In the tradition of Lewis Carroll’s Alice in Wonderland, the WALLYPUG OF WHY is rich in nonsense and absurd situations and it humorously depicts life in late-Victorian times. The novel's protagonist, known only as Girlie, finds a letter written home by her youngest brother (known only as Boy). The letter protrudes slightly from its envelope, and Girlie is able to read the following: "I have found a goo." Rather than extract the letter from its envelope and read it completely, Girlie pauses to wonder what a "goo" might be — which leads to a chain of fantastic events. She visits the land of Why, the source of all questions and answers, where the Wallypug is supposedly the king. It is a topsy-turvy place: the Wallypug must address all the citizens as 'Your Majesty' and do what people tell him to do. Many of the residents are talking animals with curious habits and quirks of personality — including a "socialistic cockatoo." The original was illustrated by Harry Furniss, who had collaborated with Lewis Carroll on Sylvie and Bruno (1889) and Sylvie and Bruno Concluded (1893). Vignettes were provided Dorothy Furniss (1879–1944), Furniss’s 15-year-old daughter. 10% of the profit from the sale of this book will be donated to charities. Yesterday’s Books for Today’s Charities ====================== The Wallypug of Why was first published in 1895 and is a children's novel by G. E. Farrow. The book is an exercise in humorous nonsense, rich in wordplay and absurd situations - much in the tradition of Lewis Carroll's Alice's Adventures in Wonderland. A popular success with children in its day, it inaugurated a series of “Adventures by the Wallypug.” This was Farrow's first book and it was well received by the reviewers who likened it to Alice's Adventures in Wonderland, and was enthusiastically received by its child readers. The Wallypug of Why undeniably owes a great deal to Lewis Carroll. In the latter decades of the 19th century there were many Alice imitations, many of them very close to the original. Of these imitators Farrow is easily the best, and also the most prolific. The Wallypug is a genuinely original and endearing character, a "nervous little nonentity who in theory rules the land of Why, but in practice is ruled by his subjects whom he addresses as 'Your Majesty. Harry Furniss's drawings of the Wallypug with his crown tipped over one eye caught the character so well that other illustrators who worked on the Wallypug sequels copied the Furniss interpretation. ====================== TAGS: #Childrens_stories, #ChildrensBooks, #Folklore, #Fairy, #Folk, #Tales, #bedtime_story, #legends, #storyteller, #fables, #moral_tales, #myths, #happiness, #companions, #comrades, #Wallypug, #Majesty, #Olive, #bluedwarfs, #Esq, #Doctor-in-Law, #Auntie, #Cockatoo, #Kis-Smee, #Rex, #Oom, #Ho-Lor, #Sister-in-Law, #old, #poor, #horse, #Kangaroo, #palace, #Mi-Hy, #pretty, #strange, #shouted, #creatures, #shute, #color, #colour, #porter, #station-master, #afraid, #Crow, #forest, #Wallypugland, #Crocodile, #scream, #train, #Turtle, #village, #Blush, #Madame, #Pelican, #uncle, #Gra-Shus, #laugh, #carpet-bag, #crown, #Mike, #Olive, #bottle, #Ape, #bank, #beautiful, #fir cones, #Gombobble, #ridiculous, #aunt, #barrier, #bears, #book, #London, #bedroom, #bottom, #China, #fairies, #Oom-Hi, #Ough, #Will-o’-the-wisp, #Withdraw, #wives, #wretched looking, #Strange Welcome, #Terrible Night, #Late, #Breakfast, #Depose, #Foil, #Little_Blue_People, #Crown, #Wer-Har-Wei, #Railway, #Complexion

While this is not a history book, it does record the first and last ever visit to London by the Wallypug from the mysterious land of Zum. He came for Queen Victoria’s Golden Jubilee in 1887. We are not altogether sure what Queen Victoria thought of the Wallypug, as there is no record in the Royal Archive……?!?!? – but came he did. Because the Wallypug is not a listed Head of State and the Land of Zum does not appear on any official lists at the Home Office, the Wallypug was unceremoniously left off the list of formal invitations. As a result he resided with the author, George Farrow, in the centre of London. While in London he visits all the famous places like the Serpentine, where he fell into the lake when sailing a model boat, upsetting all the other boats. Then he was off to the Tower of London where he gets hopelessly lost. He almost gets arrested by the Metropolitan Police for impersonating a royal personage. Once rescued and returned home, the Police strongly advise that the Wallypug should be accompanied everywhere, as he simply causes too much mayhem when he goes out alone. Don’t look for Zum in your atlases nor on Google maps, for you won’t find it! But fear not! If, one day, you should want to visit the land of Zum: Just go to bed and shut your eyes And count one hundred, one by one; Perhaps you’ll find to your surprise That you’re in Zum when this is done. Do this, when the moon is full, And look for a tiny boat-shaped thing, You may see Pierrot sitting there And you may hear the little fellow sing. If you do, just call him, and he’ll come And carry you away to Zum. Did a royal invitation eventually arrive? – well you’ll have to download and read this little book to find out for yourself! 10% of the profit from the sale of this ebook will be donated to charities. ================ KEYWORDS/TAGS: Wallypug, London, Queen Victoria, Jubilee, 1887, royal invitation, Land of Zum, Serpentine, lost, toy sailboat, metropolitan police, Wallypug of why, full moon, sleep, columbine, Doctor-in-Law, Majesty, Rhymester, Putchy, poor, door, declare, first, exclaim, love, General, Jane, Mary, One-and-Nine, surprise, Jubilee, children, crown, carriage, Grace, large, Duchess, window, Girlie, boy. ladies, letter, Kensington, sixpence,

An annual biographical dictionary, with which is incorporated "Men and women of the time."