Humpty Dumpty by L.

Frank Baum presents an amusing story about a Speckled Hen’s

egg named Humpty Dumpty whose life so short yet meaningful. The plot is divided into three
parts: the first is the adventure of Humpty and his egg friend Coutchie-Coulou, the second is
the adventure of Humpty with a Princess, and the last is the Princess attempts to change her
destiny. The shifting narrative from Humpty as the protagonist who tries to enjoy his life
fully to the Princess as the main character who chooses her own husband represents the
alteration from fantasy to real event story. This narrative technique is impressive in which the
kid readers may enjoy the fable of the human-like-egg but then the imagination of the egg’s
behaviors is put into the real-life story of a smart princess. Humpty Dumpty as children
literature portrays character building in which through the characterizations of both the egg
and the girl, such as self-confidence, bravery, friendliness, and independence can be
comprehended easily by young age readers.
Humpty Dumpty, the protagonist, is the twelfth egg laid by a Speckled Hen. As the
last egg, he was laid “quite near the edge” of the nest. This condition makes him easily rolled
down as his brother eggs fought for some space of the nest. Humpty, “a bright egg for one so
young” took his chance while away from his nest to wander around as he saw the “trees and
hedges, and green grass … the waving grain and the tasseled maize and the sunshine flooding
it all.” In the first plot, Humpty Dumpty met a brown egg of a Black Bantam, on his way
seeing “[the] great world,” named Coutchie-Coulou. Humpty then asked her to join his
adventure. Coutchie-Coulou, however, did not agree instantly, “‘is n’t it dangerous for eggs
to go about all by themselves?’” and “‘I’m afraid! … there’s my mother’s voice clucking,
she’s coming this way.’” Her point of view signifies different personalities. Some kids are
brave enough to play around by themselves but some kids think about getting permission
from their parents first before they go anywhere and they feel bad to leave if they do not get
it, as Coutchie-Coulou said, “‘I’m afraid we’re bad eggs.’” Humpty then calmed her down by
showing his friendliness as he said, “‘I’ll look after you, … do not be afraid.’” His statement
shows his self-confidence character that he is capable to take care of not only himself but also
his friend.
They arrived in “[the] most beautiful garden” of the King’s palace and were
fascinated by a pond where some birds were swimming. Coutchie-Coulou asked Humpty to
get closer, “‘Let us go and look at them, for we also may be birds someday’” which then
responded “‘but we are just as likely to be omelets or angel’s food. Still, we will have a look
at the birds.’” Humpty’s answer suggests that he knows his destiny as a food material and yet
it does not stop him to enjoy his life; this implies his bravery to face whatever comes in the
future. As they were trying to cross the road, the King’s horses were coming down to the
palace. Humpty was quick enough to avoid the horses but Coutchie-Coulou was not; she was
“crushed into a shapeless mass” and this makes Humpty cried. This event signifies that
sometimes curiosity may lead us to harm. Coutchie-Coulou is too fascinated by the scene she
has never encountered she becomes careless. At the beginning of her journey, she realized
that the world outside her home, the nest, may be more dangerous which made her hesitated
to follow Humpty. However, as she enjoyed the scenery she became less careful and thus
makes her adventure ended, even before she got to the pond she was very fond of.
A Princess came and consoled Humpty, “‘[d]o not grieve, … for eggs are but short-
lived creatures at best, and Coutchie-Coulou has at least died an honorable death and saved
herself from being fried in a pan or boiled in her own shell.’” Thus, the plot changes from
Humpty’s adventures with his fellow egg Coutchie-Coulou to Humpty’s adventure with the
Princess. In this second plot, the girl showed Humpty Dumpty around the palace with great
care that makes him so pleased, “‘I am content to accept any fate that may befall me, for
surely no egg before me ever saw so many beautiful sights.’” Humpty’s statement implies his
understanding of the risks of his life. He was once so optimist to see the world despite
Coutchie-Coulou’s hesitation; just as when he starts his adventure, “‘it’s dangerous in the
nest, too; my brothers might have smashed me with their kicking.’” He knew from the very
beginning that he might come upon danger anywhere but those should not stop him to follow
his dream to see the world, “‘if we are careful we can’t come to much harm.’” However,
Coutchie-Coulou’s death makes him realizes that the danger is real and thus he learns that his
life may end unexpectedly.
The Princess then took Humpty to the gate to show him the King passes by with his
men riding the horses. Humpty asked her to put him on the wall in order to get a better view
that the Princess warned him, “‘you must be careful not to fall.’” Humpty, however, was
excited and fascinated by the scene “forgetting his dangerous position, leaned eagerly over …
then lay crushed and mangled among the sharp stones where he had fallen.” In this case,
Humpty’s life comes to end just Coutchie-Coulou’s. He was being careless as he already got
what he wanted and that is the end of Humpty’s adventure with the Princess.
In the third plot, the Princess then continues her life, comes back to the palace where
“several young men … had determined to ask the King for the hand of the Princess”. She is
destined to be married by a prince whose riddles are unable to be guessed by the King. This
matter is not being discussed by the King to the Princess; it is his own decision to maintain
his kingdom. The Princess approaches one of her suitors, “whom the Princess herself favored,
… and whispered in his ear a riddle she had just thought of.” The riddle,
“Humpty Dumpty sat on a wall,
Humpty Dumpty had a great fall
All the King’s horses And all the King’s men
Cannot put Humpty together again!”
This riddle’s answer, Humpty Dumpty was an egg, could not be guessed by the King so “he
gave the Princess to the young man to be his bride.” This event signifies the independence of
the girl; she chooses her own husband despite her father’s treating her as a property to be
given out. Thus, the Princess, as well as Humpty, tries her best in her life. Humpty’s
adventure as the opening story represents a real-life event that sometimes the chance we
encounter is not risks free yet we do not need to be reluctant to it, we just need to be careful
in achieving our goals.
Humpty Dumpty short story presents gender issues that can be seen from its three
separate plots. Humpty, as a boy-egg is given characterizations differ from Coutchie-Coulou,
a girl-egg. The boy as the main character is brave while the girl is fearful. Humpty was eager
to leave his house in order to see more of the world while Coutchie-Coulou was in doubt of
the consequences. The boy persuasively succeeded in getting the girl to come out with him
which shows that the boy is sharp-witted but the girl is careless. This also can be concluded
on how Humpty was able to avoid the King’s horses but Coutchie-Coulou could not. Her
death is presented as if it were her own doing. This is an irony that her destiny was predicted
by her own hesitation to leave her nest. Though the boy could not keep his promise to take
care of her, his life is continued as he finds another girl, the Princess. The boy-egg then
comes into the Princess’s favor that he was able to ask her to show him around the palace.
Even if at the end of the story the boy died, his death is portrayed meaningful as he died after
fulfilling his dream to see the world. Moreover, through his death he saved the Princess from
unfavorable husband; the Princess used Humpty’s death as a riddle to be given to the King by
a Prince she chose herself. This signifies how the narrative puts both the boys, Humpty and
the Prince, into an advantageous position. The boys can get whatever they dream of, Humpty
got the scenery of the world outside his nest and the Prince got the Princess he wanted; both
with the help of the girls. This suggests the patriarchal issues of how women are just property
to men’s ambitions.