This article is about the collection of stories written in peculiardom inspired by loop locations. For other meanings, see Tales of the Peculiar (disambiguation).
The Tales of the Peculiar are a collection of stories in peculiardom. There are several editions of the Tales of varying completeness, with some stories only appearing in older ones.[1] Millard Nullings, as he states in the foreword of a special edition that he edited and annotated himself, grew up reading an unwieldy three-volume set that collectively weighed more than Bronwyn Bruntley.[2]
The Tales are an important part of upbringing for many peculiars. They originate from all over the world and are passed down from generation to generation through both oral and written tradition. Aimed at young peculiars, they are history, fairy tale, and moral lesson, and many are partially based off truth, such as being inspired by hidden loop locations.[2] However, the average peculiar is unaware of the secret information concealed in the stories.[3]
Miss Peregrine's Home For Peculiar Children and The Peculiar Archives have copies of this book.
Known Stories From the Books[]
The Tale of Cuthbert[]
Many years ago, during an undated period, many peculiar animals lived. Hunters shot them and made decors out of them. Giants were still existing in this age, such as Cuthbert, a kindly giant who lived near the forest. He helped peculiar animals get to the mountaintop even if his bones cracked. He asked in return for interaction with him, in which the animals agreed. They had a harmonious relationship until one day, a witch, hired by the family of a hunter he had killed, turned Cuthbert to stone. While he was slowly turning into stone Cuthbert shouted at the peculiar animals to come down and help him, but the peculiar animals did not want to come down from the mountain in fear of the hunters. So Cuthbert grew sad and turned completely into stone. The peculiar animals tried to talk to him, but they were so far up that they could not be heard.
This story is based on Miss Wren's Menagerie, as confirmed by Addison, a fellow peculiar animal in the loop. The giant was actually a giant rock shaped like a massive person in the middle of a lake. Miss Wren used a passage in the stone as her loop entrance, since not many would go near the rock. The hill that Cuthbert put all of the animals was where the animals of the loop lived.
The Pigeons of St. Paul's[]
A group of peculiar pigeons who lived in London wanted a high place to roost, but the people of ancient London weren't interested in constructing tall buildings. So, the pigeons whispered their plans into the ear of the best builder in all of London while he slept and when he awoke he decided to build a cathedral on the tallest hill in the city, like the birds had instructed. But, when Vikings raided the city the cathedral burned down, so they found a new human to whisper to and a cycle began of the cathedral burning down and then being reconstructed. After hundreds of years the pigeons came across a human who resisted their whispers. The pigeons began to harass the man, until finally he gave in and built the cathedral. But, he asked that the pigeons protect the cathedral this time, so that way it would not burn down. The pigeons agreed and after sometime they became friends with the man. Up until his death he always kept a pigeon close at hand and even after he died the pigeons continued to visit him.
This story reveals the nesting place of Miss Wren's pigeons, and helps the children find the entrance to Miss Thrush's Loop in London.
Abaton[]
The story of Abaton and the Library of Souls was published only once in an extremely old edition of the Tales.
The Tale of Pensevus[]
A not very well-known story, the story is about a doll named Pensevus, who has the soul of a peculiar girl's father inside him. Pensevus would sometimes seem to talk back when the girl spoke to him. One day, she accidentally left him behind on a passenger ship, and wasn't able to get him back before the ship sailed away. Pensevus soon became the doll of another peculiar, a little boy who came to the girl (by then a woman) for protection. However, Pensevus went away again, and the boy and the woman didn't see the doll for many years. A war broke out after some more years, and the boy was arrested. The woman was made to sleep in the stables of her home by enemy soldiers who claimed her house as their own. A peculiar soldier from the woman's country came to her, revealing that he was the next owner of Pensevus. He saved the woman from the enemy soldiers. After this, Pensevus continued to roam the earth, coming and going, helping outcast children who needed a home.
This tale reveals the meeting place of seven light-eaters meant to defeat Caul, due to stories of the meeting place (Miss Tern's menagerie) being overrun by enemy soldiers similar to the tale's events. Pensevus and Sophie (his current owner) call the ymbrynes of the light-eaters to tell them that the seven must meet at the meeting place, "fast as fast can be."
References[]
- ↑ Abaton's story was published only once in an old edition, while The Tale of Pensevus appears in an unabridged version
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 Tales of the Peculiar (Foreword)
- ↑ Hollow City (Chapter 3): Even Millard, a peculiar scholar, was unaware.