Saturday, October 10, 2009

Snicker-Snack

Snicker-snack is the sound the vorpal sword makes when slaying foes.

The graphic novel series, Fables, by Bill Willingham is one that I've been following since last year. Love it! and you are sure to as well! The series incorporates most fairy tale and folk tale characters we all know and love. And there are twists to some of them which is what makes the series so engaging - like the romantic development between Snow White and Bigby (aka the big bad wolf).

OK, back to snicker-snack and its connection to Fables. In volume 6, Homelands, Boy Blue takes up the Vorpal Sword and Witching Cloak for combat. The Good Prince, volume 10, finds the vorpal sword wielded by the Flycatcher.

But of course, we first come across the cool sound effect - snicker-snack with the downfall of the Jabberwock.

"Jabberwocky" is a poem of nonsense verse written by Lewis Carroll, originally featured as a part of his novel Through the Looking-Glass, and What Alice Found There (1871). It is considered by many to be one of the greatest nonsense poems written in the English language.[1] The poem is sometimes used in primary schools to teach students about the use of portmanteau and nonsense words in poetry, as well as use of nouns and verbs.

'Twas brillig, and the slithy toves
Did gyre and gimble in the wabe;
All mimsy were the borogoves,
And the mome raths outgrabe.

"Beware the Jabberwock, my son!
The jaws that bite, the claws that catch!
Beware the Jubjub bird, and shun
The frumious Bandersnatch!"

He took his vorpal sword in hand:
Long time the manxome foe he sought—
So rested he by the Tumtum tree,
And stood awhile in thought.

And as in uffish thought he stood,
The Jabberwock, with eyes of flame,
Came whiffling through the tulgey wood,
And burbled as it came!

One, two! One, two! and through and through
The vorpal blade went snicker-snack!
He left it dead, and with its head
He went galumphing back.

"And hast thou slain the Jabberwock?
Come to my arms, my beamish boy!
O frabjous day! Callooh! Callay!"
He chortled in his joy.

'Twas brillig, and the slithy toves
Did gyre and gimble in the wabe;
All mimsy were the borogoves,
And the mome raths outgrabe.


* a great poem to read aloud, especially that first stanza, whether or not you know what the heck it means

* image of Boy Blue

* part of Neverending Shelf's Alice in Wonderland Week, October 7 - 14, 2009


 
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