Missee Lee facts for kids
photograph of Jonathan Cape edition of Arthur Ransome's 1941 novel, Missee Lee
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| Author | Arthur Ransome |
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| Cover artist | Arthur Ransome |
| Country | United Kingdom |
| Language | English |
| Series | Swallows and Amazons |
| Genre | Children's novels |
| Publisher | Jonathan Cape |
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Publication date
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1941 |
| Media type | Print (Hardcover & Paperback) |
| ISBN | 1-56792-196-5 (David R. Godine, Publisher: paperback, 2001) |
| OCLC | 48144509 |
| LC Class | PZ7.R175 Mi 2001 |
| Preceded by | The Big Six |
| Followed by | The Picts And The Martyrs |
Missee Lee is the tenth exciting book in Arthur Ransome's famous Swallows and Amazons series. This adventure takes place in the 1930s, far away in China. The brave children, known as the Swallows and Amazons, are sailing around the world. They are with their uncle, Captain Flint, on his schooner, the Wild Cat.
But their amazing journey takes a sudden turn. The Wild Cat sinks, and the children escape in their smaller boats, Swallow and Amazon. A big storm separates them. Both small boats eventually find themselves captured by pirates! They are held prisoner by the very unusual Missee Lee, who is the leader of the Three Island pirates. This book, published in 1941, is a thrilling tale of survival and escape.
Contents
The Adventure Begins in China
The story starts with the Swallows, Amazons, and Captain Flint in a port in the South China Sea. They are on a round-the-world trip aboard the Wild Cat, a small green schooner. They are warned to stay away from the Chinese coast because of dangerous pirates.
On the next part of their voyage, the wind completely stops. Then, their pet monkey, Gibber, accidentally starts a fire. The fire quickly burns the Wild Cat down to the water, causing it to sink. Everyone manages to escape safely aboard the Swallow and Amazon. These small boats were being used as the main ship's boats.
Separated by a Storm
However, a strong wind suddenly blows up during the night. The two boats get separated! The crew of the Amazon, which includes the Blackett sisters and their uncle, is picked up by a junk. This turns out to be a pirate ship.
Meanwhile, the Swallows make their own way to shore. They eventually meet up with the Amazons. The Amazons are being held by Taicoon Chang, one of the leaders of the Three Islands. Captain Flint is kept under much stricter guard. Taicoon Chang hopes to get a lot of money for him, as Captain Flint claimed to be the Lord Mayor of San Francisco.
Meeting the Pirate Leader, Missee Lee
The children are then sent to Missee Lee, who is the main leader of the pirates. She is a very surprising pirate! Missee Lee turns out to be a very smart person who studied at Cambridge in England. She had to return to rule the Three Islands when her father died.
Missee Lee starts giving the children Latin lessons. Everyone is surprised when Roger, one of the Swallows, is really good at Latin! Captain Flint is also brought to Missee Lee. The pirates were worried that the Royal Navy (the British navy) might send a gunboat to attack them if they knew their location.
A Close Call for Captain Flint
Later, Captain Flint is seen by another pirate leader, Wu, using a sextant. A sextant is a tool sailors use to figure out their position by looking at the sun or stars. The pirates think he is signaling the Royal Navy. They are almost in big trouble, but Missee Lee steps in and saves them from being harmed.
Planning a Daring Escape
The children and Captain Flint realize they are still in danger. They are also getting tired of the Latin lessons! So, they start to plan an escape. They decide to make their move during the exciting Dragon festival.
They plan to sail away on Missee Lee's own junk, called the Shining Moon. Missee Lee herself decides to help them! She wants to leave her pirate duties behind and go back to study at Cambridge.
A Tricky Journey Home
Together, they take a very risky passage through a narrow gorge to avoid being caught. But then, Missee Lee hears fighting starting between the different islanders. She realizes she has a duty to her father and her people. She decides she must return to unite them again.
The Swallows, Amazons, and Captain Flint continue their journey. They sail the Shining Moon all the way back to England, ending their incredible adventure.
