The Magician’s Nephew: Chapter 6 Summary & Analysis

When the children emerge once again in the Wood between the Worlds, they discover that the Queen is still with them, clutching Polly’s hair. Now they realize that it’s not actually necessary to wear a magic ring in order to jump from one world to another; one simply has to be touching a ring, or touching someone who is—the rings work rather like magnets.

In the wood, the Queen looks pale and struggles for breath. The children struggle with the Queen, and she finally lets go of Polly’s hair. The Queen looks terrified; she begs for mercy, asking the children to take her home with them. Polly feels spiteful toward the Queen, while Digory feels a little sorry for her. But Polly prevails upon him to jump together into the home pool. As they do, Digory feels the grip of the Queen’s fingers on his ear.

The children find themselves and the Queen back in Uncle Andrew’s study. Uncle Andrew stares in wonder at the Queen, who has now recovered her strength. In the midst of the ordinary world, the Queen looks more breathtaking than ever. She is huge, for one thing—as indeed there is rumored to be “giantish” blood in the Charn royal family. She is also beautiful and wild, looking more alive than an average person.

Beside the Witch, Uncle Andrew “seemed a little shrimp of a creature.” Nevertheless, there is something similar about the two: “the look that all wicked Magicians have, the ‘Mark’” which was lacking in Digory’s face. Compared to Jadis, Uncle Andrew no longer appears scary to the children.

Queen Jadis demands to meet the Magician who summoned her to this world. Uncle Andrew, bowing and babbling, approaches the Queen, who seizes his hair and studies him appraisingly. Finally she releases him, calling him “a Magician—of a sort,” but also a “dog” who obviously lacks royal blood.

The Witch goes on to call Uncle Andrew “a little, peddling Magician who works by rules and books” and has “no real Magic in your blood and heart.” But he’s suitable, she says, to be her servant. She demands first that he acquire a noble conveyance for her—something like a flying carpet or a dragon. He must also take her shopping for suitable clothes and jewels. Tomorrow she will begin taking over the world.

As Uncle Andrew scurries off, the children fear that Jadis will scold them for the tussle in the wood. However, she says nothing about it. Digory later thinks that the Queen’s mind is such that she cannot remember or understand a place like the wood, no matter how much time she spent there. And now she takes no notice of the children, because they’re no longer of any use to her.

Eventually, the Queen impatiently goes off in pursuit of Uncle Andrew. Polly heads home for dinner, for which she’s terribly late. To Digory’s protests, she says that if he wanted her help, he’d better apologize for getting them into this mess in the first place, by overruling Polly and setting the Queen loose on them and their world. Digory is surprised and apologizes.

Meanwhile, Uncle Andrew, upon getting his orders from the Witch, goes directly to his bedroom and pours himself a drink. Then he begins putting on his very best clothes and tall hat, even sticking a flower in his button-hole—“Uncle Andrew was beginning to be silly in a very grown-up way,” forgetting how frightening the Witch is and focusing only on her beauty. He calls her “a dem fine woman” and feels as if he summoned her from the magical realm himself.

Uncle Andrew goes downstairs and finds Aunt Letty mending a mattress. He sends Sarah the housemaid to fetch a hansom cab. He asks Aunt Letty to lend him five pounds, which she flatly refuses—Uncle Andrew has mismanaged her money in the past. She doesn’t buy his story that he has a special guest to entertain. Just then, the Witch bursts into the room.