Anya is the Queen of Storytimes, in English or Chuckleslovakian (and a few others we haven’t heard yet).
Kind of gives Eleanor something to think about, doesn’t it? Will she change her mind about her “plan?” Ah, who knows?*
A little word on the Chuckleslovakian language. You’ll notice that they used the German “zwei” for “two.” During World War I, when Chuckleslovakia was still under the hated, smelly Brungarian’s thumb, they were under German occupation. As bad as the Germans were, they were still far better than the Brungarians, and the Chucklesovakians found that saying certain German words would really get the Brungarian’s dander up. So they adopted some German words, especially “zwei,” which sounds a lot like “zwei,” which is Brungarian for “sweetheart.”
And, in case you didn’t catch it, “brunga dunga” is Chuckleslovakian slang for “stinky monkey.” It’s an old Chuckleslovakian children’s song.
Now, why did Mrs. Flintensteel say “queen?” Does she know Anya’s secret?
Mrs. Flintensteel is a librarian, after all, and a darned good one at that. So you know two things about her: She’s got amazing “finding out things” skills, and even more amazing “protect patron’s privacy” dedication. So, if she does, she won’t tell anyone. Even Anya. Ah, who knows?*
Coming up: Eleanor starts to go to work on Anya, while Anya goes to work on Eleanor. You’ll have to tune in to find out!
* Me. I know. But I’m not telling. Yet.
“…a decent frock, and a cup of tea…” Mes. Flintensteel is priceless. ^^
Mrs. Flintensteel runs her library the way she feels a library should be run.* And when she steps over the line, a nice cup of tea smooths over any bumps in the journey.
* She did have a few go-rounds with Anya about the collar, but wisely realized that allowances can be made to world-class talent.
It’s not just entertaining, it’s educational! The Chuckleslovakian language is such a great one, but sadly my skills have gotten rusty over the years.
You would think that someone who makes a wonderful comic based in the Vatican (with assassins!) would recognize some of the Italian words borrowed from the Chuckleslovakian.
“LfKtgit:” the condition of pasta that sticks together too much.
“Wrnizer:” an exclamation when your moped hydroplanes on a rainy day.
“Nftalgitsun:” that mood you get when the pigeon poops on that beautiful statue you were admiring.
Eleanor may be single-minded, but Anya’s got social support. And an army of kids. ?
Anya has more than one army. Maybe someday I’ll illustrate just how beloved and protected she is.
Such a beautiful, poetic language. And Eleanor looks… moved…? Huh…
Eleanor has never seen Anya do a Chuckleslovakian Storytime before. She knew her pet was special, but she’s suddenly getting an idea of just how wonderful Anya is.
You’ll see a clue in the next episode.
I’m thoroughly enjoying the Chuckloslovaquian language.
What is Eleanor planning. She is not visiting at the library without a reason!
Writing the Chuckleslovakian language doesn’t really convey how beautiful it is when spoken.
Except to Brungarians. But then, their language sounds (to borrow from Henryk Sienkewicz) like “a handful of pebbles thrown against a window” to most people.
Whereas (judging by its spelling, at least) Chuckleslovakian sounds like someone being strangled while speaking Czech with a Russian accent.