Bartholomew and the Oobleck Paragraphs 24-30 Summary

Oobleck to the Rescue 

  • The magicians aren't kidding around. They immediately promise the King some fancy shmancy oobleck. Just one problem: they don't know what it is.
  • (If that line—"And you'll have oobleck when we're through!"—doesn't sound like a threat, you clearly never watched The Sopranos.)
  • But the King is so obsessed with having something different and feeling like he's in control, he doesn't care that he has no idea what he's buying. This is the kind of logic that crashes economies, so it should definitely make everyone involved uncomfortable.
  • It doesn't, of course.
  • Except for good old Bartholomew, who's like that awkward teen in horror movies that takes one look at the spooky path in the woods and says, "I don't think this is such a good idea, fellas." Here again we see the normal roles reversed. The child is wise while the adults plunge on forward, simply because they can.
  • What is Seuss doing here? Building up the King's ego and pride so the fall will be all the more Oobleck-tacular—duh.