The BFG

by Roald Dahl

Quite slowly, the topmost bubble rose up through the neck of the jar and floated away. A second one followed. Then a third and a fourth. Soon the cave was filled with hundreds of beautifully coloured bubbles, all drifting gently through the air. It was truly a wonderful sight. As Sophie watched them, they all started floating towards the cave entrance, which was still open. ‘They’re going out,’ Sophie whispered. ‘Of course,’ the BFG said. ‘Where to?’ ‘Those is all little tiny dream-bits that I isn’t using,’ the BFG said. ‘They is going back to the misty country to join up with proper dreams.’ ‘It’s all a bit beyond me,’ Sophie said. ‘Dreams is full of mystery and magic,’ the BFG said. ‘Do not try to understand them.

But be careful, the Queen told herself. Keep very calm. Because this is surely not very far from the place where madness begins.

‘This place we’re flying over now isn’t in the atlas, is it?’ the pilot said, grinning. ‘You’re darn right it isn’t in the atlas!’ cried the Head of the Air Force. ‘We’ve flown clear off the last page!’