Book II: The Tale of Despereaux (AKA- Paws speaks)

"The world is dark, and light is precious. 

Come closer, dear reader. 

You must trust me. 

I am telling you a story."

I must make a confession: I sat down to write about Despereaux, to prove how  my intricate knowledge of the book.

I discovered I am utterly unqualified.

I hope you saw the beautiful truth in this book, how Kate DiCamillo so captures how all of us, us rat-souled things, desperately need the Light, but I, alas, cannot explain it to you.

So I will just end with DiCamillo's words in the Coda:

"Do you remember when Despereaux was in the dungeon, cupped in Gregory the jailer's hand, whispering a story in the old man's ear?

I would like it very much if you thought of me as a mouse telling you a story, this story, witht he whole of my heart, whispering it in your ear in order to save myself from the darkness, and to save you from the darkness, too.

'Stories are light,' Gregory the jailer told Despereaux.

Reader, I hope that you have found some light here."