Jim Button and Luke the Engine Driver
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(original title: Jim Knopf und Lukas der Lokomotivführer) is a German children fantasy novel written by Michael Ende, published in 1960, where it scored a tremendrous success. In fact, this spawned the sequel Jim Button and the Wild 13 some time after.
The Settings
While the novel and its sequel are supposed to play in about the 20th century, there are many elements mixed in which create an atmosphere of intentional anachronism: China is still an empire, and Native Americans and Eskimos still live in their traditional ways, while ocean liners, telephones, post service, chewing gum and many other modern conveniences are already in use.
In addition, there are many ficturous locations, like the "Crown of the World", a vast mountain range coloured in red and white stripes, and the Magnetic Cliffs. Some of these are based on legendary and real places - here the Himalaya range and the magnetic cliffs in the Voyages of Sinbad the Sailor, repsectively - but there are also original locations.
Plot Summary
The story opens at a tiny island called Morrowland (original name: Lummerland), which has just enough space for a a small palace, a train station and rails all around the island, a convenience store, a small house, a king, two subjects, a locomotive named Emma, and an engine driver by the name of Luke (Lukas). One day, the postman - who has to come by ship - drops off a package with a nearly illegible address with the names Mrs. Krintuuth and Zorroulend, and a large 13 on the back. After a futile search for the addressee all over the island, the people open the package - and find to their immense surprise a black baby inside. After the surprise has died down, the baby is adopted by the islanders and is named Jim Button.
But as he grows up, the King begins to worry about the fact that there is no space to let Jim live on the island once he's grown up, and he announces to Luke that Emma has to be removed. Luke, upset about this decision, decides to leave the island with his locomotive, but Jim (who had accidentally listened to Luke as he related his sorrows to Emma) decides to come along. Converting Emma into a makeshift ship, they sail off the island in the night and eventually arrive at the coast of China.
When they arrive in Ping, the capital, they win the friendship of a tiny great-grandchild named Ping Pong, and from him they learn that the Emperor is in mourning because his daughter, Li Si, has been kidnapped. Luke and Jim offer their help, and while investigating the circumstances of Li Si's disappearance they stumble upon several names which are directly connected to Jim's mysterious arrival on Morrowland: Mrs. Grindtooth (Frau Mahlzahn), the Wild 13, and the name Sorrowland. Now the two friends have one more reason to go to the Dragon City (which is located in Sorrowland) and confront Mrs. Grindtooth.
After a long and very hazardous journey - in which they make two new friends: Mr. Tur Tur the Giant (who is actually a "Scheinriese", an illusionary giant), and Nepomuk the half-dragon - they arrive in the Dragon City and free Princess Li Si and a large number of children, who had all been kidnapped by the Wild 13, a gang of pirates, and sold to Mrs. Grindtooth so she could torture them by "playing" school. They take the dragon with them as they make the journey back on the Yellow River, which has its origin right in the Dragon City. Making it back to China, where they receive a triumphal welcome, they are surprised by two startling news: that Mrs. Grindtooth is to turn into a Golden Dragon of Wisdom, and that the other inhabitants of Morrowland want them back on the island!
With a last advice given by Mrs. Grindtooth and the generous assitance by the Emperor, Luke and Jim come into the possession of a swimming island, which should solve the problem of Jim's future residence, and after a cordial welcome back on Morrowland, Jim and Li Si become engaged, and Jim gets a baby locomotive, which he names Molly. But there are yet many questions to solve, and these call for another adventure...