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Uncle Frank's Fables for Children

Watch the spellings!

I found four of the six of this set in two groups of two.  To find the last two and complete the set, I found that I needed to buy a whole set. I did so, and they are in fine condition.  This whole set cost $300 from A.A. Miran Arts and Books, and I received a set from them through eBay in September of 2010.  I will list here only the two copies that I have uniquely from them, #V and #VI -- and one unusual detail about the Miran copy of #II. In each case we will keep both copies in the collection. 

1851 Uncle Frank's Select Fables for Good Boys and Girls I: The Undutiful Young Lion. Francis Channing Woodworth. Chapbook. Printed in NY: Wm. H. Murphy. $35 from an anonymous seller, Feb., '02.

The cover reads "Uncle Frank's Fables for Children: The Undutiful Young Lion." First of six volumes (listed on the back cover), with pages numbered here surprisingly from 172-204. Twenty-three fables. The organizing principle seems to be the illustration on every right hand page. Small fables are filled in to complete the left-hand pages before each right hand page starts anew. The illustrations, apparently after Bewick, are fine. The selection of fables here is strongly traditional. I find only two that are new to me: "The Doves and Their Young Ones" (175) and "The Hounds in Couples" (189). Good condition. I am surprised that I have now been able to put together good copies of four of the six volumes in this very fragile set. The "anonymous" copy has a pink cover, and the cover-page is poorly centered.  The Miran copy is fine. 

1851 Uncle Frank's Select Fables for Good Boys and Girls II: The Thief and the Dog. (Cover: Uncle Frank's Fables for Children.) Francis Channing Woodworth. NY: Wm. H. Murphy. $25 from Harold Burstein, Oct., '92.

Second of six volumes, with pages numbered consecutively (here 35-68). Twenty-five fables. The organizing principle seems to be the illustration on every right hand page. Small fables are filled in to complete the left-hand pages before each right hand page starts anew. The illustrations, apparently after Bewick, are fine. The reflections, when brief, are excellent, e.g., "The wants and weaknesses of individuals form the connections of society" for "The Blind and the Lame" (44). Good condition. The Miran copy not only has a blue cover, but it misspells "Theif" (sic) in the cover's title.

1851 Uncle Frank's Select Fables for Good Boys and Girls III: The Fir and the Bramble. (Cover: Uncle Frank's Fables for Children.) Francis Channing Woodworth. NY: Wm. H. Murphy. $25 from Harold Burstein, Oct., '92.

Third of six volumes, with pages numbered consecutively (here 69-102). Twenty-five fables. Here we have "The Dove and the Bee" (99) instead of "The Ant and the Pigeon." The organizing principle seems to be the illustration on every right hand page. Small fables are filled in to complete the left-hand pages before each right hand page starts anew. The illustrations, apparently after Bewick, are fine. Long moralizing reflections. Good condition.

1851 Uncle Frank's Select Fables for Good Boys and Girls IV: The Ant and the Caterpillar. Francis Channing Woodworth. Chapbook. NY: Wm. H. Murphy. $35 from an anonymous seller, Feb., '02.

The cover reads "Uncle Frank's Fables for Children: The Ant and the Caterpillar." Fourth of six volumes (listed on the back cover), with pages numbered here surprisingly from 103-36. Twenty-one fables. The organizing principle seems to be the illustration on every right hand page. Small fables are filled in to complete the left-hand pages before each right hand page starts anew. The illustrations, apparently after Bewick, are fine. I find four fables that are new to me: "The Sun and the Vapour" (117), "The Discontented Bee" (125), "The Splenetic Traveller" (131), and "The Beggar and His Dog" (133). Good condition. I am surprised that I have now been able to put together good copies of four of the six volumes in this very fragile set.

1851 Uncle Frank's Select Fables for Good Boys and Girls V: The Swallow & Other Birds. Francis Channing Woodworth. Paperbound. NY: Wm. H. Murphy. $50 from A.A. Miran Arts and Books through eBay, Sept., '10.

The cover reads "Uncle Frank's Fables for Children: The Swallow & Other Birds." Fifth of six volumes (listed on the back cover), with pages numbered here from 137-170. Twenty-five fables. The organizing principle seems to be the illustration on every right hand page. Small fables are filled in to complete the left-hand pages before each right hand page starts anew. The illustrations, apparently after Bewick, are fine. The selection of fables here is strongly traditional. I find only three that are new to me: "The Prince and the Hermit" (139), "The Old Man and the Scoffer" (145), and "The Two Lizards" (149). This exemplar is in very good condition, as are all the Miran copies.

1851 Uncle Frank's Select Fables for Good Boys and Girls VI: The Tortoise and the Two Crows. Francis Channing Woodworth. Paperbound. NY: Wm. H. Murphy. $50 from A.A. Miran Arts and Books through eBay, Sept., '10.

The cover reads "Uncle Frank's Fables for Children: The Tortoise and the Two Crows." Sixth of six volumes (listed on the back cover), with pages numbered here from 171-204. Twenty-five fables. The organizing principle seems to be the illustration on every right hand page. Small fables are filled in to complete the left-hand pages before each right hand page starts anew. The illustrations, apparently after Bewick, are fine. The selection of fables here is strongly traditional. I find only two that are new to me: "The Doves and Their Young Ones" (175) and "The Hounds in Couples" (189). This exemplar is in very good condition, as are all the Miran copies.

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