The Ghost Drum facts for kids
First edition
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| Author | Susan Price |
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| Country | United Kingdom |
| Language | English |
| Series | Ghost World |
| Genre | Children's fantasy novel |
| Publisher | Faber and Faber |
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Publication date
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12 January 1987 |
| Media type | Print (hardcover, paperback) |
| Pages | 184 pp (first edition) |
| ISBN | 0-571-14613-9 |
| OCLC | 59164609 |
| LC Class | PZ7.P9317 Gh 1987 |
| Followed by | Ghost Song |
The Ghost Drum is an exciting fantasy novel for children by Susan Price. It was first published in 1987 and is the first book in her "Ghost World" series. This story is a unique fairy tale that mixes parts of Russian history with old Russian folklore.
Susan Price won the important Carnegie Medal for The Ghost Drum. This award is given to the best children's book written by a British author each year. In the United States, the book was released as The Ghost Drum: A Cat's Tale.
Contents
The Story of the Ghost Drum
The whole story is told by a very smart cat. This cat introduces each part of the tale and its characters. At the end, the cat asks the reader to share the story. This way, the tale can travel and eventually return to the cat.
Chingis, the Young Witch
The story begins with a baby girl named Chingis. Her mother, a slave, gives her to an old witch. This witch raises Chingis to become a "Woman of Power." The old witch teaches Chingis everything she knows. This includes how to use a special shamanic ghost drum. With this drum, Chingis can travel to many other worlds. One of these is the ghost-world, which is the land of the dead.
When Chingis finishes her training, other witches come to celebrate her power. But a shaman named Kuzma feels jealous and scared of how powerful Chingis might become.
The Imprisoned Prince
Meanwhile, in a faraway palace, there lives a ruler called Czar Guidon. He is a very strict ruler. He is afraid that his own son will take his place. So, he locks his pregnant wife, Farida, in a room at the top of a tall tower. This room has no windows. When Farida dies giving birth, the Czar orders that his son, Safa, must never leave the room.
Safa is raised by his nurse, Marien, inside this tower room. As Safa grows up, he becomes restless and wants to see the world. Marien bravely talks to the Czar about Safa, but the Czar gets angry and has her executed. Safa is left all alone.
A Rescue and a Battle
Safa spends many years by himself. His sadness and cries for help reach Chingis. Using her ghost drum, Chingis finds Safa and secretly takes him away from the tower. Safa is amazed by the world outside, which he has never seen before.
While Safa is gone, Czar Guidon dies. His sister, Princess Margaretta, takes over the throne. She wants to find Safa and kill him to keep her power. Kuzma, the jealous shaman, appears as a polar bear. He offers to help Margaretta find Safa.
Kuzma uses his shamanic powers against Chingis. He manages to kill her and capture Safa. But Chingis doesn't give up! In the ghost world, she gets help from her old teacher, Marien (Safa's nurse), and Farida (Safa's mother). Together, their spirits return to Chingis's body. They defeat Kuzma and Margaretta. After their victory, the four spirits go back to the ghost world, waiting to be reborn someday.
Main Characters
- A learned cat: The wise narrator who tells the whole story.
- Chingis: A brave young witch or shaman with special powers.
- Chingis's mother: A slave who gives her baby to the old witch.
- An old witch: Chingis's foster-mother and teacher.
- Kuzma: A jealous shaman from the far north who causes trouble.
- Safa: The young prince, known as the Czarevich, who is locked away.
- Czar Guidon: Safa's father, a powerful but fearful ruler.
- Princess Margaretta: Czar Guidon's sister, who wants to keep the throne.
- Farida (Czaritsa Katrina): Safa's mother, who dies in childbirth.
- Marien: Safa's kind nurse who raises him in the tower.
- Vanya: One of the Czar's soldiers.
Folklore and Magic in the Story
The Ghost Drum uses many ideas from old Russian stories and beliefs.
Power and Freedom
The book shows two kinds of power: the spiritual power of a shaman and the political power of a Czar. The Czar's power is based on fear and control, and it makes bad things happen. Even though the Czar can decide if people live or die, he is controlled by his own fear. Shamans, however, get their power from knowledge. They live freely, can become invisible, and are almost impossible to harm.
Fairy Tale Twists
The story cleverly changes classic fairy tale roles. Usually, a princess is locked in a tower. But here, it's the prince who is trapped! And instead of a prince rescuing a princess, a witch saves the prince from a wicked princess.
The Storytelling Cat
The idea of a talking, storytelling cat is also found in Russian folklore. For example, the famous Russian poet Alexander Pushkin included a similar cat in his poem "Ruslan and Ludmila". He based his poem on folk stories he heard as a child.
Witches and Shamans
In the book, the words 'witch' and 'shaman' are used to mean similar things. Both men and women can be witches or shamans. They can travel to other worlds in spirit. They also have healing gifts and other magical abilities. These powers come from different types of magic, like the magic of plants, words, writing, and music. They can also see the future, become invisible, and change their shape.
The special drum in the title is a common tool for shamans. This drum has letters or symbols on it. A shaman can "ask" the drum questions, much like a special compass in the book His Dark Materials.
Magical Huts
Both Chingis and Kuzma have huts that stand on chicken legs. This is a famous detail from the stories of Baba Yaga, a well-known witch in Russian folklore.
Rules of the Ghost World
The story also mentions a common belief from Western myths. The four spirits (Chingis, her mentor, Marien, and Farida) can leave the ghost world because they did not eat or drink anything while they were there.
