Peter Nimble and His Fantastic Eyes

As the Scop ventures into open waters, Peter and Sir Tode survive on fish and fresh rainwater (captured in a magic water skin), while trying to decipher the riddle of the Vanished Kingdom. As the days pass, Sir Tode regales Peter with exaggerated tales of his exploits and tries to train Peter in the art of swordplay, a difficult task considering Sir Tode’s small size, Peter’s blindness, and the restricted confines of the boat. Over time, however, Peter learns the basics of thrusting and parrying.

Slowly, they sail past the borders of the map into uncharted territory, and one night, they are visited by an enormous dogfish named Frederick, “the size of three elephants, maybe four” (81), who asks Peter to remove a huge hook from his mouth. Sir Tode immediately pulls Peter away from the fish, shooing the beast away, but Peter insists they help him. After an hour, they wrench the massive hook out, a prize Peter keeps as a weapon.

One morning, Sir Tode awakens to find the Scop sitting in the middle of a vast stretch of arid sand dunes, as if “the seas withdrew” (84). Thinking they’ve arrived at the Vanished Kingdom, they celebrate, but their revelry is interrupted by Officer Trolley, a large man with two wooden legs who chops the Scop in half with his axe.