Missee Lee
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2007-09-01T13:40:55Z
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{{infobox Book | <!-- See Wikipedia:WikiProject_Novels or Wikipedia:WikiProject_Books -->
| name = Missee Lee
| title_orig =
| translator =
| image = [[Image:Missee Lee cover.jpg|200px|photo of Jonathan Cape edition of Arthur Ransome's 1941 novel, Missee Lee]] <!--prefer 1st edition-->
| image_caption =
| author = [[Arthur Ransome]]
| cover_artist = [[Arthur Ransome]]
| country = [[United Kingdom]]
| language = [[English language|English]]
| series = [[Swallows and Amazons (series)|Swallows and Amazons]]
| genre = [[Children's literature|Children's novels]]
| publisher = [[Jonathan Cape]]
| release_date = 1941
| media_type = Print ([[Hardcover]] & [[Paperback]])
| pages =
| isbn = ISBN 1-56792-196-5 (pb)
| preceded_by = [[The Big Six]]
| followed_by = [[The Picts And The Martyrs]]
}}
'''''Missee Lee''''' is the tenth book of [[Arthur Ransome]]'s [[Swallows and Amazons (series)|Swallows and Amazons]] series of children's books, published in 1941. This is considered one of the [[metafiction]]al book of the series. It is set in 1930s [[China]]. The Swallows and Amazons are on a round the world trip with [[Captain Flint]] aboard the [[schooner]] ''Wild Cat''. After the ''Wild Cat'' sinks, they escape in the ''Swallow'' and ''Amazon'' but are separated in a storm. Both [[dinghy|dinghies]] eventually end up in the lair of the Three Island [[pirate]]s where they are held prisoner by the unusual Missee Lee, the leader of the pirates.
One aspect of this book which modern readers may find objectionable is that all the Chinese characters are depicted as speaking [[English language|English]] with a very stereotypical accent and grammar.
==Sources==
Ransome made a visit to [[China]] in 1926 and 1927 where he learned about Chinese life and culture. He also met, amongst others [[Soong Ching-ling]], the wife of [[Sun Yat-sen]]. Ransome said that he based much of Missee Lee's characteristics on her, though there were others who contributed to the character.
==Plot summary==
The book opens with the Swallows, Amazons and [[Captain Flint]] in an unnamed port in the [[South China Sea]], apparently on a round the world voyage aboard the Wild Cat, the small green [[schooner]] which featured in [[Peter Duck]]. They are warned to stay away from the [[China|Chinese]] coast because of [[pirates]].
On their voyage in a dead calm, their monkey, Gibber, causes a fire which burns to Wild Cat to the waterline. They escape aboard the ''Swallow'' and ''Amazon'' which are being used as ship's boats. However, they are separated in the night when a strong wind blows up. The crew of the Amazon is picked up by a [[junk (ship)|junk]] which turns out to be a pirate vessel. The Swallows make their own way to shore where they eventually meet the Amazons who are being held by one of the Taicoons who rule the Three Islands. Captain Flint is kept under much stricter guard by the Taicoon as he hopes to [[ransom]] him as he claims to be the Lord Mayor of ''[[San Francisco|San Flancisco]]''.
The children are sent to Missee Lee, the leader of the pirates. She turns out to be a frustrated academic from ''[[University of Cambridge|Camblidge]]'' who had been sent to England for her education only to have to return to rule the Three Islands when her father died. She starts to give the children [[Latin]] lessons at which Roger surprisingly excels. Captain Flint is also brought from the Taicoon who has threatened to chop off his head. The pirates are concerned that if the [[Royal Navy]] were to learn their position a [[gunboat]] might be sent to destroy them, so when Captain Flint is seen with a [[sextant]], they are only saved by Missee Lee's intervention.
As they consider that they are still in danger of execution and are also becoming fed up with the Latin lessons, they plan an escape. During the [[Dragon]] festival, they set sail aboard Missee Lee's junk, the ''Shining Moon''. With the help of Missee Lee, who has decided to leave her responsibilities on the Three Islands and go back to study at ''Camblidge'', they take a daring and dangerous passage through a gorge to evade capture. However, when Missee Lee hears fighting begin between the various islanders, she decides that she owes it to her people to return and unite them again. The Swallows, Amazons and Captain Flint return to [[England]] aboard the ''Shining Moon''.
{{SwallowsandAmazonsbooks}}
[[cs: Slečna Lee]]
[[Category:1941 novels]]
[[Category:British novels]]
[[Category:Adventure novels]]
[[Category:Children's novels]]
[[Category:Swallows and Amazons series]]