Wet Magic · Chapter
Gratitude explained
Mavis and Francis, having rescued the Mermaid, are confronted by a small boy who initially pretends to be a policeman.
What happens
Mavis and Francis, having rescued the Mermaid, are confronted by a small boy who initially pretends to be a policeman. He turns out to be the Spangled Boy from the circus, who offers to help them wheel the Mermaid to the sea. During the journey, he reveals that he was kidnapped as a baby by a gypsy named Old Mother Romaine as an act of revenge against his father, a magistrate. He possesses a baby shoe and shirt with the initials 'R.V.' and plans to find his true family. Upon reaching the shore, the Mermaid is ungrateful to Mavis and Francis but praises the boy. She is finally returned to the sea, splashing everyone as she disappears into the water.
Themes in this chapter
Adventure and Bravery
The children and the Spangled Boy continue their daring nighttime rescue of the Mermaid, facing the fear of police and the physical challenge of transporting her to the sea.
Class and Identity
The Spangled Boy's revelation of his noble birth (son of a magistrate) contrasts with his current life as a circus performer, highlighting themes of social class and lost identity.
Family and Loyalty
The Spangled Boy's quest to find his true family, motivated by the keepsakes from his babyhood, underscores the importance of family bonds and loyalty to one's origins.
Characters to notice
- Mavis
Feels anxious about being caught by police; shows quick thinking by recognizing the Spangled Boy; comforts him about his lost mother; cleverly invents a story about her mother having a tail to humor the Mermaid.
- Francis
Initially frightened by the Spangled Boy's prank; feels cross and jealous when the Mermaid favors the boy over him; asserts his role as a preserver of the Mermaid.
- Ulfin
Referred to as the Spangled Boy; reveals his kidnapped past and his quest to find his true family; shows bravery and resourcefulness by helping wheel the Mermaid; receives praise from the Mermaid.
- Maia
The rescued Mermaid; impatient and demanding, she complains about being dry and insists on being taken to the sea; shows favoritism toward the Spangled Boy, calling him a hero; ungrateful to Mavis and Francis; finally returns to the sea with a splash.
- Mother Romaine
Mentioned as the gypsy who raised the Spangled Boy and told him about his kidnapping; she kept his baby shoe and shirt but died before revealing his father's identity.
- George Lee
Mentioned as a poacher who was sentenced by the Spangled Boy's father; kidnapped the baby as revenge.
Key passages
“We shall pass the night in the cells, thought Mavis, in agony; and whatever will Mother do when she finds we're gone?”
Mavis worried they would be locked up in a dungeon and feared their mother's reaction to their disappearance.
Shows Mavis's fear of punishment and concern for her mother.
“You are a hero, she said. I can recognize true nobility even under a once-spangled exterior. You may kiss my hand.”
The Mermaid praised the Spangled Boy as a hero and allowed him to kiss her hand, acknowledging his noble character despite his circus background.
Highlights the Mermaid's favoritism and the theme of nobility beyond appearances.
“I'm a-going to take the road one of these days, and find out who it was lost a kid with blue shoes and shirt nine years come April.”
The Spangled Boy planned to travel and search for his true parents, using the baby shoe and shirt as clues.
Reveals his determination to uncover his identity and family origins.