The King's Stilts facts for kids
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| Author | Dr. Seuss |
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| Cover artist | Dr. Seuss |
| Country | United States |
| Language | English |
| Genre | Children's literature |
| Publisher | Random House |
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Publication date
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1939 |
| Media type | Print (Hardcover) |
| Pages | 56 pages |
| OCLC | 470371 |
| Preceded by | The 500 Hats of Bartholomew Cubbins |
| Followed by | The Seven Lady Godivas |
The King's Stilts is a fun children's book written and drawn by Dr. Seuss. It was first published in 1939 by Random House. Unlike many of Dr. Seuss's famous rhyming books, this story is told in regular sentences, not poems.
The Story of King Birtram
The story is about King Birtram, who rules the land of Binn. His kingdom is a low area surrounded by lots of water. Big 'dike trees' act like a wall to keep the water out. But there's a problem: tiny birds called nizzards love to eat these dike trees! If the nizzards eat too many trees, the water could flood the whole kingdom.
Protecting the Kingdom
To keep the kingdom safe, King Birtram has a special group of 'Patrol Cats'. These cats are trained to scare away the nizzards. The King cares for these cats himself, making sure they are ready to protect Binn.
When King Birtram isn't busy with his royal duties, he loves to have fun. His favorite hobby is walking around the streets on his tall, red stilts.
A Tricky Plan
One day, the King's minister, Lord Droon, decides to cause trouble. Lord Droon is a gloomy person who secretly wants to steal the King's stilts. He talks to Eric, the King's page boy, and convinces him to take the stilts and hide them.
Without his stilts, King Birtram becomes very sad. He starts to neglect his important duties. Because the King is sad, the Patrol Cats also become less watchful. This gives the nizzards a chance to eat more of the dike trees. The kingdom is now in danger of flooding!
Saving the Day
Eric sees the bad things happening because of his actions. He feels very guilty. He decides he must return the stilts to the King. Even though Lord Droon tries to stop him, Eric manages to get the stilts back to King Birtram.
With his stilts returned, the King feels happy and energetic again! He quickly gathers the Patrol Cats. Together, they fight off the nizzards and save the kingdom from the flood. Lord Droon is caught and punished for his actions. Eric is rewarded with his very own pair of red stilts. Now, he can join the King on his fun outings!
