# XVI: A Changed Crocodile explained — Sylvie and Bruno > Chapter companion for Sylvie and Bruno by Lewis Carroll. ## What happens The narrator visits the Earl and Lady Muriel, who invite him and Arthur Forester to a picnic. On his way to deliver the invitation, he becomes lost in the woods and encounters Sylvie and Bruno. They tell him about the Professor's machine that can shorten or lengthen things, recounting an anecdote about a crocodile that was shortened and then stretched. Sylvie and Bruno agree to visit the narrator's friends as common children on the following Tuesday. ## Themes in this chapter ### Innocence and Childhood Wisdom Bruno and Sylvie's playful logic and imaginative stories about the crocodile and the machine highlight the innocent perspective of childhood. ### Reality vs. Fantasy The narrator transitions from the 'Commonplace' world of the picnic invitation to the fantastical encounter with Sylvie and Bruno, blurring the line between reality and fantasy. ## Character check-ins ### Narrator The narrator visits Lady Muriel and the Earl, gets lost in the woods, and meets Sylvie and Bruno. ### Sylvie Sylvie is found with Bruno in the woods, tells the story of the shortened crocodile, and agrees to visit as a common child. ### Bruno Bruno is with Sylvie, describes the Professor's machine and the crocodile, and argues about walking on its forehead. ### Lady Muriel Orme Lady Muriel warmly welcomes the narrator and invites him and Arthur to a picnic. ### Arthur Forester Arthur is mentioned as the lovesick young doctor whom the narrator persuades to join the picnic. ### Professor The Professor is mentioned as the inventor of the machine that shortens and lengthens things; he is preparing a lecture. ## Key lines > No, he doesn't like them! ... He's not afraid of them, you know. But he doesn't like them. He says they're too waggly! Bruno dislikes snakes because they are too wiggly, though he is not scared of them. _Sylvie explains Bruno's aversion to snakes._ > And one day—when we was in Outland, oo know—before we came to Fairyland—me and Sylvie took him a big Crocodile. And he shortened it up for us. Bruno recounts how he and Sylvie brought a large crocodile to the Professor, who used his machine to make it shorter. _Bruno tells the story of the shortened crocodile._ > We'd better come as—common children. That's the easiest size to manage. Sylvie suggests that she and Bruno should appear as ordinary children to avoid awkwardness when visiting the narrator's friends. _Sylvie plans their visit as common children._ ## Links - HTML: https://www.betterreads.online/discover/sylvie_and_bruno_se/chapters/volume-i-xvi-a-changed-crocodile - Book: https://www.betterreads.online/discover/sylvie_and_bruno_se - All chapters: https://www.betterreads.online/discover/sylvie_and_bruno_se/chapters