The Wonderful Story of Henry Sugar and Six More
Encyclopedia
The Wonderful Story of Henry Sugar and Six More is a collection of seven short stories
written by Roald Dahl
. They are generally regarded as being aimed for a slightly older audience than many of his other children's books.
The stories were written at varying times throughout his life, and are believed by many to reflect some of his best fiction
writing. Two of the stories are autobiographical
in nature; one describes how he first became a writer while the other describes some of Dahl's experiences as a fighter pilot
in World War II
. Another piece in the collection is a non-fiction
account of a British farmer finding a legendary haul of ancient Roman treasure.
The book was first published in 1977 by Jonathan Cape
.
fiction piece of medium-length writing. The narrator, on advice from friends, decides to vacation in Jamaica
for a time. One night, a large commotion breaks out on the beach-a sea turtle, ancient and huge, is caught by a group of fisherfolk. The beach patrons debate about what to do with the tortoise; rich people want to buy it, while the manager of a nearby hotel wants to use the meat to make turtle soup
. The people's plans are foiled when a little boy and his parents appear; the child screams at the people, calling them "horrible and cruel." His parents reveal that the boy loves animals deeply, and even talks to them. His father pays off the fisherfolk and hotel manager, and the turtle is set free.
The next day, the boy is missing. Everyone is shocked when the fisherfolk return and reveal that they have found the child-riding on the back of the sea turtle, venturing into the unknown.
, and is enjoying a trip down the highway when he spots a hitchhiker. He lets the man into his car; the passenger is described as being curiously rat-like, with long, white fingers. They engage in conversation, revealing the man's Cockney
accent and attitudes. He challenges the narrator to guess his true profession. As he does, the hitchhiker suddenly reveals various items from the narrator's person, from a wallet to a watch to the narrator's shoelace. The narrator accuses the hitchhiker of being a pickpocket. The hitchhiker disagrees, claiming that he is a "fingersmith" - just as a goldsmith
has mastered gold, he has mastered the use of his fingers.
As they talk, the narrator is pulled over for speeding. The police officer who writes the ticket acts particularly cruel, threatening the narrator with a long prison sentence and a huge fine; he even spits on the car before leaving. The narrator is despondant until his new friend reveals that he has stolen the police officer's notebooks, which contain the tickets against them.
treasure
in a field that he was ploughing for a farmer
.
As a joke, Ernie and Raymond go over to Peter and point the gun at him and say, “Hands up!” Then, Raymond decides to tie Peter up on the railway tracks. Miraculously, Peter survives when the train comes over him by sinking into the ballast
just barely enough so the train won’t hit him.
Next, the two boys decide to throw Peter in the lake with his hands still tied. When they get to the lake, Ernie spots a duck on the lake and decides to shoot it instead. After he kills it, he orders Peter to go and fetch it. Peter does this unwillingly because he didn’t like to see Ernie shoot the beautiful duck, but he also doesn’t want to aggravate him.
Next, Ernie sees a beautiful swan that is sitting on her nest and decides to shoot her also. Peter begs and pleads with him not to shoot the swan, but Ernie shoots the swan anyway. He tells Peter to go retrieve the swan. Peter hesitates for little bit and then goes with tears streaming down his face. He wishes that the swan could come back to life. This gives Ernie another idea.
Ernie says he can bring the swan back to life, and he gets to work. He cuts off both of the swan’s wings, then ties the wings to Peter’s arms and says, “Look, I have brought the swan back to life!” Then, Ernie wants to see Peter or “Mister Swan” climb the tree and jump off and fly. Peter thinks that if he climbs the tree then he can get further away from Ernie and Raymond.
He climbs the tree all the way to the top and just stands on a branch. Ernie yells at him to jump off the branch, but Peter just stands there. Ernie gives him ten seconds to jump off the tree or he will shoot him. Ten seconds go by and Ernie’s second shot hits Peter in the thigh. Peter falls off the branch, but grabs onto another one. Then, Peter sees a bright light and jumps off the branch. Three people saw a great white swan flying over the village that day. Mrs. Watson sees a white thing flop into her garden and she recognizes it as her son, Peter. She sprints out to him, calls a doctor and an ambulance, and cuts the two great wings of the swan off his arm.
, decides to try to master the art of meditation and discovers that he is a "one-in-a-million" type of person whose natural psychic powers are much more easily honed. After only three years, Henry masters the ability to see through playing card
s, and can even predict the future
to a mild extent. Henry unnaturally uses these abilities to help him in a casino; however, when he arrives, he discovers that months of disciplined training have altered his personality, making him more perceptive to the greed of those around him. He uses his powers to predict which number will win on a roulette wheel, then later makes a great deal of money at the blackjack
tables. While there, he also realizes that he must be careful; though he could easily "break the casino", the media attention caused by such an event would get him in trouble.
Henry walks home with enough money for a "large car or a small cottage" - surprisingly, though, he is uninterested in the cash. He realizes that the thrill of winning or losing has been eradicated: he is guaranteed to always beat the house. Henry tries to decide what to do with the money, then abruptly decides to literally throw it out of his window. Soon, a near-riot breaks out as the people of London rush to collect the twenty pound notes falling from Henry's apartment. A police officer arrives at the scene and scolds Henry, suggesting that he find a more legal form of charity
-for instance, he could donate money to orphanage
s.
Henry is struck between the eyes at this idea, and vows to establish the most well-equipped and supportive orphanages on the planet. He enlists the help of a his accountant who works as his personal banker. Originally, Henry's plan works well-until he reaches Las Vegas
. There, he unknowingly collects a huge sum from three casinos owned by the same Mafioso
. A bellhop at the hotel Henry is staying at warns him of the danger; the two switch clothes, and Henry escapes unharmed. After this narrow escape, Henry flies to Hollywood, where he enlists the aid of a famous makeup artist
to create various disguises and false identities to protect himself.
At the end of the story, the author reveals that he was selected, seemingly at random, to write Henry's story, as the man has died. The narrator is shocked to hear all of the events, and also comments that Henry's wish came true-the Henry Sugar Orphanages, established all across the globe, are indeed the best in the world.
and Going Solo
albeit in a more concise form. It discusses the events in his life that led him to become a writer, including a meeting with a famous writer, who helped to launch his career. The story is about Dahl's school and all the teachers, up until after the publication of his first story.
in World War II, particularly the details of how Dahl was injured and eventually forced to leave the Mediterranean arena. The original version of the story was written for C. S. Forester
so that he could get the gist of Dahl's story and rewrite it in his own words. However, Forester was so impressed by the story (Dahl at the time did not believe himself to be anything approaching an accomplished writer) that he sent it straight off to his agent who had it published (as "Shot Down Over Libya") in the Saturday Evening Post, thereby kick-starting Dahl's writing career.
Boy (book)
Short story
A short story is a work of fiction that is usually written in prose, often in narrative format. This format tends to be more pointed than longer works of fiction, such as novellas and novels. Short story definitions based on length differ somewhat, even among professional writers, in part because...
written by 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...
. They are generally regarded as being aimed for a slightly older audience than many of his other children's books.
The stories were written at varying times throughout his life, and are believed by many to reflect some of his best fiction
Fiction
Fiction is the form of any narrative or informative work that deals, in part or in whole, with information or events that are not factual, but rather, imaginary—that is, invented by the author. Although fiction describes a major branch of literary work, it may also refer to theatrical,...
writing. Two of the stories are autobiographical
Autobiography
An autobiography is a book about the life of a person, written by that person.-Origin of the term:...
in nature; one describes how he first became a writer while the other describes some of Dahl's experiences as a fighter pilot
Fighter pilot
A fighter pilot is a military aviator trained in air-to-air combat while piloting a fighter aircraft . Fighter pilots undergo specialized training in aerial warfare and dogfighting...
in World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
. Another piece in the collection is a non-fiction
Non-fiction
Non-fiction is the form of any narrative, account, or other communicative work whose assertions and descriptions are understood to be fact...
account of a British farmer finding a legendary haul of ancient Roman treasure.
The book was first published in 1977 by Jonathan Cape
Jonathan Cape
Jonathan Cape was a London-based publisher founded in 1919 as "Page & Co" by Herbert Jonathan Cape , formerly a manager at Duckworth who had worked his way up from a position of bookshop errand boy. Cape brought with him the rights to cheap editions of the popular author Elinor Glyn and sales of...
.
The Boy Who Talked with Animals
This is a first-personFirst-person narrative
First-person point of view is a narrative mode where a story is narrated by one character at a time, speaking for and about themselves. First-person narrative may be singular, plural or multiple as well as being an authoritative, reliable or deceptive "voice" and represents point of view in the...
fiction piece of medium-length writing. The narrator, on advice from friends, decides to vacation in Jamaica
Jamaica
Jamaica is an island nation of the Greater Antilles, in length, up to in width and 10,990 square kilometres in area. It is situated in the Caribbean Sea, about south of Cuba, and west of Hispaniola, the island harbouring the nation-states Haiti and the Dominican Republic...
for a time. One night, a large commotion breaks out on the beach-a sea turtle, ancient and huge, is caught by a group of fisherfolk. The beach patrons debate about what to do with the tortoise; rich people want to buy it, while the manager of a nearby hotel wants to use the meat to make turtle soup
Turtle soup
Turtle soup is soup or stews made from the flesh of the turtle. The dish exists in many cultures and is viewed as a luxury or delicacy.The green turtle was commonly used for turtle soup in the United States and United Kingdom. Soup made from the snapping turtle was found mainly in the United States...
. The people's plans are foiled when a little boy and his parents appear; the child screams at the people, calling them "horrible and cruel." His parents reveal that the boy loves animals deeply, and even talks to them. His father pays off the fisherfolk and hotel manager, and the turtle is set free.
The next day, the boy is missing. Everyone is shocked when the fisherfolk return and reveal that they have found the child-riding on the back of the sea turtle, venturing into the unknown.
The Hitch-hiker
This is another fictional first person narrative. The narrator in this case has a brand new BMWBMW
Bayerische Motoren Werke AG is a German automobile, motorcycle and engine manufacturing company founded in 1916. It also owns and produces the Mini marque, and is the parent company of Rolls-Royce Motor Cars. BMW produces motorcycles under BMW Motorrad and Husqvarna brands...
, and is enjoying a trip down the highway when he spots a hitchhiker. He lets the man into his car; the passenger is described as being curiously rat-like, with long, white fingers. They engage in conversation, revealing the man's Cockney
Cockney
The term Cockney has both geographical and linguistic associations. Geographically and culturally, it often refers to working class Londoners, particularly those in the East End...
accent and attitudes. He challenges the narrator to guess his true profession. As he does, the hitchhiker suddenly reveals various items from the narrator's person, from a wallet to a watch to the narrator's shoelace. The narrator accuses the hitchhiker of being a pickpocket. The hitchhiker disagrees, claiming that he is a "fingersmith" - just as a goldsmith
Goldsmith
A goldsmith is a metalworker who specializes in working with gold and other precious metals. Since ancient times the techniques of a goldsmith have evolved very little in order to produce items of jewelry of quality standards. In modern times actual goldsmiths are rare...
has mastered gold, he has mastered the use of his fingers.
As they talk, the narrator is pulled over for speeding. The police officer who writes the ticket acts particularly cruel, threatening the narrator with a long prison sentence and a huge fine; he even spits on the car before leaving. The narrator is despondant until his new friend reveals that he has stolen the police officer's notebooks, which contain the tickets against them.
The Mildenhall Treasure
This is a non-fiction account of a labourer named Gordon Butcher who uncovered a large quantity of RomanAncient Rome
Ancient Rome was a thriving civilization that grew on the Italian Peninsula as early as the 8th century BC. Located along the Mediterranean Sea and centered on the city of Rome, it expanded to one of the largest empires in the ancient world....
treasure
Treasure
Treasure is a concentration of riches, often one which is considered lost or forgotten until being rediscovered...
in a field that he was ploughing for a farmer
Farmer
A farmer is a person engaged in agriculture, who raises living organisms for food or raw materials, generally including livestock husbandry and growing crops, such as produce and grain...
.
The Swan
The Swan is about two boys named Ernie and Raymond who like to bully a boy named Peter Watson. They give Peter a hard time and put him through many dangerous ordeals.Characters
There are three main characters in The Swan: Ernie, Raymond, and Peter. Ernie is portrayed as an evil and cruel boy who treats everyone badly and as an extremely violent person. Raymond is portrayed as cruel, like Ernie. Peter is portrayed as a boy who does well in school, and enjoys nature. Peter is also quiet and polite, loves music, and plays the piano well. He is also brave.Plot
The Swan is a short story about Ernie and his friend Raymond who like to bully Peter Watson. Ernie gets a .22-caliber rifle for his fifteenth birthday. His dad tells him to go kill some rabbits for supper. Ernie agrees, goes outside, and whistles for his friend Raymond to come outside. Raymond comes and they both shoot birds while heading to the rabbit field. When they get to the railway line they see Peter Watson, a boy whom they often bully.As a joke, Ernie and Raymond go over to Peter and point the gun at him and say, “Hands up!” Then, Raymond decides to tie Peter up on the railway tracks. Miraculously, Peter survives when the train comes over him by sinking into the ballast
Ballast
-Objects:* Ballast tank, a device used on ships and submarines and other submersibles to control buoyancy and stability* Ballast weights, metallic plates used to bring auto racing vehicles up to the minimum mandated weight...
just barely enough so the train won’t hit him.
Next, the two boys decide to throw Peter in the lake with his hands still tied. When they get to the lake, Ernie spots a duck on the lake and decides to shoot it instead. After he kills it, he orders Peter to go and fetch it. Peter does this unwillingly because he didn’t like to see Ernie shoot the beautiful duck, but he also doesn’t want to aggravate him.
Next, Ernie sees a beautiful swan that is sitting on her nest and decides to shoot her also. Peter begs and pleads with him not to shoot the swan, but Ernie shoots the swan anyway. He tells Peter to go retrieve the swan. Peter hesitates for little bit and then goes with tears streaming down his face. He wishes that the swan could come back to life. This gives Ernie another idea.
Ernie says he can bring the swan back to life, and he gets to work. He cuts off both of the swan’s wings, then ties the wings to Peter’s arms and says, “Look, I have brought the swan back to life!” Then, Ernie wants to see Peter or “Mister Swan” climb the tree and jump off and fly. Peter thinks that if he climbs the tree then he can get further away from Ernie and Raymond.
He climbs the tree all the way to the top and just stands on a branch. Ernie yells at him to jump off the branch, but Peter just stands there. Ernie gives him ten seconds to jump off the tree or he will shoot him. Ten seconds go by and Ernie’s second shot hits Peter in the thigh. Peter falls off the branch, but grabs onto another one. Then, Peter sees a bright light and jumps off the branch. Three people saw a great white swan flying over the village that day. Mrs. Watson sees a white thing flop into her garden and she recognizes it as her son, Peter. She sprints out to him, calls a doctor and an ambulance, and cuts the two great wings of the swan off his arm.
The Wonderful Story of Henry Sugar
Henry, an independently wealthy man who enjoys gamblingGambling
Gambling is the wagering of money or something of material value on an event with an uncertain outcome with the primary intent of winning additional money and/or material goods...
, decides to try to master the art of meditation and discovers that he is a "one-in-a-million" type of person whose natural psychic powers are much more easily honed. After only three years, Henry masters the ability to see through playing card
Playing card
A playing card is a piece of specially prepared heavy paper, thin cardboard, plastic-coated paper, cotton-paper blend, or thin plastic, marked with distinguishing motifs and used as one of a set for playing card games...
s, and can even predict the future
Clairvoyance
The term clairvoyance is used to refer to the ability to gain information about an object, person, location or physical event through means other than the known human senses, a form of extra-sensory perception...
to a mild extent. Henry unnaturally uses these abilities to help him in a casino; however, when he arrives, he discovers that months of disciplined training have altered his personality, making him more perceptive to the greed of those around him. He uses his powers to predict which number will win on a roulette wheel, then later makes a great deal of money at the blackjack
Blackjack
Blackjack, also known as Twenty-one or Vingt-et-un , is the most widely played casino banking game in the world...
tables. While there, he also realizes that he must be careful; though he could easily "break the casino", the media attention caused by such an event would get him in trouble.
Henry walks home with enough money for a "large car or a small cottage" - surprisingly, though, he is uninterested in the cash. He realizes that the thrill of winning or losing has been eradicated: he is guaranteed to always beat the house. Henry tries to decide what to do with the money, then abruptly decides to literally throw it out of his window. Soon, a near-riot breaks out as the people of London rush to collect the twenty pound notes falling from Henry's apartment. A police officer arrives at the scene and scolds Henry, suggesting that he find a more legal form of charity
Charity (practice)
The practice of charity means the voluntary giving of help to those in need who are not related to the giver.- Etymology :The word "charity" entered the English language through the Old French word "charité" which was derived from the Latin "caritas".Originally in Latin the word caritas meant...
-for instance, he could donate money to orphanage
Orphanage
An orphanage is a residential institution devoted to the care of orphans – children whose parents are deceased or otherwise unable or unwilling to care for them...
s.
Henry is struck between the eyes at this idea, and vows to establish the most well-equipped and supportive orphanages on the planet. He enlists the help of a his accountant who works as his personal banker. Originally, Henry's plan works well-until he reaches Las Vegas
Las Vegas, Nevada
Las Vegas is the most populous city in the U.S. state of Nevada and is also the county seat of Clark County, Nevada. Las Vegas is an internationally renowned major resort city for gambling, shopping, and fine dining. The city bills itself as The Entertainment Capital of the World, and is famous...
. There, he unknowingly collects a huge sum from three casinos owned by the same Mafioso
Mafioso
Mafioso may refer to:* Mafioso , a 1962 Italian crime comedy film* Mafioso , a member of an Italian mafia clan* Mafioso rap, a hip hop sub-genre...
. A bellhop at the hotel Henry is staying at warns him of the danger; the two switch clothes, and Henry escapes unharmed. After this narrow escape, Henry flies to Hollywood, where he enlists the aid of a famous makeup artist
Makeup artist
thumb|[[Michelle Camaclang]], an international-certified professional makeup artistthumb|Special effects makeup techniquesA Make-up artist is an artist whose medium is the human body, applying makeup and prosthetics for theatrical, television, film, fashion, magazines and other similar productions...
to create various disguises and false identities to protect himself.
At the end of the story, the author reveals that he was selected, seemingly at random, to write Henry's story, as the man has died. The narrator is shocked to hear all of the events, and also comments that Henry's wish came true-the Henry Sugar Orphanages, established all across the globe, are indeed the best in the world.
Lucky Break
This is a non-fictional account, similar to Roald Dahl's BoyBoy (book)
Boy: Tales of Childhood is the first autobiographical book by British writer Roald Dahl. It describes his life from birth until leaving school, focusing on living conditions in Britain in the 1920s and 1930s, the public school system at the time, and how his childhood experiences led him to...
and Going Solo
Going Solo
Going Solo is a memoir by Roald Dahl, first published by Jonathan Cape in London in 1986. It is a continuation of his autobiography describing his childhood, Boy. The Book starts with Roald Dahl on a boat heading towards Dar es Salaam for his new job working for Shell Oil...
albeit in a more concise form. It discusses the events in his life that led him to become a writer, including a meeting with a famous writer, who helped to launch his career. The story is about Dahl's school and all the teachers, up until after the publication of his first story.
A Piece of Cake
This is an autobiographical account of Dahl's time as a fighter pilotFighter pilot
A fighter pilot is a military aviator trained in air-to-air combat while piloting a fighter aircraft . Fighter pilots undergo specialized training in aerial warfare and dogfighting...
in World War II, particularly the details of how Dahl was injured and eventually forced to leave the Mediterranean arena. The original version of the story was written for C. S. Forester
C. S. Forester
Cecil Scott "C.S." Forester was the pen name of Cecil Louis Troughton Smith , an English novelist who rose to fame with tales of naval warfare. His most notable works were the 11-book Horatio Hornblower series, depicting a Royal Navy officer during the Napoleonic era, and The African Queen...
so that he could get the gist of Dahl's story and rewrite it in his own words. However, Forester was so impressed by the story (Dahl at the time did not believe himself to be anything approaching an accomplished writer) that he sent it straight off to his agent who had it published (as "Shot Down Over Libya") in the Saturday Evening Post, thereby kick-starting Dahl's writing career.
Editions
- ISBN 0-375-81423-X (hardcoverHardcoverA hardcover, hardback or hardbound is a book bound with rigid protective covers...
, 2001) - ISBN 0-435-12237-1 (hardcover, 1979)
- ISBN 0-224-01547-8 (hardcover, 1977)
- ISBN 0-14-130470-7 (paperbackPaperbackPaperback, softback or softcover describe and refer to a book by the nature of its binding. The covers of such books are usually made of paper or paperboard, and are usually held together with glue rather than stitches or staples...
, 2000) - ISBN 0-14-037348-9 (paperback, 1995)
- ISBN 0-14-032874-2 (paperback, 1988)
- ISBN 0-14-005773-0 (paperback, 1982)
See also
Roald DahlRoald 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...
Boy (book)
Boy (book)
Boy: Tales of Childhood is the first autobiographical book by British writer Roald Dahl. It describes his life from birth until leaving school, focusing on living conditions in Britain in the 1920s and 1930s, the public school system at the time, and how his childhood experiences led him to...