Because of the
absurdist nature of the worlds that Milo visits in , he is unprepared for the literal nature
of Dictionopolis, ruled by King Azaz. At a banquet, King Azaz calls for his guests to give
speeches, and Milo, thinking that this is a formal affair, speaks:
"Your Majesty, ladies and gentlemen," started Milo timidly, "I would
like to take this opportunity to sat that in all the--"
(Juster, The
Phantom Tollbooth, Google Books)
King Azaz
cuts him off and allows the other guests to speak. Each pronounces a list of foods, after which
the waiters deliver each guest their own words, which presumably taste like the foods they
describe. Milo protests:
"I didn't know that I was
going to have to eat my own words," objected Milo.
"Of course, of course,
everyone here does," the king grunted. "You should have made a tastier
speech."
(Juster, The Phantom Tollbooth, Google
Books)
The following dialogue is a flurry of puns,
offering "somersault" to improve the flavor and advice to wait for "your just
desserts." Since the kingdom of Dictionopolis is a literal world, everything people say has
meaning, and that meaning is translated into reality. Milo's more subjective view does not yet
understand that everything has a reaction, and every word has real meaning that can affect
others, positively or negatively.
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