The Log of the Ark
Encyclopedia
The Log of the Ark is a children's book written by Kenneth Walker
and Geoffrey Boumphrey. It was first published by Constable & Co., London, 1923. It was first published in the U.S.A. by E.P. Dutton & Co., New York , 1926 under the title What Happened in the Ark. One of the many editions was by Puffin Books
in 1963.
The book's plot describes the way in which an outcast animal, the scub, infiltrates the ark
and introduces certain of the other species to the idea of eating meat. (Until this point, all the animals eat porridge
with a dollop of treacle
.) This sinister development is described alongside a good deal of slapstick
humour. For example the nautically naive Noah
initially constructs the ark with all the large animals quartered together for social reasons, only discovering the consequences for its stability when the flood waters surround it.
Like many later fictionalisations of the Noah story, from Gary Larson
to Julian Barnes
, it introduces mythical beasts such as the unicorn
into the Ark's passenger list, a device with obvious dramatic potential: we assume that such creatures are unlikely to survive the voyage. Here, as elsewhere, the comic elements mask tragic ones to good effect. Especially memorable is the plight of the 'Seventy-sevenses', a pair of nondescript and painfully shy mammals who name themselves after the number of their cabin, and who eventually abandon the Ark on a small raft because the atmosphere on board has become too oppressive. There was also an even sadder pair of animals "The Clidders" who melted when it began to rain!
Outwardly this is a de-theologised version of the story: God
does not appear, and the purpose of the Flood is not mass drowning. Yet the way the scub creeps into the childish innocence of the Ark
and subverts it still points to a narrative patterned by Christian concepts of the Fall. In the final scene, a horrified Noah - who has not yet realised quite what has happened on his ship - watches as the newly released animals chase and fly from one another, awakened to their new identities as hunters and hunted.
Kenneth Walker (author)
Kenneth Macfarlane Walker was a British author and urologist . Among many other books he wrote The Log of the Ark with Geoffrey Boumphrey in 1923, Life's Long Journey and A Study of Gurdjieff's Teaching....
and Geoffrey Boumphrey. It was first published by Constable & Co., London, 1923. It was first published in the U.S.A. by E.P. Dutton & Co., New York , 1926 under the title What Happened in the Ark. One of the many editions was by Puffin Books
Puffin Books
Puffin Books is the children's imprint of British publishers Penguin Books. Since the 1960s it has been the largest publisher of children's books in the UK and much of the English-speaking world.-Early history:...
in 1963.
The book's plot describes the way in which an outcast animal, the scub, infiltrates the ark
Noah's Ark
Noah's Ark is a vessel appearing in the Book of Genesis and the Quran . These narratives describe the construction of the ark by Noah at God's command to save himself, his family, and the world's animals from the worldwide deluge of the Great Flood.In the narrative of the ark, God sees the...
and introduces certain of the other species to the idea of eating meat. (Until this point, all the animals eat porridge
Porridge
Porridge is a dish made by boiling oats or other cereal meals in water, milk, or both. It is usually served hot in a bowl or dish...
with a dollop of treacle
Treacle
Treacle is any syrup made during the refining of sugar and is defined as "uncrystallized syrup produced in refining sugar". Treacle is used chiefly in cooking as a form of sweetener or condiment....
.) This sinister development is described alongside a good deal of slapstick
Slapstick
Slapstick is a type of comedy involving exaggerated violence and activities which may exceed the boundaries of common sense.- Origins :The phrase comes from the batacchio or bataccio — called the 'slap stick' in English — a club-like object composed of two wooden slats used in Commedia dell'arte...
humour. For example the nautically naive Noah
Noah
Noah was, according to the Hebrew Bible, the tenth and last of the antediluvian Patriarchs. The biblical story of Noah is contained in chapters 6–9 of the book of Genesis, where he saves his family and representatives of all animals from the flood by constructing an ark...
initially constructs the ark with all the large animals quartered together for social reasons, only discovering the consequences for its stability when the flood waters surround it.
Like many later fictionalisations of the Noah story, from Gary Larson
Gary Larson
Gary Larson is the creator of The Far Side, a single-panel cartoon series that was syndicated internationally to newspapers for 15 years. The series ended with Larson's retirement on January 1, 1995. His 23 books of collected cartoons have combined sales of more than 45 million...
to Julian Barnes
Julian Barnes
Julian Patrick Barnes is a contemporary English writer, and winner of the 2011 Man Booker Prize, for his book The Sense of an Ending...
, it introduces mythical beasts such as the unicorn
Unicorn
The unicorn is a legendary animal from European folklore that resembles a white horse with a large, pointed, spiraling horn projecting from its forehead, and sometimes a goat's beard...
into the Ark's passenger list, a device with obvious dramatic potential: we assume that such creatures are unlikely to survive the voyage. Here, as elsewhere, the comic elements mask tragic ones to good effect. Especially memorable is the plight of the 'Seventy-sevenses', a pair of nondescript and painfully shy mammals who name themselves after the number of their cabin, and who eventually abandon the Ark on a small raft because the atmosphere on board has become too oppressive. There was also an even sadder pair of animals "The Clidders" who melted when it began to rain!
Outwardly this is a de-theologised version of the story: God
God
God is the English name given to a singular being in theistic and deistic religions who is either the sole deity in monotheism, or a single deity in polytheism....
does not appear, and the purpose of the Flood is not mass drowning. Yet the way the scub creeps into the childish innocence of the Ark
Noah's Ark
Noah's Ark is a vessel appearing in the Book of Genesis and the Quran . These narratives describe the construction of the ark by Noah at God's command to save himself, his family, and the world's animals from the worldwide deluge of the Great Flood.In the narrative of the ark, God sees the...
and subverts it still points to a narrative patterned by Christian concepts of the Fall. In the final scene, a horrified Noah - who has not yet realised quite what has happened on his ship - watches as the newly released animals chase and fly from one another, awakened to their new identities as hunters and hunted.