Creighton University Archives and Special Collections

Carlson Fable Collection

Item Set

Items

• Episode 1 - Spode Tableware in the Carlson Fable Collection
  In this episode Brian Kokensparger and Fr. Greg Carlson, S.J. discuss the vast array of Spode tableware in the Carlson Fable Collection.
• The Untold Fables: Aesop's Apocalypse
  1987? The Untold Fables: Aesop's Apocalypse. Engineer and Assistant Production by David Carey and Jim Dotson. Dionysus Records ID 123312. $5 from Kevin Wells, Seattle, WA, through Ebay, March, '99. Side B offers "The Man and the Wooden God." Otherwise it may be hard to find the connection with Aesop or fable here. In case it is not clear to readers (as it was not to me), "The Untold Fables" is the name of the group.
• Toucan Sam at the Big Race
  1983? Toucan Sam at the Big Race. Kellogg Company. $4 at a flea market about '95. This is a paper-based record made to be played at 33 1/3 rpm. It shows a colorful illustration of Toucan Sam waving a checkered flag for the tortoise, who beats the hare to the finish line. I presume that this record came in a box of cereal.
• Les Fables de La Fontaine
  1980? Les Fables de La Fontaine. Illustrées par des enfants et interprétées par l'imitateur Jean Valton à la manière des Grandes Vedettes. Pamphlet with a record. Printed in France. Series: Alors, Raconte… Paris: Dillard et Cie. $4 from Pierre Cantin, Chelsea, Quebec, through Ebay, Feb., '01. Extra copy (2010), which I will keep with the records, while the first copy stays with the books. This square little presentation 7¼" square offers five delightful illustrations by children, the texts of six fables, and a 45 rpm record. The first of the illustrations is on the cover. La Fontaine writes seated under a tree, while various animals look on. Of the other four illustrations, I recommend especially FC. The other three present TH, GA, and OR. The record was produced by La Discotheque de Paris.
• Fables in Action
  1980? Fables in Action. Author: Winifred Howard. Various speakers, musicians, and singers. Oklahoma City, OK: Melody House Recordings MH-21. $6 at Castalia Books in Berkeley, June, '89. Extra copy, formerly property of the Johnson Camden Library, Morehead State University, Morehead, KY, for $2 from Judy Lewis, Morehead, KY, through Ebay, March, '99. T of C on the back. Various instruments, sound effects, songs, and stories with different voices. The jacket suggests various activities for kids: barking, growling, roaring, gestures. Nice simple songs. Satisfactory for use with very small children. SW gets the bet wrong. "Ricky Rabbit and Tommy Turtle" makes nice use of Brahms' lullaby. The lion saves the man, not in the circus, but from an attacking tiger. The FC reader jumps from "Miss Caw" to "Miss Crow." Moral: "When you're pretending to do something big, you may do something silly." Four fables on each side.
• Fables and Fun, Vol. 1
  1977 Fables and Fun, Vol. 1. Paperbound. Minneapolis: Marketing Ventures. $6.48 from spittinunagecards through eBay, Nov., '13. Here is one of two volumes in one of three sets. This landscape volume 9" x 8¼" contains fourteen fables with a T of C on the back cover. The following are illustrated: TH; "The Mischievous Dog"; AL; "Two Frogs"; "The Ape and the Fox"; "The Wolf, Lamb, and Goat"; "The Fox, the Hare, and Jupiter"; LM; FWT; WC; "Oz and the Herdsman"; and FC. Oz refers to a great wizard in Oz who replaces what would have been a god in the ancient fable. The herdsman prays to Oz to show who has stolen his calf and then offers a bigger sacrifice in prayer to get away from the lion who stole it. The narrations tend to the colloquial. Several morals are either catchy or unusual. Thus "The Two Frogs" has this short moral: "Easier in than out." "The Ape and the Fox" leads to this moral: "Don't try to borrow. Then you won't be disappointed if you're refused." WC admonishes "Do not run silly risks." The book is accompanied by a flexible 33 rpm record containing all fourteen fables. The line drawings would be suitable for crayoning. AL's full-page drawing may be the best of this lot. The two volumes are enclosed in a sleeve. I will leave the records with their volumes. It would be a miracle to find those other two sets!
• Aesop's Fables in song
  1975? Aesop's Fables in song. George Mysels. Sung by Patricia DeLoughry and Clyde Sechler with Betty Ann McCall, Cordovox. Omni Sound N-194. Delaware Water Gap, PA: Shawnee Press, Inc. $9.99 from Paul Neil Anderson, Bellevue, NE, through Ebay, May, '01. There are eleven and thirteen bands, respectively, on the two sides of this record. "Recommended for listening and singing in elementary schools and for family enjoyment by children of all ages."
• Aesop Fables Record
  1975? Aesop Fables. Art Director Tory Wolfe. Cover Illustration Marlyn Romero. Hollywood, FL: Kid Stuff Records KS053. $1 from Karen Podschun, Winfield, KS, through Ebay, Feb., '00. Seven fables on each side. This approach to the record, including the jacket and its art, suggests that this may be among the simplest of the fable records I have found.
• Leo Tolstoy: Fables and Fairy Tales
  1974 Leo Tolstoy: Fables and Fairy Tales. Read by Ian Richardson. Caedmon TC 1435. Formerly property of the Johnson Camden Library, Morehead State University, Morehead, KY. $6.01 from Judy Lewis, Morehead, KY, through Ebay, June, '99. Extra copy for $7 from Eric Maloney, W. Peterborough, NH, through Ebay, June, '00. Side One features twelve short fables, while Side Two seems to be given to two fairy tales. Paul Kresh offers an introduction on the back of the jacket. Both copies seem to be in excellent condition.
• Aesop's Fables Book and Record Set
  1972? Aesop's Fables. Book and Record Set. NY: Children's Records of America T 23552. $4 from Jean Lexington, El Dorado, AR, through Ebay, Sept., '00. Extra copy for $2 from Daryl Adkins, Dry Fork, VA, through Ebay, May, '99. I had found the book half of this set twice earlier, and was surprised to find a book published by CBS records. Now I find the records, and they are not done by CBS! I will keep these books with the records and leave those two copies of the books with their respective collections. The presence of the book with the record in this set has one result, namely that the record jacket has almost no information about what is on the record!
• Les Plus Belles Fables de La Fontaine
  1971 Les Plus Belles Fables de La Fontaine. Dites par Francois Perier, Jacques Fabbri, Pierre Bertin. Livre-Disque. ALB-6034. Le Petit Menestrel. Disques de Adès. $20 from Robin Michel, Santa Clarita, CA, through eBay, March, '11. Here are fifteen fables recorded on a 33 rpm, accompanied by a book. With music from Rameau and Couperin. I will keep the record with the book among the books rather than among the audio-visual materials.
• Fables of India Record
  1970? Fables of India. Told by Zia Mohyeddin. Music by Deben Bhattacharya. Directed by Howard Sackler. Caedmon TC 1168. Formerly property of the Johnson Camden Library, Morehead State University, Morehead, KY. $15 from Judy Lewis, Morehead, KY, through Ebay, June, '99. Side One features "The Brahmin and the Villain," "The Long-Eared Cat and the Vulture," "The Restless Pigeon and his Wife," and "The Camel and his Neighbor." Side Two has "The Adder and the Fox," "The Twin Parrots," "The Blue Jackal," "Good-Speed and the Elephant King," and "The Monkey's Heart." There is some commentary on the back of the jacket. This recording seems to be in a series with Caedmon's other recordings that I have found, including La Fontaine, Tolstoy, and Aesop as read by Boris Karloff.
• Fables de La Fontaine Record
  1970? Fables de La Fontaine. Read in French by Gerard Philipe, Julien Bertheau, Berthe Bovy, Georges Chamarat, Jacques Charon, and Yvonne Gaudeau. French and English bilingual text included. Caedmon TC 1211. $1 from Mel Grimes, Pacific Grove, CA, through Ebay, May, '00. Though the fables are read in French, the extensive commentary on the jacket's back is in English. The French and English face each other in the accompanying large translation booklet.
• In Due Time: Aesop's Fables
  1969? In Due Time: Aesop's Fables. 33 rpm long-playing record. Chicago: Cadet Concept Records. LPS 323. $5 from Jads Jams, Safford, AZ, through Ebay, August, '99. The back of the jacket calls this "Stereo Storybook" a "collection of latter day fables…musical tales that light upon life, love, loneliness…."
• The Grasshopper and the Ants Record
  1968 The Grasshopper and the Ants. 33 rpm long-playing record enclosed in the back flap of a booklet with the same title. Walt Disney Presents the Story (Side A, read by Robie Lester) and a Song (Side B, by L. Morey and L. Harline). Walt Disney Productions LLP-331. Included in the booklet price of $4.50 at Old Bank Antiques, Hastings, March, '94. This record is kept with the book. The last few minutes of the story's side are especially scratchy. This version differs slightly from the tape version I have under 1971/77. The song, "The World Owes Me a Living," does not follow the lyrics of Margaret Wise Brown's version (1939, reprinted in 1962 and 1993).
• Aesop's Fables "The Rabbit and the Turtle" record
  1967? Aesop's Fables. "The Rabbit and the Turtle" plus 32 other fables for the delight and development of children. Sung by Judy Stewart and Bob Ragaini. Mercury Playcraft PLP-1303. $7 from JLO West/Special Records, Universal City, CA, through Ebay, Nov., '99. The Ebay seller writes that these fables are set into modern verse and provided with lively contemporary musical backgrounds.
• Aesop's Fables
  1965? Aesop's Fables. Narrated by Burgess Meredith. Arranged and Conducted by Reg Owen and Wally Stott. NY: Golden Records LP 152. $5 from Robin Chaney, Schoolcraft, MI, through Ebay, Oct., '99. Side One is devoted to TH, and Side Two to FC. This record originally cost only $1.98.
• Aesop's Best Known Fables
  1965? Aesop's Best Known Fables. Featuring the Regency Players. Talespinners for Children. UAC 11068. Los Angeles, CA: Liberty/UA, Inc. Sunset Records. Entertainment from Transamerica Corporation. $4.99 from Robert Beckley Newton, MS, through Ebay, May, '00. From the jacket, it appears that each side presents three groupings of three fables each. Each grouping lasts between three and about five minutes.
• the tortoise and the hare/the little white duck
  1964? the tortoise and the hare/the little white duck. 45 rpm Mr. Pickwick Extended Play Record. No singers or composer acknowledged. Woodbury, NY: Pickwick International. $.05 at flea market, 1991. TH lasts 3:21. It seems like vintage "Hit Paraders" music: cute, silly, bubbly, harmless. If there were not a zip code on the jacket, I would have guessed the date of production to be 10 years earlier. The rabbit in this version keeps thinking he can always catch up, and he enjoys many diversions.
• The Fox and the Grapes/The City Mouse and the Country Mouse
  1962? The Fox and the Grapes/The City Mouse and the Country Mouse. 78 RPM record 6" in diameter. Narrated by June Winters and the Speartones. Lionel 49730-114, Fairy Tales 3. $4.99 from Anthony Testa, Le Roy, NY, through Ebay, Jan., '01. Lionel made recordings for kids?! In fact they made at least fourteen of them for 45 RPM, one of which offered fables, and twenty-five in 78 RPM, two of which presented fables. Now to look for those other two!
• Animal Stories of Aesop
  1961 Animal Stories of Aesop. Narrated by Sterling Holloway. Disneyland Record DQ 1221. Walt Disney Productions. $2, Summer, '89. Extra copy for $2 from Coin Corner and Hobbies, Oregon City, OR, through Ebay, March, '99. Third copy from an unknown source. One reader with occasional interruptions from kids and a bit of music. Versions are on the sentimental side. AL (six minutes), AD (four minutes), OF (six minutes), "The Lion and the Goat" (three minutes), and FG (four minutes). The countercultural ant likes to sing, and so gets thirsty. The best fable features the (father) frog and the ox. "The Lion and the Goat" has a scratch and repeats on the original '89 copy. The fox passes up many grapes to get the best; the story runs to too much length.
• Fables de la Fontaine, Volume IV
  1960? Fables de la Fontaine, Volume IV. Read by members of Comédie Française. Microgroove Records FRL 1525. Bernard Lebow: Dust jacket printed in the USA. $4 from Stephane St-Arnaud, Montreal, Canada, through Ebay, Nov., '99. There are eight favorite La Fontaine fables on the Side A and six on Side B. This record seems to have been produced in this country. The dust jacket is in English.
• Fables de La Fontaine par Fernandel
  Fables de La Fontaine par Fernandel. Cover art: Rosenberg. Decca. €5 from an unknown source, July, '09. This is a combination book and 45 rpm record. Fernandel, who died in 1971, seems to be the narrator of seven fables on the record. The fables are WL, FC, GA, DW, TH, "The Lion and the Mosquito," and "The Financier and the Cobbler." The last story has a wonderfully relaxed cobbler in its image. Alternating page-pairs are done in duochrome with a heavy sepia look. The cover presents the animals from many fables together. It surprises me by seating the hare on top of the tortoise's shell. Where does that image or understanding come from? I will keep record and book together in the book collection.
• Fables de La Fontaine, No. 1
  1960 Fables de La Fontaine, No. 1. Paperbound. Livre-Disque: Philips. $12 from Jean-Claude Côté, Remouald, Quebec, Canada, May, '15. I already have two copies of this book and record, Now I have found an earlier copy. Two clues lead me to believe that it is earlier, and then there is a strange anomaly I need to mention. The two clues are that the paper used in the fable booklet is not the shiny paper used in the other two versions. The second clue is that those other versions advertised Volumes 3 and 4 in this series. This copy advertises Volume 2. The anomaly is that this early copy appeals to a publishing law of 1960. Those other copies appeal to an earlier publishing law in 1955. I have put down 1960 as the date for this copy, since it is a firm terminus post quem. Probably the date of those other two copies needs to be adjusted to be sometime after 1960. As I wrote of them, here ten fables are shown and read by Yves-Gérard le Dantec. A 45 rpm record is part of the package. Monochrome and polychrome pages alternate. The illustrations are lively if nothing else. I will keep the book and record together among the books,
• The Tortoise and the Hare & the Lion and the Mouse CD
  2006 The Tortoise and the Hare & the Lion and the Mouse. Greensboro, NC: Once Upon a Tune: Kindermusik International. $3.95 from Chuck Wolfe through eBay, April, '08. This CD accompanies a book. Let me repeat what I wrote there. Here is a creative effort spreading into new directions. The two stories are well done. Eventually the other animals refuse to race Hare. Cocky Hare proclaims "But I love to race! Racing is what I do best! One of you should race me!" Tortoise, when Hare laughs at his offer, responds "I know I'm slow. So what do I have to lose? I'm the only one you haven't raced--and I just might surprise you!" Hare rests near the goal line at the stream. After the race, Hare proves to be a good loser. LM is similarly well told. The picture of the laughing lion may be the best, and it is well echoed by the laughing of the other lions when he returns to the pride. The book's special gifts go in two directions. First, each of the three pages of either story folds out. The pages themselves are more like thin plastic than paper. The foldout is there to receive any of the twenty-nine stickers of animals in various poses and positions. The scenes are well conceived for arrangement of the figures: three portions of the path in TH and various parts of the savannah for LM. The folding work on the foldout pages is particularly good. Each time, the foldover picture is perfectly integrated with the scene it covers. Secondly, there is a fine CD that comes with the book. TH has three segments of narration punctuated by three songs. The musical work is good, from orchestral backup to animals' voices. LM's spoken narrative is especially fine for the mouse's responses to the lion's statements. Again, there are three songs.