
January's wallpaper for Patron's is a close-up of an image I am reworking from last year's Folk Tale week. It reminds me of
the 1997 fantasy novel Deep Secret by Diana Wynne Jones (Author of Howl's Moving Castle) uses the Nursery Rhyme "How Many Miles to Babylon" as a magical means of travelling beyond the world. Candles are part of the ritual, opening up a long and arduous road to a magical city where wishes come true.
How many miles to Babylon?
Three score miles and ten.
Can I get there by candle-light?
Yes, and back again ...
If your heels are nimble and your toes are light,
You may get there by candle-light
Deep Secret is a funny insightful spec-fic. Much of the action takes place at a fantasy convention held in a hotel built over a convergence of ley lines. There are centaurs, other worlds and magic. In the book, there are 5 verses to the rhyme - imagine my disappointment when I found out only one exists in our world!
In the original rhyme, candle-light refers to a time of day, not the act of travelling by the light of a candle.
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