Hail, King Bartholomew!
For the last several months, your Dragonmaster has ventured into the Borders bookstore at the Time Warner Center, 10 Columbus Circle, here in Manhattan --- where a title that has particularly captivated me for some time now has been gathering dust in its children's section, unwanted by anyone. I speak in this instance of King Bartholomew and the Jester's Riddle, written by Pina Mastromonico and illustrated by David Martin, and available from Merry Lane Press (also based hither in mine adopted metropolis --- how fortuitous!).
King Bartholomew loves puzzles and riddles, but he is rather selfish. Even when his loyal Court Jester (who, for once, is in fact a woman!) explains that his continued ignorance of the affairs of his Kingdom is putting the whole place in jeopardy, the King is still determined to keep his royal mind off of his royal duties. Finally, the Jester comes up with a doozy of a Riddle: What is it that belongs only to you, and yet is used most often by those around you? Well, thinking that the idea of that Riddle might result in his "precious possessions" being filched from him, King Bartholomew orders everyone banished from the Kingdom. He spends several weeks alone, playing contentedly, until finally, loneliness sets in; and the King finds it hard to be without his loyal subjects, and especially the Court Jester, whom he considers to be his best friend.
When he joins in at the Carnival later that evening, he resolves to change his selfish ways --- and, in so doing, solves the answer to the Jester's Riddle! (I don't think it'll spoil it for you were I to blab that the answer to the Jester's Riddle is: a person's own name! I came across a riddle not dissimilar to the one presented here long ago; so obviously I am not surprised by this particular Riddle.)
What is surprising is the notion that, while a Court Jester is traditionally male, here it's a woman who occupies the post --- and more, we even see the Jester at home, wearing civilian clothes! Apparently the view here is that the function of Court Jester is as much a job as it is a responsibilty! Clad in royal reddish robes and four-foot-one-ish, if you will, King Bartholomew himself is a perfect contrast to the Jester's purple-and-green regalia, just perfect for a 6-footer of her stature.
Hear me, Alan Halpern, Publisher of Merry Lane: methinks ye hast a winner in King Bartholomew and the Jester's Riddle; and I shall be quite furious at you if I do not see you hard at work on asking Pina and David to give this wonderful partnership further adventures! Clearly, King Bartholomew and his faithful Jester have a lot more to share with us; and I think Merry Lane Press would do well to make another Bartholomew book happen! You out there who would agree with me on this, pray let Alan know by e-mailing alan@merrylanepress.com. If you're not in the mood to wait, the snailmail address is 18 East 16th Street, Seventh Floor, New York, NY 10003.
Long point short, long live King Bartholomew! I look forward to reading more about him in the months to come!
Master Blackwolf
King Bartholomew loves puzzles and riddles, but he is rather selfish. Even when his loyal Court Jester (who, for once, is in fact a woman!) explains that his continued ignorance of the affairs of his Kingdom is putting the whole place in jeopardy, the King is still determined to keep his royal mind off of his royal duties. Finally, the Jester comes up with a doozy of a Riddle: What is it that belongs only to you, and yet is used most often by those around you? Well, thinking that the idea of that Riddle might result in his "precious possessions" being filched from him, King Bartholomew orders everyone banished from the Kingdom. He spends several weeks alone, playing contentedly, until finally, loneliness sets in; and the King finds it hard to be without his loyal subjects, and especially the Court Jester, whom he considers to be his best friend.
When he joins in at the Carnival later that evening, he resolves to change his selfish ways --- and, in so doing, solves the answer to the Jester's Riddle! (I don't think it'll spoil it for you were I to blab that the answer to the Jester's Riddle is: a person's own name! I came across a riddle not dissimilar to the one presented here long ago; so obviously I am not surprised by this particular Riddle.)
What is surprising is the notion that, while a Court Jester is traditionally male, here it's a woman who occupies the post --- and more, we even see the Jester at home, wearing civilian clothes! Apparently the view here is that the function of Court Jester is as much a job as it is a responsibilty! Clad in royal reddish robes and four-foot-one-ish, if you will, King Bartholomew himself is a perfect contrast to the Jester's purple-and-green regalia, just perfect for a 6-footer of her stature.
Hear me, Alan Halpern, Publisher of Merry Lane: methinks ye hast a winner in King Bartholomew and the Jester's Riddle; and I shall be quite furious at you if I do not see you hard at work on asking Pina and David to give this wonderful partnership further adventures! Clearly, King Bartholomew and his faithful Jester have a lot more to share with us; and I think Merry Lane Press would do well to make another Bartholomew book happen! You out there who would agree with me on this, pray let Alan know by e-mailing alan@merrylanepress.com. If you're not in the mood to wait, the snailmail address is 18 East 16th Street, Seventh Floor, New York, NY 10003.
Long point short, long live King Bartholomew! I look forward to reading more about him in the months to come!
Master Blackwolf
posted by Master Blackwolf | 7:59 AM
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