Overview Kate DiCamillo’s middle grade fantasy novel The Tale of Despereaux (2003) chronicles the adventures of Despereaux, an exceptionally tiny mouse who becomes the biggest of heroes in the fictional Kingdom of Dor. The novel won the Newbery Medal in 2004 and was adapted into a film of the same name in 2008.
Afterthe tale of Melibee, the Host turns to the merry Monk and demands a story that he confidently expects to be a jovial and happy tale. Instead, the Monk relates a series of tales in which tragedy befalls everyone. The Knight joins in with the Host in proclaiming that the Monk's tales are too much to bear and requests a merry tale.
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