The Magician's Nephew Quotes

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

I suppose you planned the whole thing, so that she'd go without knowing it and then I'd have to go after her."
"Of course," said Uncle Andrew with his hateful smile.
"Very well. I'll go. But there's one thing I jolly well mean to say first. I didn't believe in Magic till today. 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."

What it said was something like this - at least this is the sense of it though the poetry, when you read it there, was better: 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.
"No fear!" said Polly. "We don't want any danger."

Digory suddenly remembered that Uncle Andrew had used exactly the same words. But they sounded much grander when Queen Jadis said them; perhaps because Uncle Andrew was not seven feet tall and dazzling beautiful.

I expect most witches are like that. They are not interested in things or people unless they can use them; they are terribly practical.

And if you want me to come back, hadn't you better say you're sorry?"
"Sorry?" exclaimed Digory. "Well now, if that isn't just like a girl! What have I done?"
"Oh nothing of course," said Polly sarcastically. "Only nearly screwed my wrist off in that room with all the waxworks, like a cowardly bully. Only struck the bell with the hammer, like a silly idiot. Only turned back in the wood so that she had time to catch hold of you before we jumped into our own pool. That's all."

"This is not Charn," came the Witch's voice. "This is an empty world. This is Nothing."

"Narnia, Narnia, Narnia, awake. Love. Think. Speak."
 
"Of course it can't really have been singing," he thought, "I must have imagined it. Who ever heard of a lion singing?"
 
"Why," said the Bulldog, "if a fellow can't trust his nose, what is he to trust?"
"Well, his brains perhaps," she replied mildly.
 
"I don't suppose they're anywhere yet," said Polly. "I mean, there's no one there, and nothing happening. The world only began to-day."
"No, but people will get there," said Digory. "And then they'll have histories, you know."
 
"No thanks," said Digory, "I don't know that I care much about living on and on after everyone I know is dead. I'd rather live an ordinary time and die and go to Heaven."
 
"Be just and merciful and brave. The blessing is upon you."
 
"Understand, then, that it would have healed her; but not to your joy or hers."