The BFG

Sophie asks for water and the BFG does not know what this is. Giants, he explains, drink Frobscottle, which—unlike snozzcumbers—is delicious. Sophie is surprised to see that bubbles travel downwards in frobscottle, unlike carbonated drinks she is used to, where the bubbles travel up. The BFG is shocked to hear about this and he says that bubbles traveling upwards in drinks would cause the drinker to burp. Sophie agrees that this can happen.

With frobscottle, the drinker instead releases whizzpoppers, because the bubbles travel down. Sophie concedes that humans also release whizzpoppers but explains that it is not considered polite. The Giant is affronted by this, because whizzpoppers are considered a fun and joyous sound to the giants. The BFG drinks some frobscottle and is lifted off the ground with a massive and thunderous whizzpopper. Sophie laughs. The BFG urges her to try some. She releases an explosive whizzpopper and the BFG congratulates her: “‘Bravo!’ shouted the BFG, waving the bottle. ‘You is very good for a beginner! Let’s have some more!’” (69).

The BFG announces that he is going to catch dreams, because he does this every day. He insists on taking Sophie in the pocket of his waistcoat, even though she is reluctant to go outside the cave. He takes a suitcase of empty jars and his dream-catching net. Sophie peers out of a hole in the pocket and sees some of the ferocious giants, including the Fleshlumpeater Giant and the Bloodbottler. They gather around the BFG intimidatingly; the Fleshlumpeater grabs him by his hair. The BFG meekly but politely asks to be let go. They grab the BFG and start throwing him between them, and Sophie clings on fearfully in his pocket. They finally drop him and then kick him and command him to run away, while calling rude names at him. They throw rocks at him.

Finally clearing the giants, Sophie emerges from the BFG’s pocket. They discuss the nastiness of the other giants. The BFG tells them more about their strategies of catching and eating humans, such as swimming into beaches from the sea to snatch children as they build sandcastles. The BFG points out that, unlike giants, humans kill each other.

Sophie hides her head in the pocket as the BFG runs quickly. They reach a country of swirling mist, which the BFG explains is Dream Country.

The BFG instructs Sophie to keep her voice at a whisper. The BFG jumps into the air with his dream-catching net. He instructs Sophie to pass him a jar and then a lid and encloses a dream inside. He happily declares that one dream is a golden phizzwizard, which will give a toddler a happy night, and angrily declares that another is a trogglehumper. He explains that a trogglehumper is a nightmare and that he will destroy it back at the cave. Sophie can see an angry, swirling scarlet shape in the jar.

They return to Giant Country, where the other giants are sleeping on the ground.

The BFG claims that he has a great idea. He returns his net to his cave and retrieves his trumpet-like apparatus and walks quietly among the sleeping giants. He uses the trumpet to blow the nightmare they retrieved from Dream Country above the Fleshlumpeater’s face. It is quickly breathed in by the Fleshlumpeater, who starts to have a violent nightmare about Jack—the only human giants are scared of because of his famed giant beanstalk. The Fleshlumpeater accidentally hits a giant in the mouth and kicks another as he flails. The giants wake up and begin violently fighting. The BFG and Sophie are pleased.

Back in the BFG’s cave, Sophie watches as the BFG labels the jars of dreams with the dream’s contents as the BFG explains that he can hear dreams and understand their language. Sophie is dubious and the BFG condemns the skepticism of humans, who only believe what they see. One dream is about the dreamer saving their teacher from a river and resuscitating them. Sophie sees that he is writing “kiss of death” instead of kiss of life. The BFG reminds Sophie that he has not been to school (99). She is contrite for correcting him and apologizes. The BFG allows Sophie to look at more of the labeled dreams on the shelves, including some for boys and some for girls.

Some of the dreams have labels with long synopses, such as a detailed description of a dream where the dreamer turns invisible in the bath and confuses his family, whereas others, from days the BFG was tired and caught many dreams, have brief overviews, such as “I is inventing a car that runs on toothpaste” (110).

From outside the cave, they hear the thunderous noise of the other giants leaving to find people to eat and they tell the BFG that they are going to eat people in England that night.

It is dusk and Sophie and the BFG sit outside the BFG’s cave. Sophie tells the BFG that they have to do something to stop the giants. The BFG explains that there is nothing that can be done—if he is spotted by an adult human, he will be put into a zoo. Sophie suggests that some adult humans are kind, like the Queen. She suggests that she could tell the Queen about the situation, but the BFG reminds Sophie that the Queen does not believe in giants, so she will not believe Sophie’s story.

Sophie has an idea. Excitedly, she asks whether the giant can make a dreamer dream anything that he wants. He confirms that by combining the right dreams, he can create any dream. Sophie suggests that he should make a dream about himself, the Big Friendly Giant, as well as the nine other giants and their habit of eating people. Lastly, the Queen should dream that a little girl called Sophie is sitting on her windowsill, who can tell her where to find the BFG. Then, the Queen is to wake up. Sophie urges the BFG to make it immediately so they can go to the Queen that very night, to save the people who will be eaten by giants the next night. Sophie, filled with gratitude, kisses the BFG on the top of his thumb.

The BFG gets a large glass jar and moves excitedly around his cave, collecting the necessary dreams. He gets a giant egg beater and stirs the dreams together. Colorful bubbles float out and the BFG explains that they are the discarded bits of dream which are not being used, and that they will return to Dream Country.

Sophie tells the BFG that he doesn’t need his whole suitcase for one dream jar. He puts it in his pocket, and Sophie rides in his ear, which he tips so that it is flat. She has to whisper to avoid deafening him. The BFG begins to run to London.