There is a connection between the Dong with the luminous nose and an imperial nephew. What is this connection, and who was Sick?

peasypod

Obviously this has something to do with Edward Lear, but may I suggest one doesn't Google the word 'dong' by itself........ May 11 08, 10:15 PM

queproblema

Yes, and maybe the connection could be "Catherine"? Edward Lear had a sister named Catherine, the Romanovs were complicated with Catherines and nephews, and a Katherine Araniello wrote "Sick Cow," whatever that may be. http://www.poemhunter.com/poem/the-dong-with-a-luminous-nose/ http://members.tripod.com/~Nevermore/Cgreat4.htm http://www.ndaf.org/html_raw/chronology/chron_1994.html Something tells me there's more to this one... May 11 08, 10:23 PM

Baloo55th

Peasy is right that Lear is involved, but... no Catherines are. Qp is right - there is more to this one. There is also, I have just realised, a connection to a very well known comedy sketch. May 12 08, 3:41 AM

queproblema

Back to Lear, maybe his parrots are involved. http://www.aradergalleries.com/detail.php?id=1714 Now, this may be a stretch, but it's interesting, which is as important as being right...or wrong. Down at the bottom of this page is a painting by Edward Lear of trees planted by the Empress Eugenie, consort of Napoleon III, great-nephew of Napoleon I. http://www.orientalistart.net/Page1.html For Baloo's amusement at cobbling together outlandish answers, Eugenie is mentioned in the story about St. Bernadette, Patron Saint of the Sick. http://healingscripture.com/HealingSaints.shtml May 12 08, 11:00 PM

Baloo55th

Definitely something parroty involved. Actually, I thought this was an easy one! Far less complicated than some of them. An actual nephew of an well-known emperor is sought, and attention to the wording is recommended..... May 13 08, 7:07 AM

queproblema

Lear's macaw was first described by Napoleon's nephew, Charles Lucien Bonaparte, and Helmut Sick definitively showed it to be a unique species. http://findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_m1170/is_2000_March-April/ai_59495853 Here's the painting: http://www.bluemacaws.org/images/blue29.jpg The bird itself is more brilliant than this faded image indicates. May 13 08, 10:51 AM

Baloo55th

Told you it was easy... The comedy bit was of course the one involving the Norwegian Blue Parrot. Bonaparte (for whom Bonaparte's Gull is named) spotted that one of Lear's parrot pictures wasn't what it was labelled as, but was a new species. Some more specimens turned up to comfirm this, but no-one knew where the darn things lived till Helmut Sick (what a name!) found them in the wild. May 13 08, 12:04 PM

queproblema

All you smart people at AFT who are savvy in the popular culture, however antique, may congratulate yourselves for educating Qp about the Dead Parrot. That indeed cracked this case. May 13 08, 4:29 PM