Animalia Humorosum: Aesop's animal fables made more believable with a modern twist
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Authors
Subhash, V. (Ólafia L. Óla)
Issue Date
2020
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Abstract
There is much that is unusual about this 8½” square booklet of 28 pages followed by two pages of advertisements for other books by Óla. For starters, the pages are purple with light-colored typeface and cutout colored characters in partial-page illustrations. The T of C uses superscript to indicate page numbers for the twelve fables. That same page clarifies that Ólafia L. Óla is a pseudonym for V. Subhash. In TH, the hare, not the tortoise, challenges to a race upon no provocation. The author turns this tale into the more usual “Rabbit Races the Hedgehog,” famous among Grimm’s fairytales. Every one of the species looks the same to the superficial hare. In LM, after the mouse frees the lion, the hungry lion eats the mouse. “Steer clear of known dangers.” DW is told just as in the tradition. “Better die on your feet than live on your knees.” In TB, the second traveler takes off his socks; the smell of them revolts the bear, who departs. What did the bear whisper to him? “Tell that fellow that trees offer no safety because bears are good climbers.” The ox makes up a snake friend to worry the dog out of his manger. A passing hunter saves the shepherd boy attacked by a real wolf. The mice do manage to get a bell around the cat’s neck by having it ready around their hole when the cat pokes in its head. Two foxes jump for grapes. One reacts according to the tradition. The other says the effort has been stupid. “We are foxes. We don’t eat grapes. Let’s go and catch some rabbits.” One of two crows suggests the traditional pebble approach. The other says that will take too much time and too many pebbles and will dirty the water. He manages to knock over the pitcher and they can drink both from the water spilled and the water still in the overturned pitcher. The owner of the golden goose eventually stops reading his mail, misses paying taxes, loses his property, and has to give up the goose as compensation for the unpaid taxes. The wolf escapes the lambskin and never comes back. The crow removes the doughnut from his mouth and tells the fox to move along.
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Publisher
V. Subhash
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Identifier
12665 (Access ID)