Inoffensive Reptiles of the Sto Plains by Walnut
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| Variegated Lizard by John White 1788 Thanks to SSPL/Getty Images |
Author: Walnut
Publisher: not known
Source book: Hogfather by Terry Pratchett (Discworld #20)
Death finds himself standing in for the mysteriously missing Hogfather; coming down chimneys to deliver presents to children and taking over from the pretend Hogfather at Crumleys Grotto in Ankh-Morporke. Here he meets 8 year old Aaron Fidget, who doesn’t believe in the Hogfather, but has nonetheless made a list of presents he wants for Hogswatch. He wants Walnut’s Inoffensive Reptiles of the Sto Plains, a display cabinet, a collector’s album, a killing jar and a lizard press. That’s a bit like reading Gerald Durrell’s list of birthday presents in My Family and Other Animals*.
On the Disc little girls and boys don’t collect butterflies and moths** (although I hope nobody does anymore unless they are a qualified scientist with the best of scientific intentions), and they don’t seem to press flowers either. But they do make use of their lizard press, especially grubby little boys who aspire to be wizards.
Also featuring in Hogfather is The Book of Ossary. Constable Visit (Visit the Infidel with Explanatory Pamphlets), quotes from The Book of Ossary: ‘Alcohol is the tarnish of the soul’ Ossary, Book Two, Verse Twenty-four. There are also versions for children. Sometimes with illustrations. Omnians don’t celebrate Hogswatch. They have the Fast of St Ossary instead. I’m sure that’s popular with Omnian children.
Also the indispensable Twurp’s Peerage;
Happy Tales, a sad little book with only 6 pages for the hard of learning like poor Banjo; and
Woddeley’s Basic Gods which the Chair of Indefinite Studies consults.
* What? You haven’t read My Family and Other Animals??? Get yourself a copy at once. I have read it about 15 times.
** Have any of you read Girl of the Limberlost?
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| Variegated Lizard of New South Wales by JW Lewin Thanks to the Art Gallery of New South Wales |
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