Creighton University

This disc has two fables, besides its songs and stories, with a steady background of classical music. GA runs 3:11, features a narrator with a non-native English accent, a woman's voice for the ant, and the moral "We should always make plans for the future." TMCM runs 3:21. The two mice are so eager to be off to the city that they do not even finish the country meal. The country mouse runs--from the cook--head-first into the floorboard before she gets into the hole through it. Then the butler scares off the country mouse for good. Moral: "Better to live a simple and peaceful lifestyle rather than one of luxury and peril. Well, kids, sometimes having the best in life has its price." Confused by that moral, kids?

This disc has two fables, besides its songs and stories, with a steady background of classical music. They are Tracks 23 and 24. Both feature a narrator with a non-native English accent. "The Farmer And His Sons" (and the bundle of sticks) runs 1:47 and climaxes in the lesson "Working together to get something usually works out best." FG runs 2:27 and emphasizes almost everything in the story. Thus this is a sly old fox, he is very hungry, and he jumps many times. "Sometimes when we cannot get what we want, we pretend that we didn't really want it at all."

This disc has two fables, besides its songs and stories, with a steady background of classical music. They are Tracks 21 and 22. The first features a male narrator with a non-native English accent. "The Goat And The Fox" runs 2:04 and starts in medias res. When the goat appears, the fox seizes his opportunity. The fox lets the goat first drink and then ask the question about getting out. The fox laughs as he goes on his way. "You should always look carefully before you do something." TH runs 5:03, uses a female narrator, and has mother tortoise announce the moral as a general lesson to her children early in the story. "There's no place I really want to go, so I have no need to go hurrying," Tortoise says to Hare's taunting. Hare goes to sleep a second time upon seeing that tortoise has not made much progress during his nap. "Slow and steady will get you to your goals."

This disc has three fables, besides its songs and stories, with a steady background of classical music. They are Tracks 23, 24, and 25. The first two feature a male narrator with a non-native English accent. "Jupiter And The Monkey" (and the baby contest) runs 2:02. Jupiter starts to giggle when he sees the monkey baby. "I don't care what Jupiter or anyone else thinks. To me you are the most beautiful baby in the world" "Beauty is in the eye of the beholder." "The King Of The Forest" runs 1:26. The lion is ready to go to war and responds to criticism of them that the donkey and the rabbit have their own gifts. "Everyone is special in his or her own way. You just have to discover what you do best." LM runs 3:31 and uses a female narrator with a second voice for the little mouse. The hunters are so happy with capturing a lion that they go off to a long lunch to celebrate. "Sometimes the weak are able to help the strong. Have you ever helped a grownup do something they had trouble doing themselves?"

This disc has two fables, besides its songs and stories, with a steady background of classical music. They are Tracks 22 and 23. The first features a male narrator with a non-native English accent. MSA (2:37) has the male narrator imitating various voices along the way. In this version the bridge breaks and the two humans get wet, though the donkey seems to have got away before the bridge broke. I find that version difficult. "You cannot please everyone all the time. Do you best every day and you will please at least one person a day." "Moving Day For The Larks" (2:02) features a female narrator doing chick voices besides her own. The lark family has mother, father, and three little ones. One moment after they move, the farmer comes through with a scythe. "If you want something to get done, sometimes the only way it will get done is if you do it yourself."

This disc has two fables, besides its songs and stories, with a steady background of classical music. They are Tracks 20 and 21. Both are narrated by a male narrator with a non-native English accent. "The Peacock And The Crane" (2:43) elaborates the tale that has the peacock mocking the crane's drab color; the peacock has to concede that the crane can fly and sing and that the peacock's purpose is to look beautiful. "Do not judge someone by the way he or she looks. It is what is inside that really matters. You are all special in your own way and give to life your own little gift." "The Popular Hare" (3:38) had been told by many animals that he is their best friend. A branch fell on the poor hare and injured one of his hind legs. He knew that the villagers would be out hunting with their dogs the next day. The narrator moderates his voice for various "friends" of the hare: horse, bull, goat, donkey, ox, bear. The hare returned exhausted to his family that night aware that, though he was popular, true friends will always be there to help when you need them most.

This disc has two fables, besides its songs and stories, with a steady background of classical music. They are Tracks 19 and 20. Both are narrated by a male narrator with a non-native English accent. SW (4:04) has an elaborate argument lasting for weeks and causing both the north wind and the sun to neglect their normal duties. The bet is well expressed; it is about "whichever of us can get the coat off of that farmer." The effects of both north wind and sun are described in cosmic terms. "Often it is easier to get what you want by kindness than by force." "The Vain Jackdaw" (2:36) begins with an old jackdaw draped in peacock feathers. He struts about proudly and is mean to his fellow jackdaws. "Stay away" he says to them "or you will damage my beautiful feathers." He leaves his friends confident that the peacocks will accept him. The peacocks are not fooled. His friends, to whom he then goes for comfort, will have nothing to do with him. "You should never be what you are not. Being yourself is always the best."

This disc has three fables, besides its songs and stories, with a steady background of classical music. They are Tracks 15, 16, and 17. They are narrated by a male narrator with a non-native English accent. "The White Cat And The Imps" (2:37), not really a fable, involves a traveller who has captured a bear and asks to stay in a solitary woodsman's cabin. The latter quickly agrees but mentions that tonight is the night for the trolls' annual banquet in his cabin. During the riotous festivities, one troll feels the bear in the bed in the dark, and soon all the trolls disappear. When they return the next year, they ask about the man's "cat" and hear his response that her seven kittens have grown up in the meantime. Goodbye, trolls! "You should not take advantage of a good-hearted person." "The Wolf in Disguise" (2:14) fools the sheep and the shepherd but waits till dark to grab the fattest sheep he can find. The shepherd comes out early the next morning saying "We want a nice sheep to come to the farmhouse to play with some city children" and picks out this biggest sheep. The wolf runs out of the sheepskin into the dark night. I think this version has to resolve its times. It is unusual in letting the wolf get away alive. "You should not try to fool people, as it may turn around and hurt you." "Yvette's Dream" (2:48) runs through eggs, a goose, sheep, wool, dress, cheeses, a hat, red dancing shoes, a prince, a royal ball, and marriage. For no apparent reason, the jug falls off her head. "There is no harm in daydreaming, but we should reach the first dream before we begin living in the next one. Don't count your chickens before they have hatched."