Written by C. S. Lewis

Illustrated by Pauline Baynes

Dedicated to The Kilmer Family

1955

Digory Kirke and Polly Plummer are exploring Digory's large house (which he shares with his very ill mother) when they happen upon a room in which Andrew Ketterley, Digory's uncle, is practicing magical experiments. Uncle Andrew tricks Polly and Digory into putting on magical rings which transport them to the Wood between the Worlds, a place with several small ponds that are gateways to different worlds. The two children decide to explore the ponds and soon find themselves in the dead world of Charn. Once there, Digory and Polly discover a castle with several people who are frozen in time. Digory's curiosity gets the best of him and he rings a bell which awakens the evil Queen Jadis from her slumber. Jadis insists she meet the magician who has awakened her. Digory explains that his Uncle Andrew is the magician and Jadis is stunned to learn Uncle Andrew does not rule his land. The children soon realize that the queen is evil and try to escape by returning to their own world, but Jadis travels with them. Once in this world, Jadis creates havoc. She has no magical power but has great strength and proceeds to steal gems from a Jewelry store and a horse drawn cab. Polly and Digory know they must get the Witch( for this is how they now see her) back to the Wood between the Worlds. As they bring the Witch back, Uncle Andrew, the horse and cabbie all travel with them by mistake. The entire group then travel into a pond and find themselves in a new world. They see a lion moving toward them and singing. as the lion walks about, several other animals all rise out of the earth. Some of the animals the lion touches, and they begin to talk. The Witch is horrified and runs away. Aslan, the lion, tells Digory since he has brought an evil into the new land of Narnia, he must travel far away and bring back an apple from a special tree. Aslan give the cabbie's horse wings, and Digory and Polly set out with horse to find the tree. When they find the tree, they aslo find the Witch is already there. The White Witch tempts Digory to eat one of the apples himself, since they are so great and powerful. Perharps, the Witch tells Digory, one of the apples might even cure his mother. Digory resists the temptation and returns to Aslan. Aslan tells Digory to throw the apple towards the river and it will grow into a tree, which it does before their eyes. Aslan tells Digory he may return to his world with an apple from the tree for his mother. Back in his own world, Digory gives his mother the apple to eat and she is cured of her illness. Digory plants the apple core in the back yard. Years later, when Digory is a kind old professor, the apple tree in the back yard is blown down by a storm. The professor has the wood made into a huge wardrode which he puts into an empty room in the house.