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Free
Men, A Hat Full of Sky and Wintersmith. In all three novels, the endearing Pictsies care 
for the well-being of the young witch Tiffany. The interplay between her and the Pictsies 
frequently results in chaotic, hilarious situations caused by the unasked interference of the 
little blue men with the events. Selfless and brave as they are, the Wee Free Men always 
attempt to make amends, often causing even more trouble by doing so. One contributing 
factor might be that the term “discretion” is not part of their vocabulary. Whatever their 
enterprise, the belligerent Pictsies never mean any real harm. 
The Nac Mac Feegle easily succumb to any temptation in the form of a chance for 
looting, fighting or drinking. Stopping off for stealing whenever possible, the Pictsies “will in 
fact steal anything that is not nailed down. If it is nailed down, they will steal the nails as 
well.”
174
They benefit from their incredible strength permitting them to transport loot which is 
their size and weight many times over, for example sheep. Yet it is not only the stealing, but 
also the fighting that the Pictsies love. If by chance there aren’t any opponents available, they 
quite happily start a passionate brawl among themselves. As for alcohol, the Wee Free Men 
can take a lot more than anyone else would be
capable of, shrinking back from nothing. Even 
the mysterious concoction “Special Sheep Liniment” is unable to get at them. Furthermore, 
the Nac Mac Feegle tend to avoid telling the truth if it is not captivating enough. A prime 
example for this is the following quotation: “Er...would you accept a wee bitty lie? [...] It’s 
interestin’. There’s dragons an’ unicorns in it –.”
175
In this connection, their very own and 
unique logic is unrivalled and irrefutable, especially when they try to arrive at conclusions all 
174
Terry Pratchett, A Hat Full of Sky. London: Corgi, 2004, p. 9. 
175
Terry Pratchett. Wintersmith. London: Corgi, 2007, p. 76.

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by themselves. All in all, the Pictsies
leave a lasting impression. Whoever makes their 
acquaintance cannot forget them, even if they wanted to.
176
Still, it is not only the Nac Mac Feegle themselves who contribute to the overall 
humour of these three Discworld novels. The narrator also plays an important role 
commenting on events or explaining details, traditions or conditions or providing background 
information. In doing so, he makes fun of almost anything he can get hold of. For instance, 
the narrator picks on society’s hypersensitivity to allergies and its subsequent paranoia with 
food labels, or on misnomers. A scullery is thus not used for storing skulls, even if it would be 
only logical to infer this from its name.
177
Whereas other authors of fantasy novels for children portray wizards mostly as 
venerable wise men worthy of being paid tribute to, Pratchett’s humour does not share this 
view. Very down to earth, he treats wizards none too gently or respectfully. Far from granting 
them a mystic aura, he invents Ankh-Morpork’s Unseen University as the not very flattering 
scholarly centre of the wizards. Yet it is not only the wizards who are made fun of. Irish 
mythology is ridiculed or a ham sandwich endowed with an immortal soul.
178
Even Discworld 
animals have the potential to be funny. Nanny Ogg’s tomcat Greebo is always good for a 
surprise and a laugh, especially when his prey is several times his size. Incidents like this 
contribute to the novels’ humour since they are so incredible in reality, but they are narrated 
with such a matter-of-factness in the novel. Even during excursions into the spiritual world of 
the Discworld gods one searches in vain for venerable representatives. Rather, there exists a 
multitude of entities for even the smallest thing or circumstance, for example a god for lost 
buttons. 
Even Discworld cheese has potential for humour. In The Wee Free Men, the narrator 
introduces the reader to the secrets of Lancre Blue, which has a life of its own and can be 
quite aggressive towards other cheeses. Horace is probably its most famous representative. It 
is only natural that a cheese with its own characteristic personality receives an individual 
name. In order to encourage his independence further, the free range Horace gets his own 
cheese flap.
179
As a Lancre Blue, the cheese is eventually admitted to the clan of the blue-
skinned Nac Mac Feegle, where he sometimes even wears a kilt.
176
Ibd., p. 245. 
177
Ibd., p. 97.
178
Ibd., p. 171.
179
Ibd., p. 100. 

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146 
There is hardly any area of life in Discworld which is not somehow linked with 
humour. Discwordly wisdom, collected in the Almanack, a compendium of the sum total of 
experience and useful tips, is at least par with the wealth of information found in the trusty 
handbook Diseases of the Sheep. In the latter, the entry “turpentine” reveals an essential piece 
of knowledge as far as the handling of sheep is concerned. A universal cure, turpentine can be 
applied to everything and anything: “Recommended treatment is daily dosing with turpentine 
until there is no longer either any trembling, or turpentine, or sheep.”
180
Needless to say that 
there exists probably not a single Wee Free Men that has not drunk it yet.
180
Pratchett, The Wee Free Men. London: Corgi, 2004, p. 173.

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