The Magician's Nephew: Chapters 4–6

by C.S. Lewis
In this prequel set before The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe, Digory Kirke and Polly Plummer are forced by a magician to be his test subjects for rings created to travel between worlds.

Here are links to our lists for the novel: Chapters 1–3, Chapters 4–6, Chapters 7–10, Chapters 11–15

To explore more of our lists on The Chronicles of Narnia, click here.
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Full list of words from this list:

words only definitions & notes
  1. rubble
    the remains of something that has been destroyed
    One of the arched doorways was half filled up with rubble.
  2. keen
    having or showing great excitement and interest
    “I only thought you didn’t seem very keen on exploring this place.”
  3. threshold
    the entrance for passing through a room or building
    And when they stood on the threshold and could look in, they saw it was not so dark inside as they had thought at first.
  4. basin
    a bowl-shaped vessel used for holding food or liquids
    Under it was a wide stone basin to hold the water; but it was as dry as a bone.
  5. dreary
    lacking in liveliness or charm or surprise
    It was all so dreary and all so much the same that even Digory was thinking they had better put on their yellow rings and get back to the warm, green, living forest of the In-between place, when they came to two huge doors of some metal that might possibly be gold.
  6. majestic
    having or displaying great dignity or nobility
    And the blaze of their colors made this room look, not exactly cheerful, but at any rate rich and majestic after all the dust and emptiness of the others.
  7. astonishing
    so surprisingly impressive as to stun or overwhelm
    Precious stones of astonishing size and brightness stared from their crowns and hung in chains round their necks and peeped out from all the places where anything was fastened.
  8. despair
    abandon hope; lose heart
    They were even despairing faces: as if the people they belonged to had done dreadful things and also suffered dreadful things.
  9. hastily
    in a hurried manner
    “How exactly like a man!” said Polly in a very grown-up voice; but she added hastily, in her real voice, “And don’t say I’m just like a woman, or you’ll be a beastly copy-cat.”
  10. obstinate
    refusing to change one's mind or ways; difficult to convince
    I’ve had enough of this place. And I’ve had enough of you too—you beastly, stuck-up, obstinate pig!
  11. masonry
    structure built of stone or brick
    Finally, with a sudden rush and thunder, and a shake that nearly flung them off their feet, about a quarter of the roof at one end of the room fell in, great blocks of masonry fell all round them, and the walls rocked.
  12. unbearable
    incapable of being put up with
    It was never found out whether the fall of the roof was due to Magic or whether that unbearably loud sound from the bell just happened to strike the note which was more than those crumbling walls could stand.
  13. stride
    a step in walking or running
    She came forward with long, swift strides.
  14. pincer
    a hand tool used for grasping
    “You!” said the Queen, laying her hand on his shoulder—a white, beautiful hand, but Digory could feel that it was strong as steel pincers.
  15. peril
    a state of danger involving risk
    "There is great peril here," said the Queen. “The whole palace is breaking up. If we are not out of it in a few minutes we shall be buried under the ruin.”
  16. sulky
    sullen or moody
    Polly, who was disliking the Queen and feeling rather sulky, would not have let her hand be taken if she could have helped it.
  17. principal
    main or most important
    "That is the door to the dungeons,” she would say, or "That passage leads to the principal torture chambers,” or "This was the old banqueting hall where my great-grandfather bade seven hundred nobles to a feast and killed them all before they had drunk their fill. They had had rebellious thoughts.”
  18. stale
    lacking freshness, palatability, or showing deterioration
    The wind that blew in their faces was cold, yet somehow stale.
  19. weary
    physically and mentally fatigued
    Digory felt at once that it was also older than ours: a sun near the end of its life, weary of looking down upon that world.
  20. dismal
    causing dejection
    To the left of the sun, and higher up, there was a single star, big and bright. Those were the only two things to be seen in the dark sky; they made a dismal group.
  21. withered
    lean and wrinkled by shrinkage as from age or illness
    And all the temples, towers, palaces, pyramids, and bridges cast long, disastrous-looking shadows in the light of that withered sun.
  22. deplorable
    bad; unfortunate
    Then I spoke the Deplorable Word. A moment later I was the only living thing beneath the sun.
  23. contemptuous
    expressing extreme scorn
    The Queen gave a contemptuous smile.
  24. incantation
    a ritual reciting of words believed to have a magical effect
    Do you think that I, with my beauty and my Magic, will not have your whole world at my feet before a year has passed? Prepare your incantations and take me there at once.
  25. duly
    in an appropriate or proper manner
    But if he honors me duly, he shall keep his life and his throne.
  26. potent
    having or wielding force or authority
    And by his art he has seen the shadow of my face, in some magic mirror or some enchanted pool; and for the love of my beauty he has made a potent spell which shook your world to its foundations and sent you across the vast gulf between world and world to ask my favor and to bring me to him.
  27. minion
    a servile or fawning dependent
    “Minions!” cried the Queen, turning in rage upon Polly and seizing her hair, at the very top of her head where it hurts most.
  28. stifle
    impair the respiration of or obstruct the air passage of
    And she was stooped and seemed to be finding it hard to breathe, as if the air of that place stifled her.
  29. spiteful
    showing malicious ill will and a desire to hurt
    “It’s a reason of State," said Polly spitefully. “Like when you killed all those people in your own world. Do be quick, Digory."
  30. sham
    make a pretense of
    Ten to one she’s only shamming.
  31. dabble
    work with in an amateurish manner
    His “experiment” with the rings, as he called it, was turning out more successful than he liked: for though he had dabbled in Magic for years he had always left all the dangers (as far as one can) to other people.
  32. gratify
    make happy or satisfied
    "I am most honored—highly gratified—a most unexpected pleasure—if only I had had the opportunity of making any preparations—I—I—”
  33. scornful
    expressing extreme contempt
    “I see,” she said scornfully, “you are a Magician—of a sort. Stand up, dog, and don’t sprawl there as if you were speaking to your equals. How do you come to know Magic? You are not of royal blood, I’ll swear.”
  34. procure
    get by special effort
    Procure for me at once a chariot or a flying carpet or a well-trained dragon, or whatever is usual for royal and noble persons in your land.
  35. conquest
    the act of defeating and taking control of
    Tomorrow I will begin the conquest of the world.
  36. treachery
    an act of deliberate betrayal
    Do not dream of treachery. My eyes can see through walls and into the minds of men.
  37. practical
    concerned with actual use
    I expect most witches are like that. They are not interested in things or people unless they can use them; they are terribly practical.
  38. ghastly
    shockingly repellent; inspiring horror
    “This is simply ghastly, having her here. We must make some sort of plan.”
  39. homely
    plain and unpretentious
    And she crawled through the little door into the tunnel; and that dark place among the rafters which had seemed so exciting and adventurous a few hours ago, seemed quite tame and homely now.
  40. distinguished
    befitting an eminent person
    “Andrew, my boy,” he said to himself as he looked in the glass, “you’re a devilish well preserved fellow for your age. A distinguished-looking man, sir.”
Created on Mon Sep 12 12:47:15 EDT 2016 (updated Thu Jul 13 08:49:15 EDT 2023)

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