Monday, December 15, 2008

Gift Idea

If anyone is looking for a gift for me, I'd really like a clock like Mrs. Weasley has. This is from Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire:

Mrs. Weasley glanced at the grandfather clock in the corner. Harry liked this clock. It was completely useless if you wanted to know the time, but otherwise very informative. It had nine golden hands, and each of them was engraved with one of the Weasley family's names. There were no numerals around the face, but descriptions of where each family member might be. "Home," "school," and "work" were there, but there was also "traveling," "lost," "hospital," "prison," and, in the position where the number twelve would be on a normal clock, "mortal peril."


In a later book all the hands are pointing to "mortal peril," and isn't that sometimes how it feels to be a mother worrying about your family? My students identify with Harry and Hermione, but I identify with Professor McGonagall and Mrs. Weasley.

So what book-inspired gift would you like? It can either be something that only exists between the pages of a book, or just something that you read about in a book that people could actually buy you, should they be so inclined.

9 comments:

Maria said...

I wouldn't mind having an aletheometer. ;-)

Ruth said...

Oh, yes, that would come in VERY handy.

Sherry said...

Let's see . . . Lucy's (Narnia) liquid that cures all wounds, the clock you wrote about would be nice with eight children going all different directions. OR so many books seem have characters with their own personal servants --nannies, cooks, maids---I'll take one of each.

Ruth said...

Lucy's cordial would be a fabulous gift.

Anonymous said...

As a child, I had a book about a magic bus that had a button that, when pushed, would immediately put you where you wanted to be. I have often wished for that! Even Mother used to pretend to push the button when we passed the spot where we would turn if going to visit certain very close friends in another state.

Anonymous said...

One ring to rule them all. I'll settle for nothing less!

Okay, seriously... I like Curdie's gift in 'The Princess and Curdie' that enables him to tell by grasping a person's hand whether they're human, or a donkey, or a snake, or something else.

Ruth said...

The magic bus would be wonderful to have. (Or the Magic School Bus!)

Janet, I like both your choices, though I haven't read about Curdie. It would be nice to be able to know about people, though.

Amy said...

How about Harold's purple crayon? Or Mary Poppins's carpetbag?

Ruth said...

Amy, there are just so many choices!