Book IV

'Recalled to the Light' is the fourth and final book, also known as part, of the book The Tale of Despereaux. Its

    predecessors are: Book I: A Mouse is Born, Book II: Chiaroscuro and Book III: The Tale of Miggery Sow.

## Plot Summary

Despereaux escapes the dungeons on a tray of Gregory the jailer's that Miggery Sow brings back to the kitchen, where he hears her conversation with Roscuro. However, Despereaux is soon discovered by Mig and Cook. Cook, as a mouse-hating woman, orders Mig to kill Despereaux. She explains to Mig that her philosophy with mice is"kill 'em, even if they're already dead." When Despereaux is attempting to flee, Mig chops off his tail with a knife so that she can tell Cook that she missed the "meecy" and at least spare the "meecy"'s life. Despereaux spends the night in pain, sleeping on a sack of flour. He dreams of knights in shining armor, darkness, and light. However, when the knight removes the helmet, it doesn't reveal anyone. Despereaux begins to doubt "'happily ever after" and everything else that he has read and starts to weep. Meanwhile, Roscuro leads Mig to Princess Pea's room with a knife, and to kidnap the Pea and lead her to the dungeon.

The next morning, the castle is in a panic over the missing Princess. Guards are sent to search the dungeon, only to find Gregory dead from starvation, being lost in the dark because Roscuro has chewed the rope which secures him to where he started from. Despereaux is seen by the mouse council which mistakes him for a ghost because he is covered in flour from his night on the flour sack. Despereaux forgives his father upon his father asking him to, for sentencing him to the dungeon. Despereaux goes on to seek King Philip. Despereaux tells the King that he knows that Pea is in the dungeon, but the King refuses to believe him because Despereaux is related distantly to the rats.

Despereaux then goes to Hovis, a mouse who is, in secret, Despereaux's friend. Hovis gives him an entire spool of red thread and a sewing needle, as a sword, for his quest to the dungeons. Mig, meanwhile, learns that Roscuro tricked her into helping him kidnap Pea, and that she will never be a princess. Roscuro plans for Pea to remain locked in the dungeons, so that he can marvel over her brightly colored dress, but Despereaux arrives to save Pea and Mig chops Roscuro's tail off with the knife when he refuses to show them the way back. However, many rats arrive on the scene because they followed the smell of Despereaux, and the soup he recently ate. Despereaux threatens to kill Roscuro with the sewing needle. Roscuro begins crying. Pea offers that if Roscuro lets her go, she will treat him with some soup. Roscuro agrees. Botticelli and the other rats are so disgusted by the happiness of all that is happening that they all return into the darkness.

Despereaux and Pea become close friends. Roscuro is allowed access into the upstairs of the castle, and reunites Mig's father, who has become a prisoner in the dungeons, with his daughter. Mig's father promises that he loves Mig and will never leave her. But before this, however, Roscuro, Mig, the King, Pea, and Despereaux all get together for soup, as Despereaux's friend Hovis, his parents, and his brother watch in amazement behind the scenes.