Hi there!
I enjoyed very much reading "The Magic Fishbone" first of all because we saw a King and a Queen that were very close to common people, a "careful house-keeper" queen who need no servants, a kind that happened to be short of money, and who did grocery without complaining, a princess with super-powers in managing to look after her only sixteen brothers. Then of course I liked Dickens' irony, as an example, after Alicia's wedding, Grandamarina (the fairy that entered a bit abruptly in the story) promised great wealth to the bride and groom: if wealth means to have thirty-five children with naturally-curled hair (that seemed to be quite an asset then) that will never had measles and whooping-cough. (How nice of fairy Grandamarina to save the royal family from so normal things).
Well, it all went fine until I read the final phrase that was totally unexpected and shocking. I din't see that coming
).Grandamarina: "It only remains to make an end of the fishbone. So she took it from the hand of the princess Alicia, and it instantly flew down the throat of the dreadful little snapping pug-dog next door, and choked him, and he expired in convulsions."
If there is somebody who couldn't attend the seminar feel free to join me here!