WordsOnWordsThis was a decent one about a boy getting a shrunken head as a gift that turns out to be magic. It helps him in a jungle adventure to save his aunt, yadda yadda yadda.
But, I thought, despite how interesting shrunken heads are, how are they made?
Well, it starts with a cut along the back of the head. Then the flesh is stripped slowly and carefully from the skull and boiled for a half-hour (any more and you risk the hair falling out). Then the skin is turned inside out and excess fat trimmed away.
Then it’s turned right-way out again and filled with hot stones to burn the remaining fat and then with sand to fill the cracks.
Then it’s boiled again and the process repeated. A big emphasis is on keeping the facial features and head shape.
Eventually (sometimes 6 DAYS later), it’s about 1/4 the size of a normal skull.
Then, fearing retribution, the warrior sews the head’s eyes shut to prevent the victim’s spirit from seeing out. Then it’s mouth is sewn shut (usually with wooden pins and thread, not just thread) to prevent the victim from asking for his death to be avenged.
And there you have it: one shrunken head.
Makes a cool gift for a 12-year-old boy, right?
As for the story, I’m not generally keen on magic as a plot device because it’s often too convenient and lacks rules.
That’s about the length of it in this book, too. If Stine wrote Shazam, it would be this book.
WordsOnWords This was a decent one about a boy getting a shrunken head as a gift that turns out to be magic. It helps him in a jungle adventure to save his aunt, yadda yadda yadda.
Show moreBut, I thought, despite how interesting shrunken heads are, how are they made?
Well, it starts with a cut along the back of the head. Then the flesh is stripped slowly and carefully from the skull and boiled for a half-hour (any more and you risk the hair falling out). Then the skin is turned inside out and excess fat trimmed away.
Then it’s turned right-way out again and filled with hot stones to burn the remaining fat and then with sand to fill the cracks.
Then it’s boiled again and the process repeated. A big emphasis is on keeping the facial features and head shape.
Eventually (sometimes 6 DAYS later), it’s about 1/4 the size of a normal skull.
Then, fearing retribution, the warrior sews the head’s eyes shut to prevent the victim’s spirit from seeing out. Then it’s mouth is sewn shut (usually with wooden pins and thread, not just thread) to prevent the victim from asking for his death to be avenged.
And there you have it: one shrunken head.
Makes a cool gift for a 12-year-old boy, right?
As for the story, I’m not generally keen on magic as a plot device because it’s often too convenient and lacks rules.
That’s about the length of it in this book, too. If Stine wrote Shazam, it would be this book.
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