THE GRAVEYARD BOOK

CHAPTER THREE: THE HOUNDS OF GOD

Vocabulary: Read each group of words. Choose the one word or phrase that does not belong
with the others. On the lines below the words, tell how the rest of the words are alike.

1. Undertaker cabinetmaker scavenger groundskeeper

Word that doesn’t belong: scavenger
These words are alike because they all name occupations.

2. angel tomb grave crypt

Word that doesn’t belong: angel
These words are alike because they all name places where people are buried.

3. hinges screws nails coffin

Word that doesn’t belong: coffin
These words are alike because they all name fasteners.

4. dumplings packets sausages beetroot

Word that does belong: packets
These words are alike because they all name foods.

5. unflappable dependable visible sensible

Word that doesn’t belong: visible
These words are alike because they all describe someone who is calm and collected

6. marrow sinew cartilage eyebrow

Word that doesn’t belong: eyebrow
These words are alike because they all name parts of the skeletal system.

7. repulsion delight loathing disgust

Word that doesn’t belong: delight
These words are alike because they all describe the feelings one has for something vile or
hideous.
8. Orion the Hunter Taurus the Bull Golden Gate Milky Way
Word that doesn’t belong: Golden Gate
These phrases are alike because they all name constellations.

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THE GRAVEYARD BOOK

Chapter Three: The Hounds of God (cont.)

 Questions:
1. Why did Silas ask Miss Lupescu to serve as Bod’s temporary guardian? How did Bod feel
about this arrangement?
Silas asked Miss Lupescu to serve as Bod's temporary guardian because he had to leave the
graveyard on business for an extended period of time. Bod was not happy because he didn’t
like the things that Miss Lupescu taught, and he didn't like the food she prepared and made
him eat.

2. What is a ghoul-gate and how could you spot one in a graveyard? Why was Bod willing to
pass through the gate?
A ghoul-gate is a decrepit gravestone that serves as the entrance to the kingdom of the ghouls
that is found in every graveyard. Bod was willing to pass through the gate because he felt
sorry for himself, and he thought escaping from the graveyard with the three unusual
creatures who befriended him would prove to be an exciting adventure.

3. How did the ghouls’ behavior towards Bod change once he entered their kingdom?
Once Bod was in the glouls' kingdom, they began to treat him as a prisoner and told him that he
was going to become a ghoul whether or not he wanted to.

4. Why did Bod feel that he was “between the devil and the deep blue sea” as he was being
carried in Victor Hugo’s sack?
Bod saw danger in front of him in the fortress of Ghulheim from which he could never escape
and the steep drop, as well as the hellhound behind him. Thus, he feared he was "between the
devil and the deep blue sea. " Both going forward and attempting escape were frought with
danger.

5. How did Miss Lupescu’s lessons prove useful to Bod?

Bod used what he had learned from Miss Lupescu to call to the night- gaunts and ask them for
help. They heard his pleas and told Miss Lupescu that Bod was in danger and needed her help.

6. What surprising discovery did Bod make about Miss Lupescu? How did she fulfill her mission?
Bod learned that Miss Lupescu was a werewolf who was able to transform herself into a large
wolf. She fulfilled her mission as a Hound of God by entering hell and rescuing Bod from the
ghouls.

Questions for Discussion:

1. What conclusions can you draw about Silas’s journey based on the gift he brought back
for Bod?
I think Silas went to San Francisco because he brought back Bod a smaller version of the
Golden Gate bridge.
2. Do you think that Miss Lupescu was being truthful when she claimed that the big gray dog
in the graveyard was not her dog?
I don't think Miss Lupescu was being honest when she said the dog wasn't hers. Her name
"Lupescu" is a variation of the Latin word "Lupus" which means wolf.
 3. What did you know about werewolves before reading this chapter? Did you read anything
that changed your opinion of these mythical beings?
I knew that werewolves were just a bigger version of a wolf, could only transform when a full
moon was out, vampires were their supernatural enemy, and that being a werewolf was a
curse. They taught me the complete opposite: a werewolf was a bigger version of a dog,
they can transform at their own will, evil is their enemy, and being a werewolf was a gift
from God.

Literary Devices:
I. Idiom—An idiom is an expression that does not mean exactly what the words say. For
example, when friends say, “we can make our own way home” they mean that they can go
home without help. Read the following sentences and underline the two idioms. Then on the
lines below, write the meaning of each.

He [Silas] picked up his bag and said, “You will be in good hands with Miss
Lupescu, Bod. I am sure that the two of you will get on.”

In good hands is the first one - it means that she will take care of him

The two of you will get on- means that you will have a good time

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Chapter Three: The Hounds of God (cont.)

I
I. Comic Relief—Comic relief refers to humor placed within an otherwise serious episode.
What characters provided comic relief in Chapter Three?
I would say that the ghouls provided some comic relief in Chapter Three.

Why do you think the author populated Hell with such comic figures?

I think that the author populated Hell with such comic figures so he could try and make
some balance between hell and not make the story so dark and frightening but add some
funny moments to it.
II
I. Allusion—The author identifies the 33rd President of the United States as a ghoul. Do some
research to find out the identity of this president. Why might he be portrayed as a ghoul?
I think that The 33rd President of the United States, Harry S. Truman was portrayed as a ghoul
because As President, Truman made some of the most crucial decisions in history. One of
them was ordering the atomic bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki during World War II.

Language Study: Dialect

 A dialect is a form of language that is spoken in a particular area by a particular group. It
differs from the standard language in its use of grammar, pronunciation, and vocabulary. In The
Graveyard Book, Neil Gaiman uses a Cockney dialect to capture the unique expressions,
pronunciations, and speech patterns of the Bishop of Bath and Wells, who is one of the ghouls.
Read these examples of his dialect, and then write a translation on the lines that follow.

The Bishop of Bath and Wells said, “Now me lad, what’s your story, eh? And don’t tell any
porkies, remember as to how you’re talkin’ to a bishop.”
The translation of this line is: “Now me lad, what’s your background story where do you come
from, eh? And don’t tell any lies, remember you are walking to a bishop.?

“Don’t be like that, Yer Grace,” said the Bishop of Bath and Wells. “ ’Ave a blinking ’eart. Look at
the little mite. ’Asn’t ’ad a decent meal in ’e don’t know ’ow long.”
The translation of this line is: “Don’t be like that, your Grace, Have a blinking heart. Look at
how little it is. It hasn’t had a good meal in a long time.”

Chapter Three: The Hounds of God (cont.)

“Smart as a whip, sharp as a tack, you’d have to get up pretty late at night to put
anything past this lad,” said the Bishop of Bath and Wells.

The translation of this line is: “Smart and very quick you would have to get up pretty late
at night to put anything past this lad.”

Classification Activity:
When Miss Lupescu began to teach Bod, she gave him a pretest by asking him to name the
different kinds of people. Noting his ignorance on this topic, she observed that he had a lot to
learn. Show what you know by classifying the important characters you have met in the first
three chapters into several of Miss Lupescu’s categories.

Dead Ghouls Hounds of God Solitary Types

Caius Pompeius The Duke of Miss Lupescu Silas

Westminster

Honorable Archibald
Fitzhugh

The Emperor of
China

The Bishop of Bath

and Wells

The 33rd President of

the United States
 Victor Hugo

THE GRAVEYARD BOOK

Chapter Three: The Hounds of God (cont.)

Writing Activity:
In this chapter, Bod found himself recalling one of Mr. Owen’s favorite expressions: “I’m between
the Devil and the Deep Blue Sea.” Write about a time when you found yourself caught between
two things you found equally unpleasant. Describe the situation and then tell how you managed to
extricate yourself.
As humans, we always find ourselves caught between two things that we find equally unpleasant
but one simple example of when I was caught “Between the Devil and the Deep Blue Sea” was
once when I had this assignment I realized that I couldn’t finish it on time and if I turned it in, it
would be late or I could turn it in on time but it would not be as well done because I would’ve
rushed it to not pass the deadline but then I decided that consistency and quality was more
important than doing it the first or early.