three wars

[jiang]

Dear teachers,

The following is from 《Sleeping Ugly》by Jane Yolen:

It was one of those famous hundred-year-naps. So they slept in the cottage in the wood. The slept through three and a half wars, one plague, six new kings, the inventin of the sewing machine, and the discovery of a new cotinent.

My question are:

1. what wars do they refer to?
2. who were the six kings?
3. the plague was between 1665-1666, but sewing machine was invented in 1790. That means Plain Jane and the fairy slept more than 100 years. I get confused.

Could you please explain that?

Looking forward to hearing from you,
Thank you in advance.

Jiang

[5jj]

I don't think the writer had any particular wars or kings in mind; she was just trying to suggest the sort of momentous things that can happen in a hundred years. As far as the sewing machine is concerned, she probably just picked out an invention at random. She could just as easily, and inaccurately, have picked out the parachute (1470) or the steam locomotive (1804).

[jiang]

Hi 5jj,

Thank you very much for your explanation. Now I understand it.

Jiang