A Very Dirty Bird is the sixteenth chapter of The Phantom Tollbooth.
Characters[]
- Milo
- Tock
- The Humbug
- The Mathemagician
- The Dodecahedron
- Ever-present Word Snatcher (debut)
- The Terrible Trivium (debut)
Plot[]
Milo climbs up the stairs to Infinity. But the higher he goes the more it seems like there's more to go. Just as he's getting worn out, he hears a voice who tells him that Infinity is a "dreadfully poor place" where no one can literally make ends meet. It belongs to a boy who is only partly there, and he explains he's ".58" of a child. Then he tells Milo about the importance of fractions and percents. Milo's confused by their conversation and feels more ignorant than ever. The little boy tries to give Milo advice about learning, and Milo decides to abandon the idea of trying to reach Infinity. He returns to the Mathemagician's workshop, where he finally broaches the subject of Rhyme and Reason. When Milo tells him that King Azaz has agreed to release the princesses, the Mathemagician refuses to allow it since he and Azaz always disagree. The Mathemagician tells Milo that if he can prove that he and Azaz have ever agreed, he will consent to the release of the princesses. Milo points out that if the Mathemagician and Azaz always disagree then they have agreed to disagree. The Mathemagician gracefully accepts his defeat and lets them go, but with two warnings. One is about the demons that will attack them once they get closer to the princesses. The other, he says, he can only reveal once they get back. The Dodecahedron shows up and hands Milo the important presents that he collected from Azaz, Alec, and the Soundkeeper along the way. The Mathemagician also contributes a gift: a miniature version of his magic pencil. Milo and his companions leave Digitopolis and head towards the Mountains of Ignorance. As they clamber up a dark, craggy path, a mysterious voice in the distance keeps making puns with their words. The Everpresent Wordsnatcher, a filth-encrusted bird from Context, eventually presents himself and explains that his purpose is to take the words of other people and twist them to make little jokes. However, he is not a demon and takes off when Milo hurts his feelings by asking if he is one. The three others keep going, and soon they meet a nice-looking man who is wearing dapper clothing but has no features on his face. Despite his frightening appearance, the man seems very friendly and politely asks for help on a few tasks. He instructs Milo to move a pile of sand one grain at a time, Tock to drain a well using an eye-dropper, and the Humbug to dig a hole through the mountain with a needle. Since the gentleman seems so nice, the three travelers accept their tasks and begin working. Soon hours have gone by with no end in sight.
Chapter Guide[]
< This Way to Infinity (Chapter 15) | Unwelcoming Committee (Chapter 17)>