Krystal109
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« on: March 02, 2010, 02:33:27 PM » |
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Percy Jackson & the Olympians: The Lightning Thief by Rick Riordan
Chapter 11: We Visit the Garden Gnome Emporium
Written by Chris
Edited by Krystal
Percy contemplates the benefit of knowing that some divine force is messing with you as he and the others walk away from the bus attacked by monstrous hags, blown up by lightning and on top of that it’s raining. It didn’t take long for them to realize that all their money and food was destroyed along with the bus and they had no idea where they were going. This, of course, leads to another argument between Annabeth and Percy about his actions and we find out a little more about Annabeth, like she hasn’t left the camp since she was seven and doubts her abilities.
They continued on, Percy unhappily tripping over every tree root, until a neon sign that read “Aunty Em’s Garden Gnome Emporium” popped up in view. Despite the awkward name, Percy followed the delicious smell of hamburgers across the street and into the place. The place wasn’t very welcoming with all its odd ugly statues and Grover immediately sensed something was off. They ignored him and when the door creaked open a tall Middle Eastern woman covered from head to toe in black greeted them.
Percy quickly comes up with a story about how the three of them are orphans left behind by a circus caravan they were traveling with and Aunty Em takes pity on the poor children, shuffling them inside. They continued through the shop toward the mouthwatering aroma where Aunty Em has them sit while she prepares them food. When Annabeth thanks the woman Aunty Em stiffens, but compliments her by name for her beautiful gray eyes and continues on.
When the food arrived Percy and Annabeth dug in while Grover questioned the strange hissing noise before helping himself to some paper. With all of the children Aunty Em chatted about her gnome business and how she makes the statues. She explains that she once had two other sisters but now the statues are all she has for company. Em continues with a tragic story about how a woman was jealous of Em and cursed her, which led to her sister’s death. Annabeth suddenly becomes nervous and wishes to leave, but Percy is still blissfully engorging himself. Grover pitches in with the wish to leave, but Em asks them to pose for a photo for her next set of statues. Percy, feeling like he couldn’t disappoint her or leave, agrees despite Grover and Annabeth's attempt to leave.
Aunty Em takes them back to the garden of statues where she positions them and even Percy begins to feel anxious. The more Em tries to get them to look her way the more Grover and Annabeth try to get Percy’s attention, still noticing the old lady doesn’t have a camera.
All of a sudden Annabeth disappeared under her Yankees hat, pushing Grover and Percy off the bench and to the floor. Percy found himself at Em’s sandaled feet listening to rasping snake sounds and began to look up, but Annabeth yelled at him not to. It dawns on him…Em or M as in Medusa. Medusa tries to convince Percy that he should stay with her forever rather than suffer as a pawn of the gods, but Grover appeared, flying in on his winged shoes, eyes closed, and hit her in the face with a tree branch. Annabeth’s voice causes Percy to jump and she explains he has to cut off Medusa head, because she can’t get close enough, and gives him one of the green gazing spheres from the garden to view Medusa through. Percy advanced on her and when she lunged after him, Percy swipes with his sword dismembered her head.
Very carefully, Annabeth collects Medusa’s head in her black cloth and tells Percy it is now a spoil of war, just like his Minotaur horn, but it can still turn you to stone. An argument ensues when Percy blames Athena for Medusa and Annabeth explains that it was Poseidon who fornicated with her in Athena’s temple. Grover breaks up the argument and Percy realizes he’s not just angry with Annabeth or Athena, but the gods in general. He searched Medusa’s office and came back with a box, a Hermes Overnight Express slip, and some money. Back at the picnic table, Percy filled out a packaging slip to have Medusa’s head shipped to the gods at Mount Olympus, New York and shoved the head inside. The package disappeared and Grover warns that the gods aren’t going to like this, but Percy doesn’t care.
Characters Involved
Percy Jackson
Annabeth Chase
Grover Underwood
Aunty Em/Medusa
Characters Mentioned
Mrs. Dodds/Alecto
Megaera
Tisiphone
Frederick Chase
Uncle Ferdinand
Athena
Hades
Persephone
Places Visited
New Jersey Riverbank
Aunty Em’s Garden Gnome Emporium
Memorable Quotes
Percy: In a way, it’s nice to know there are Greek gods out there, because you have somebody to blame when things go wrong. For instance, when you’re walking away from a bus that’s just been attacked by monster hags and blown up by lightning, and it’s raining on top of everything else, most people might think that’s just really bad luck; when you’re a half-blood, you understand that some divine force really is trying to mess up your day. (Page 168)
Grover: “Tin cans…a perfectly good bag of tin cans.” (Page 169)
Percy: “Anybody who can piggyback-ride a Fury is okay by me.” (Page 170)
Grover: “Bla-ha-ha!” he bleated. “Looks like my Uncle Ferdinand!” (Page 172)
Grover: “Meat!” he said scornfully. “I’m a vegetarian.”
Percy: “You eat cheese enchiladas and aluminum cans,” I reminded him.
Grover: “Those are vegetables.” (Page 172)
Annabeth: “You head is full of kelp.” (Page 173)
Aunty Em: “Quite all right, Annabeth,” she said. “You have such beautiful gray eyes, child.” Only later did I wonder how she knew Annabeth’s name, even though we had never introduced ourselves. (Page 174)
Grover: “They’re not going to like that,” Grover warned. “They’ll think you’re impertinent.”
Percy: I am impertinent” (Page 186-187)
Questions for consideration:
Why do you think Percy and Annabeth can’t stop fighting? Is it because of who their parents are or is there more to it?
Why do you think Percy is so drawn to Medusa? Why couldn’t he see what was going on?
How do you feel about the way the gods and goddesses treat one another and others around them? For example, Aunty Em’s story behind her curse. Do you think it is okay for them to be so quick tempered and punish others the way they do?
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