Sunday, July 12, 2015

278 Quiz Answer

Charles Lutwidge Dodgson, better known by his pen name, Lewis Carroll, wrote Alice's Adventures in Wonderland and its sequel Through the Looking-Glass.
(Also for Three Word Wednesday and ABC Wednesday: "A" is for "Alan")

(The following scenelet might suggest to you a Victorian gentleman who became a well-known writer.  Who was he?)

“Millie!  Come in, sit down.  What was it you wanted to talk to me about?”

“Well, a number of us mothers in the neighborhood have come to the conclusion that there’s a potential dangerous risk living here.  I’m speaking of Mr. Halleck.”

“Alan Halleck!  Dangerous?  We’ve known Alan for years.  He’s about the most un-dangerous person I could imagine.  Why would you think such a thing?”

“A number of us have been wondering about this for some time.  It’s what happened last Wednesday that finally convinced us that something should be done.”

“And what was that?”

“Mr. Halleck took some children for a boat ride and picnic…”

“Yes, I’m well aware of that.  My daughter was one of the kids.  We knew all about it.”

“And you didn’t find this bizarre, suspicious?”

 

“He just took the girls out for a boat ride on the river and they stopped and had a picnic on the riverside.  Then he brought them home.  And for this you want the guy arrested?”

“You’re missing the point.  None of those children were his…”

“Millie, he’s not married; he has no kids.”

“Exactly.  Which makes it all the more odd that he takes other folks’ children for boat rides and picnics.”

“Good lord, if you knew Alan Halleck as well as we do.  He’s a quiet sort of lonely guy who teaches arithmetic.  It may be boring to say this but he’s what you might call mousy.  No harm to him at all.”

“That’s what they say about all the dangerous child molesters at first.  We should have zero tolerance for such stuff.”

“Child molester!  What he loves to do is tell the kids stories, and they really enjoy them.”

“Now you’re getting to another key point.  What he told those children during that boat ride was outrageous.  Dark tales of people getting their heads cut off and other such terrifying stuff.  Not suitable for little kids.”

“Wait a minute.  Those weren’t little four or five-year-olds.  My daughter is ten and she was well aware that what Mr. Halleck was doing was telling the equivalent of harmless ghost stories.  Except she says his tales are much more fantastical and quite funny. 

“She might be the exception.”

“She loves the stories he tells.  She thinks he should publish them in a book so kids in the future can enjoy them too.”

(The answer will be posted Saturday.)
 

31 comments:

Altonian said...

This is Charles Dodgson, a.k.a. Lewis Carroll, who wrote Alice in Wonderland, etc. and who seemed to have a fascination for young girls. All innocent enough, but today the poor chap would probably be crucified.

naturgesetz said...

Lewis Carroll, I shouldn't wonder.

Berowne said...

Naturgesetz and Altonian have started us off with the correct answer.

Helen said...

Might the gentleman be Lewis Carroll?

Kathe W. said...

I loved Lewis Carroll's Alice in Wonderland!

Berowne said...

Another right answer, this time from Kathe W and Helen.

Gail said...

I am at a loss. When I hear the answer I will oh, I should have known!

Thank you for visiting.

kaykuala said...

A toss-up between Charles Dickens and Thomas Hardy perhaps!

Hank

The Blog of Bee said...

Lewis Carroll

Berowne said...

The Blog of Bee has just joined us with the correct answer.

Truedessa said...

Hi Berowne, I am having a bit of trouble with this one.

Roger Owen Green said...

Sounds a bit like the storyteller in “The Storyteller” by Saki.

Mama Pajama said...

J.M. Barrie, or Lewis Carroll?

Trubes said...

Is it Heinrich Hoffman who wrote Struwwelpeter ?

Best wishes,
Di.
ABCW team.

Trubes said...

Second thought? Could it be Lewis Carroll of Alice in Wonderland fame? He was unmarried and suspected of paedophilia .... He was the vicar of a church about 30 miles from where I live,

Best wishes,
Di.
ABCW team.

Berowne said...

Trubes had second thoughts and came up with the right answer.

Berowne said...

Let us now add Mama Pajama to the list of those with the correct answer.

Leslie: said...

I'm going to guess Charles Dickens.

Joy said...

I hope we are going down a rabbit hole at some point with Charles Dodgson and his nom de plume.

Berowne said...

Joy has just coughed up the right answer.

Ninot said...

Oscar Wilde...

Leslie: said...

If it's not Dickens is it Poe?

Lydia said...

I'm stumped! But ever, ever so curious to know the answer.

Have I told you lately how much I love your iconic profile pic? I've mentioned it in the past....and it remains my favorite in the blogosphere.

Reader Wil said...

Is it "Alice's Adventures in Wonderland", by C.L.Dodgson ? Your post is a nice piece of literature as always.

Wil, ABCW Team

Old Egg said...

This surely is Lewis Carroll with his adventures with Alice!

Jae Rose said...

Ah well Mr Carroll has a lot to answer for and I actually agree with her concerns...there's a reason I want to keep Alice safe..

Berowne said...

Trifecta! Reader Wil, Old Egg and Jae Rose have all come up with the right answer.

Anya Padyam said...

Can't wait to find out ...

Gillena Cox said...

dont have a clue but your's is certainly not a boring tale

have a good Wednesday

much love...

21 Wits said...

Oh goodness, it's got to be- M.R. James, aka Montague Rhodes James!

Berowne said...

Quite a good guess, actually, but not the right answer.

 
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