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Colección 55

2003 Colección 55 Cuentos y Fabulas 1. Textos: Laura G. Corella. Ilustraciones: Carlos Busquets. Paperbound. Mexico City: Ediciones Suromex, S.A. $4.29 from Books2Anywhere, August, '05. 

To my surprise, there really are fifty-five stories in this large-format book of 44 pages, with a T of C at the back. A number of fables occur that I recognize, including "La Gata Encantada" (in rather a different form from that of the usual "The Cat and the Man," 7); "El Papel y la Tinta" (9); "El Honrado Leñador" (10); "La Ostra y el Cangrejo" (13): "El Avaro Mercader" (an unusual version of DLS, 19); "La Golondrina y el Ruiseñor" (19); "La Gratitud de la Fiera" (Androcles, 26); and "El Osito y las Abejas" (35). The unusual feature of "La Gata Encantada" is that the prince already loves his cat and neglects all the lovely young women of the realm. When the cat-nature is shown publicly at the wedding the day after the transformation, the prince is told that he will have to live with her. The transforming agent in this story is "el Hada de los Imposibles." In "El Avaro Mercader," the merchant is responsible for dressing his donkey up with a lion-head. He does it so that the beast, after scaring away the people, can feast on the alfalfa fields. The merchant thus does not need to feed the ass. The farmers confront the "lion" and then let it lead them to the merchant. Now the merchant has to pay for feed for his ass. The main component of the book seems to be fairy-tales. Every story has at least one colored illustration. These are simple, cartoon-like, and fun.

2003 Colección 55 Cuentos y Fabulas 2. Textos: Laura G. Corella. Ilustraciones: Carlos Busquets. Paperbound. Mexico City: Ediciones Suromex, S.A. $5.95 from eCampus.com, Sept., '05. 

Again there are fifty-five stories in this large-format book of 44 pages, with a T of C at the back. A number of fables occur that I recognize, including "El Ratoncito Vanidoso" (13); "La Zorra y el Gallo" (UP, 15); "El Leon y el Jabali" (21); "El Lobo Curandero" (23); "La Abeja Agradecida" (25); "La Cigarra y la Hormiga" (31); and "Contienda de Gato y Ratones" (34). Notice that it is a bee, not an ant, that is helped by the dove. The bee stings the hunter then on the hand, not the ankle (25). The tricky cat in this version does not hang from a peg but lies down as though dead. In a telling reference to the more usual version, one rat says to him "Even if you were just a sack, we would not approach you" (34). Every story has at least one colored illustration. These are simple, cartoon-like, and fun.

2003 Colección 55 Cuentos y Fabulas 3. Textos: Laura G. Corella. Ilustraciones: Carlos Busquets. Paperbound. Mexico City: Ediciones Suromex, S.A.. $1.20 from Paperbackshop, Fairford, GLO, UK, through abe, May, '05. 

Again there are fifty-five stories in this large-format book of 44 pages, with a T of C at the back. A number of fables occur that I recognize, including "La Mula y el Pato" (10); "Los Dos Ratones" (12); "A la Tercera Va la Vencida" (15); "El Asno y el Perrito" (25); "El Precio de las Cosas" (DW, 31); and "La Mujer y el Lobo" (36). Every story has at least one colored illustration. These are simple, cartoon-like, and fun.

2003 Colección 55 Cuentos y Fabulas 5. Adaptatión: J. Ignacio Herrara. Guion e Ilustraciones: Carlos Busquets. Paperbound. Mexico City: Ediciones Suromex, S.A.. $5.95 from eCampus.com, August, '05.

The format has changed slightly from the first three volumes of the series. There is no longer a T of C at the end. Laura Corella is no longer responsible for the texts. Here are some of the fables here that I recognize: "El Leon y la Ardillita" (12); "La Rana y el Buey" (23); "La Paloma y la Hormiga" (24); "El Ciervo Vanidoso" (28); "El Zorro y el Cuervo" (32); and "El Leon y el Mosquito" (35). "La Paloma y la Hormiga" seems to be a repeat of a very similar story in Volume 2 of the series, "La Abeja Agradecida." Notice that here it is not a mouse or rat but rather a squirrel that gets the lion out of his net (12). Every story has at least one colored illustration. These are simple, cartoon-like, and fun.

2003 Colección 55 Cuentos y Fabulas 6. Adaptatión: J. Ignacio Herrara. Guion e Ilustraciones: Carlos Busquets. Paperbound. Mexico City: Ediciones Suromex, S.A. $5.95 from Paperbackshop.co.uk, Ltd, April, '05. 

The format is consistent with that of the fifth volume of the series. That is, there is no longer a T of C at the end, and Laura Corella is no longer responsible for the texts. A rapid search finds only a few traditional fables here: "Las Liebres y las Ranas" (5); "La Urraca" (7); "Los Burros Listos" (14); and "El Lobo y la Luna" (23). The very last story violates the rule that every story has at least one colored illustration. This story has no illustration at all. Generally, the illustrations remain simple, cartoon-like, and fun.

2003 Colección 55 Cuentos y Fabulas 7. Adaptatión: J. Ignacio Herrara. Guion e Ilustraciones: Carlos Busquets. Paperbound. Mexico City: Ediciones Suromex, S.A. $5.95 from Paperbackshop.co.uk, Ltd, April, '05. 

The format is consistent with that of the sixth volume of the series. That is, there is no longer a T of C at the end, Laura Corella is no longer responsible for the texts, and the last story has no illustration at all. Otherwise the rule seems to be that every story has at least one colored illustration. Generally, the illustrations remain simple, cartoon-like, and fun. A rapid search finds only one traditional fable here: "El Osito y la Miel" (11). The pattern seems to be that cover-illustrations and frontispieces need not occur within this volume. Here it is true of TMCM, which appears on the cover but is not in this volume. The illustration for "El Conejo Dormilon" occurs as the frontispiece for Volume 1, and then again here with its story (15).

2003 Colección 55 Cuentos y Fabulas 8. Adaptatión: J. Ignacio Herrara. Guion e Ilustraciones: Carlos Busquets. Paperbound. Mexico City: Ediciones Suromex, S.A. $5.95 from A1Books, Netcong, NJ, April, '05. 

The format is consistent with that of the last three volumes of the series. That is, there is no longer a T of C at the end, Laura Corella is no longer responsible for the texts, and the last story has no illustration at all. In fact, the second-to-last story is also not illustrated. Otherwise the rule seems to be that every story has at least one colored illustration. Generally, the illustrations remain simple, cartoon-like, and fun. A rapid search finds these fables: "Las Siete Cabritas" (29); "El Coyote Burlado" (34); and WL (37). TH is presented in four segments (38-41) and is on the cover. TMCM seems to be the illustration on the title-page.

 

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