The Ickabog

This summary section includes “Chapter 50: A Winter’s Journey,” “Chapter 51: Inside the Cave,” “Chapter 52: Mushrooms,” “Chapter 53: The Mysterious Monster”, “Chapter 54: The Song of the Ickabog,” “Chapter 55: Spittleworth Offends the King,” “Chapter 56: The Dungeon Plot,” and “Chapter 57: Daisy’s Plan.”

The four children make their way toward the Marshlands during the worst winter Cornucopia has ever seen. As they near their destination, they realize that the brigade has already moved south to escape the freezing weather. They find an overturned food cart containing all sorts of delicacies meant to feed the soldiers. The food is frozen solid, and the children, starving and exhausted, begin to succumb. They’re about to fall asleep and freeze to death when help arrives:

And then a vast shadow rippled over them. Two enormous arms covered in long green hair like marsh weed descended upon the four friends. As easily as if they were babies, the Ickabog scooped them up and bore them away across the marsh (206-207).

The children awaken from their sleep inside a warm cave to the delicious aroma of venison pies baking over a fire. The Ickabog tells them to eat, and they don’t argue. When Bert asks what the monster will do with them, it says it will eat them, but it isn’t time yet. Then, it takes two baskets and leaves the cave, sealing them in with a huge boulder to prevent escape.

The children examine some wall paintings. One shows a soldier with a plumed helmet and sword facing the monster. They realize that Fred really did see the Ickabog during that night in the fog. When the creature returns, it carries mushrooms and some frozen pastries from the cart. It thaws the cakes for the children, but the Ickabog eats only the mushrooms. As night falls, it begins to sing in a booming voice. Its song puts the children to sleep.

As a few days pass, the children lose some of their fear and begin to speculate about the Ickabog. One night, Daisy approaches it and sits nearby while it sings. Daisy asks about the song’s meaning, which is sung in Ickerish. The monster translates it into English, explaining that humans were spawned from Ickabogs by being born, or Bornded, wrong: “Then Hatred spawned the race of man, ’Twas from ourselves that man began, From Bitterness and Hate they swelled To armies, raised to smite us” (223). The Ickabog says the rest of the song urges the offspring of their race to kill the humans who kill them. The Ickabog says that it is expecting babies, as all Ickabogs are capable of reproducing. It will die when the babies are Bornded, which is the Ickabog way. It intends to eat the children when it is ready to deliver its young.

Meanwhile, back in Chouxville, the two lords have tightened the information net around the king, so he doesn’t know his kingdom’s real state of affairs. They have censored all incoming mail and even have soldiers writing fan letters to Fred. Spittleworth declares that the brigade is winning its war against the Ickabog. Fred is so pleased that he orders a slain Ickabog body to be stuffed and displayed in the castle. He is also planning a celebration ball.

Spittleworth immediately heads to the dungeons to complain about the victory songs that the prisoners are singing. The songs are what put the idea in the king’s head that they are winning the war against the monster. His lordship is displeased to see the prisoners looking so fit and well-fed. Even Dovetail seems to have regained his senses. One of Spittleworth’s henchmen is kept so busy fetching cooking utensils that he fails to notice if the prisoners have hidden any away:

Spittleworth had no idea that he’d just turned his back on what promised to be his biggest problem yet: a dungeon full of plotting prisoners, each of whom had knives and chisels hidden beneath their blankets, and behind loose bricks in their walls (233).

Out in the marshlands, Daisy becomes a special friend of the Ickabog. One day, as they gather mushrooms, she proposes that the Ickabog not eat the children. She also suggests that it’s time to bring the new babies, or Ickaboggles, into a world where humans treat them kindly. Daisy says, “I swear to you, Ickabog, we’ll protect you. Your Bornding will be the most important in history. We’re going to bring Ickabogs back…and Cornucopia too.”