Nonsense Books · Chapter
The Jumblies explained
The Jumblies, despite warnings from friends, set sail in a sieve on a stormy day.
What happens
The Jumblies, despite warnings from friends, set sail in a sieve on a stormy day. They endure leaks by wrapping their feet in paper and spending the night in a crockery-jar, singing happily. They sail to the Western Sea, buy various items, and return after twenty years, celebrated by all who marvel at their journey.
Themes in this chapter
Adventure and Exploration
The Jumblies' voyage in a sieve exemplifies a bold, unconventional adventure, defying practical warnings to explore distant lands.
Nonsense and Absurdity
The absurd premise of sailing in a sieve, along with whimsical details like a pea-green veil sail and a tobacco-pipe mast, embodies Lear's signature nonsense.
Characters to notice
- The Jumblies
The Jumblies are the protagonists who embark on a daring sea voyage in a sieve, showing their adventurous and carefree spirit.
Key passages
“They went to sea in a sieve, they did; In a sieve they went to sea: In spite of all their friends could say, On a winter's morn, on a stormy day, In a sieve they went to sea.”
Despite everyone's warnings, the Jumblies set out on a stormy winter morning, sailing in a sieve.
Highlights the Jumblies' defiance and the absurdity of their chosen vessel.
“And in twenty years they all came back— In twenty years or more; And everyone said, 'How tall they've grown!'”
After twenty years, the Jumblies returned, and everyone remarked on how much they had grown.
Marks the successful completion of their long voyage and the passage of time.