The Magic Pudding

Last updated
The Magic Pudding
The Magic Pudding.jpg
Frontispiece for first edition
Author Norman Lindsay
CountryAustralia
LanguageEnglish
Genre Children's novel, picaresque novel
Publication date
1918
Media typePrint
Pages171

The Magic Pudding: Being The Adventures of Bunyip Bluegum and his friends Bill Barnacle and Sam Sawnoff is a 1918 Australian children's book written and illustrated by Norman Lindsay. It is a comic fantasy, and a classic of Australian children's literature.

Contents

The story is set in Australia with humans mixing with anthropomorphic animals. It tells of a magic talking pudding named Albert which, no matter how often he is eaten, always reforms in order to be eaten again. He is owned by three companions who must defend him against Pudding Thieves who want it for themselves.

The book is divided into four "slices" instead of chapters. There are many short songs interspersed throughout the text, varying from stories told in rhyme to descriptions of a character's mood or behaviour, and verses of an ongoing sea song.

Plot summary

Wanting to see the world and unable to live with his uncle anymore, Bunyip Bluegum the koala sets out on his travels, taking only a walking stick. At about lunchtime, feeling more than slightly peckish, he meets Bill Barnacle the sailor and Sam Sawnoff the Emperor penguin who are eating a magic steak and kidney pudding which, no matter how much one eats it, always reforms into a whole pudding again. The pudding is called Albert, has thin arms and legs, and is bad-tempered and ill-mannered. His only pleasure is being eaten and on his insistence, Bill and Sam invite Bunyip to join them for lunch. They then set off on the road together, Bill explaining to Bunyip how he and Sam were once shipwrecked with a ship's cook on an iceberg where the cook created the pudding which they now own.

Later on they encounter the Pudding Thieves, a possum named Patrick and a wombat named Watkin. Bill and Sam bravely defend their pudding while Bunyip sits on Albert so that he cannot escape while they are not looking. Later that night sitting round the fire, Bill and Sam, grateful for his contributions of the day, invite Bunyip to join them and become a member of the Noble Society of Pudding Owners.

Later the next day, through some well-thought-out trickery, the Pudding Thieves make a successful grab for the Pudding. Upset and outraged, Bill and Sam fall into despair and it is up to Bunyip to get them to pull themselves together and set off to rescue their Pudding. In the course of tracking down the Pudding Thieves they encounter some rather pathetic and unsavoury members of society, but eventually manage to get led to the Pudding Thieves' lair. Bunyip's cleverness lures the robbers into a trap from where Bill and Sam's fists do the rest and they retrieve their pudding.

Some time later the Pudding Thieves approach the three Pudding Owners proclaiming that they bear gifts of good will and will present them to the pudding owners if they would only look inside a bag they have with them. When doing so they pull it over their heads and tie it up leaving them defenceless as the thieves take their pudding and run off.

An elderly Basset hound, market gardener Benjamin Brandysnap, comes along and frees the Pudding Owners. The bag had been stolen from his stable, and he joins the Pudding Owners to get revenge on the Pudding Thieves. Another clever plan by Bunyip lures them into another trap where the Thieves are given yet another battering and the Pudding retrieved.

The next day the travellers come to the sleepy town of Tooraloo where they are approached by men dressed in suits and top hats and claiming to be the real owners of the Pudding. They turn out to be the Pudding Thieves up to yet another attempt at getting the Pudding and the subsequent fight brings along the Mayor and the cowardly local Constable. In the argument that follows, the bad-tempered Pudding pinches the Mayor, who orders his arrest.

The Pudding is taken to court where the only officials present are the judge and the usher who are playing cards, but they prefer to eat the defendant rather than hear the case. To settle matters, Bunyip suggests that they hear the case themselves. Bill becomes the prosecutor, the Pudding Thieves are charged with the attempts to steal the Pudding and the theft of Benjamin Brandysnap's bag and the Mayor and the Constable stand in as “12 good men and true” — conceding that the unconstitutionality of the court is "better than a punch on the snout". The proceedings do not go well however, and result in utter chaos. When it is at its height, Bunyip suddenly announces that the Pudding has been poisoned. The judge, who has been eating away at the Pudding, goes suddenly crazy and attacks the usher, the Pudding Thieves, the Mayor and the Constable with a bottle of port.

In reality, Albert was never poisoned and the Pudding Owners take advantage of the confusion to beat a hasty retreat. They then decide that it would be best to settle down somewhere rather than continue with their travelling. They build a house in a tree in Benjamin's garden and settle down to a life of ease.

Characters

Illustrations

Norman Lindsay, a well-known artist, illustrated the book himself with numerous black and white drawings, and also designed the cover. The original sketches can be seen at the State Library of New South Wales. [1]

The Magic Pudding Sculpture by Louis Laumen, based on Lindsay's illustrations, is the centrepiece of the Ian Potter Children's Garden in the Royal Botanic Gardens, Melbourne. [2]

Significance and reception

The Magic Pudding is said to have been written to settle an argument: Lindsay's friend Bertram Stevens said that children like to read about fairies, while Lindsay asserted that they would rather read about food and fighting. [3] [4]

First published in 1918, The Magic Pudding is considered[ by whom? ] a children's classic, and continues to be reprinted. The first edition was sold as a ‘guinea book’ (21 shillings). It was a limited edition quality art book. [5] Out-of-print outside Australia for many years, the book was re-issued in 2004 by The New York Review Children's Collection. [6] In Australia a new edition was released in 2008 to celebrate the 90th anniversary of the book, and October 12 was declared "Pudding Day"; [7] this new 2008 edition featured the original artwork as well as a biography, the first book reviews, letters between Lindsay and his publisher, and various recipes. [8] In 2018 HarperCollins released a centenary edition, and the State Library of New South Wales opened an exhibition of Lindsay's original drawings for the book. [9] [10]

Philip Pullman has described The Magic Pudding as "the funniest children's book ever written" [6] and as his favourite book. [11]

Adaptations

In 1960 Peter Scriven adapted the book as a puppet show, for which Lindsay produced 40 drawings. Scriven's Marionette Theatre of Australia continued to perform the puppet show around Australia until 1988. [12]

An animated feature-length film adaption was released in 2000, with John Cleese voicing the title role, Hugo Weaving as Bill, Geoffrey Rush as Bunyip, and Sam Neill as Sam. It deviated heavily from Lindsay's book, received mixed reviews from critics, and was not a financial success. [13]

In 2010, Marian Street Theatre for Young People, based in Killara, NSW, presented an adaption of Lindsay's script. Adapted by Andrew James, the production was the first to portray most of the characters in Lindsay's story using actors, rather than puppetry. [14]

In 2013, Victorian Opera presented The Magic Pudding – The Opera. The music is by Calvin Bowman and the libretto is adapted from Lindsay's book by Anna Goldsworthy. [15]

Honours

In 1985 a postage stamp depicting an illustration from the book, was issued by Australia Post as part of a set of five commemorating children's books. [16]

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Bunyip</span> Creature from Aboriginal folklore

The bunyip is a creature from the aboriginal mythology of southeastern Australia, said to lurk in swamps, billabongs, creeks, riverbeds, and waterholes.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Philip Pullman</span> English author

Sir Philip Nicholas Outram Pullman is an English writer. His books include the fantasy trilogy His Dark Materials and The Good Man Jesus and the Scoundrel Christ, a fictionalised biography of Jesus. In 2008, The Times named Pullman one of the "50 greatest British writers since 1945". In a 2004 BBC poll, he was named the eleventh most influential person in British culture. He was knighted in the 2019 New Year Honours for services to literature.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Pudding</span> Dessert or savory dish

Pudding is a type of food. It can be either a dessert or a savoury dish served as part of the main meal.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Norman Lindsay</span> Australian artist (1879–1969)

Norman Alfred William Lindsay was an Australian artist, etcher, sculptor, writer, art critic, novelist, cartoonist and amateur boxer. One of the most prolific and popular Australian artists of his generation, Lindsay attracted both acclaim and controversy for his works, many of which infused the Australian landscape with erotic pagan elements and were deemed by his critics to be "anti-Christian, anti-social and degenerate". A vocal nationalist, he became a regular artist for The Bulletin at the height of its cultural influence, and advanced staunchly anti-modernist views as a leading writer on Australian art. When friend and literary critic Bertram Stevens argued that children like to read about fairies rather than food, Lindsay wrote and illustrated The Magic Pudding (1918), now considered a classic work of Australian children's literature.

<i>Northern Lights</i> (Pullman novel) 1995 novel by Philip Pullman

Northern Lights is a young-adult fantasy novel by Philip Pullman, published in 1995 by Scholastic UK. Set in a parallel universe, it follows the journey of Lyra Belacqua to the Arctic in search of her missing friend, Roger Parslow, and her imprisoned uncle, Lord Asriel, who has been conducting experiments with a mysterious substance known as "Dust".

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Australian literature</span> Literature by Australian writers

Australian literature is the written or literary work produced in the area or by the people of the Commonwealth of Australia and its preceding colonies. During its early Western history, Australia was a collection of British colonies; as such, its recognised literary tradition begins with and is linked to the broader tradition of English literature. However, the narrative art of Australian writers has, since 1788, introduced the character of a new continent into literature—exploring such themes as Aboriginality, mateship, egalitarianism, democracy, national identity, migration, Australia's unique location and geography, the complexities of urban living, and "the beauty and the terror" of life in the Australian bush.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Warrimoo, New South Wales</span> Town in New South Wales, Australia

Warrimoo is a medium-sized village in the lower Blue Mountains of New South Wales, Australia, 273 metres above sea level. The state government's electorate is Blue Mountains and the state member is Labor's Trisha Lee Doyle.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Faulconbridge, New South Wales</span> Town in New South Wales, Australia

Faulconbridge is a village located in the Blue Mountains 77 km west of the Sydney central business district, New South Wales and is 447 metres above sea level. At the 2016 census, Faulconbridge had a population of 4,025 people. At the 2021 cenus, the population had risen to 4,156.

Edward McMaken Eager was an American lyricist, dramatist, and writer of children's fiction. His children's novels were largely contemporary low fantasy, featuring the appearance of magic in the lives of ordinary children.

<i>Night of the Eagle</i> 1962 British horror film directed by Sidney Hayers

Night of the Eagle is a 1962 British horror film directed by Sidney Hayers. The script by Charles Beaumont, Richard Matheson and George Baxt was based upon the 1943 Fritz Leiber novel Conjure Wife. The film was retitled Burn, Witch, Burn! for the US release.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Koala emblems and popular culture</span>

Koala emblems and popular culture deals with the uses which have been made of the image of the Koala, such as coins, emblems, logos, mascots and in the naming of sports teams.

The New York Review Books Children's Collection is a series of children's books released under the publishing imprint New York Review Books. The series was founded in 2003 to reintroduce some of the many children's books that have fallen out of print, or simply out of mainstream attention. The series includes more than 80 titles, ranging from picture books to young adult novels. Often reissued with new introductions, writers such as Michael Chabon, Neil Gaiman, and Philip Pullman have all introduced titles in this series.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Bill Pullman</span> American actor (born 1953)

William Pullman is an American actor. After graduating with a Master of Fine Arts degree in theater, he was an adjunct professor at Montana State University before deciding to pursue acting. He made his film debut in Ruthless People (1986), and starred in Spaceballs (1987), The Accidental Tourist (1988), Sleepless in Seattle (1993), While You Were Sleeping (1995), Casper (1995), Independence Day (1996), Lost Highway (1997), and Lake Placid (1999). He has appeared frequently on television, usually in TV films. Starting in the 2000s he has also acted in miniseries and regular series, such as Torchwood (2011), starring roles in 1600 Penn (2012–13) and The Sinner (2017–2021). In 2021, he had a recurring role in the miniseries Halston.

Albert E. Collins was an Australian painter, teacher and actor born in New Zealand. After a successful career in painting and teaching he joined ABC radio, where he gave pleasure to a generation of children as "Joe" of the Children's Session and the main character in the long-running serial "The Wide-awake Bunyip".

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Sydney Ure Smith</span> Artist, arts publisher and promoter

Sydney George Ure Smith OBE was an Australian arts publisher, artist and promoter who "did more than any other Australian to publicize Australian art at home and overseas".

Eleanor Katrine Witcombe was an Australian writer who worked extensively in radio, film and television.

<i>The Magic Pudding</i> (film) 2000 Australian film

The Magic Pudding is a 2000 Australian animated musical adventure comedy film loosely adapted from the 1918 book of the same name by Norman Lindsay. Directed by Karl Zwicky, the film features an voice cast of well known actors including Sam Neill, Geoffrey Rush, Hugo Weaving, Jack Thompson, Toni Collette and John Cleese.

This article presents a list of the historical events and publications of Australian literature during 1918.

H. A. Lindsay (1900–1969) was an Australian writer for children who was born in Hyde Park, South Australia.

<i>My Little Pony: Best Gift Ever</i> 2018  TV series or program

My Little Pony: Best Gift Ever is a double-length Christmas-themed special based on the animated television series My Little Pony: Friendship Is Magic, taking place in-between seasons eight and nine. It premiered on October 27, 2018 on Discovery Family.

References

  1. ↑ "The Magic Pudding, being the adventures of Bunyip Bluegum and his friends, Bill Barnacle & Sam Sawnoff: original sketches, ca. 1918 / drawn by Norman Lindsay". Collection – State Library of NSW. 8 October 2002. Archived from the original on 19 December 2021. Retrieved 19 December 2021.
  2. ↑ "Floreo – Welcome to the Pudding" (PDF). Archived from the original (PDF) on July 23, 2008.
  3. ↑ "Powell's Books | The World's Largest Independent Bookstore". www.powells.com. Archived from the original on 2009-02-13. Retrieved 2008-04-05.
  4. ↑ "The Magic Pudding: 100 years of Norman Lindsay's classic – in pictures". The Guardian . 22 September 2018. Archived from the original on 22 September 2018. Retrieved 23 September 2018.
  5. ↑ Morley, Sarah (Spring 2018). "The Magic Pudding : 100 Years Ago" (PDF). SL Magazine. 11 (3): 16–17. Archived (PDF) from the original on 2019-03-01. Retrieved 2019-03-01.
  6. 1 2 "Children's Collection 2004 reprint edition". New York Review. Archived from the original on 2012-07-10. Retrieved 2008-04-07.
  7. ↑ "The Magic Pudding turns 90". Yahoo!7 News. 2008-09-22. Archived from the original on 2009-10-01. Retrieved 2021-09-09.
  8. ↑ "The Magic Pudding". HarperCollins Australia. Archived from the original on 2020-04-06. Retrieved 2021-09-09.
  9. ↑ B.C. Lewis (30 May 2018). "The Magic Pudding turns 100: Blue Mountains celebrates". Blue Mountains Gazette. Archived from the original on 2019-02-13. Retrieved 2019-02-12.
  10. ↑ Sparrow, Jeff (26 October 2018). "The Magic Pudding can still make us laugh even after 100 years". The Guardian . Archived from the original on 2019-02-12. Retrieved 2019-02-12.
  11. ↑ Matthew Stadlen (24 September 2011). "BBC 5 Minutes with Philip Pullman". Five Minutes With: Philip Pullman (video interview). BBC News. Entertainment & Arts. Archived from the original on 26 September 2011. Retrieved September 29, 2011.
  12. ↑ "The Magic Pudding: A free exhibition from 15 December 2008 to 29 March 2009" (PDF). State Library of New South Wales. 2018. Archived (PDF) from the original on 27 December 2021. Retrieved 14 February 2019.
  13. ↑ "The Magic Pudding (2000) – IMDb". Archived from the original on 2018-07-26. Retrieved 2018-06-28– via www.imdb.com.
  14. ↑ "Production description on Australian Stage". Archived from the original on 2010-05-04. Retrieved 2010-04-30.
  15. ↑ "The Magic Pudding: the Opera". 4 October 2013. Archived from the original on 3 February 2014. Retrieved 2019-02-21.
  16. ↑ "Archived copy". Archived from the original on 2011-04-30. Retrieved 2009-07-10.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: archived copy as title (link)
This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.