Muggle-Wump
Encyclopedia
"Muggle-Wump" is a fictional character
in the form of a male monkey
that appears in some of Roald Dahl
's books for children, and "the Muggle-Wumps" refers to his family. It is not clear whether each central "Muggle-wump" that appears in each book is the same character or not. A single character that goes by this name appears most definitely in The Enormous Crocodile
and there is a Muggle-Wump with a family in The Twits
. A character resembling him (according to Quentin Blake
's illustrations) also appears in The Giraffe and the Pelly and Me
, but is somewhat different in behaviour and role. The first two stories have him almost as a symbol of retribution to the antagonists of the overall tale, whereas the latter- though no less energetic and comical to the story- appears far more fortunate in that he is comparatively content and safe with regards to lifestyle.
(another recurring character in Dahl's books) and Trunky the Elephant.
, who are retired circus trainers. They force the Muggle-Wumps to balance on their heads, one on top of the other, or else stand and walk on their hands- all at the peril of feeling Mrs Twit's "beastly [walking-]stick" across their bodies. Occasionally, it is said, one of Muggle-Wump's children will faint of the rush of blood
to their head
s. To add insult to injury, they are kept (when not subject to command) in a cage overlooking the Twits' garden, at the centre of which is a large dead tree that Mr Twit smears with glue
to trap bird
s for his favourite dish of Bird Pie. When the monkeys shout warnings, the birds cannot understand their language and so are always caught.
Assisted by the Roly-Poly Bird, who arrives while on holiday in England
, and who can speak both the African language of the monkeys and the English of the native birds, the Muggle-Wumps rescue the latter and escape from their cage while the Twits are away. Thereafter they attach all the Twits' living-room furniture to the ceiling with the glue used to trap the birds. They then, on the Twits' return, have two birds drop some glue on the couple's heads. On entering their house, the Twits believe that their living room has turned upside down and that they must therefore be standing on the ceiling, and so stand on their heads and become stuck. Muggle-Wump and his family are then able to return to Africa with the help of the Roly-Poly Bird, presumably to live happily ever after.
Whilst he is working for the Duke of Hampshire, the Monkey and the Giraffe notice an armed burglar stealing the Duchess' jewellery
, whereupon the Pelican traps the thief in the pouch of his enormous bill and later gives him to the police. The Duke then allows the monkey and his friends to live on the grounds of his wealthy estate, and their house is reverted into its former function- a sweetshop- much to the delight of the narrator. The monkey then closes the story with a song.
Fictional character
A character is the representation of a person in a narrative work of art . Derived from the ancient Greek word kharaktêr , the earliest use in English, in this sense, dates from the Restoration, although it became widely used after its appearance in Tom Jones in 1749. From this, the sense of...
in the form of a male monkey
Monkey
A monkey is a primate, either an Old World monkey or a New World monkey. There are about 260 known living species of monkey. Many are arboreal, although there are species that live primarily on the ground, such as baboons. Monkeys are generally considered to be intelligent. Unlike apes, monkeys...
that appears in some of Roald Dahl
Roald Dahl
Roald Dahl was a British novelist, short story writer, fighter pilot and screenwriter.Born in Wales to Norwegian parents, he served in the Royal Air Force during the Second World War, in which he became a flying ace and intelligence agent, rising to the rank of Wing Commander...
's books for children, and "the Muggle-Wumps" refers to his family. It is not clear whether each central "Muggle-wump" that appears in each book is the same character or not. A single character that goes by this name appears most definitely in The Enormous Crocodile
The Enormous Crocodile
-Synopsis:One day an enormous crocodile goes tramping through the forest telling all the animals he's going to eat children. The animals tell him that it's a horrible thing to do but he tries to use his tricks to eat the tasty children nonetheless. However, every time he tries, the animals of the...
and there is a Muggle-Wump with a family in The Twits
The Twits
The Twits is a humorous children's book written by Roald Dahl and illustrated by Quentin Blake. It was written in 1979, and first published in 1980....
. A character resembling him (according to Quentin Blake
Quentin Blake
Quentin Saxby Blake, CBE, FCSD, RDI, is an English cartoonist, illustrator and children's author, well-known for his collaborations with writer Roald Dahl.-Education:...
's illustrations) also appears in The Giraffe and the Pelly and Me
The Giraffe and the Pelly and Me
The Giraffe the Pelly and Me is a children's book written by Roald Dahl and illustrated by Quentin Blake.-Synopsis:The story itself is loosely based around Billy, a young boy who has always dreamed of owning a sweet shop, especially since there is an abandoned one named The Grubber near where he...
, but is somewhat different in behaviour and role. The first two stories have him almost as a symbol of retribution to the antagonists of the overall tale, whereas the latter- though no less energetic and comical to the story- appears far more fortunate in that he is comparatively content and safe with regards to lifestyle.
The Enormous Crocodile
The Muggle-Wump of The Enormous Crocodile, after reasoning with the wily reptile that it is wrong to eat little children, loses his temper and, very nearly, his life, when the Crocodile bites into his tree to catch him. He gets revenge, however, by following the Enormous Crocodile and thwarting his chances at catching a child when they are about to come near him. In doing this he angers the Enormous Crocodile into wanting to eat more children, only to be thwarted by the Roly-Poly BirdRoly-Poly Bird
"The Roly-Poly Bird" is a fictional character, that, like the Vermicious knids and Muggle-Wump the monkey is made reference to in more than one child's book by Roald Dahl- in two cases alongside Muggle-Wump. He is described as large, with fantastically coloured tailfeathers, and in Quentin Blake's...
(another recurring character in Dahl's books) and Trunky the Elephant.
The Twits
The Muggle-Wump in this story has a wife and children and is subject to animal cruelty at the hands of Mr and Mrs TwitThe Twits
The Twits is a humorous children's book written by Roald Dahl and illustrated by Quentin Blake. It was written in 1979, and first published in 1980....
, who are retired circus trainers. They force the Muggle-Wumps to balance on their heads, one on top of the other, or else stand and walk on their hands- all at the peril of feeling Mrs Twit's "beastly [walking-]stick" across their bodies. Occasionally, it is said, one of Muggle-Wump's children will faint of the rush of blood
Blood
Blood is a specialized bodily fluid in animals that delivers necessary substances such as nutrients and oxygen to the cells and transports metabolic waste products away from those same cells....
to their head
Head
In anatomy, the head of an animal is the rostral part that usually comprises the brain, eyes, ears, nose and mouth . Some very simple animals may not have a head, but many bilaterally symmetric forms do....
s. To add insult to injury, they are kept (when not subject to command) in a cage overlooking the Twits' garden, at the centre of which is a large dead tree that Mr Twit smears with glue
Glue
This is a list of various types of glue. Historically, the term "glue" only referred to protein colloids prepared from animal flesh. The meaning has been extended to refer to any fluid adhesive....
to trap bird
Bird
Birds are feathered, winged, bipedal, endothermic , egg-laying, vertebrate animals. Around 10,000 living species and 188 families makes them the most speciose class of tetrapod vertebrates. They inhabit ecosystems across the globe, from the Arctic to the Antarctic. Extant birds range in size from...
s for his favourite dish of Bird Pie. When the monkeys shout warnings, the birds cannot understand their language and so are always caught.
Assisted by the Roly-Poly Bird, who arrives while on holiday in England
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
, and who can speak both the African language of the monkeys and the English of the native birds, the Muggle-Wumps rescue the latter and escape from their cage while the Twits are away. Thereafter they attach all the Twits' living-room furniture to the ceiling with the glue used to trap the birds. They then, on the Twits' return, have two birds drop some glue on the couple's heads. On entering their house, the Twits believe that their living room has turned upside down and that they must therefore be standing on the ceiling, and so stand on their heads and become stuck. Muggle-Wump and his family are then able to return to Africa with the help of the Roly-Poly Bird, presumably to live happily ever after.
The Giraffe and the Pelly and Me
Possibly not a Muggle-Wump at all, but said to resemble them, this monkey refers to himself in the title "The Giraffe and the Pelly and Me". He is a window-washer by trade, and has a very good working relationship with his partners, the Giraffe whose neck can stretch out to any length and the Pelican ("Pelly), the top half of whose bill can collapse inwards like a tape-measure: the Giraffe is the ladder, the pelican (with his deeply-pouched bill) is the bucket for the water, and the monkey cleans the windows with a cloth. He is an adept singer and dancer.Whilst he is working for the Duke of Hampshire, the Monkey and the Giraffe notice an armed burglar stealing the Duchess' jewellery
Jewellery
Jewellery or jewelry is a form of personal adornment, such as brooches, rings, necklaces, earrings, and bracelets.With some exceptions, such as medical alert bracelets or military dog tags, jewellery normally differs from other items of personal adornment in that it has no other purpose than to...
, whereupon the Pelican traps the thief in the pouch of his enormous bill and later gives him to the police. The Duke then allows the monkey and his friends to live on the grounds of his wealthy estate, and their house is reverted into its former function- a sweetshop- much to the delight of the narrator. The monkey then closes the story with a song.