2011 Das Grosse Fabel- und Tiermärchen Hörbuch. 2 CDs: Fabeln von Jean de La Fontaine. 2 CDs: Tiermärchen von Manfred Kyber. Gelesen von Andreas Muthesius. Made in Germany. Merenberg, Germany: ZYX Music GmbH.
Muthesius' portrayal of these fables and Märchen is delightful, with helpful musical background by Ismail Boulaghmal and wonderfully varied voices. I wish we were told who did the verse translations of La Fontaine. Kyber is new to me. His stories are longer, more developed, and perhaps more modulated than most fables. I listened to three and found them all delightful: "Der K.d.R."; "Der grosse Augenblick" and "Die Haselmaushochzeit."
Produced by Rebecca Newman. Animation/Art Director Alex Stevens. Writer Betty Birney. Storyteller Danny Glover. Narrator Judyann Elder. Music Composer and Conductor Ron Carter. Produced by SideWalk Studio. Los Angeles: Philips Media
1953 Danmarks Serie: Dyrefabler. Vilhelm Grandt? Illustrations by Frederik Bramming. Introduction by Kai Friis Moller. Hardbound. Kopenhaven: Udgivet af Aktieselskabet Kaffesurrogatfabriken Danmark. €23 from Bartko-Reher, Berlin, July, '21. Appearing among books here.
Complete. 32 pages. Color work seems to me to be of very high quality. This collection seems somewhat rare on the web. The scenes are the same as those depicted in individual cards catalogued under "fable cards," where this book and one set of stamps are illustrated. The booklet seems identical with “Dandy Serie: Dyrefabler,” though the languages there seem to be the Belgian pair rather than the Danish here. Very engaging artistry throughout, with plenty of humor! Aesopic fable material includes at least these: FG; BW; FS; TMCM; DS; WL; FK; "Mice in the Cream"; and OF. OF may be among the best illustrated.
1953 Danmarks Serie: Dyrefabler. Vilhelm Grandt? Illustrations by Frederik Bramming. Introduction by Kai Friis Moller. Hardbound. Kopenhaven: Udgivet af Aktieselskabet Kaffesurrogatfabriken Danmark. €23 from Bartko-Reher, Berlin, July, '21.
Though our copy is complete with its 32 pages, I will include here only those presenting fables, namely FG; BW; FS; TMCM; DS; WL; FK; "Mice in the Cream"; and OF. Fuller commentary on the album can be found its listing under books for 1953. The color work seems to me to be of very high quality. This collection seems somewhat rare on the web. The scenes are the same as those depicted in individual cards catalogued under "fable cards," where this book and one set of stamps are illustrated. The booklet seems identical with “Dandy Serie: Dyrefabler,” though the languages there seem to be the Belgian pair rather than the Danish here. Very engaging artistry throughout, with plenty of humor! OF may be among the best illustrated.
1953 "Danmarks Billede Serie: "Dyrefabler 1-200." 39 cards out of a numbered set of 200. 1¾" x 2¾". $5 from Allen Sweet, Watkins Glen, NY, through eBay, Nov., '12.
These cards represent a real curiosity. Those in the first 90 numbers are identical with the same numbers in "Dandy Black Backs." Those above #90 go their own way. It is of course not always easy to ferret out fables from folktales. Clear fables here seem to be #110 (#102 in the Dandy series and #115 (#107 in the Dandy series) -- both representing DS -- and #200 (OF, identical with #200 in the Dandy series).
1750? Three prints of La Fontaine fables CXCIV, CXCVII, and CCXXXVI, matted. Prints or separated pages? With margins about 4" x 7". Illustrations alone 3" x 4¾". €14, 18, and 19 from "Daniel et Lilli," Marche Dauphine, St.-Ouen, France, June, '19.
There are two mysteries about these three well-worn images. First, are they prints, pages, or perhaps plates removed from pages? Secondly, who created them when? One clue is that they are not following La Fontaine's system of "books" but rather a numbering system that presents individual pieces up to #236 at least. I will keep an eye out for identical illustrations. Do not miss the serving girl pouring wine expertly into the shepherd's cup in CXCIV and the utter lack of interaction in CXCVII. Of these three, "The English Fox" (CCXXXVI; 12.23) gets my prize. The English fox was finally cornered by the dogs and hung himself up with other prey as though he were dead. The trick worked – once, but not twice.
1971 200 Dandy Gum Cards Animal Fables. Red back. Full set. 200 cards. £199.99 from Collecdtabilia through Ebay, March, '25.
Several things stand out in this find. We have these cards in an album. We also have several individual cards, but their backs are different from these. Each of these cards has four quatrains on its verso, rendering the part of the fable in Danish, English, Dutch, and French. The seller added scans of the full 200 cards to the Ebay listing.
1971 Dandy Animal Fables (Black Back). Numbered set of 200. 1¾" x 2¾". Printed in Denmark. Vejle, Denmark: Dandy. £50 by mail from Murray Cards, London, August, '97.
These cards are divided into stories, with as many as twelve cards going to one story. Four titles (Danish, English, German, and French) at the top of the card introduce four brief texts in verse. The stories include various types, including Aesopic fable: FG (#13-18), BW (#19-25), "The Fox, the Lamb, and the Little Mouse" (#39-44), FS (#66-72), DS (#101-107), WL (#108-114), FK (#115-121), "The Bad Turn" ("The Bear and the Gardener," #121-128), "The Porcupine and the Hare" (#129-140), "The Mouse in the Cream" (#148-153), and OF (#197-200). Here the hare races a snail (#7-12). The frogs wanting a king appeal to King Lion. The bear that ends up killing the gardener is a young bear. "The Wolf and the Leg of Pork" (171-77) either is a fable or easily could become one. 1¾" x 2¾", with simple, colored cartoon-like illustrations. Here are two great scenes. The first (#126) shows the bear about the "protect" the gardener from the fly that bothers him. The second (#199) shows the frog blowing himself up to be as large as the ox.
1972 Two Dahomey FDC envelopes featuring FS (35F) and "Le Chat, la Belette et le petit Lapin" (40F). August 28, 1972. Cotonou. République du Dahomey. $9.70 from Gilles Descary, St.-Jean-sur-Richelieu, Canada, through eBay, May, '04.
Each envelope works well with the design of its stamp, selecting and transforming slightly. Each gives the title of its fable and the name and dates of La Fontaine.
2011 TH has an explanatory folder including texts of the fable in English, French, and German as well as Cyprus' own Greek. The five stamps are pictured in the folder, as well as the "strip" from which they are taken and the obverse of the slip. Credit is given to the various creators of the stamp. On the cover of this post office brochure/wrapper is a rather unfortunate photo of a turtle crossing a finish line ahead of a rabbit. Date of issue for the stamp series is 5.10.11, which I take to be October 5, 2011. We have two of these folders.
Then there are the strips mentioned above, containing the framework for the five specific stamps. This framework is divided into three sections. I do not understand the division.
The obverse announces the title, tells the story, and gives the price of the overall strip of 5 34 cent stamps, €1.70. Each strip has a unique number. In all, I have four of these strips.
Cyprus Post apparently also created an FDC envelope using all five stamps and cancelling them with a TH impression. Each of the two envelops I have also adds a 2 cent stamp. Might their own stamp set not have come up to the required postage for an envelope? These materials came from Cyprus Stamps, Limassol, Cyprus, August, '15 and Charis Menelaou, Nicosia, Cyprus, Jan., '16.
2012 GA follows the same pattern as TH a year earlier. Again, there is a pleasing folder showing the stamps, telling the GA story in Greek, English, French, and German, and giving credit to its creators. This time the cover cartoon is more in keeping with the delightful stamp series, as we see the two characters in their summer encounter. We have four copies of this folder. The date of issue is 3-10-2012, which I take to be October 3, 2012. Extra copy of the strip from Charis Menelaou through Ebay: unknown cost and date,
We have only two copies of the strip itself, which shows three phases of the interaction: summer, fall, and winter.
The obverse has an encounter similar to that on the cover of the folder, the full text in Greek, and the total price of the five 34 cent stamps, €1.70.
We have two copies of the FDC envelope, which this time includes a bust of Aesop as well as the five stamps and the unique FDC cancellation featuring the two main characters. It seems to mention the Cypriotic Stamp Lovers Association: "kypriake philotelike etairia." These materials came from Cyprus Stamps, Limassol, Cyprus, August, '15; Charis Menelaou, Nicosia, Cyprus, Jan., '16; and Marlen Stamp and Coins, Ltd., Great Neck NY, Oct., '12.
1910 Salon des Artistes Français (1910): La Chatte metamorphosé en Femme, par E. Joannon. ND. 1556 Dt. S.B.A. Black-and-white cameo reproduction. $8 from Bertrand Cocq, Calonne Ricouart, France, Sept., '18.
This is a lively rendition of CW that seems to enjoy keeping the nude woman humanly female rather than already a cat. The man reacts with suitable surprise. If turbulence is a sign of good art, this is good art! The card is a bit unusual in having two different positions from which to read its landscape image and its portrait information.
1990? Large gray and blue cup with "No act of kindness no matter how small . . . is ever wasted. Aesop" on two sides. Royal Norfolk. Chesapeake, VA: Greenbrier International. From Sharon Green, Dallas, TX, thru eBay, perhaps Feb., '06.
The quotation used on this large cup has become rather standard for citation on mugs, mousepads, t-shirts, and elsewhere. It comes presumably from LM. I am not sure it fits exactly with fable wisdom. Fable wisdom might say "Sometimes you can help yourself by helping other people!" I preached this past weekend that values not rooted in stories are ephemeral, and this may be an example. I want to know "What story did that saying come from?" This is one of many eBay purchases lost in history, and I can find little about this cup on the web.
1984? Cuentos Inolvidables #17. Grupo de Teatro "Los Campanilleros". Madrid: Discos Mercurio.
Delightful Spanish renditions of GA, TH, GGE (but with a hen) with music and fine voices. Picking up the Spanish on the first hop may not be easy!
1998? Crystal Fruit Tree. 3½" in diameter at its base and 3½" high. Made in China. FineGift. $2.95 from Buyers & Sellers, Fairchild, WI, through Ebay, July, '00.
Two little foxes with golden ears, noses, and tails read up toward the purplish grapes, which are surrounded by green leaves hanging from tendril-heavy vines. The mirrored base is beveled.
1995? Crow Hand Puppet. Folkmanis, Inc., Emeryville, CA. Gift of Maureen Hester, Dec., ‘11
The tag of this critter is lost, if there ever was one. This puppet allows not only a hand in the body and head of the crow, but a hand in each of his wings. The lovely beady black eyes are lost in the lush feather covering of this creature!
1939? Crow and Pitcher Flower-Pot-Hanger. Wooden, four pieces, painted crème and black. 12" x 10½" x 3". Liberty, Maine: Liberty Giftcrafters. $25 from The Maine Emporium, Bowdoinham, ME, through Ebay, Feb., '00.
Now here is something of whose existence I was simply unaware! A slightly torn slip pasted to the wall side describes this, apparently, as "Crow & Pitcher Flower Vasette for Decorative Hanging Plants & Cut Flowers and Artificial Flowers. Copyright 1939 by Liberty Giftcrafters." There is then a picture of the crow and pitcher above the "Legend of the Crow & Pitcher from Aesop's Fables." The text used here does not come from any version I recognize. Maine Emporium describes it as vintage folk art.
2002? Cross-stitch "Easy Does it!" TH. Felt over a board. 8” x 10”. $5.75 from Diane Strohmenger, March, '04.
Images depict a hare and a tortoise above and below, respectively, the rather unusual moral “Easy Does it!” sewn into the center of the image.
