Nonsense Books · Chapter
II explained
Pussy proposes marriage to the Owl, praising his singing.
What happens
Pussy proposes marriage to the Owl, praising his singing. They sail for a year and a day to the land of the bong-tree, where they find a Piggy-wig with a ring at the end of his nose.
Free preview opens on this chapter — companions, themes, and character notes appear beside the text.
Narrative arc
Story tension across the book — this chapter sits in Exposition.
- Setup
- Escalation
- Breaking point
- Aftermath
- Closing
Lady Jingly’s tearful confession that she already has a mate in England delivers the emotional peak of unfulfi…
Full beat labels and climax notes unlock in the reader.
Follow the arc while readingThemes in this chapter
- Love and Marriage
Pussy proposes marriage to the Owl, and they sail to find a ring.
- Adventure and Exploration
The Owl and the Pussycat sail for a year and a day to the land where the bong-tree grows.
Characters to notice
- The Owl and the Pussycat
Pussy proposes marriage to the Owl, and they set sail together.
- The Piggy
A Piggy-wig stands in the wood with a ring at the end of his nose.
Key passages
“Pussy said to the Owl, “You elegant fowl, How charmingly sweet you sing! Oh! let us be married; too long we have tarried: But what shall we do for a ring?””
Pussy compliments the Owl's singing and proposes marriage, but wonders how they will get a ring.
Pussy initiates the marriage plan, highlighting the theme of love and marriage.
“They sailed away, for a year and a day, To the land where the bong-tree grows; And there in a wood a Piggy-wig stood, With a ring at the end of his nose.”
They journey for over a year to a fantastical land, where they find a pig with a ring on its nose.
The journey and discovery of the ring-bearing pig advance the adventure and marriage plot.
