Swallows and Amazons Chapter IX: ‘Swallow has gone’
From Mae Thinks
No cryptically whimisical title for this chapter. This is Serious Bizniss.
Poor John wakes up all of a muddle. I can’t quite tell whether he’s wishing that his story had stayed pottersome or hoping that it will turn into a thriller, and I’m not sure that he knows, either. So he goes for a swim (always good for clearing the head, I find), and imagines hitching a ride on a seagull. John has a tendency to come across as a bit grown-up and sensible, so it’s nice to see that he can be plenty fanciful when he’s on his own.
Then he nips across to see Mrs Dixon, who has made toffee for the funny children on the island:
“‘I fettled you up a baking.’”
Oh, this chapter is delightful!
Only then it all turns a bit miserable, as John is accused of messing around with the houseboat. I think it’s lovely that his first thought, when he starts to feel threatened and unwelcome, is that he should have woken Susan – and he is reassured by the sight of her smoke. I do have a soft spot for Supportive Siblings, and they’re a good team.