Some of the protagonists here are historical and some possess the magical abilities of divinities. Many here take on heroic stature only to suffer pratfalls; their magic may backfire; they suffer —— and cause —— indignities that are outrageously funny.Their changes of fortune can be abrupt and startling, for which the text makes no apologies; the absurdity of various incidents has to be taken at face value and enjoyed as such.