Creighton University

Here is a good dramatization of the Aesopic fable expressing that reconciliation may not be possible in every case.  Here the venomous snake kills a man's son, and the man reacts by using an axe to cut off the snake's tail.  Both man and snake lie in wait for each other for some time to do more harm to the other.  Then the man decides that it is time to reconcile with the snake, but "the snake was wiser than the man" (19).  "Don't be a fool.  You cannot forget your son and I will not be able to forget my lost tail.  We will always be enemies.  Please go away."  The last two-page image in strong silhouette shows the farmer trudging home dragging his axe "with a heavy heart."  Lively art.  The cover shows the happy family of three before the unfortunate incident.  I have ordered five more booklets from this series, but I suspect that some further members of the series will elude me.

This story tells well the "countdown" effect on those who have -- so far -- survived.  The setting here is a continuing rainstorm and, as a result, a lack of food for a rich family.  The farmer first slaughters goats one by one and then bulls.  The dogs catch the message that they are next, and so they flee by night.  The illustrations, with their own distinctive style, are really black-and-white illustrations set against a background of a single color.  The color varies from page to page.  Perhaps the most impressive illustration is that of the householder looking out on the continuing rains on 9.  The book has a distinctive way of marking pages -- with a number within a circle -- and does not begin its story until page 6.  Lively art.  The cover reduplicates 8: this master loves his dogs.  This is one of five booklets from this series ordered from The Book Depository in the UK.  I suspect that some further members of the series will elude me.

The story here is on 6 to 17 of this booklet with circled page numbers.  The story shows how a pet kid, captured by a hungry wolf, persuades the wolf to play a flute before devouring the kid.  The sour notes alert the shepherds, who were carefully brought into the story at its beginning.  The shepherds take the saved kid back to the flock, and the other animals congratulate her for her quick thinking.  Perhaps the best image of the booklet shows the bounding leaps that the kid enjoys out in the open, away from her usual indoors scene as a pet (12).  The initial "joke" of the flute-playing is extended as the kid praises the wolf's playing and asks the wolf to play louder.  The cover reduplicates 14: the wolf is prepared to pounce on the kid.  This is one of five booklets from this series ordered from The Book Depository in the UK.  I suspect that some further members of the series will elude me.

The story here is on 6 to 21 of this booklet with circled page numbers.  The clever fox and the dumb ass become friends, but when they encounter a lion, the fox offers to deliver up the ass.  He does so by getting the ass into a ditch.  When the lion sees that the ass is caught, he devours the fox.  Perhaps the best illustration is that reproduced on the cover: the surprising appearance of the lion terrifies the ass, but the fox immediately starts plotting (12-13).  This is one of five booklets from this series ordered from The Book Depository in the UK.  I suspect that some further members of the series will elude me.

The story here is on 6 to 21 of this booklet with circled page numbers.  In this version, the frog gets tired on a friendly journey together.  The frog then has the bright idea to tie a string between his back leg and one of the mouse's forelegs.  (That part of the story has it backwards.  A mouse back leg needs to be tied to a frog foreleg.)  "So we will always run together."  The bright idea works: the mouse runs and the frog leaps.  One of the story's best illustrations is on 14-15, and it gets repeated as the cover illustration.  At a stream, the frog suggests to the frightened mouse that the latter can sit on the back of the former.  The trip goes well and both are singing happily.  Then the hawk appears, swoops down, and catches the mouse.  Somewhat surprisingly, the mouse and frog are still tied to each other.  The hawk promptly eats them both.  An excellent last illustration shows the hawk in silhouette flying into the sunset with the mouse in a claw and the frog suspended below (21).  This is a curious solution to the story's issues.  I would judge it not totally satisfying.  The booklet is one of five booklets from this series ordered from The Book Depository in the UK.  I suspect that some further members of the series will elude me.

The story here is on 6 to 21 of this booklet with circled page numbers.  This is a strong version of an ancient fable.  The rivers love to chat with each other, but they never want to mention the sea, because the sea turns them into salt water.  They confront the sea, which is well pictured as a stern older man from the cover on.  The sea's answer is: "Very well, stop flowing into me."  The rivers, whatever they do, cannot stop flowing into the sea.  "The foolish rivers realised that there was no escape from the sea and stopped complaining after that."  The booklet is one of five booklets from this series ordered from The Book Depository in the UK.  I suspect that some further members of the series will elude me.