The answer to my Monday Inchie dragon question.
The book on which my inchie was based is Arthur Ransome's Missee Lee - one of his famous Swallows and Amazons series. If your childhood didn't include any of his books, you were severely deprived (my own, personal opinion)!
Snafu wins the distinction of being the first to guess (see his cleverly veiled comment). I am not surprised - we share a love of Arthur Ransome's books!
Missee Lee finds the original cast of Swallows and Amazons (Nancy & Peggy, with their uncle, Captain Flint, and their friends, John, Roger, Susan and Titty) sailing in the South China Seas. Suddenly their boat is ablaze and they are adrift in two small dinghies. They make their way to land only to find themselves the captives of one of the last remaining pirates off the China Coast - Missee Lee. She is a most unusual pirate, though, and not to spoil the story, it is still worth the read, even as an adult. I have the whole set now, and recently re-read them all - such a treat!
This is the illustration that sparked my inchie idea.
To tell you what the dragon dance was all about would be to give away the story - you'll have to read it now!
I will have to get to the library and borrow those books -- seriously. I think I only read the one Swallows and Amazons. Guess what. I'm actually sitting out on the patio and the birds are making a racket. In addition Mom and Pop and Junior Orioles have been visiting. The weather is a little warmer today. I love that illustration of the loooong dragon.
ReplyDeleteA bit unfair for me to answer, you know how much I like those books and have comitted them to memory since about age eight. Incidentaly for those unfamiliar with them, Missee Lee along with another title Peter Duck are supposed to be stories about themselves made up by the Swallows and Amazons on dark winter days in their uncle's houseboat whilst they are unable to sail on the lake. All the other books are about their sailing holidays in the Lake district, the Norfolk Broads and around the East coast tidal estturies.
ReplyDeleteYou won't be sorry, ChrisJ - I am sure you will love them!
ReplyDeleteYou certainly did have the advantage, snafu, so I wasn't surprised you would guess right away!