# The History of the Seven Families of the Lake Pipple-Popple explained — Nonsense Books

> Chapter companion for Nonsense Books by Edward Lear.

## What happens

This chapter introduces the seven families living by Lake Pipple-Popple—Parrots, Storks, Geese, Owls, Guinea Pigs, Cats, and Fishes—each with distinct habits. The parents send their forty-nine children into the world with warnings, but each group of young meets a disastrous end due to quarreling, curiosity, or folly. The surviving creatures celebrate, and the grieving parents pickle themselves in bottles.

## Themes in this chapter

### Nonsense and Absurdity

The entire chapter is a prime example of Lear's nonsense, with absurd creatures, ridiculous deaths, and a mock-serious tone.

### Mortality and Loss

All forty-nine children die in bizarre accidents, and the parents subsequently pickle themselves, highlighting themes of death and grief.

### Social Absurdity and Conformity

The children's inability to follow parental warnings and their tendency to quarrel reflect the absurdity of social rules and conformity.

## Character check-ins

### The Parrots

The family of two old Parrots and seven young Parrots; the young Parrots fight over a cherry and tear each other to bits.

### The Storks

The family of two old Storks and seven young Storks; the young Storks quarrel over a frog and peck each other to pieces.

### The Geese

The family of two old Geese and seven young Geese; the young Geese are killed by a Plum-pudding Flea.

### The Owls

The family of two old Owls and seven young Owls; the young Owls fall into a well and drown.

### The Guinea Pigs

The family of two old Guinea Pigs and seven young Guinea Pigs; the young Guinea Pigs die from hitting their heads on a lettuce stalk.

### The Cats

The family of two old Cats and seven young Cats; the young Cats die of exhaustion chasing a Clangle-Wangle.

## Key lines

> If you find a cherry, do not fight about who should have it.

The old Parrots warned their children not to quarrel over a cherry.

_This warning is immediately ignored, leading to the young Parrots' demise._

> Above all things, avoid eating a blue boss-woss; for they do not agree with fishes, and give them a pain in their toes.

The old Fishes cautioned their children against eating a Blue Boss-Woss.

_The young Fishes chase a Blue Boss-Woss into mud and suffocate._

> And after this they filled the bottles with the ingredients for pickling, and each couple jumped into

The parents filled glass bottles with pickling ingredients and then jumped into them.

_The parents commit a form of suicide by pickling themselves after learning of their children's deaths._

## Links

- HTML: https://www.betterreads.online/discover/nonsense_books_se/chapters/the-history-of-the-seven-families-of-the-lake-pipple-popple
- Book: https://www.betterreads.online/discover/nonsense_books_se
- All chapters: https://www.betterreads.online/discover/nonsense_books_se/chapters