How we cite our quotes: (Paragraph)
Quote #7
They spent their time finding out if the prisoner had a navel, if his dialect had any connection with Aramaic, how many times he could fit on the head of a pin, or whether he wasn't just a Norwegian with wings. (9)
The religious officials are baffled about the origins of the old man, and the effect of comparing their two options for him (either a holy being or "just" Norwegian with wings) is comical. And that bit about the head of a pin? It's an old joke about pointless arguments.
Quote #8
Pelayo threw a blanket over him and extended him the charity of letting him sleep in the shed, and only then did they notice that he had a temperature at night, and was delirious with the tongue twisters of an old Norwegian. (12)
You might wonder why Norway is the default option for winged strangers in the story, but if you think about it, Colombia (equatorial, tropical, Spanish-speaking) and Norway (arctic, freezing, Scandinavian) are about as different as you can get.
Quote #9
But he must have known the reason for those changes, for he was quite careful that no one should notice them, that no one should hear the sea chanteys that he sometimes sang under the stars. (12)
Super important moment, Shmoopers. For the first time, the old man seems to be self-conscious. He isn't relating to anyone else, but we do see that he himself understands his own language—and that it really has a meaning.