of idea—a sort of picture in my head—of a boy and a girl, like us—living somewhere quite different—and doing all sorts of things. Perhaps it was only a dream. I remember the girl had a dirty face. And it was—a fat guinea-pig, nosing about in the grass.

But round the middle of the guinea-pig there ran a tape, and, tied on to it by the tape, was a bright yellow ring. You've got one on your finger. And so have I. The girl now sat up, really interested at last. They stared very hard at one another, trying to remember. And then, at exactly the same moment, she shouted out "Mr.

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Ketterley" and he shouted out "Uncle Andrew," and they knew who they were and began to remember the whole story. After a few minutes of hard talking they had got it straight. Digory explained how beastly Uncle Andrew had been. If we once give in to it we shall just lie down and drowse for ever and ever. But then she changed her mind.

By the way, how do we get home? They came and stood together at the edge looking down into the smooth water. It was full of the reflection of the green, leafy branches; they made it look very deep. Don't you remember it didn't wet us on the way up? Neither of them much liked the idea of jumping into that pool, but neither said so to the other. They took hands and said "One—Two—Three—Go" and jumped. There was a great splash and of course they closed their eyes. But when they opened them again they found they were still standing, hand in hand, in that green wood, and hardly up to their ankles in water.

The pool was apparently only a couple of inches deep. They splashed back onto the dry ground. The place is too peaceful.

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I know," said Digory. We're still wearing our yellow Rings. They're for the outward journey, you know. The green ones take you home. We must change rings. Have you got pockets? Put your yellow ring in your left. I've got two greens. Here's one for you. They put on their green Rings and came back to the pool. But before they tried another jump Digory gave a long "O—o—oh! Supposing there was a world at the bottom of every pool! He never had the pluck to come here himself. He only talked of one other-world. But suppose there were dozens?

I think it's just a sort of in-between place. Think of our tunnel under the slates at home. It isn't a room in any of the houses. In a way, it isn't really part of any of the houses. But once you're in the tunnel you can go along it and come out into any of the houses in the row. Mightn't this wood be the same? Nothing ever happens here. It's in the houses that people talk, and do things, and have meals. Nothing goes on in the in-between places, behind the walls and above the ceilings and under the floor, or in our own tunnel.

But when you come out of our tunnel you may find yourself in any house. I think we can get out of this place into jolly well Anywhere! We don't need to jump back into the same pool we came up by. Or not just yet. We're not even sure if it'll work yet. Then if it does, we'll change Rings and come up again before we're really back in Mr. Digory made rather a fuss about agreeing to this, but he had to in the end because Polly absolutely refused to do any exploring in new worlds until she had made sure about getting back to the old one.

She was quite as brave as he about some dangers wasps, for instance but she was not so interested in finding out things nobody had ever heard of before; for Digory was the sort of person who wants to know everything, and when he grew up he became the famous Professor Kirke who comes into other books. After a good deal of arguing they agreed to put on their green Rings "Green for safety," said Digory, "so you can't help remembering which is which" and hold hands and jump. But as soon as they seemed to be getting back to Uncle Andrew's study, or even to their own world, Polly was to shout "Change" and they would slip off their greens and put on their yellows.

Digory wanted to be the one who shouted "Change" but Polly wouldn't agree. It is very hard to tell you what it felt like, for everything happened so quickly. At first there were bright lights moving about in a black sky: Digory always thinks these were stars and even swears that he saw Jupiter quite close—close enough to see its moons. But almost at once there were rows and rows of roofs and chimney pots about them, and they could see St. Paul's and knew they were looking at London.

But you could see through the walls of all the houses. Then they could see Uncle Andrew, very vague and shadowy, but getting clearer and more solid-looking all the time, just as if he were coming into focus. But before he became quite real Polly shouted "Change," and they did change, and our world faded away like a dream, and the green light above grew stronger and stronger, till their heads came out of the pool and they scrambled ashore. And there was the wood all about them, as green and bright and still as ever. The whole thing had taken less than a minute.

Now for the adventure.

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