| dc.description.abstract | This is a sturdy 8½ x 10½ paperback offering thirty classic fables, all but one on a single page. The contributors include Aesop, Phaedrus, La Fontaine, Samaniego, and Hartzenbusch. The unacknowledged illustrations are appropriate but rather cartoonish. New to me is the Samaniego fable of the camel who complains of a heavy load. A little cactus offers to help and the camel answers, Thank you, Sir Elephant! Hartzenbusch has a clever fable about a frog telling a tadpole that he and his tail are ugly. When I was a tadpole, I never had a tail. The tadpole replies Just as I thought. You were never a tadpole. The Juno that hears the peacock's complaining seems emaciated or drugged. The most endearing illustration shows four dogs lapping up water together. Pity that they will soon explode from their drinking! There are three other books in the series, which seems to be out of print. | en_US |
