Coraline: Chapter 13 Summary & Analysis

As the days go by, it seems to Coraline that her parents have no recollection of being trapped in the other mother’s world—she isn’t even sure if they are aware that they lost two days of their lives. The same night that she discovered the other mother’s hand roaming about the house, Coraline realized that the lost children’s marbles, which she’d tucked under her pillow for safekeeping, had been crushed like eggshells—she quickly realized their souls had departed the world and moved on. 

With just a couple of days left until the start of the school year, Coraline goes to visit Miss Spink and Miss Forcible. They read her tea leaves again and are confused by the message they contain. The women conclude that the leaves are clumped in the shape of an outstretched hand. Coraline also notices that one of Miss Spink and Miss Forcible’s dogs has a long scratch on his side. As Coraline leaves Miss Spink and Miss Forcible’s, the crazy old man upstairs calls out to Coraline and says hello. She asks him how his mice are, and he replies that they’re acting frightened—there is something about the house at nights, perhaps a weasel, which is keeping them from playing their tiny instruments.

That night, after Coraline gets into bed, the hand scratches at her window. Coraline leaps out of bed and frightens it off—but realizes that even if she keeps the key around her neck, she’s still in danger.

In the morning, Coraline asks her mother if she can borrow a sheet—she explains that she wants to have a picnic with her dolls. Her mother finds a spare paper tablecloth, but says she didn’t think Coraline played with dolls anymore. Coraline says she doesn’t—the dolls are “protective coloration.” Coraline fills a box with teacups and dolls and a jug of water, then takes a roundabout journey to the meadow to ensure she is not followed. Coraline arrives at the well at the edge of the meadow and painstakingly lifts the planks off the top. She spreads the tablecloth over the top of the well and weighs its four corners down with dolls and cups of water. Once the trap is set, Coraline hurries back home.

Coraline takes the key from around her neck and dangles it carelessly as she knocks on the door of Miss Spink and Miss Forcible’s flat. She asks them how their dog is doing, and they say that after a vet visit, he’s fine. Mister Bobo, they say, thinks the dog might’ve had a tussle with a weasel. Coraline asks who Mister Bobo is—Miss Spink and Miss Forcible tell Coraline that Mister Bobo is the name of the man upstairs. He comes from a “fine old circus family” from Eastern Europe. Coraline loudly tells the women, swinging her key as she does, that she’s off to play with her dolls in the meadow.

Coraline is nervous as she heads back to the meadow but remains determined to get rid of the other mother once and for all. She sits down with her dolls, announces she’s brought her “lucky key” with her, and sets it down in the middle of the tablecloth. Coraline loudly makes a show of enjoying a picnic—after several minutes, she hears the telltale scuttling of the other mother’s hand coming toward her. The hand leaps onto the tablecloth, and though it closes around the key, it pulls the cloth, the dolls, and the cups down into the well as it falls all the way down. Coraline hears it splash into the water below and quickly gets to work sealing the well with the heavy planks. 

As Coraline picks up her remaining dolls and starts heading back toward the house, she notices the cat watching her from the bushes. The cat jumps onto the planks covering the well and winks at Coraline, seemingly congratulating her on her handiwork. Coraline gives the cat a belly rub, then watches as it hurries off again into the woods.

Coraline returns to the house—Mister Bobo is standing outside. He tells Coraline that the mice have told him Coraline has saved them all. He then invites her to come watch their performance soon—the mouse circus is nearly ready to make their debut. Coraline goes to visit Miss Spink and Miss Forcible. She returns the stone and thanks them for letting her borrow it. Coraline hugs the women tightly, then leaves.

That night, Coraline gets into bed feeling relieved that the hand is gone at last. She sleeps with her bedroom window open, no longer afraid of its threat. Tomorrow is the first day of school in a new place—but Coraline knows that nothing waiting for her at school could ever seem scary to her anymore. As she falls asleep, she believes she can hear the pleasant tinkles of the mouse circus’ instruments wafting down to her on the warm late-summer breeze.