Reading notes: Twenty-Two Goblins, reading B
In reading the second half of the goblin's riddles in Twenty-Two Goblins, I want to focus again on Ryder's beautiful narrative. His way with words fantastically illustrate his stories, so much so that they almost don't even need illustrations (but I'm glad they have them, because they are beautiful!)
In The Snake's Poison, his skill in describing beauty remains evident. When talking about Beautiful, he says, "No doubt the Creator put together in her the priceless elements of charm and loveliness after his practice in making the nymphs of heaven," and when she is stolen, her husband asks, "Was the night jealous of your beauty; did she carry you away?" And when her husband is searching for her, Ryder says this:
"As he wandered, the summer came on him like a lion, the blazing sun its mouth, and the sunbeams its mane. And the hot wind blew, made hotter yet by the sighs of travellers separated from their wives. And the yellow mud dried and cracked, as if the lakes were broken-hearted at the loss of their lotuses. And the trees, filled with chirping birds, seemed to lament the absence of the spring, and their withering leaves seemed like lips that grow dry in the heat."
I found that description very illustrative and beautiful, and it gave me insight both into what the scene looked like and how the husband felt, despite the paragraph not saying anything about his thoughts or feelings.
And speaking on lions and seasons, I found it interesting that in The General's Wife, Ryder says, "After a time, the lion of spring came dancing through the forest and slew the elephant of winter" when previously a lion was used to illustrate summer. I also wonder why the elephant represents winter -- maybe due to its gray skin?
Finally, in contrast to the many descriptions of beautiful women, I liked the description of The Old Hermit: "His veins stuck out like cords to bind him, as if afraid that he would break in pieces. His hair was tawny like the lightning."
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| Hariswami searching for his wife. Source: UnTextbook |
"As he wandered, the summer came on him like a lion, the blazing sun its mouth, and the sunbeams its mane. And the hot wind blew, made hotter yet by the sighs of travellers separated from their wives. And the yellow mud dried and cracked, as if the lakes were broken-hearted at the loss of their lotuses. And the trees, filled with chirping birds, seemed to lament the absence of the spring, and their withering leaves seemed like lips that grow dry in the heat."
I found that description very illustrative and beautiful, and it gave me insight both into what the scene looked like and how the husband felt, despite the paragraph not saying anything about his thoughts or feelings.
And speaking on lions and seasons, I found it interesting that in The General's Wife, Ryder says, "After a time, the lion of spring came dancing through the forest and slew the elephant of winter" when previously a lion was used to illustrate summer. I also wonder why the elephant represents winter -- maybe due to its gray skin?
Finally, in contrast to the many descriptions of beautiful women, I liked the description of The Old Hermit: "His veins stuck out like cords to bind him, as if afraid that he would break in pieces. His hair was tawny like the lightning."
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