A.Sklyarenko:...Hazel, the name of a character in PF, was the name of
a beverage (ÈÜÊÚÅÌØ, sounds very exotic and almost magical to a
Russian ear) in PF's Russian predecessor, Solus Rex
(1942)
JM: An
additional reminder. In Grimm's original tale Cinderella has no fairy-godmother
at all. A hazel-tree grew on Cinderella's mother's tomb and it had
magic properties.
On PF:
Another
observation concerning July 21st ...or
22nd.
In his poem Shade mentions three
items: an alarm clock, a book-shelf and the sun on Dr.Sutton's
windowpanes.*
We know Shade had been looking onto
his garden, with shadows rising to greet his eyes ( either Sybil's or
the butterfly's).**
The scene suggests to us that Shade
is in his study or in his room on the second-floor.
Kinbote informs us that he found John Shade, with a numb leg, sitting
outside in his porch, Sybil away and Red Vanessa still to
rise. ***
..........................................................................................................................................................
*
"Shall wake at six tomorrow...the day will
probably be fine;...So
this alarm clock let me set myself,/ Yawn, and put back Shade’s "Poems" on their
shelf [...]. The sun
attains/ Old Dr. Sutton’s last two
windowpanes."
**.
JS: "And when we lost our
child/ I knew there would be nothing: no
self-styled/ Spirit would touch a keyboard of dry wood []
no phanto/ Rise gracefully to welcome you and
me/in the dark garden, near the shagbark
tree."
***CK: "Through the trees I distinguished
John’s white shirt and gray hair: he sat in his Nest (as he called it), the
arborlike porch or veranda[...] I openly walked up to his porch or perch
[...] I said, "has the
muse been kind to you?"[...] "Exceptionally kind and gentle. In fact...I’ve swung it, by
God."[...] 'Foot gone
to sleep. Sybil is at a dinner meeting of her club'.
"