Poetry · Chapter
LXXV explained
At three o'clock, a falling star causes chaos among the troop, killing a man-cook and a page, breaking various dishes, and singeing the Princess's hoop.
What happens
At three o'clock, a falling star causes chaos among the troop, killing a man-cook and a page, breaking various dishes, and singeing the Princess's hoop. A large bat suddenly flies into the narrator's face.
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 Falling action.
- Setup
- Escalation
- Breaking point
- Aftermath
- Closing
The emotional and psychological peak occurs when the King, overwhelmed by his own confession, reveals Bertha’s…
Full beat labels and climax notes unlock in the reader.
Follow the arc while readingCharacters to notice
Key passages
“Just upon three o’clock, a falling star Created an alarm among our troop, Kill’d a man-cook, a page, and broke a jar, A tureen, and three dishes, at one swoop, Then passing by the Princess, singed her hoop”
At exactly three o'clock, a meteor caused panic in our group, killing a cook and a page, and shattering a jar, a tureen, and three dishes all at once, then it grazed the Princess and burned her hoop skirt.
The falling star causes both fatalities and property damage, and also affects the Princess.
“Could not conceive what Coralline was at, She clapp’d her hands three times, and cried out ‘Whoop!’ Some strange Imaian custom.”
I couldn't understand what Coralline was doing; she clapped her hands three times and shouted 'Whoop!'—some peculiar Imaian tradition.
The narrator observes Coralline's unusual reaction, attributing it to a foreign custom.
“A large bat Came sudden ’fore my face, and brush’d against my hat.”
A large bat suddenly appeared in front of my face and brushed against my hat.
The bat's sudden appearance adds to the chaotic and eerie atmosphere.
