Muddle Earth facts for kids

The first book cover, published by Macmillan.

Muddle Earth is a fun children's book written by Paul Stewart. It was published in 2003 and has cool drawings by Chris Riddell. This story is mostly a funny version, or parody, of The Lord of the Rings by J. R. R. Tolkien. Just like The Lord of the Rings, Muddle Earth is split into three main parts. These parts are called Englebert the Enormous, Here Be Dragons, and Doctor Cuddles of Giggle Glade. A second book, called Muddle Earth Too, came out in 2011.

The Story of Muddle Earth

Joe Jefferson is a regular boy from our world, Earth. He gets called to Muddle Earth, which is a medieval fantasy world. This world is "full of monsters, mayhem, and more"! A wizard named Randalf is the one who summons him.

Joe is then told he's a "warrior-hero." This means he has to fight evil for Randalf. Randalf himself was hired by the ruler of Muddle Earth, the Horned Baron. But the Horned Baron has his own problems. His wife, Ingrid, is very demanding! The bad guy, Doctor Cuddles, notices this and uses it to his advantage throughout the whole book.

How Muddle Earth is Like Lord of the Rings

Muddle Earth makes fun of The Lord of the Rings in many ways. It has characters and places that are very similar, but with a funny twist!

Characters You Might Recognize

• Joe: He's the hero who doesn't really want to be one. All he wants is to go home. He's like Frodo from The Lord of the Rings.
• Randalf: This wizard isn't very good at magic. He's a funny version of Gandalf.
• Brenda: She's a brave warrior princess. She's not afraid of anything, except elves! She's a bit like Éowyn.
• Elves: In Muddle Earth, elves work very hard. They are a bit like the house-elves in the Harry Potter books.
• Talking Trees: You can find these trees in Elfwood. They are similar to the Ents or Huorns in The Lord of the Rings.
• Margot: This dragon loves treasure. She's like Smaug from The Hobbit.
• Doctor Cuddles of Giggle Glade: He's the main bad guy. He's a bit like Sauron, or even the Black Riders.
• Quentin The Cake Decorator: He was Randalf's first hero. Now he works for Doctor Cuddles. He's similar to Saruman The White.
• The Horned Baron: He rules Muddle Earth. He might be like Théoden, who was controlled by an evil force (in this case, his wife Ingrid!). Or he could be like Saruman, living in a tower near Mount Boom.

Places That Seem Familiar

• Muddle Earth: This whole world is a funny version of Middle-earth.
• Mount Boom: This mountain makes a "BOOM" sound sometimes, which is how it got its name. It's like Mount Doom.
• Musty Mountains: These mountains are very old and smell a bit. They are like The Misty Mountains, where Bilbo Baggins found Gollum.

Other Characters and Places in Muddle Earth

There are many other interesting characters and places in the world of Muddle Earth!

More Characters to Meet

• Norbert: His full name is Norbert the Not-Very-Big. Even though he's 15 feet tall, he can't read!
• Veronica: A blue budgie (a type of bird). She was Roger the Wrinkled's pet, and later Randalf's.
• Henry: Joe's loyal battle dog.
• Roger the Wrinkled: He's the greatest wizard in Muddle Earth. Doctor Cuddles captured him.
• Bertram the Incredibly Hairy: Another wizard captured by Dr. Cuddles.
• Boris the Bald: Bertram's brother, also captured by Dr. Cuddles.
• Eric the Mottled: A wizard captured by Dr. Cuddles.
• Ernie the Shrivelled: Another wizard captured by Dr. Cuddles.
• Melyvn the Mauve: A wizard captured by Dr. Cuddles.
• Colin the Nondescript: This wizard helped Dr. Cuddles create the Tickle Squad. He was also captured by Dr. Cuddles.
• The Horned Baron: The ruler of Muddle Earth. His wife, Ingrid, always calls him Walter. He might be a nod to the Horned King from The Black Cauldron. In Muddle Earth Too, he retires and is revealed to be a goblin.
• Ingrid: The Horned Baron's wife, who you don't see much. She has big, pudgy legs and large feet.
• Grubley: He owns Grubleys Discount Department Store.
• Smink: Grubley's helper. He sometimes works as a traveling salesman.
• Fifi: Also known as Mucky Maud of Mucky Maud's Lumpy Custard Club. She loves the Horned Baron. In Muddle Earth Too, she becomes the retired Horned Baron's wife.
• Englebert the Enormous: A giant ogre who scared Muddle Earth. He was looking for his "snuggly-wuggly."
• Benson: The Horned Baron's head gardener. He got promoted to the Baron's personal helper.
• Margot: A friendly female dragon who likes Norbert and shiny things. She is blue.
• Smarm: A gnome who works at Fifi's club.
• Lord of the Teaspoons: A small silver teaspoon who travels Muddle Earth.
• Dr. Cuddles: A mysterious, cloaked figure who is evil and wants power. He's actually Randalf's pink teddy bear, Charlie Cuddles, who Randalf accidentally brought to life!

Exciting Places to Visit

• Here Be Dragons: A mountain area with many caves full of dragons.
• Harmless Hill: A cute hill. It's harmless, but watch out for the killer daisies!
• Trollbridge: A bridge where trolls live. It's very messy.
• The Musty Mountains: A very old mountain range that smells a bit.
• Elfwood: A big forest where elves used to live. Its trees can talk, like Fangorn Forest.
• Goblintown: A large, crowded city where buildings are stacked on top of each other. It has a very strong smell!
• The Perfumed Bog: A wide, purple swamp that smells sickly sweet. It might be like the Dead Marshes.
• The Enchanted Lake: A large, floating lake where wizards live.
• Ogrehills: A hilly area where ogres live.
• The Horned Baron's Castle: A big castle in the Musty Mountains, home to the Horned Baron.
• Giggle Glade: Doctor Cuddles' home, a sweet cottage in the middle of Elfwood.
• The Sandpit: A pit full of sand, great for Goblin picnics.

The Sequel: Muddle Earth Too

In 2011, the next book, Muddle Earth Too, was published. It also has three parts: "Down with Stinkyhogs!", "The Trouble with Big Sisters," and "Pesticide the Flower Fairy."

This sequel also makes fun of The Lord of the Rings. But it also includes funny references to other famous stories. These include Twilight, Harry Potter, The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe, A Midsummer Night's Dream, Hansel and Gretel, The Sword in the Stone, His Dark Materials, and Sleeping Beauty.

The story follows Joe as he returns to Muddle Earth. This time, he goes through a wardrobe! His big sister, Ella, comes with him. Joe finds that Randalf is now the Headmaster of a new wizard school called Stinkyhogs. This school is built in the Horned Baron's old castle after he retired.

The school is competing in the Muddle Earth annual game, Broomball. They want to win the Goblet of Porridge. But the Goblet goes missing! Joe, Randalf, Ella, and their friends must go on a quest to find it. Along the way, they meet many new characters.

New Characters in Muddle Earth Too

• Pesticide: A flower fairy who steals the Goblet of Porridge. She wants to be rich but says she's "not evil," just misunderstood.
• Nettle, Thistle, and Briar Rose: Pesticide's helpers, who are also flower fairies.
• Edwina Lovely: The main bad guy in this story. She seems nice but is actually a ruthless vampire.
• Edward Gorgeous: A handsome student at Stinkyhogs. He loves Ella and becomes a vampire after Edwina bites him.
• Lord Asbow: The quirky Dean of the University of Whatever. He has a dog named Damien.
• Eudora Pinkwhistle: Muddle Earth's top witch and a teacher at Stinkyhogs.
• Mr. Fluffy: The woodwork teacher at Stinkyhogs. He is a werehamster!
• Kings Edmund & Peter and Queens Susan & Lucy: The proud leaders of Stinkyhogs' rival school.
• Eraguff and Delia: Two dragons.
• Mrs. Couldn't Possibly: Lord Asbow's assistant.
• Smutley: Grubley's son.
• Mr. Polly: A cyclops and a teacher at Stinkyhogs.
• Peat: The bog-man.
• Titiana and Oberon: Pesticide's parents.

New Places in Muddle Earth Too

• Definitely no Dragons here: This is where the Kingdom of Kings Edmund & Peter and Queens Susan & Lucy is located.
• Nowhere: This area includes a barbarian camp, a cake competition, and King Arthur's palace.
• The University of Whatever: Run by Lord Asbow, it has many professors and their pets, all named Damien.

Muddle Earth on TV: CBBC Adaptations

Muddle Earth has also been made into TV shows!

Jackanory Special

In 2006, Muddle Earth was made into a special one-off story for CBBC's Jackanory. This version only covered the "Englebert the Enormous" part of the book. The actor John Sessions read the story.

Animated Series

In 2009, the BBC decided to make an animated TV series of Muddle Earth. It started in spring 2010. The series has two seasons, with thirteen 11-minute episodes in each. The famous actor David Jason is the voice of Randalf!

Episode List

Series 1

• Footwear of Doom
• Ice Cold in Muddle
• Ogre the Hills and Far Away
• Muddle Earth Cuckoo
• Babbling Brook
• Turnip for the Books
• Best Wizard in Show
• Dragon Wind
• Mordrolf the Magnificent
• Clothes Maketh the Man
• Randalf's Memory Meltdown
• Missing Norbert
• Love Potion

Series 2

• Attack of the Trolls
• Come into the Garden Mucky Maud
• The Great Elf and Spoon Race
• The Big Night Out
• Don't Go Changing
• Stampede
• Pesticide Shall Go to the Ball
• Ill Wind
• Toy Soldiers
• Fairy Fairy
• Norbert and the Golden Ticket
• The Horned Duke
• The Big Match

Characters Only in the CBBC Series

Some characters only appear in the TV show:

• Newt: The main character and Randalf's adventurous helper. He looks a lot like Joe from the books.
• Fang: Doctor Cuddles' pet bat-bird. He spies for Dr. Cuddles and Pesticide.
• The Fairies: Human-sized fairies who live in Fairy Valley. They wear colorful dresses and have pet stiltmice. Their leader is named Fifi.
• Gerald: A snuggly-wuggly stolen by Pesticide to frame the Horned Baron.
• Tallulah: A red dragon with a bad temper, and Margot's niece.
• The Babbling Brook: A talking river that gossips a lot.
• Mordrolf the Magnificent: Randalf's old friend who became a thief.
• Prince Lionel Wolfclaw: A prince from another land.
• The Stinky Swamp Demons: Creatures that look like people's worst fears.
• The Toy Soldiers: Toy soldiers that Dr. Cuddles brings to life.
• The Horned Duke: The Horned Baron's cousin, who wants to take over Muddle Earth.

Muddle Earth Online

In October 2010, a game called Muddle Earth World became available. It's a fun online game where many players can play together.

CBBC Soundtrack

The music from the CBBC series was released online on January 10, 2011.