Tintin Forums

Courtesy of user @Tintinomaniac over on Twitter, here's an interesting observation they made recently about a difference between the original newspaper version, and the collected book edition of the black-and-white King Ottokar's Sceptre.

Originally, at the very start of the story, when showing the Syldavian seal in his collection to Tintin, Professor Alembick said that he was still ignorant of the meaning of the motto, "Eih bennek, eih blavek", and that discovering this is the purpose of his going to Syldavia.

However, he immediately then tells Tintin that he is very good friends with the Syldavian ambassador...

As the Tweeter points out, were that the case, then could the ambassador not have told him the meaning, and in doing so, saved the old man an unnecessary trip to Syldavia?

Hergé appears to have thought so too, as when the book came out, the scene had been altered to what is still the current text, where the professor merely indicates that the seal is rare, few examples are known, and that he is going to Syldavia to find out why that is.

In turn it has to be said that this never seems to a particular line of enquiry taken up once the party get to the castle (perhaps a clue that Tintin should have added to his list of things which lead him to realise that this Alembick is an imposter?), but at least it removes the possibility that the professor could just have stayed at home.

It's still an interesting little detail in how the story developed between first appearance and the book!