A small gold paper crown on the rim of a blue-and-white plate holding a single green pea, with a fork beside it.

Original artwork, not a still

Norton Juster

"Dig in," said the king, poking Milo with his elbow and looking disapprovingly at his plate. "I can't say that I think much of your choice."

Behind the line

What it means

Our interpretation.

The king urges Milo to dig in while looking disapprovingly at a plate, then criticises the choice. Encouragement and disapproval sit awkwardly together. The exchange's comic force comes from combining an invitation to eat with a plainly unenthusiastic judgment of the selection.

Context reviewed

Share this quote