Chocolate cake Quote by Diana Wynne Jones
““What did you do?" said Charles. "You know that night all our shoes went into the hall," said Nirupam. "Well, we had a feast that night. Dan Smith made me get up the floorboards and get the food out. He says I have no right to be so large and so weak," Nirupam said resentfully, "and I was hating him for it, when I took the boards up and found a pair of running shoes, with spikes, hidden there with the food. I turned those shoes into a chocolate cake. I knew Dan was so greedy that he would eat it all himself. And he did eat it. He didn't let anyone else have any. You may have noticed that he wasn't quite himself the next day." So much had happened to Charles that particular day, that he could not remember Dan seeming anything at all. He didn't have the heart to explain all the trouble Nirupam had caused him. "Those were my spikes," he said sadly. He wobbled along on the mop rather awed at the thought of iron spikes passing through Dan's stomach. "He must have a digestion like an ostrich!" "The spikes were turned into cherries," said Nirupam. "The soles were the cream. The shoes as a whole became what is called a Black Forest gateau.””
About This Quote
A surreal tale of betrayal and poetic justice where a greedy host's hidden motives are turned into a decadent dessert, symbolizing retribution.
In simple terms: Retribution through culinary metaphor.
Greed leads to downfall.
Themes
Mood
Type
When to use this quote
- a dinner party
- a secret betrayal
- a culinary competition
- a revenge plot
Key Concepts
Practical Applications
- using storytelling to illustrate moral lessons
- creative writing exercises
Questions to Reflect On
- What does the dessert represent about Dan's character?
- How does the absurdity affect the moral impact?