Christmas In Camelot

“‘Come on!’ said Annie. ‘The tree house is back!’ ‘You’re just hoping!’ said Jack. ‘I’m knowing!’ said Annie. She ran into the woods, following the white dove. ‘Oh, brother,’ said Jack. But he took off after Annie.”

The siblings’ reactions to the dove illustrate the differences between their personalities. Jack, the older sibling, is more cautious and reserved. He misses Morgan Le Fay and the tree house, and he tries to protect himself from further disappointment by not getting his hopes up. On the other hand, Annie is outgoing and hopeful, eager to believe that the bird has a message from their friend. This scene helps to establish the theme of The Significance of Hope and Imagination because Annie’s hopeful decision to follow the dove allows the adventure to take place.

“Dear Jack and Annie, Please accept this Royal Invitation to spend Christmas in the Kingdom of Camelot. –M”

The invitation Jack and Annie find in the tree house provides the inciting incident that sets the plot into motion. When the children receive the offer to “spend Christmas in the Kingdom of Camelot,” they imagine a festive atmosphere characterized by the values of the holiday, such as joy and togetherness. In a twist, they soon learn that they have been summoned because Camelot is in desperate need of help. The invitation is signed simply “M.” At the time, Jack and Annie assume that the initial stands for Morgan Le Fay, but the letter actually foreshadows Merlin’s involvement in the narrative.

“The tree house had landed in a grove of tall, bare trees. A huge, dark castle loomed against the gray sky. No light shone from its windows. No banners waved from its turrets. Wind whistled through its tall towers, sounding sad and lonely.”

The children’s first sight of Camelot quickly establishes the dramatic stakes of Osborne’s story: the kingdom needs their help to bring back The Magic of Christmas and its Values, such as joy, generosity, and togetherness. Throughout the story, the author provides vivid imagery through visual and auditory details, such as the “sad and lonely” whistling of the wind, to capture the setting and create a desolate atmosphere.

“A feeling of dread crept over Jack. ‘So…does that mean the magic tree house is…?’ Morgan nodded. ‘Yes. Banished from Camelot,’ she said. ‘I’m afraid this will be your last journey. And the last time we see each other.’ Her eyes filled with tears. She looked away. ‘What? The last time we see each other? Forever?’ said Annie.”

Osborne raises the novel’s stakes and heightens suspense when Morgan reveals that Jack and Annie will never see her or go on adventures in the magic tree house again unless they find a way to restore Camelot’s joy. This dialogue helps make clear why Annie is so quick to accept the Christmas Knight’s challenge.

“The sound of hoofbeats filled the room. A knight on a huge horse rode through the arched doorway. The knight was dressed all in red—from his shining helmet to the long cloak on his back. His horse was dressed all in green—from the armor that covered his head to the cloth that hung from his saddle.”

The introduction of the Christmas Knight, who rides into King Arthur’s court and proposes a way to save Camelot, represents a call to action for Jack and Annie, inviting them to accept the hero’s quest that will take them on The Journey From Innocence to Heroism. Osborne uses color symbolism to represent joy and gloom throughout the story—the knight is “dressed all in red,” signaling that he knows how to bring life, color, and happiness back to the desolate kingdom. Osborne draws upon several versions of the Arthurian legend in the book. Her Christmas Knight is modeled after the Green Knight that Sir Gawain encounters in the famous 14th-century story. Both knights are huge in stature, known by their bold, monochromatic color scheme, make an audacious entrance on horseback, and challenge their audience to a quest.

“The Christmas Knight turned to the knights at the table. ‘WHO WILL GO?’ he boomed. ‘We will!’ shouted Annie. ‘We will?’ said Jack. ‘Yes! We’ll go on the quest!’ Annie yelled.”

Annie advances the plot and the theme of The Journey From Innocence to Heroism by taking up the quest to a realm where three of King Arthur’s bravest knights have vanished. Jack’s dialogue adds humor to the tone of the scene, echoing his sister’s words as a question rather than a declaration and showcasing the contrast between her boldness and his caution––both traits that prove important on the siblings’ quest.

“‘Beyond the iron gate / The Keepers of the Cauldron wait.’ Jack quickly wrote down the knight’s words. ‘Okay, what’s next?’ he asked. The Christmas Knight went on: ‘Four gifts you will need— / The first from me. / Then a cup, a compass, / And, finally, a key.’ ‘Cup…compass…key…. Got it,’ said Jack. The Christmas Knight’s voice boomed again: ‘If you survive to complete your quest, / The secret door lies to the west.’”

Osborne demonstrates Jack’s strongest virtue—his careful, observant nature—in his meticulous recording of the rhymes that he and his sister consult on their quest. The Christmas Knight’s riddles foreshadow the obstacles and objects that the siblings encounter during their journey to the Otherworld, and the rhyming verse adds another literary syntax to the mostly prose story.

“Standing below the tree house was the biggest deer Jack had ever seen. The deer was staring up at them with amber eyes. His huge antlers seemed to glow in the cold moonlight. Most amazing of all, the deer was completely white, as white as new-fallen snow.”

In a scene full of sensory language and imagery, the stag appears to carry the children to the gate of the Otherworld. Like the dove that appears in Chapter 1, the stag serves as a motif of The Magic of Christmas and its Values. Eventually, Jack and Annie learn that both animals are guises Merlin assumes to aid them on their quest.

“Not only was his body missing, but the fog beneath the bridge was moving in a wild, spinning whirl. Jack felt dizzy and faint. He stopped. ‘Keep going,’ whispered Annie. Jack took a deep breath and looked straight ahead. Then he started walking again.”

The bridge to the Otherworld facilitates The Journey From Innocence to Heroism. Both siblings demonstrate heroic traits during this trial. Jack perseveres even though he feels “dizzy and faint,” and Annie gives him the encouragement he needs to keep going.

“They were standing at the edge of a pale green meadow. The meadow was bathed in warm, rosy sunlight. Three horses—one black, one brown, one gray—were grazing nearby. On a hillside beyond the meadow, red and purple flowers sparkled like bright buttons.”

Throughout Christmas in Camelot, Osborne uses color symbolism to contrast the settings of Camelot and the Otherworld. The knights’ black, brown, and gray horses are drab compared to the green, red, and purple of the meadow. The Otherworld’s bright hues offer hope that something in this realm can restore Camelot’s vibrancy. Additionally, the apparent peace and beauty of the Otherworld lulls Jack and Annie into a false sense of security, which the winged dancers exploit.

“As Jack danced around in the circle, his heart leaped. His spirits soared. His glasses fell off, but he didn’t care. He kept dancing. As he danced, everything in his mind became a blur. He forgot about Morgan and Camelot. He forgot about the quest for the Water of Memory and Imagination. He forgot all his fears and worries.”

For the ring of winged dancers, the first danger that Jack and Annie face in the Otherworld, Osborne draws upon an abundance of legends and folklore in which fairies lure mortals to join in their dance. Like the three lost knights, the humans in these stories are often unable to extricate themselves and will dance themselves to death unless someone intervenes. The dance is especially tempting to Jack because it soothes the cautious, reserved boy’s “fears and worries.”

“‘Morgan! Morgan!’ Annie shouted. Jack stumbled again. Then he used all his might to stop himself from dancing. He let go of the hand of the dancer on his right and threw himself out of the dance—pulling the knight on his left with him. Annie and the other two knights tumbled back with them onto the grass.”

Before the siblings can rescue the three knights, Annie must bring her brother back to himself again. The enchantress’s name works like a spell, reminding Jack of his motivation and dispelling the music’s power over his mind. Rescuing the knights proves critical to fulfilling their quest and completing The Journey From Innocence to Heroism for the protagonists.

“‘But you…you are just children,’ said Sir Percival, the third knight. ‘You must wait…for us….’ ‘There’s no time to wait,’ said Jack. ‘Camelot is dying!’ said Annie. ‘We have to hurry!’ ‘Then you must…take this…,’ said Sir Galahad. He reached into a leather pouch that hung around his shoulder. He took out a silver cup. With a trembling hand, the young knight gave the cup to Annie.”

The knights’ concern that Jack and Annie are “just children” underscores the novel’s exploration of The Journey From Innocence to Heroism that often follows a coming-of-age arc. Jack and Annie remain determined to see the quest through despite the knights’ instinct to underestimate them, pointing to their heroic potential. The lost knights present the siblings with three of the four gifts from the second rhyme, and these objects prove vital on their journey. By having Sir Galahad give the children “a silver cup,” Osborne alludes to the knight’s most famous adventure, the quest for the Holy Grail.

“In the far corner of the room was a fire. The fire blazed with leaping purple flames. Over the flames hung a gleaming golden cauldron. ‘There it is,’ whispered Jack. ‘Wow,’ whispered Annie. ‘The cauldron with the Water of Memory and Imagination,’ whispered Jack.”

In a key plot moment, the children find the object of their quest, which Osborne establishes as a motif representing The Significance of Hope and Imagination in the story. In keeping with the author’s use of color symbolism, the water that can restore Camelot’s joy has the vibrant surroundings of “a gleaming golden cauldron” over “purple flames.”

“A giant, slimy, mud-colored creature crawled out through one of the doorways. The creature was long and scaly like a crocodile but much, MUCH bigger. It had wings that looked as if they’d been spun from a thousand spiderwebs. It had glowing red eyes and long, curled claws.”

As Jack predicted earlier in the story, claiming the Water of Memory and Imagination proves more difficult than Annie anticipated. Osborne utilizes a literary technique called defamiliarization to build up the suspense around the Keepers who guard the cauldron. Instead of simply labeling the creature a dragon, she lists its fearsome features, such as a body, “long and scaly like a crocodile,” mimicking the experience of her protagonists as they see the menacing creatures for the first time.

“‘It’s the Water of Memory and Imagination, right?’ said Annie. ‘So maybe if we drink it, we can imagine a way to escape!’ ‘That’s crazy,’ said Jack. The Keepers crawled closer, snorting more blue flame and filling the air with their rotten stench. ‘Okay, okay, let’s try it,’ said Jack.”

Osborne continues to build suspense as the narrative moves toward its climax and the dragons crawl closer and closer to the children. Through Jack’s dialogue and the quick reversal of his stance on his little sister’s plan, she adds humor to the tense scene—one of the ways that Osborne takes care to make her adventure story exciting but not too frightening for her young audience. The passage also shows the contrast between the siblings’ personalities: highlighting Annie’s boldness and creativity and Jack’s caution and skepticism. The siblings’ traits and strengths complement one another.

“‘AAAHHH!’ Jack and Annie shouted. The four Keepers hissed louder than before. Great balls of blue fire exploded from their mouths and nostrils! Jack and Annie slashed the air with their fiery weapons, jabbing at the Keepers. They fought fire with fire, blue flame with purple flame.”

In the story’s climax, Jack and Annie’s battle with the Keepers of the Cauldron, marking a major moment for the book’s themes of The Journey From Innocence to Heroism and The Significance of Hope and Imagination. The water gives the children the courage they need to heroically fight against four fire-breathing dragons. Vivid visual and auditory imagery, such as the Keepers’ hissing and the blue and purple flames, Osborne to bring the dramatic scene to life. The narrative climax represents the final and most formidable obstacle the siblings face in the Otherworld.

“Annie sat behind Lancelot. She held on to the knight with her right hand. She held the silver cup in her left hand. ‘Can you carry the water without spilling it?’ Jack asked her, worried. ‘I’ll try,’ she said.”

Having secured the object of their quest, the children reunite with the knights and begin the journey back to Camelot in the book’s denouement. Jack’s worried query, “Can you carry the water without spilling it?” reflects his characteristic caution and anxiety and foreshadows the moment when Jack trips and spills the water in King Arthur’s great hall.

“Jack carefully set the cup on the ground. Annie helped him unbutton the red velvet cloak from around his neck. Then she draped it over the stag’s back. ‘To keep you warm and safe,’ she whispered to him. ‘And thanks for everything.’ ‘Yeah, thanks,’ said Jack. ‘Good-bye.’”

Annie’s gift of the Christmas Knight’s red cloak to the stag highlights one of the values associated with the holiday: generosity. The children later learn that the white stag and the Christmas Knight are both forms assumed by Merlin, which means that Annie’s generous act restores the cloak to its rightful owner.

“Suddenly, his left foot stepped on the shoelace of his right sneaker—and he stumbled. ‘Jack!’ yelled Annie. Jack tried to regain his balance, but it was too late! As he fell to the floor, the silver cup slipped from his hands.”

In a moment of dramatic irony, Jack and Annie make it all the way from the crystal cave in the Otherworld to Camelot’s great hall without spilling a drop of water, and then Jack trips and drops the cup a few steps from the Round Table. Osborne’s narration is taut with suspense as both Jack and the reader wonder if the siblings’ quest will all be for naught.

“The stag was gone. In his place stood an old man with a long white beard. He held a staff and wore a flowing red cloak—the same cloak Jack and Annie had worn on their quest. ‘Who’s that?’ Jack asked. ‘That is Merlin the magician,’ said Morgan. ‘It was Merlin who invited you here. I see that now.’”

Morgan’s exposition ties up a number of the story’s plot threads, including that Merlin invited the children to Camelot and took the forms of the white stag and the Christmas Knight. Osborne foreshadows the former revelation with the initial “M” on the royal invitation.

“Jack looked around the great hall. All the candles and torches were lit now. A fire blazed in the hearth. The musicians were playing. Everyone was singing. The room glowed with warm firelight and rosy faces. At last, Christmas in Camelot was just as Jack had imagined it would be. The spell of the Dark Wizard had been broken. The great hall was filled with beauty and love and joy and light.”

Osborne brings the story full-circle by referring back to Jack’s imagined version of Christmas in Camelot in Chapter 1. The “beauty and love and joy and light” that fill the great hall testify to the quest’s success and mark the culmination of the theme of The Magic of Christmas and its Values.

“By the time they left the woods and headed down their street, snow was swirling everywhere. Ahead they could see their house glowing with lamplight. Their mom was waiting on their front porch.”

Osborne underscores the story’s happy ending by showing Jack and Annie returning to their home safe and sound after the adventure. The descriptions of the “snow [...] swirling everywhere” and the “house glowing with lamplight” add to the coziness and wintry beauty of the heroes’ homecoming.