Bargain Ebook: Whittington by Alan Armstrong for $1.99

The ebook edition of Whittington by Alan Armstrong is on sale for $1.99 which seems very fitting right now at SurLaLune. This is a novel-length retelling of Dick Whittington's Cat is a Newberry Honor title, too. There are many award winning children's books on sale in ebook format right now, too.

Book description:

The power of reading is beautifully captured in this 2006 Newbery Honor-winning book.
Bernie keeps a barn full of animals the rest of the world has no use for–two retired trotters, a rooster, some banty hens, and a Muscovy duck with clipped wings who calls herself The Lady. When the cat called Whittington shows up one day, it is to the Lady that he makes an appeal to secure a place in the barn. The Lady’s a little hesitant at first, but when the cat claims to be a master ratter, that clinches it.
Bernie’ s orphaned grandkids, Abby and Ben, come to the barn every day to help feed the animals. Abby shares her worry that Ben can’t really read yet and that he refuses to go to Special Ed. Whittington and the Lady decide that Abby should give Ben reading lessons in the barn. It is a balm for Ben when, having toughed out the daily lesson, Whittington comes to tell, in tantalizing installments, the story handed down to him from his nameless forebearer, Dick Whittington’s cat–the legend of the lad born into poverty in rural England during the Black Death, who runs away to London to seek his fortune. This is an unforgettable tale about how learning to read saves one little boy. It is about the healing, transcendent power of storytelling and how, if you have loved ones surrounding you and good stories to tell, to listen to, and to read, you have just about everything of value in this world.

Dick Whittington's Cat

Although I could share more about Puss in Boots, I wanted to move on to other tales to be found in Puss in Boots and Other Cat Tales From Around the World. One of my favorite tale types from this book is ATU 1651: Dick Whittington’s Cat. It's such a simple tale but with a rich history that can be found in many cultures, primarily the seafaring ones for obvious reasons.

I cannot think of another animal whose usefulness to humanity is explored so well in folklore. Doesn't mean there isn't, but I've not run into it yet. The crux of this tale type centers around the much needed vermin controlling aspects of cats. They are essentially unknown and thus valuable to the cultures that don't know about them in these tales. There's a subtle humor to it, too, since so many societies with cats find themselves overburdened with a feline population at times, something you realize with a little thought while reading the tale. So an abundant, but skilled animal--one that is common to us--is extraordinary and bring riches. There is a wish fulfillment aspect to that--who wouldn't like to make their fortune with an easily acquired animal, one that is about to be destroyed due to its overpopulation at the beginning of some versions of the tale?

From my introduction:

After “Puss in Boots,” perhaps the second best known cat folktale is ATU 1651: Dick Whittington’s Cat. The story is not as well known in modern popular culture, but it has been widespread and casually referenced in previous centuries with a fascinating range of variations on the theme.

The story describes how an honest and humble man finds his fortune by either directly or indirectly introducing a cat to a distant land overrun by mice and rats. The citizens are so thrilled with the cat’s prowess in controlling the rodent infestation that they pay for the cat with a great fortune. The cat is not a character in the story, but it is a key element and ultimately provides for the hero’s blessed future simply by doing what it does naturally.

This tale, too, has some fascinating examples of early scholarship to share. The first is “Whittington and His Cat” by Thomas Keightley excerpted from Tales and Popular Fictions; Their Resemblance and Transmission from Country to Country (1834). The second is “Whittington and His Cat” by William Alexander Clouston excerpted from Popular Tales and Fictions: Their Migrations and Transformations (1887). These articles share in full text some of the earliest known versions of the tale which I did not repeat as individual tales in the section devoted to ATU 1651, so be aware that there are more ATU 1651 stories in this collection than are listed in the table of contents.

Both articles discuss the history of the tale, including its strange—and inaccurate—association with the very real Whittington, a political figure in 15th century London. How a tale with a long history and wide variety of versions became so closely associated with a real historical person is unknown, but it only adds to the charm and mystery of the usually short and straightforward story. It is also a much more comfortable story since no one is truly exploited or deceived, not even the cat, but a great fortune is achieved in a much more honest method.

Now Available: Puss in Boots and Other Cat Tales From Around the World

Puss in Boots and Other Cat Tales From Around the World (US Link) and Puss in Boots and Other Cat Tales From Around the World (UK Link) are now available for ordering on Amazon and Amazon UK. The titles will start populating at other booksellers in the coming days.

You can see the table of contents on my previous post at New Book: Puss in Boots and Other Cat Tales From Around the World.

The first question I am asked when I have mentioned this book in the last few years is, "Do you love cats? Why a cat book?"

Well, to be honest, no, I am not a cat lover although I love books and have worked as a librarian, stereotypical cat lover stuff. I am allergic to cats which has given me a very difficult relationship with them over the years. My husband has developed a severe allergy to them even worse than mine that will send him into a migraine if we aren't prepared to take preventative measures. So no cats in our home.

But that doesn't mean I don't love the folklore about cats. I've been studying and reading folklore for decades now and cats are a regular tried and true entity in many tales. I've been collecting stories in all sorts of categories for years. Honestly, I thought this book would be "easy" since I already had so many stories. But as I read and researched more, I kept adding tale types and other stories to the collection. I finally reached capacity and was only deleting good stories to make room for other ones. It was time to stop and share with the world. After searching through over 1,000 folklore, fairy tale, and cat books, I was done. The primary bibliography for the book has 150 sources. The results are diverse, fascinating and hopefully fun.

As I looked at other "cat books" of recent years, one of the concerns from readers in the reader reviews was animal cruelty and portrayal of cats. I can explain here that while there are a few examples of cats as victims in these stories, the vast majority of the tales focus on cats winning. The cats use cunning, flexibility, loyalty, and many other of their natural qualities to triumph in their stories. Conversely, they are rarely portrayed as evil either, even in the Witches and Cats stories. This book is a celebration of cats in all their glory with very few stories that will raise alarms.

So I hope you enjoy! On Monday, I will start sharing more in depth about the tales inside.

New Book: Puss in Boots and Other Cat Tales From Around the World

Hallelujah! By Monday, but probably much sooner, Puss in Boots and Other Cat Tales From Around the World will be listed for ordering on Amazon. It will soon follow on other book seller sites. At the moment, the link is a dead one, but it could change at a moment's notice so I am inserting it.

One of the last items I read during my research was The Tiger in the House by Cal Van Vechten, a book published in 1920. I was quite amused, especially near the end of my journey into cat folklore, to read this:

There are so many folk-tales about cats that some enterprising young man of the future may fill a large book with these alone.

Ha! I may be a middle-aged woman--when did that happen?--but I've certainly filled a large book with cat tales alone. Well, a handful don't feature cats, but there are 271 entries in the book so there's plenty of cats within these pages.

Throughout December, I will be posting about the book with more in-depth posts about particular tales, finds, etc. but wanted to share the general book information in this first post.

From my introduction:

CAT folklore collections are not a new concept—there have been several excellent collections published over the years—but this is to my knowledge the most expansive collection by far to be compiled for publication. The average collection contains 15-30 tales within its pages. Puss in Boots and Other Cat Tales from Around the World offers over 250. While to some this may be considered a failure of good editing, the goal is to offer a wider range of tales featuring cats, and occasionally without cats, across cultures and themes. While it is far from comprehensive, the intent is to show many of the ways cats have been represented in world folklores.

This book is organized according to tale types and themes as well as countries of origin. First, we have several tales offered by their tale type, starting with the most famous folktale cat of all time, the titular “Puss in Boots,” and the tales that closely resemble that story. Other tale types with cats follow, including “Dick Wittington’s Cat,” Cat Brides, and “The Bremen Town Musicians.” Many other tale types are included in the More Cat Tales section. No attempt was made to tale type each story but when a common tale type was recognizable, it is noted in the tale’s introduction. All of these are also listed in an index of tale types in the end matter of this book.

Book description:

Whether domesticated or wild, cats have long attracted and repulsed humanity in countless cultures around the world. Folklore provides a view into the attitudes and beliefs surrounding cats through the centuries.

This collection gathers together examples of the earliest scholarship on cat folklore, compiling over 250 folktales, fables, and nursery rhymes about cats from around the world into one convenient anthology. Inside you’ll find variants of many fairy tales featuring cats, including:

• Puss in Boots (ATU 545B)
• Whittington and His Cat (ATU 1651)
• Cat Brides (ATU 402)
• The Bremen Town Musicians (ATU 130)
• The Magic Ring with Cat Helpers (ATU 560)
• Witches and Cats Lore

Dozens of additional tales about cats are presented with a wide range of themes from a variety of countries, too.

Whether you are a cat enthusiast or a student of folklore, this anthology offers a diverse array of tales that entertain and educate their readers, all gathered into one collection for the first time.

Table of Contents

Introduction by Heidi Anne Heiner
Acknowledgements
Notes About This Edition

ATU 545B: Puss in Boots

1 Puss in Boots: A Discussion of the Tale by W. R. S. Ralston 2
2 Puss in Boots: A Discussion of the Tale by Andrew Lang 16
3 How the Fox Wooed for the Miller the Daughter of the Pasha of Egypt Turkey 26
4 Puss in Boots Turkey 28
5 Costantino Fortunato Italy 31
6 Gagliuso (Taylor Translation) Italy 34
7 Gagliuso (Burton Translation) Italy 38
8 How the Beggar Boy Turned into Count Piro Italy 42
9 Don Joseph Pear Italy 47
10 Master Cat, or Puss in Boots, The (Samber) France 51
11 Master Cat, or Puss in Boots (Planche) France 55
12 Earl of Cattenborough, The England 59
13 Lord Peter Norway 63
14 Palace That Stood on Golden Pillars, The Sweden 67
15 Mighty Mikko Finland 77
16 Prince Csihán (Nettles) Hungary 85
17 Story of the Woman, Her Husband, and the Lion, The West Africa 92
18 Friendly Lion, and the Youth and His Wife, The Nigeria 94
19 Sultan Darai Tanzania 97
20 Story of a Gazelle, The India 124
21 Match-Making Jackal, The India 134
22 Clever Jackal, The India 140
23 Jogeshwar's Marriage India 142
24 Boroltai Ku Mongolia 146
25 Story of Juan and the Monkey, The Philippines 147
26 Masoy and the Ape Philippines 149
27 Monkey and Juan Pusong Tambi-tambi, The Philippines 152
28 Andres the Trapper Philippines 157
29 Domingo's Cat Brazil 163

ATU 1651: Whittington’s Cat

30 Whittington and His Cat: A Discussion of the Tale by Thomas Keightley 166
31 Whittington and His Cat: A Discussion of the Tale by W. A. Clouston 178
32 Cat, The Albania 185
33 Cats Who Made Their Master Rich, The Italy 186
34 Whittington and His Cat England 186
35 Cottager and His Cat, The Iceland 192
36 Honest Penny, The Norway 195
37 Three Brothers; or, the Cat, the Cock, and the Ladder, The France 198
38 Three Sons of Fortune, The Germany 204
39 Cat of Schilda, The Germany 207
40 Three Copecks, The Russia 209
41 Just Earnings Are Never Lost Serbia Serbia 212
42 Poor Man and His Three Sons, The Philippines 215

ATU 402: Cat Bride

43 Grave Prince and the Beneficent Cat, The Italy 218
44 White Cat, The France 229
45 White Cat of Ecija, The Spain 240
46 Cucúlin Ireland 243
47 Peter Humbug and the White Cat Denmark 252
48 Poor Miller's Boy and the Cat, The Germany 257
49 Silly Jura Czech Republic Czech Republic 261
50 Cat Who Became a Queen, The India 263

ATU 130: The Bremen Town Musicians

51 Benibaire Spain 268
52 Bull, the Tup, the Cock, and the Steg, The England 270
53 Jack and His Comrades Ireland 271
54 Story of the White Pet, The Scotland 276
55 Choristers of St. Gudule, The Belgium 280
56 Bremen Town Musicians, The Germany 284
57 Martin's Eve Austria 287
58 World's Reward, The South Africa 288
59 Monkey and the Crab, The Japan 290
60 Battle of the Ape and the Crab, The Japan 291
61 How Jack Went to Seek His Fortune: I United States 293
62 How Jack Went to Seek His Fortune: II United States 296
63 Dog, the Cat, the Ass, and the Cock, The United States 298

ATU 480: The Kind and Unkind Girls

64 Cats, The Greece 302
65 Little Convent of Cats, The Italy 304
66 Colony of Cats, The Italy 307
67 Teresina, Luisa, and the Bear Italy 312
68 Two Sisters, The Austria 313
69 Two Caskets, The (Thorpe) Sweden 316
70 Two Caskets, The (Lang) Sweden 328
71 Good Child and the Bad, The Liberia 335
72 Juanita, Marianita, the Cat and the Bear North America 337

ATU 560: The Magic Ring

73 Cat and Dog and the Talisman, The Turkey 342
74 Grateful Snake, Cat, and Dog and the Talisman, The Turkey 344
75 Snake, the Dog, and the Cat, The Greece 348
76 Gigi and the Magic Ring Italy 351
77 Hind of the Golden Apple, The Portugal 357
78 Enchanted Watch, The France 360
79 Three Years Without Wages Norway 363
80 Ring with Twelve Screws, The Russia 370
81 Enchanted Ring, The Russia 376
82 Sharau Russia 385
83 Story of the Man Who Bought Three Pieces of Advice, The Iran 389
84 Clever Cat, The Africa 396
85 Wonderful Ring, The (Nigeria) Nigeria 404
86 Magic Ring of the Lord Solomon, The India 410
87 Merchant, the Princess and the Grateful Animals, The India 412
88 Prince and His Animal Friends, The India 416
89 Charmed Ring, The India 418
90 Wonderful Ring, The (India) India 425
91 Lita and His Animals India 430
92 Golden Beetle; or, Why the Dog Hates the Cat, The China 436
93 Why Dog and Cat Are Enemies China 444
94 Tokgabi's Menagerie (Cats and Dogs) Korea 445
95 Why Dogs Wag Their Tails Philippines 448
96 Juan Manalaksan Philippines 450
97 Juan the Poor, Who Became Juan the King Philippines 452

Witches and Cats

98 Cats of San Lorenzo, The Italy 462
99 San Miniato fra le Torre Italy 464
100 How Diana Made the Stars and the Rain Italy 465
101 Diana as Giving Beauty and Restoring Strength Italy 467
102 Cat-Hags of Gries, The Italy 470
103 Green Lady: Norfolk, The England 471
104 Weaver's Wife and the Witch, The England 472
105 Cat Witches, The Wales 473
106 Two Cat Witches, The Wales 475
107 Macgillichallum of Razay Scotland 477
108 Witch of Laggan, The Scotland 479
109 Severed Hand, The (Norway) Norway 483
110 Witch Burnt, A Netherlands 484
111 Witch's Cat, The Belgium 485
112 Devil's Cat, The Germany 488
113 Severed Hand, The (Germany) Germany 489
114 Witch, The Russia 490
115 Lady Who Became a Cat, The India 493
116 Vampire Cat of Nabeshima, The Japan 495
117 Plantation Witch, A States 500
118 Crow and Cat of Hopkinshill, The States 503
119 Black Cat, The United States 504
120 Cat Who Wanted Shoes, The States 505
121 Woman-Cat, The States 505

More Cat Tales

122 Cat, The Turkey 508
123 Prophet and the Cat, The Turkey 510
124 Countess's Cat, The Italy 511
125 Why Cats and Dogs Always Quarrel Italy 512
126 Cat and the Mouse, The (Italy) Italy 513
127 Feast Day, A Italy 515
128 Giant Jordan, The Italy 517
129 Story of a Cat's Tail, The Portugal 520
130 Mally Dixon England 522
131 Dildrum, King of the Cats England 523
132 Johnny Reed's Cat England 523
133 King o' the Cats, The England 526
134 Spectral Cat, The England 528
135 Mouse and Mouser England 533
136 Cat and the Mouse, The (England) England 535
137 Owney and Owney-na-peak Ireland 536
138 Cat of the Carman's Stage, The Ireland 546
139 Enchanted Cat of Bantry, The Ireland 547
140 Concerning Cats Ireland 549
141 King of the Cats, The (Ireland) Ireland 551
142 Demon Cat, The Ireland 552
143 Cat Nature Ireland 553
144 Seanchan the Bard and the King of the Cats Ireland 556
145 King Arthur and the Cat Ireland 560
146 Murroghoo-more and Murroghoo-beg Ireland 562
147 Little White Cat, The Ireland 566
148 Black Cat, The Scotland 575
149 King of the Cats, The (Scotland) Scotland 576
150 Cattie Sits in the Kiln-Ring Spinning, The Scotland 577
151 Widow and Her Daughters, The Scotland 580
152 Poor Woman and Her Three Daughters, The Scotland 584
153 Kisa the Cat Iceland 585
154 Greedy Cat, The Norway 589
155 Mirri, the Cat Finland Finland 593
156 Troll Turned Cat, The Denmark 595
157 Cat and the Cradle, The Netherlands 596
158 Why Cats Always Wash after Eating Belgium 600
159 Fox and the Cat, The (Germany) Germany 601
160 Cat and Mouse in Partnership Germany 602
161 Lazy Cat, The Hungary 605
162 Enchanted Cat, The Hungary 607
163 Why the Dog and Cat and the Cat and Mouse Are Enemies Estonia 612
164 Three Sisters, The Estonia 613
165 Courageous Barn-Keeper, The Estonia 614
166 Story of the Dog, the Cat and the Mouse, The Romania 621
167 Story of Adam and Eve and the Devil, The Romania 623
168 Story of the Cat, the Mouse and Noah, The Romania 624
169 Town Mouse and the Field Mouse, The Romania 625
170 Enchanted City, The Ukraine) 626
171 Fox and the Cat, The (Ukraine) Ukraine 630
172 Cat, the Cock, and the Fox, The Ukraine 633
173 Seven Simeons, Full Brothers, The Russia 635
174 Cat Who Became Head-Forester, The Russia 640
175 Story of the Tom-Cat and the Cock Russia 643
176 Bear, the Dog, and the Cat, The Russia 648
177 Ideas and Superstitions About Cats in the Holy Land Holy Land 651
178 Cat as Sham Holy Man, The Palestine 653
179 Why Does the Cat Eat Mice More than Any Other Creeping Thing? Hebrew 655
180 Why Does the Dog Fight the Cat? Hebrew 656
181 Why Is It that the Dog Recognises His Master and the Cat Does Not? Hebrew 658
182 Why Is There a Seam in the Mouth of the Mouse? Hebrew 658
183 Quarrel of the Cat and Dog, The Jewish 659
184 Cat and the Mouse, The (Iran) Iran 663
185 Story of an Ambitious Cat Iran 668
186 Why the Cat Kills Rats Nigeria 668
187 How a Hunter Obtained Money from His Friends the Leopard, Goat, Bush Cat, and Cock, and How He Got Out of Repaying Them Nigeria 669
188 Cat's Tail, The Kenya 671
189 Paka the Cat Kenya 673
190 Cat and the Parrot, The India 675
191 Cat and the Sparrows, The India 679
192 Punishment Visited upon the Wrong Persons India 681
193 Hypocritical Cat, The (India) India 682
194 Otters and the Cat, The India 683
195 Barru Jataka: The Greedy and Angry Cats, The India 686
196 Mouse and the Farmer, The India 687
197 Lean Cat and the Fat Cat, The India 689
198 How the Cat Came to Live with Man India 692
199 Story of a Cat, a Mouse, a Lizard and an Owl, The India 693
200 Tiger and the Rats, The India 698
201 Tiger and the Cat, The India 699
202 Tigers and the Cat, The India 700
203 How Raja Rasâlu Played Chaupur with King Sarkap India 701
204 Princess and the Cat, The India 705
205 Great Rat, The China 707
206 Two Cats, The China 707
207 Hypocritical Cat, The (China) China 710
208 Cat and the Mice, The (China) China 711
209 Boy Who Drew Cats, The Japan 713
210 Shippeitaro Japan 716
211 Story of the Faithful Cat, The Japan 718
212 Cat's Elopement, The Japan 719
213 Lion and the Cat, The North America 721
214 Secret Room, The United States 726
215 Why the Cat Always Falls Upon Her Feet Unknown 728
216 Cat and the Mice, The (Aesop) Aesop 732

Fables

217 Eagle, the Cat, and the Wild Sow, The Aesop 732
218 Parrot and the Cat, The Aesop 733
219 Cat and the Cock, The Aesop 734
220 Venus and the Cat Aesop 734
221 Cat-Maiden, The Aesop 735
222 Belling the Cat Fable 736
223 Fox and the Cat, The (Fable) Fable 737
224 Cat and the Birds, The Aesop 738
225 Council Held by the Rats, The La Fontaine Fable 738
226 Cat and the Thrush, The La Fontaine Fable 740
227 Dog and Cat, The La Fontaine Fable 741
228 Cat Metamorphosed into a Woman, The La Fontaine Fable 742
229 Eagle, the Wild Sow, and the Cat, The La Fontaine Fable 743
230 Cat and the Old Rat, The La Fontaine Fable 745
231 Cat, the Weasel, and the Young Rabbit, The La Fontaine Fable 747
232 Cat and the Rat, The La Fontaine Fable 748
233 Monkey and the Cat, The La Fontaine Fable 750
234 Cat and the Fox, The La Fontaine Fable 752
235 Cat and the Two Sparrows, The La Fontaine Fable 753
236 League of the Rats, The La Fontaine Fable 754
237 Quarrel of the Dogs and Cats, and that of the Cats and Mice, The La Fontaine Fable 756
238 Cockerel, the Cat, and the Young Mouse, The La Fontaine Fable 758
239 Old Cat and the Young Mouse, The La Fontaine Fable 759
240 Cook and the Cat, The Krylov 761
241 Pike and the Cat, The Krylov 762
242 Wolf and the Cat, The Krylov 763
243 Cat and the Nightingale, The Krylov 764

Nursery Rhymes

244 Crooked Sixpence, The Nursery Rhyme 766
245 Hey! Diddle, Diddle Nursery Rhyme 766
246 Cat Came Fiddling Out of a Barn, A Nursery Rhyme 767
247 Pussy Sits Behind the Fire Nursery Rhyme 768
248 Pussy Sat by the Fire-side Nursery Rhyme 768
249 Pussey Cat Sits by the Fire Nursery Rhyme 769
250 Cat Sat Asleep by the Side of the Fire, The Nursery Rhyme 769
251 Feedum, Fiddledum Fee Nursery Rhyme 770
252 Cat Ran Up the Plum-Tree, The Nursery Rhyme 770
253 As Titty Mouse Sat in the Witty to Spin Nursery Rhyme 771
254 Some Little Mice Sat in a Barn to Spin Nursery Rhyme 771
255 As I Was Going to St. Ives Nursery Rhyme 772
256 Kilkenny Cats, The Nursery Rhyme 772
257 My Father Left Me Three Acres of Land Nursery Rhyme 773
258 Ding Dong Bell Nursery Rhyme 774
259 Pussicat, Wussicat, with a White Foot Nursery Rhyme 775
260 Pussy Cat Mole Nursery Rhyme 775
261 I Like Little Pussy, Her Coat Is So Warm Nursery Rhyme 775
262 Ride, Baby, Ride Nursery Rhyme 776
263 Ride Away, Ride Away Nursery Rhyme 776
264 Highty Cock O! Nursery Rhyme 777
265 Sing, Sing, What Shall I Sing? Nursery Rhyme 777
266 Dame Trot and Her Cat Nursery Rhyme 778
267 Pussy Cat Eat the Dumplings Nursery Rhyme 778
268 Little Robin Redbreast Sat upon a Tree Nursery Rhyme 779
269 ABC Nursery Rhyme 779
270 Pussy-Cat, Pussy-Cat, Where Have You Been? Nursery Rhyme 780
271 I Have Been to Market, My Lady, My Lady Nursery Rhyme 780

Primary Bibliography
Secondary Bibliography
Tale Type Index
Index

Recent Book: Puss in Books by Catherine Britton

(US / UK Links)

Puss in Books by Catherine Britton was released last year in the US and in late 2012 in the UK. So it's not exactly new but it's not well known either. Since two chapters are devoted to Puss in Boots and Dick Whittington’s Cat as well as another chapter on The Cat and the Mouse in Partnership (the Grimms story), I thought it merited mention here.

Sidenote: And it reminds me that I am still considering a "Cats" title for the SurLaLune book series. Would there be interest in that here? I am not a cat lover, per se, but I do find their appearance in folklore fascinating. And I have a healthy collection of cat tales.

About the book:

Puss in Books is a celebration of feline wit, intelligence, aloofness and charm as presented through cats in books. Examples are taken from literature, folklore and popular culture. Feline references in books and manuscripts date from before 2000 BC in ancient Egypt, and since the introduction of cats to western households they have often inspired writers and artists - from the scribe of the Lindisfarne Gospels working in the 8th century to poets of the present day.

This selection includes cats in nursery rhymes (Hey Diddle Diddle and Ding Dong Bell); poetry by Thomas Gray (Ode on the Death of a Favourite Cat Drowned in a Tub of Gold Fishes) and T S Eliot (Old Possum's Book of Practical Cats); cats in fiction by Rudyard Kipling, Lewis Carroll and Charles Dickens; current characters such as Splat the Cat, and of course the ubiquitous Puss in Boots himself.

Wonderfully illustrated in colour throughout, this is an ideal gift for every cat lover.

About the author

Catherine Britton was a Senior Editor at the British Library and is the author of Dogs in Books (British Library, 2012).

Reviews

`Puss in Books tracks beloved cat characters like Lewis Carroll’s Cheshire Cat as illustrated by Sir John Tenniel, to Dr. Seuss’s Cat in the Hat... Britton takes the reader on a journey spanning famous felines throughout art and literature history.` Dorri Olds, Petside

Table of Contents:

Introduction

Egyptian Cats
The Lindisfarne Gospels Cat
Siamese Cats
Medieval Cats
Witches’ Cats
The Cat and the Fiddle from Hey Diddle Diddle
Ding Dong Bell
Christopher Smart’s cat Jeoffry from Jubilate Agno (Rejoice in the Lamb)
Ode on the Death of a Favourite Cat, Drowned in a Tub of Gold Fishes
Cats and Royalty
Dick Whittington’s Cat
The Cat and the Mouse in Partnership
Puss in Boots
Lady Jane from Bleak House
Simpkin from The Tailor of Gloucester
The Owl and the Pussycat
The Cheshire Cat from Alice in Wonderland
The Black Cat
The Cat That Walked by Himself
The Boy Who Drew Cats
The Cat in the Hat by Dr. Seuss
Old Possum’s Book of Practical Cats
Orlando the Marmalade Cat
Fat Freddy’s Cat
Have You Seen My Cat? by Eric Carle
101 Uses of a Dead Cat
Simon’s Cat
Splat the Cat

Index
Picture Sources
Acknowledgements

Fairytale Reflections at SMoST

  

I haven't highlighted last week's Fairytale Reflections at SMoST yet and it is already time for a new one. So now we have two....

Last week was Fairytale Reflections (23) Gwyneth Jones. Jones discusses princesses with some references to Cupid and Psyche as well as Perseus and Andromeda. There is definitely an emphasis on mythology. Here is the first paragraph:

The Princess As Role Model

I’ve always been attracted to fairytales. I knew I was a storyteller long before I knew I’d be a writer: I took on my father’s mantle, and told epic bedtime stories to my brother and sister, at an early age, and my father’s stories (also epic, endless episodes from the same saga, about the same characters) were all based on a traditional tale, the one about a girl who finds out that she once had seven brothers, who were banished and turned into crows when she was born. It has many variants, but from internal evidence the original must be the Moroccan one (The Girl Who Banished Seven). Naturally, she sets off to find them and rescue them from the enchantment. That’s typical of a fairytale princess (she’s one of those who becomes a princess by marriage, but it’s all the same to me). They do the right thing. They stand up to evil step-mothers, and no task is impossible...

This week is Fairytale Reflections (24) Nick Green. Green's success story about self-publishing is interesting, too. Another example of how the publishing world is changing very rapidly. Green discusses Dick Whittington and his Cat. Here are the first paragraphs.

Turn again, Whittington, Lord Mayor of London!
Turn again, Whittington, thrice Mayor of London!


Is ‘Dick Whittington and his Cat’ really a fairytale? I’m going to call it one. Even though there is no actual magic (but see below), most of the ingredients are there: the poor and naive youth, the quest, the hardship, and at least a semi-supernatural element in the prophecy of the Bow Bells, calling the young Whittington back from Highgate Hill. I would argue that ‘Dick Whittington’ is not just a fairytale, but a particularly interesting one, being the only one (to my knowledge) that features a real person.

The historical Richard Whittington, of course, was Lord Mayor a total of four times (but legend ignores that as it doesn’t scan). Also, he was never particularly poor, and no-one knows if he really kept a cat. According to my diligent academic research (Wikipedia), the story’s origins lie further back, in a Persian folktale of a youth and his cat, onto which the legend of Whittington was later grafted. We can only guess the reason for this, but by all accounts Richard W was an all-round good egg and probably deserved it.