Friedrich Wolf: Fabeln

Abstract

There are 23 fables here, ranging from a few lines to five pages in length, each with a black-and-white design. The fables are understandable, regularly humorous, and often quite pointed. The tree asks the wind with what right the latter strips the former of his leaves. Then the wind asks the tree with what right the latter stands in the former's way (10). A city man with a knife meets a farmer with a loaf of bread. The former demands Give me a piece of bread and I'll lend you my knife, and you can cut a piece for yourself. Lend? You have to give me the knife! They argue till sundown and are still hungry. I will give you a piece of bread. Lend me your knife. No! Give me the whole loaf and you'll get the knife. That is what they do, and again one has the bread and one has the knife (13-14). A fox, a wolf, and a badger once fell into a trap-hole. They got out and started to argue about whether they should fill the hole to save their comrades. Badger and wolf fought; the fox tried to break them up and was bitten for his trouble. Hunters came and tied all three up together (32-34). A missionary pleads for help from his homeland for his starving flock. Folks at home send flour and bibles, but his superiors insist that the bibles arrive first. The flock cannot read them. When the flour arrives, many thousands need neither the bibles nor the flour (45). The cartoon-like illustrations are helpful. Best of all may be the delightful cover illustration: How similar is this long-nosed man to a stork! T of C at the back.