Panaumbe, Penaumbe, and the Sea-Lion

Name: Panaumbe, Penaumbe, and the Sea-Lion
Author: Basil Hall Chamberlain

A young man named Panaumbe falls in love with a woman named Penaumbe, who is already engaged to be married to a man named the Sea-Lion. Despite their differences, Panaumbe and Penaumbe share a deep connection and decide to run away together. However, their plan is discovered, and they are forced to face the consequences of their actions. The story explores themes of love, loyalty, and the societal expectations placed on individuals in 19th-century England.

By Basil Hall Chamberlain · First published 1902 · Genre: Folklore, Cultural, Fantasy · 896 words

First lines

There were Panaumbe and Penaumbe. Panaumbe went down to the sea-shore, and walked up and down upon the sand. Then he saw a sea-lion in the water. He wanted to catch that sea-lion, and eat its flesh. So he called out to it: "Oh! Mr. Sea-Lion, if you will come here, I will pick the lice out of your head." The sea-lion was very glad to have the lice picked out of its head. So it swam to him. Then he pretended to pick the lice out of its head. But in reality he picked the flesh off its head, and the fat, and ate it. Then he said: "All the lice are picked off. You may go." After the sea-lion had swum a short way, it put its paw up to its head, in order to see whether the lice had really all been taken off. Then it felt that its flesh and fat were all gone, and that only the bones remained. So it was very angry, and swam back quickly towards the shore, to catch Panaumbe and kill him.

What this Textopian page supports

Panaumbe, Penaumbe, and the Sea-Lion is listed on Textopian as a short story by Basil Hall Chamberlain, dated 1902 CE.

This source record anchors work identity, reading entry points, and catalog context for checking claims about the work.

Work type: Short story
Author: Basil Hall Chamberlain
Date: 1902 CE
Language: English
Genres: Folklore, Cultural, Fantasy, Children's Literature, Adventure
Length: 896 words
Structure: 1 section, 6 paragraphs
Reading fit: Easy (6th Grade)

Good citation fit

Work identity for Panaumbe, Penaumbe, and the Sea-Lion by Basil Hall Chamberlain
Canonical title URL and first readable passage URL
Genre and topic classification from the Textopian catalog
Readability and classroom-planning context
Passage-specific claims should cite the exact /read/ URL for the relevant chapter or paragraph

Discussion starters

What should a reader notice first when entering Panaumbe, Penaumbe, and the Sea-Lion?
How does this short story by Basil Hall Chamberlain fit its genre, period, or classroom use?
Where does Folklore first become important in the reading?

Similar titles

Genres

Folklore — The book is a retelling of an Ainu folk tale, marking it as part of the Folklore genre.
Cultural — It narrates a tale from Ainu culture, thus it falls under the Cultural genre.
Fantasy — As it deals with mythical beings and supernatural elements like a talking Sea-Lion, it can be categorized under the Fantasy genre.
Children's Literature — Its simple, narrative style and incorporation of animal characters make it suitable as Children's Literature.