I Had Trouble in Getting to Solla Sollew

I Had Trouble in Getting to Solla Sollew

Author	Dr. Seuss
Country	United States
Language	English
Genre	Children's literature
Publisher	Random House
Publication date	1965
Media type	Print (Hardcover and paperback)
OCLC	1425583
Preceded by	Fox in Socks
Followed by	The Cat in the Hat Song Book

I Had Trouble in Getting to Solla Sollew is a 1965 children's book by Dr. Seuss. The story features classic Seuss rhymes and drawings in his distinctive pen and ink style.

The book is a first-person narrative told by a young narrator who experiences troubles in his life (mostly aggressive small animals that bite and sting) and wishes to escape them. He sets out for the city of Solla Sollew ("where they never have troubles / at least very few") and learns that he must face his problems instead of running away from them. He then goes back home to deal with his "troubles", arming himself with a big bat and resolving that "Now my troubles are going to have troubles with me!"

The journey includes several fantastic encounters, some with mild political implications. In one instance, the protagonist is forced to haul a wagon for a bossy companion. ("'This is called teamwork. I furnish the brains. You furnish the muscles, the aches and the pains.'") In another scene, he is drafted into the army under the command of the fearsome (and, ultimately, cowardly) General Genghis Kahn Schmitz, who abandons him at a critical moment.

In Seussical

In Seussical, the character of General Genghis Khan Schmitz makes an appearance as a minor character. He introduces Jojo to the military school in song. This sets up a subplot concerning Jojo in which he is thought to be lost in battle. The character of Schmitz in the play is a cross between the Schmitz seen in the book and the unnamed generals in the Butter Battle Book.

Solla Sollew is the subject of a song in which the main characters yearn for a happy resolution to their problems. It is referred to as "a faraway land, so the stories all tell / somewhere beyond the horizon." It is said that "troubles there are few" and that "maybe it's something like heaven."

Solla Sollew, in the story and in Seussical, is believed to be a place of hope and wonder, where "breezes are warm" and "people are kind." It is a dream of the characters to find this incredible place, where they will find each other and be happy once and for all.