Creighton University

Fourteen fables on 40 large-format pages.  I am fortunate to have found a whole set of the first printing at once, and at an attractive price!  The books are a further use of "200 Aesop's Fables: Favourite Fables to Share," which Miles Kelly published in 2012.  Here fables are not grouped as there.  Though based on the earlier book, each of these pamphlets is larger in format than that book was.  Though the illustrations stay proportionately the same, I notice subtle changes in the texts and titles.  FC in 2012 was "The Vain Jackdaw" (221), who was dissatisfied with his "ugly plumage."  Now it is "The Vain Crow" (7), dissatisfied with his "ugly feathers."  FWT there was about a "wily fox" (232) and here it is about a "sly fox" (14).  The "wild sow" there (251) has become a "wild pig" here (27).  Most of these fables are drawn from the section there titled "Schemes and Dreams."  This set of fables includes particularly good illustrations for FC (4) and "The Cat and the Mice" (38).  BC (20) again has an apt moral: "It is easy to think up impossible solutions."  "The Sly Lion" (there "The Wily Lion" on 262) is new to me.  A lion suggests how ugly the bull's horns are (36).  The bull gets rid of them -- and falls prey to the lion.  The thick, slippery pages still contain little characters around the edges.  Every fable is illustrated.

Fifteen fables on 40 large-format pages.  I am fortunate to have found a whole set of the first printing at once, and at an attractive price!  The books are a further use of "200 Aesop's Fables: Favourite Fables to Share," which Miles Kelly published in 2012.  Here fables are not grouped as there.  Still, all of the fables in this volume were a part of the "Great and Small" section in that book.  Though based on the earlier book, each of these pamphlets is larger in format than that book was.  Though the illustrations stay proportionately the same, I notice subtle changes in the texts and titles.  "The Gnat and the Lion" there (112) has become "The Fly and the Lion" here (36).  A favorite of mine in this booklet is "The Bald Man and the Fly" (6).  It has the man saying in the end to himself: "I will hurt myself more than it is hurting me, if I carry on."  The moral is "If you seek to harm an enemy, you may only end up hurting yourself."  The image of the flailing man is well done!  There is another good moral to "The Mice and the Weasels": "Greatness carries its own dangers and punishments" (14).  The thick, slippery pages still contain little characters around the edges.  Every fable is illustrated.

Fourteen fables on 40 large-format pages.  I am fortunate to have found a whole set of the first printing at once, and at an attractive price!  The books are a further use of "200 Aesop's Fables: Favourite Fables to Share," which Miles Kelly published in 2012.  Here fables are not grouped as there.  Still, all of the fables in this volume were a part of the "Deadly Sins" section in that book.  Though based on the earlier book, each of these pamphlets is larger in format than that book was.  Though the illustrations stay proportionately the same, I notice subtle changes in the texts and titles.  "The Stag and the Vine" there (164) has become "The Deer and the Vine" here (4).  "The Boy and the Filberts" there (147) has become "The Boy and the Nuts" here (29).  The plane tree there (151) has become a sycamore here (31).  "The Thrush and the Fowler" there (118) has become "The Blackbird and the Hunter" here (38).  This last fable's text has been altered in several places.  "The Two Neighbors" is for me a new version of "The Greedy Man and the Envious Man" (6).  Two neighbors ask Zeus to give them their hearts' desires.  Zeus decides to give the greedy man the gold he wants but his envious neighbor twice as much.  The greedy man's delight is short-lived when he learns of his neighbor's even better fortune.  The envious man is unhappy because his neighbor has received anything.  He wishes that his neighbor would lose one of his eyes.  It happens, and the envious man also loses both of his own eyes!  In "The Miser and His Gold," the neighbor advises the miser to come every night and look at his now empty hole. "It will do you just as much good" (22).  "The Boy and the Nuts" is particularly well illustrated (29).  The thick, slippery pages still contain little characters around the edges.  Every fable is illustrated.

Fourteen fables on 40 large-format pages.  I am fortunate to have found a whole set of the first printing at once, and at an attractive price!  The books are a further use of "200 Aesop's Fables: Favourite Fables to Share," which Miles Kelly published in 2012.  Here fables are not grouped as there.  Still, all of the fables in this volume were a part of the "Challenge and Chance" section in that book.  Though based on the earlier book, each of these pamphlets is larger in format than that book was.  Though the illustrations stay proportionately the same, I notice subtle changes in the texts and titles.  Thus "The Lioness and the Vixen" there (200) has become "The Lioness and the Fox" here (12).  "The Cat Maiden" is told in a form new to me.  Venus and Zeus argue, the latter that things could change their habits and instincts.  Venus argues that such change is impossible.  Zeus makes the transformation and at the wedding feast Venus conjures up a mouse, and the bride tries to pounce on it (9).  "The Donkey and Its Shadow" is well told here (14).  Picture and text are well integrated in "The Wolf, the Fox, and the Ape" (21).  This version continues the 2012 typo in "The Lion's Share" (29).  The lion "bellowed and the other leapt to it."  This sentence needs "others," not "other."  The thick, slippery pages still contain little characters around the edges.  Throughout this volume, the frame including these animals is the same.  Lambs cavort on top of the left-hand page, and a stag stands alert lower left.  A monkey swings upper right and a monkey points an accusing finger on the lower right.  One of these symbols appears with each moral.  Every fable is illustrated.

Fourteen fables on 40 large-format pages.  I am fortunate to have found a whole set of the first printing at once, and at an attractive price!  The books are a further use of "200 Aesop's Fables: Favourite Fables to Share," which Miles Kelly published in 2012.  Here fables are not grouped as there.  Still, all of the fables in this volume were a part of the "Funny Fates" section in that book.  Though based on the earlier book, each of these pamphlets is larger in format than that book was.  Though the illustrations stay proportionately the same, I notice subtle changes in the texts and titles.  Thus "The Gnat and the Bull" there (52) has become "The Fly and the Bull" here (24).  OF does not have the usual explosion.  Instead "all the breath whooshed out of him and he flew up and away, zipping around like a balloon!" (20).  The illustration cleverly follows suit with the text.  The moral to "Hercules and the Wagoneer" is "Fate helps those who help themselves" (40).  The thick, slippery pages still contain little characters around the edges.  Throughout this volume, the frame including these animals is the same.  Dragonflies and mice adorn the tops of pages.  A lion and frogs are along the bottom and the right hand side.  One of these symbols appears with each moral.  Every fable is illustrated.

Fifteen fables on 40 large-format pages.  I am fortunate to have found a whole set of the first printing at once, and at an attractive price!  The books are a further use of "200 Aesop's Fables: Favourite Fables to Share," which Miles Kelly published in 2012.  Here fables are not grouped as there.  Still, all of the fables in this volume were a part of the "Mad Mistakes" section in that book.  Though based on the earlier book, each of these pamphlets is larger in format than that book was.  Though the illustrations stay proportionately the same, I notice subtle changes in the texts and titles.  Thus "The Goatherd and the Goat" there (306) has become here "The Goatherder and the Goat" (36).  Among the best illustrations are DS (5) and BW (18-19).  After having his claws and teeth removed, the lion in love returned to the girl's parents.  "But of course, this time they just laughed in his face, for now they had no reason to be afraid of him" (16).  Both text and image are well done in "The Donkey and its Driver" (28).  The thick, slippery pages still contain little characters around the edges.  Throughout this volume, the frame including these animals is the same.  There are grasshoppers along the top ridge and a rooster and a dog on the bottom.  One of these symbols appears with each moral.  Every fable is illustrated.

Fourteen fables on 40 large-format pages.  I am fortunate to have found a whole set of the first printing at once, and at an attractive price!  The books are a further use of "200 Aesop's Fables: Favourite Fables to Share," which Miles Kelly published in 2012.  Here fables are not grouped as there.  Still, all of the fables in this volume were a part of the "Feathers and Fools" section in that book.  This is one of the few books that seems to focus on one type of creature, here birds.  Though based on the earlier book, each of these pamphlets is larger in format than that book was.  Though the illustrations stay proportionately the same, I notice subtle changes in the texts and titles.  Thus "The Cat and the Cockerel" there (347) has become "The Cat and the Rooster" here (19), and "The Eagle and the Jackdaw" there (335) has become "The Eagle and the Crow" here (35), while "The Eagle and the Kite" there (332) has become "The Eagle and the Hawk" here (32).  The latter is an overall favorite of mine here.  It is well told, well illustrated, and well moralized.  The thick, slippery pages still contain little characters around the edges.  Throughout this volume, the frame including these animals is the same.  Here owl, eagle, stork, and swan grace the page corners, while stars appear around the owl and clouds above the eagle.  One of these birds appears with each moral.  Every fable is illustrated.

Fifteen fables on 40 large-format pages.  I am fortunate to have found a whole set of the first printing at once, and at an attractive price!  The books are a further use of "200 Aesop's Fables: Favourite Fables to Share," which Miles Kelly published in 2012.  Here fables are not grouped as there.  Still, all of the fables in this volume were a part of the "Heroes and Villains" section in that book.  So far this is the only book in this 2013 series in which the titles match verbatim the titles in that earlier book.  Though based on the earlier book, each of these pamphlets is larger in format than that book was.  The illustrations stay proportionately the same.  Among the best illustrations here are WC (11) and "The Donkey and the Wolf" (35).  AD gets an excellent moral: "The grateful heart will always find opportunities to show its gratitude" (5).  The cover story is well told and has a fine two-page illustration (20-21).  Its moral is surprising: "If you lay your plans in front of your enemies you will fail."  "Androcles and the Lion" takes five pages to tell (23-27).  The thick, slippery pages still contain little characters around the edges.  Throughout this volume, the frame including these animals is the same.  Here birds on top and donkeys, trees, and fences on the bottom grace the page edges.  One of these animals appears with almost every moral.  Every fable is illustrated.

Fifteen fables on 40 large-format pages.  I am fortunate to have found a whole set of the first printing at once, and at an attractive price!  The books are a further use of "200 Aesop's Fables: Favourite Fables to Share," which Miles Kelly published in 2012.  Here fables are not grouped as there.  Still, all of the fables in this volume were a part of the "The Key to Happiness" section in that book.  And these fables do tend to express something like "This path will make you happier than that one."  Like "The Lion and the Bull and other Aesop's Fables," this book's titles match verbatim the titles in that earlier book.  Though based on the earlier book, each of these pamphlets is larger in format than that book was.  This is the first of this series of books to feature a story without illustration: "The Boy and the Nettle" (12).  Perhaps the best illustration in this volume is that for "Jupiter and the Monkey" (22).  I believe that this is the first time that I have seen mosquitoes in this fable usually about leeches or bloodsuckers: "The Fox and the Mosquitoes" (13).  The title-story takes five pages and includes the word "storys" (32); my dictionary does not include that plural.  The text is taken over largely from the classic version by Joseph Jacobs.  It would be fascinating to know how much of that borrowing Parker has done for his versions.  The thick, slippery pages still contain little characters around the edges.  Throughout this volume, the frame including these animals is the same.  Here there are caged birds on top and, along the bottom, a lobster, starfish, spiral shell, nautilus and peacock.  One of these animals appears with almost every moral.  Every fable is illustrated.

Fifteen fables on 40 large-format pages.  I am fortunate to have found a whole set of the first printing at once, and at an attractive price!  The books are a further use of "200 Aesop's Fables: Favourite Fables to Share," which Miles Kelly published in 2012.  Here fables are not grouped as there.  Still, all of the fables in this volume were a part of the "Narrow Escapes and Sticky Endings" section in that book.  Though based on the earlier book, each of these pamphlets is larger in format than that book was.  Though the illustrations stay proportionately the same, I notice subtle changes in the texts and titles.  Thus "The Two Fellows and the Bear" there (480) has become "The Two Men and the Bear" here (10), "The Tunny-fish and the Dolphin" there (494) has become "The Tuna-fish and the Dolphin" here (24), and "The Farmer, his Boy and the Rooks" there (510) has become "The Farmer, his Boy and the Crows" here (36).  "Stag" there tends to become "Deer" here.  Among the best illustrations is that for "The Flea and the Man" (31).  This version of the story makes sense of "The Swan and the Goose" with its moral: "Sweet words may save us from danger, when harsh words fail" (5).  The only thing that allowed the swan to sing was the danger of death.  I find the "The Hare with many Friends" (15) a poor title for Gay's good fable, which he titled "The Hare and Many Friends."  I take Gay's point to be that the hare had no friends.  In this version, she escapes in the end.  Gay offers no such consolation to the reader, for there the last "friend" finishes the fable by refusing to offend the fellow nay-sayers, bidding the hare adieu, and noting that "the hounds are just in view."  "The Trumpeter Taken Prisoner" is well moralized: "Those who stir up trouble are as guilty as those who carry it out" (23).  The thick, slippery pages still contain little characters around the edges.  Throughout this volume, the frame including these animals is the same.  Fish of all sorts swim around the edges of these pages.  One of these fish appears with almost every moral.  Every fable is illustrated.