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The Picts and the Martyrs

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The Picts and the Martyrs is the eleventh book in Arthur Ransome's Swallows and Amazons series of children's books. It was published in 1943 and set in late July 1933, at the very beginning of the summer holidays. This is the last completed book set at The Lake and features the Blackett sisters, the Amazons and the Callum siblings, the Ds. Ransome's most native character, the Great Aunt also features prominently as do many aspects of Lakeland life. The Dog's Home is based on a small stone hut built in the woods above Coniston Water close to Ransome's then residence.

Contents

[edit] Characters

[edit] Boats (etc)

Scarab, Amazon, the Houseboat, Rattletrap the Beckfoot car

[edit] Plot summary

The Ds have been invited to stay at Beckfoot at the start of the summer holidays while Mrs Blackett has gone on a cruise for her health. However, when Great Aunt Maria finds out that the Blackett girls have been left at home, she decides to come and take care of them. She is unaware of the Ds' visit. Nancy Blackett insists that the Ds' holiday will not be spoiled and that they will learn to sail the Scarab, a dinghy their father has bought for them. So they move out to The Dog's Home, a small hut in the woods, and become secretive Picts while the Blacketts are martyrs to the Great Aunt.

Despite the Great Aunt's attempts to civilise the Amazon pirates, they manage to accomplish a number of adventures while the Great Aunt suspects they are seeing the Swallows. Near the end of her visit, the Great Aunt goes missing and there is a hue and cry and search for her. The Ds find her despite being the only people who shouldn't meet her. They deliver the GA back to Beckfoot in time to catch her train while Nancy manages to save the Great Aunt some embarrassment for which she gets praised in a letter to her mother.

[edit] Timeline

(numbers are actual dates, in August (PM1) 1933; names are chapter titles) (dates and events in parentheses occur outside the book's timeline)

2 August 1933: Visitors Expected, The Visitors Arrive
3 August 1933: Out of the Blue, The Dog's Home, Transformation Scenes, "She's Here!"
4 August 1933: Secondhand News, Dealing With the Doctor, Harbour for the Scarab, Pigeons for Timothy
5 August 1933: "A Better Pict Than Either of Us", A Signal From the Lawn, Tickling Trout
6 August 1933: "They Can't Be Going to Sail...", Launching the Scarab, On Their Own
7 August 1933: Waiting for the Message, Visiting Seal
8 August 1933: "We've Never Been Burglars Before"
9 August 1933: Police!, As Others See Us
10 August 1933: Plans and Change of Plans
11 August 1933: Plans and Change of Plans, The Great Aunt Goes to See For Herself, Carefree Holiday, Totally Disappeared
12 August 1933: The Hunt is Up, The One Thing That Mustn't Happen, Three in a Boat, Great Aunt Maria Faces Her Persuers, Reward of Virtue
(13 August 1933): (planned analysis of new copper samples on board the Houseboat; projected arrival of Mrs Blackett and Captain Flint at the Lake [Mother arrives thirteenth (PM2)]; projected arrival of Miss Huskisson at Harrogate)
(18 August 1933): (projected arrival of the Swallows: And I said "I wish they were but they aren't coming for another week, Aunt Maria." And she said "Ah!" (Nancy on 11 August (PM22]).

[edit] Notes

  • Mr Callum is correcting exam papers (and looking at Broads boat catalogues!)
  • Mrs Blackett had the flu, Captain Flint took her on a voyage to Scandinavia for the first 10 days of summer holidays
  • the Callums live in London
  • Swallows coming in a fortnight to stay at Holly Howe
  • Dot came up from London, Dick joined her at Crewe from school
  • There is a nice pun in the name of Chapter 17. See:
  • Dot's and Peggy's feet are the same size, but Dot has big feet for her size, so is smaller than Peggy
  • Dick is captain, Dorothea mate of Scarab (PM27)
  • Sammy Lewthwaite and Billy Lewthwaite's mother, Mrs Lewthwaite, was Mrs Blackett's old nurse
  • there are 5 weeks of summer holidays to go after the story ends
  • the Ds are to teach their parents to sail when they arrive
  • Mrs Barrable is in Horning, her brother Richard will be there and they will go sailing sometime in September.
  • The hardback Cape editions have dust jackets with black and white illustrations from the book on a coloured background; a different colour for each book. The Picts and the Martyrs has on the spine an illustration not in the book, showing the group on the wharf (including the old boatbuilder) launching Scarab.


Arthur Ransome's Swallows and Amazons series

Swallows and Amazons | 'Their Own Story' | Swallowdale | Peter Duck | Winter Holiday | Coot Club | Pigeon Post | We Didn't Mean to Go to Sea | The Big Six | Secret Water | Missee Lee | The Picts and the Martyrs | 'Coots in the North' | Great Northern?

This page uses content from Guide to Swallows and Amazons series by kind permission of Bill Wright.
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