2012 Trapped in Aesop's Fables. A fully dramatized Audio Book. Lifehouse theater On-the-Air. Executive Producer Wayne Scott. InspiredInspirations Media. Unknown source.
Twelve-year-old Henry, freshly chastised by his father as he brings home an old chest, finds the chest opening and beckoning to him. The chest offers books with a quest. Of course Henry opens one of the mysterious books and meets Aesop in a time warp. Aesop challenges him to figure out the life lessons from five stories, and then he can escape. Soon Henry has six legs and learns that he is a grasshopper and has to transition from easy summer to hungry winter. Henry is dying and finds no life lesson to learn. He fails his first test, and Aesop has to explain it to him. I left Henry as a hare in the second story running like crazy.
1835 Transferware Plate "The Fox and the Grapes." 6¼" diameter. "Aesop's Fables." Copeland and Garrett. $50 from Alphabetiques, Montague, MA, through Ebay, Sept., '19
The artistry of the green illustration occupying the center of this small plate expresses the fable well. The fox is walking away but he is still looking back at the grapes. He has given up on them and, though he is bad-mouthing them, he would still want to have them. The verso includes "Copeland and Garrett Late Spode."
2000? Tote bag from the Herzog August Bibliothek in Wolfenbüttel. DEM 5 from the library, July, '01.
The reproduction on this tote bag features the same image used on the cover of the library's publication Fabula Docet, namely the illustration for "The Wolves, Shepherds, and Dogs" in Ulrich Boner's Der Edelstein (1461). Click on the image to see an enlargement.
1979 Tortoise Running Relay Race. Schmid 0215. Pewter. Made in USA. Unknown source.
What an energetic turtle! I searched a long time on the web to find a companion figure of a hare. Perhaps this is none. After all, this turtle is running a relay race!
2000? Tortoise Hand Puppet. Folkmanis, Inc., Emeryville, CA. Gift of Maureen Hester, Dec., '16. One extra exemplar.
The tag on this puppet tells TH in a different from Aesopic form. This is the story in which the hare constantly sees tortoise ahead of him. Of course, the tortoise had alerted his relatives the night before to come out and walk through the riverbed when they heard the hare coming. This puppet is the right size for an adult hand. All four legs have room for fingers. The tortoise shell has a good stiffness to it.
1997 Tortoise and the Hare. 160 piece puzzle. Artist: Don Daily. 15½" x 11½". Made in USA. No. 97040. Salem, NH: F.X. Schmid. CFC 2020 0153.1. Unknown source.
This is about as elaborate a start of the TH race as I have seen! What a huge cast of characters! The trappings of the race along with the large congregation of animals make for a good puzzle. It was not easy! I had never thought of checkered pants for the hare. The top hats of two of the birds are among the best touches.
1980? Tortoise and hare transforming soft sculpture. 6½" x 3" x 2½" high. From an unknown source.
I do not remember any more where I found or from whom I received this little transforming soft sculpture. Twist one animal inside-out and you have the other animal. The green tortoise wears a brown wrap around his/her body--and smiles. The light brown rabbit has a pink nose and wears a red wrap around his/her body. The rabbit even has fine whiskers! Click on either of the images to see it enlarged.
1990? Irish linen hand towel featuring the hare riding the tortoise across the finish line. 19" x 30". "Irish Linen, Made in Ireland" says one sticker, and another marking notes "Pure Irish Linen." Another marking reads "Dunmoy, Reg." $5.99 from Dawn Friesen, Coaldale, Alberta, Canada, through Ebay, Sept., '00.
In this whimsical version, the hare has become a jockey and is riding the tortoise instead of racing him. My, the things I never knew existed! Click on the image to see a larger version.
1980? Tortoise and Hare Toothbrushes. NY: Avon Products. Source and date unknown.
Who would have thought of it?! The two simple plastic toothbrushes match one another well. The tortoise gets a unicycle and the hare a carrot to fill out their brushes.
1950? TH Teapot. Aluminum and wood. 5” high. Unknown source.
Was this little pot meant to be a children’s teapot? Or a play teapot? The illustration repeated on both sides includes a “1 Mile” marker. It was certainly used! A quick glance on the web reveals many such, though perhaps not many with fable designs.
1995? Tortoise and hare storytime pin. Goldtone with two figures connected by a bar, 4 inches across. Hand enameled with genuine Austrian rhinestones for eyes. $3.99 from Deja Vu Jewelry, Coral Springs, FL, through Ebay, July, '00.
This piece is charming, colorful, and heavy. The tortoise has the lead. Click on the image to enlarge it.
One cup, almost 3½" high and 3" in diameter, showing the tortoise and hare with the fox perhaps as starter for the race. $15 from Donna Roark at The Scarlet Ibis in McKinney, Texas, through Ebay, August, '99.
1960? Tortoise and Hare Salt and Pepper Shakers. Glass. Each about 2.75" long. Made in Japan. Hare is marked "Lefton's Reg. U.S. Pat. Off. Exclusives." Unknown source.
The tortoise is set well to be looking back at the sleeping hare. In most versions, the hare will wake up just before the tortoise approaches the finish line.
1990? Tortoise and Hare salt and pepper shaker set. Apparently made in China by Albert Price Products. $10.51 from Karen Weaver, Canfield, Ohio, through Ebay, April, '99. Extra set for $1.75 from Beverly and John Ledford through Ebay, Sept., '00.
I am delighted to have found these! My MLS fable class immediately declared them cute, and they are right. The grape-colored rabbit, running with one leg upraised, stands 2.5" tall with three holes. He looks back to see if the turtle is catching up with him. The green-and-brown turtle stands 1.5" tall with two holes. Both original corks are present and intact. The coloring is simple, and the two poses are perfect. I suppose the turtle is moving, but you would not know it!
1980? Tortoise and Hare salt and pepper shaker set. Hare 2½" tall with three holes in the top of his head. Tortoise almost 3" tall with two holes at the top of his back. $15.50 from Sandy Hyatt, Coffeyville, KS, through Ebay, Sept., '00.
The two figures have no identifying marks or labels. Neither has a stopper. The color finish of the standing tortoise is particularly rich. This hare neither sleeps nor moves.
1970? Tortoise and Hare salt and pepper shaker set. Made by New England Ceramics. Tortoise stands 1.5" off the ground, while the standing hare reaches 4". $24 from Cathy Rosenwald, Holland, PA, through Ebay, Feb., '00. Click on the image to see it in larger format.
Cathy writes that this set has been featured in Carey and Tompkins 1003 Shakers and Helene Guarnaccia's Book 3. The original stoppers are still in tact. Although this tortoise seems rather standard, the hare is holding his head in his hand and may be sleeping standing up! The few black markings and the purple ear tips on the hare make for a dramatic figure.
1935? Tortoise and hare rug. 25½" x 58". $19.99 from PAW Enterprises, Monroe, MI, through Ebay, June, '00.
The rug pictures the hare showing off as a hitter while a female hare looks on. The tortoise is presumably pitching to the hare. The motif is vintage Disney, as checking The Tortoise and the Hare or Toby Tortoise and the Hare (both 1935) will show. The reverse side shows the attempt to repair a tear or hole near the center of the rug. I never thought I would be listing a rug in this catalogue! Click on either image for an enlargement.
1980? Tortoise and Hare Ring Boxes. Felt exterior. Hare 3" high. Tortoise 2.25" long. Unknown source.
Each animal opens to accept a ring, in a slot in the tortoise and flat in the hare. The bowtie may be a first on the hare. Each does his job without a great deal of expression.
1960? Two Racers As Tortoise and Hare. Tonka Toys. Made in Hong Kong. 2.5" in length. Unknown source.
Leave it to Tonka to translate TH into a pair of fast toys! Wherever we got these, they have been well played with! I appreciate the genial smile of the hare and the concentration of the tortoise.
1995? Tortoise and hare pins. Goldtone with two figures connected by a chain, 9 inches long. Hand enameled with genuine Austrian rhinestones for eyes? Unknown source.
This piece has long awaited cataloguing, and so we do not know where it came from. But -- surprise! -- its two figures match those in a piece found 25 years ago. As in that case, the grouping is charming, colorful, and heavy.
