Creighton University

Here is yet another of a series of twenty-seven.  Each booklet of sixteen pages contains three fables.  The title-fable takes one surprise turn when the owner of the hen that produces golden eggs asks the hen to produce more golden eggs.  She pleads with him, but he will not relent.  In a second surprise, the hen then takes flight, and so escapes alive!  "Greed is not a good companion."  The second fable is "The Lazy Donkey."  SS is then told and illustrated in its simpler form: a mule driver drives a mule laden with bags of salt through a river, and the mule comes out with a lightened load.  The next day he loads the ass with more salt, and the ass goes into the water and comes out again with a lightened load.  The third day he loads her bags with sponges, and she learns a lesson.  The illustration shows the driver laughing on the shore.  "The Brave Mouse" is structured to follow the normal course of LM.  The cat is caught in a net, and the mouse frees it.  How many people try to net cats?

Here is one of seven booklets out of a series of twenty-seven.  Each booklet of sixteen pages contains three fables.  The title-fable is the traditional story of the "lost ax."  In this version it is a fish that offers the woodchopper three axes.  The fable stops with his receiving the three.  I believe this is the first time I have seen a fish in that role.  The second is "El Pingüino coronado Rey."  The penguins here live in "Antártida."  Hmmmm.  Rino the King commands that everybody share their fish come Autumn; only he does not share.  He ends up ruling no one.  "Arturo el Canguro Celoso" is the third story.  Arturo likes being carried in mamma's pouch.  When his little brother arrives, he has a tough time.  He creates reasons to be carried and finally gets himself sick, but his mother does not put him back into the pouch.  Instead she sends him to bed.  Jealousy ends up hurting the jealous one.

Here is one of seven booklets out of a series of twenty-seven.  Each booklet of sixteen pages contains three fables.  The title-fable approximates the Aesopic tale of the wolves, sheep, and dogs.  Salomon the shark has to get past three tough dolphins to eat the seahorses he loves.  The seahorses foolishly dismiss their dolphin protectors.  Not a good idea!  The seahorses make a lucky escape.  In the second story, Ernesto the woodpecker sculpts the only tree for miles and miles.  One day Muriel shows up and goes at the tree.  They fight and end up chopping down the tree.  This fable is like the traditional "Two Goats" who bring each other down off of the narrow bridge.  Hogue has a good time with these two colorful birds.  "El Cameleón Haragán" is the third fable here.  Lazy Camilo hides through changing color whenever anyone comes needing help.  His friends gang up on him to teach him a lesson about helpfulness.  Camilo gets the idea and changes.

Here is one of twenty-seven booklets.  Each booklet of sixteen pages contains three fables.  The title-fable features Eugenio as a stubborn mule.  Faced with a split in the road to get to the good food at the festival, his friend the rabbit runs ahead to learn that the left branch gets there quicker and comes back with the good news.  Eugenio insists on the right road and, when he arrives at the festival, has nothing left to eat in his basket.  The second story features Sofia the bee, who prefers to work alone.  The bee community lets her do that -- but without any other help.  She learns the value of work together.  "Claudio, el Buho Sabio," tells of the wise owl who teaches arguing monkeys to see the issue from different points of view.  These pamphlets are heavily didactic, but even more didactic when they move away from Aesop's stories.

Here is one of seven booklets out of a series of twenty-seven.  Each booklet of sixteen pages contains three fables.  The title-fable features Cecilia, who complains that she is not popular enough.  She wants to be the queen of the world.  She even makes herself a crown and goes off to win admirers.  She does until some foxes discover that her crown is fake.  "Los verdaderos amigos te valoran por lo que sos y no por lo que tenés."  In "Las Liebres Compañeras," one rabbit injures a paw on the big annual run, and the other rabbits pick her up and carry her across the finish line.  "Ser buen compañero es más importante que ganar."  "La Urraca criticona" features Sandra, the crow who can do nothing but criticize and complain.  "Los que solo se quejan o critican terminan quedándose solos."  These three fables would be good for children, but they do not have much subtlety.

Here is one of a series of twenty-seven.  Each booklet of sixteen pages contains three fables.  The title-fable features a fox who finds himself smarter than everyone.  Some donkeys set him the riddle: What is green and gray?  When he cannot answer, they hit a tree that sheds its green leaves on this grey fox.  "The Scatterbrained Duck" is Aquiles, who tends to destroy everything in his path.  He learns to pay attention, with tranquility, to what lies before him.  "La Medusa poco honesta"  In the third fable, Delila the jellyfish learns, in interactions with some starfish, to take responsibility for her actions.

Here is one of a series of twenty-seven.  Each booklet of sixteen pages contains three fables.  The title-fable features the pretty fish Vicenta who learns that beauty is not just exterior but also interior.  In "La Serpiente glotona" the title character fills an empty tree trunk with lots of food and eats it.  But then he cannot get out of the trunk until he slims down.  I enjoy seeing a snake eating hot dogs!  "Las Moscas y la Miel" has one fly learning not to be selfish.  He wants to keep a whole pool of honey for himself, but soon needs help from his fly friends to get out of it.

Here is one of a series of twenty-seven.  Each booklet of sixteen pages contains three fables.  The title-fable features a whale who wants to fly.  After Juanita gets despondent, her mother figures out a way for Juanita to "fly."  She supports her daughter on her spout of water and then lets her experience "flying."  Everything is possible, but we should make our dreams realistic nonetheless.  Next up is "The Beaver and the Mocking Frogs."  Frogs mock a beaver, who works assiduously to create a home.  Come winter, and the frogs are without a home.  The beaver invites them into his.  Your mocking of others can turn to the opposite.  In the third story, Herminia the ant does not like working with the others.  She wanders off following a butterfly and is soon lost.  A companion tracks her and she learns to be less resistant to the group's task.

Here is booklet #16 out of a series of twenty-seven.  Each booklet of sixteen pages contains three fables.  The title-fable transforms an Aesopic fable in which a lion runs away from a rooster.  Then a donkey chases the lion and gets devoured for his trouble.  Lions for some reason are frightened of roosters.  Here a stubborn zebra gets that same idea and will not listen to the rooster's advice not to chase the lion.  The lion laughs at the advancing zebra.  Here the rooster intervenes with his crowing and saves the silly zebra.  "El Labrador y el Águila" shows a passing traveler freeing a beautiful eagle from a trap.  A bit later this traveler rests against a wall verging on a precipice.  The eagle swoops down and takes the man's hat.  Once the man gets up to chase the eagle, the latter drops the hat.  When he returns to rest, the man sees that the wall has given way down the precipice.  Reward one favor with another.  "El Congrejo Traidor" uses a traditional fable turn of events: crab betrays turtle to crocodile, and when crocodile betrays crab, turtle does not come to his aid.  The most delightful image might be that of the snorkeling turtle at the start of the third story.

Here is yet another of a series of twenty-seven.  Each booklet of sixteen pages contains three fables.  None of the three here are really Aesopic.  The title-fable has to do with Ignacio, a young boar who has trouble seeing things distinctly. His parents take him to an eye-doctor and he gets glasses.  The other young boars mock him, but the next day, on an outing, he is the one who can read the sign directing them to a well.  "The Intolerant Alpaca" has to do with Carmela, an alpaca who only notes the defects of those not as good as she.  Other alpacas organize a competition, and Carmela's team comes in last.  "Learn to see the virtues and not just the defects of those less good than you."  "The Naughty Mice" has to do with three named young mice who do not like to go to bed.  These three stay up all night against their parents' directives.  The next day is given to sunshine on the beach, but they lack energy to do anything.  By not respecting a daily plan, they lose a day of sun and fun.

Here is booklet #17 out of a series of twenty-seven.  Each booklet of sixteen pages contains three fables.  The title-fable has a squid complaining of having too many legs until a crab wishes he had more legs, for example, to play more instruments.  The squid becomes a one-squid band!  "Silvio, el Gallo cantor" sings faithfully every morning, waking up all the animals.  They ask him to keep quiet and let them sleep.  Finally, one day, he does just that.  By that night, they beg him to get back to waking them up to do the tasks of the day.  "Lorenzo, el León soberbio" is the story of the lion and mosquito.  The mosquito bests the lion and so can be king for a day.  This version does not go on, as is usual in the Aesopic tradition, to have this proud mosquito fly straight into a spider's web.  The most delightful image might be the cover picture, repeated on 7, of the squid playing several instruments at once.

Here is one of seven booklets out of a series of twenty-seven.  Each booklet of sixteen pages contains three fables.  The title-fable features Ernestina, who accomplishes everything she sets out to do because she never lets herself get defeated.  In a drought, she smells a pasture and heads for it.  Other cows follow, but little by little, they quit.  She alone arrives at a beautiful pasture.  "Si quieres algo, no te des por vencido hasta conseguirlo."  "El Gallo que perdió su Lugar" tells of Jacinto, who wants to be recognized as the champion singer.  When he gets his chance to sing in competition, it is in the afternoon.  He refuses to compete and another rooster is proclaimed the winner.  "Aprovecha las oportunidades en el momento que aparecen."  "El Guanaco maleducado" has introduced me to a new animal!  Patricio spits not only when in danger but lots of other times.  His friends help him get over his bad habit by refusing to come to his birthday party.

Here is booklet #20 out of a series of twenty-seven.  Each booklet of sixteen pages contains three fables.  The title fable tells of Ursula the Whale who wipes out whole cities of fish with a swish of her giant tail.  She approaches one such city and the alarm goes out, but a distracted dolphin is still there reading the "Mundo Marino" newspaper.  His may be the most delightful illustration in the book (7).  The dolphin asks "Why are you so evil?"  Ursula's answer is that she is not evil but clumsy.  She keeps bumping into things.  That day the whole city greets Ursula as a friend.  "Appearances deceive; listen before you judge."  In "La Chinchilla y los regalos," Roxana the young chinchilla, spends her time asking to buy everything she sees around her.  She has, as a result, a lot of toys.  And she wants more.  She will not give gifts, not even the things she does not use any longer.  Her mother finally lays down the law: you get nothing until you give up something. "Being generous brings great satisfactions."  "La Ardilla y la maga" is about Carolina the nervous squirrel, who gets so anxious about things that, asked to be the assistant to a visiting magician, she screws up all his tricks.  She asks for a second chance and gets it.  "Being too anxious will be detrimental to you and to your friends." 

Here is booklet #21 out of a series of twenty-seven.  Each booklet of sixteen pages contains three fables.  All three of the fables here are, I believe, created for this series.  They are intended to foster "good citizenship" in young readers.  I believe that they lack the ingenuity of traditional Aesopic fables.  "La oveja olvidadiza" tells of a distracted young sheep that cannot learn her alphabet.  She suffers the ridicule of others.  A friend finally coaches her to remember the letters by things whose names they start.  "Use your ingenuity to convert the negative into positive."  "El Tucán desconsiderado" tells of a creative tucan who is also careless.  Tucan elders, who wear wonderful pince-nez eyeglasses on 11, warn him that knocking fruit and leaves carelessly off of trees will leave him someday hungry.  He soon faces an empty tree and is hungry.  Now he can do nothing about it.  "Take care of everything around you and you will be able to keep enjoying it."  "El Cachalote ingrato" tells of a sperm whale that loves long floating siestas.  The problem is that these siestas block out sunlight from fish below that need it, at least to warm their water.  Appeals to get him to move fail.  So do attempts to move him.  The angry goldfish on 16 is another excellent artistic echo of the text!  Then one day during the sperm whale's nap some of his back stays above water and gets sunburned.  The fish tells him that, if he had slept in his own place, this pain would not have happened.  "Respect the place and the rights of others."  There is a tear on 9-10.

Here is one of seven booklets out of a series of twenty-seven.  Each booklet of sixteen pages contains three fables.  The title-fable features giraffes seeing a camel for the first time and thinking that its humps are dunes.  In their last illustration they are playing soccer together!  "Encounter shows that first impressions are often wrong."  That last line of the fable itself may catch the moral even better than the moral does!  "El Avaro y el Oro" has a greedy man burying his single gold piece and visiting it every day at the same time.  A neighbor makes the suggestion of burying a rock and imagining that it is gold.  The third fable here is AD, and it takes place in a fountain.  Here the dove picks up the ant and flies away wearing sunglasses!  I am happy to see three genuinely Aesopic fables in this booklet!

Here is one of seven booklets out of a series of twenty-seven.  Each booklet of sixteen pages contains three fables.  The title-fable is the Aesopic story of the dog who advises the wolf to return and eat him some days hence, when he will have become fatter.  Is the moral here not a bit banal: "Remember that if something has turned out dangerous, you ought not repeat it."  The second fable brings together the fox, the crow and the fig tree.  The hungry crow lands in a fig tree but notices that they are green.  He will wait till they ripen. The core of this fable is well represented in this sentence: "No es bueno sentarse a esperar que los cosas sucedan, debes hacer algo para que sucedan."  Another bland moral advises us to take account of the advice of those who want to help us.  "El Toro astuto" is a good title for the Aesopic tale of a bull invited to dinner by a lion and finding no entrée prepared.  The best illustration here has the bull looking at an empty oven pan.  I would say that the editors connected on two of the three fables in this booklet, and those two are from Aesop.

Here is booklet #25 out of a series of twenty-seven.  Each booklet of sixteen pages contains three fables.  "La hiena y el cóndor gritón" gives FC new characters.  The condor's piece of meat falls into the hands of the hyena.  "If we are vain, flatterers will easily deceive us."  "El Tigre y los tres bueyes" puts a tiger in the place of the traditional fable's lion.  In this case, the tiger's attack against the first isolated bull narrowly fails, and the bull both recognizes the tiger's previous lies and is able to escape.  "El Perro y el reflejo en el río" is DS, complete with a great image on 15 of what the dog sees in the water.  Hogue's art may be the best of the whole series of booklets in the illustrations for "La hiena y el cóndor gritón."  All three stories' illustrations are wonderfully colorful!

Here is one of seven booklets out of a series of twenty-seven.  Each booklet of sixteen pages contains three fables.  Rosina the seal is out of focus and thus does poorly in her circus classes.  She applies herself and succeeds.  "Work hard and focus on your goals."  Sandra the little giraffe learns to enjoy "little" while she is little.  "Big" will come later.  "Disfruta el presente.  Cada etapa de tu vida es especial y tiene su encanto."  In the third fable, Juan the panda loves bamboo.  But he sleeps all day, while other pandas are about their various tasks.  When they admonish him, he answers "I have time.  Let me just rest a little longer."  Juan learns by coming to a supper that is not there!

Here is booklet #27 out of a series of twenty-seven.  Each booklet of sixteen pages contains three fables.  "El ciervo y los pajaritos cantores" features little birds who sing to cheer up the grumpy stag Walter, whose displeasure is well illustrated in his face on 5.  Walter bashes his rack against a tree to get rid of the birds.  Soon Walter misses the song of his friends.  They return and sing, and he promises never to dismiss them again.  "We sometimes do not appreciate what we have until we do not have it."  "El Castor tramposo" presents a group of beavers that enjoy swimming races.  Jacinto decides to cheat in order to win.  His method is to create waves that make normal swimming difficult for competitors.  Actually, all the latter leave the water -- except Jacinto.  He can neither swim nor maneuver because of the waves he has caused.  Of course, the others help him survive.  Cheaters never win.  "El Coati que odiaba su nariz" presents Alfredo, the coati who does not join in group outings because he is sensitive about his big nose.  Elders try to tell him that a large nose is distinctive of their species and has advantages, but he tries rather to hide his big nose.  Once he gets lost from the group.  How can he find his way back?  He uses his nose!  Sometimes what we think is a defect can be a great advantage.