The BFG Chapter Sixteen: Mixing the Dream Summary

  • Night falls. The BFG rushes them both into the cave. He places Sophie on the table and tells her not to speak because he needs complete concentration while he mixes the dream.
  • The BFG runs from shelf to shelf to gather different elements of the dream, and tips them all into a giant jar. The dreams sit there in individual blobs until he takes what looks like a giant eggbeater and mixes the dreams.
  • The parts of the individual dreams that won’t be used float like bubbles out of the cave to return to the world. (Since the bubbles are floating up, guess which sound they would produce? Not a whizzpopper, that’s for sure.)
  • The dream inside the jar turns red and starts fighting to get outside. Creepy.
  • Sophie realizes it’s a nightmare and worries about putting the Queen through that. But the BFG points out that it’s worth it if it will save lives. Roald is at it with the deep moral questions again.
  • The BFG puts the dream-bottle in his pocket. Sophie doesn’t want to sit next to it, so she asks the BFG if he can swivel his ear like a teacup so she can sit inside.
  • He does this. Among his other great qualities, he’s got some really flexible ears.
  • After a few false starts where Sophie tries to ask him if they’re ready and he screams that she’s speaking too loud, Sophie whispers her question. The BFG takes off.