Aesop's Fables: (Second Series)

Title

en_US Aesop's Fables: (Second Series)

en_US Books for the Bairns?

Description

en_US This is a hardbound book (hard cover)

Contributor

en_US Le Fanu, Brinsley

Date

2025-05-20T17:10:41Z

2025-03

en_US 1903?

Date Available

2025-05-20T17:10:41Z

Date Issued

en_US 1899

Abstract

en_US This is a fascinating find from Budapest, especially since it joins three very similar versions, each with its own characteristics. This copy seems to fall with the earliest two, listed in our collection as of 1899 and 1902. As a guess, I will list it as being published in 1903. It is less similar to the 1926 version. Like the early editions, it has a T of C and paginated pages. It may be lacking an extra outer cover or title-page. The biggest difference with all three other versions is that it is combined with Books for the Bairns #83, "Stories from Chaucer." This copy has a nondescript marbled hard cover with a canvas binding. It is moderately well preserved. In the pages that remain, there is no reference to "Books for the Bairns #26." No price is mentioned, though "Chaucer" costs one penny. Let me repeat some comments from earlier versions. There are eighty-six fables on 56 pages (65-120), preceded by a T of C. Brinsley le Fanu does a good job of conveying enough information in his "sketches," two to four per single page. A good example of his use of them to provide three distinct moments in a story might be "The Negro; or, You may Kill the Man, but You Cannot Change His Skin" (105). An excellent point of presentation lies in the fables' frequent "sub-titles" beginning with "or." Thus the first fable is titled "The Pedlar's Ass; or, The Dodger Outdodged." These second titles offer good perspective on the fables. Other good sub-titles include "The Lion's Kingdom; or, Only in Peace Have the Weak Any Chance" (78); "The Fawn and Its Mother; or, The Instinct of Self-Preservation" (84); "The Old Lion; or, The Coward's Kick" (110); and "The Fox and the Hedgehog; or, There Is No Trouble So Bad But There May Be a Worse" (119). The typesetter worked very hard to make sure that no fable here ran over onto another page.

Identifier

en_US 13717 (Access ID)

uri

https://cdr.creighton.edu/handle/10504/158071

Language

en_US eng

Publisher

en_US "Review of Reviews" Office

en_US London

Subject

Aesop