- Whangdoodle
The Whangdoodle is a fanciful creature, as described in
folklore andchildren's literature , usually of theUnited States . (SeeFearsome Critters )Roald Dahl Books
Charlie and the Chocolate Factory
In
Roald Dahl 's novel "Charlie and the Chocolate Factory " Whangdoodles are described as one of the main natural enemies of theOompa-Loompas . They are extremely large and hungry, capable of eating over a dozen Oompa-Loompas at one time.The Minpins
In another one of
Roald Dahl 's books called "The Minpins ", the whangdoodles are mentioned by the mother of one of the main characters, when she is telling him not to go in a forest, because Whangdoodles live there.James and the Giant Peach
One of the firemen near the end of the book refers to the centipede as a Whangdoodle.
The Last of the Really Great Whangdoodles
A different Whangdoodle is described in the children's novel "
The Last of the Really Great Whangdoodles " by singer and actress DameJulie Andrews (under her married name Julie Edwards — more recent editions credit her as Julie Andrews Edwards).This whangdoodle is intelligent and capable of
speech . It resembles amoose with rather short legs, sports fantastic horns and has asweet tooth often marked with adaisy . It can change color based on itsemotion s (for example, blue is depressed) and grows a new set ofbedroom slippers on its feet each year.In the story, the spread of
human ity andtechnology across the world threatens the species withextinction : the creatures are not hunted by humans but rather endangered by their ownshyness and depression caused by humankind's rationalistic disbelief in fantastic creatures. The last surviving whangdoodle retreats to a place where humans could not follow and lives in acastle , reigning asking over Whangdoodleland. But as the story goes a professor helps the children to find the whangdoodles. They go from place to place and only have a while each day and must keep starting over they go past talking trees, scary birds and many other creatures. A whangdoodle is furry and very wise.Little Nemo in Slumberland
In Winsor McCay's comic series "Little Nemo in Slumberland" (1905-1913;1924-1926), the Whang-Doodle is referenced in the July 17th, 1910 strip describing Nemo's dream of a visit to Mars with his pals Flip and Imp. In the comic, the Whang-Doodle appears as a yellow, spherical creature with a long tail. It uses this tail to throw a ball as part of a strange game where players from opposing teams take turns trying to hypnotize the Whang-Doodle. The Whang-Doodle pitches the ball to the player who is most successful in hypnotizing him. If the player fails to catch the ball, he is torn apart by the game's spectators, who take home the pieces as souvenirs.
[Little Nemo In Slumberland, So Many Splendid Sundays, Peter Maresca, ed.] The Whangdoodle is also known to resemble a bird in times of sadness.
References
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