Digory and Polly are two children living in London at the turn of the century. While exploring their rowhouse, they come upon Digory's Uncle Andrew in his study. Polly disappears when she touches one of Uncle Andrew's magic Rings and Digory goes after her. Both children find themselves in a wood between different worlds. Using the rings, they jump into one of the pools and find themselves in the empty, dead world of Charn, where they awaken the evil witch Jadis, who destroyed Charn and now wishes to take over other worlds. They wind up taking her back to London, where she creates havoc until Digory and Polly use the rings to bring her back to the wood. They, along with Uncle Andrew, a cabbie and his horse, enter a world that is just being created. The Creator, Aslan the great Lion, sends Digory on a quest to protect the young land of Narnia from the evil that has entered it . . . .