My Jointed Harlequin Clown Pull Toy

Here he is in action. It wasn't easy taking this photo with one hand while pulling the string with the other. This toy is called a JUMPING JACK.

Still view. His head and hat are hand-carved wood. The body parts are jointed metal and everything is hand-painted. I have had him for ages and got him at a house contents sale (on the second day) in a condo that was for sale and under contract nearby. He was mixed up in a pile of kitchen utensils and I was surprised nobody had grabbed him. Lucky me.

xo

U P D A T E: This articulated toy is painted on the back!

Mama Pea left a comment I haven't even published yet asking me if I knew how old this toy might be. When I got up and turned it over to examine the overall condition I found out it was also painted on the back. I had completely forgotten this detail. The head is three dimensional and I love the expression on his face on the blue side. I think it is very old from early to mid 20th century. 

Thanks, Mama Pea (click on the link for her blog). You made me take a closer look and now this toy is twice as nice. 

Happy Thursday morning everyone.

xo

Geometric Shapes in My Morning Sky

View out my kitchen window early this morning. I walked past my closed Roman blinds in the living room and didn't see this amazing view until I reached the kitchen sink. I immediately went outside to get a larger view. 

One orange cloud looks like a bird in flight. The long streaks are like strokes of a pen or paint brush. The sun was rising and it was very beautiful. I ate the last two slices of a cantaloupe to celebrate the orangishness of my morning.

Happy Tuesday morning. Hope you have a great day.

xo

Cold Weather Walk

Nothing earth shattering here. I walked around my property a couple of times on a single digit day and took off my mitten to take this photo. There's not much color around but I liked the slight movement going on with the vines and leaves in this photo. They are moving but the background is not. It's much warmer now and I'm grateful. I'm looking forward to Episode 5 of the three PBS programs I will be watching tonight. Enjoy your Sunday evening too.

xo

FABLE: KING LION AND THE BEETLE

FABLES Written & Illustrated by Arnold Lobel 1980

I found a great on-line biography of this author written by his daughter Adrianne Lobel with a delightful YouTube video about an unpublished work by her father that she illustrated and published. click link to read

Arnold Lobel ~ The life and literary works of American children's author and illustrator

text from the second photo

KING LION AND THE BEETLE

King Lion looked in the mirror. "What a beautiful and noble creature I am," he said. "I will go forth to show my devoted subjects that their leader is every inch a king!" The King put on his robes of state, his large jeweled crown, and all of his gold and silver medals. As he walked down the roads of his kingdom, everyone who saw him bowed to the ground. "Yes, yes," said King Lion, "I deserve this respect from my people, for truly I am every inch a king!" There was a tiny Beetle standing near the road. When the King saw him, he cried, "Beetle, I command you to bow low before me!" "Your Royal Majesty," said the Beetle, "I know that I am small, but if you look at me closely, you will see that I am making a bow." The King leaned over. "Beetle," he said, "you are so hard to see down there. I am still not sure that you are bowing." "Your Majesty, said the Beetle, "please look more closely. I assure you that I am indeed bowing." The King leaned over a little farther. Now the robes of state, the large jeweled crown, and all of the gold and silver medals had made King Lion very top-heavy. Suddenly he lost his balance and fell on his head. With a great roar, he rolled into a ditch at the side of the road. The frightened Beetle scurried away. From head to foot, every inch of King Lion was covered with wet mud. 

It is the high and mighty who have the longest distance to fall.

Have a great weekend.

xo

FABLE: The Ducks and The Fox

At times, a change of routine can be most helpful.

FABLES

Written & Illustrated by Arnold Lobel

1980

Have a great weekend

xo

I figured out how to copy text from a photo in case you are having trouble reading the photo. Let me know if this helps.

THE DUCKS AND THE FOX 

 Two Duck sisters were waddling down the road to the pond for their morning Swim. "This is a good road," said the first sister, "but I think, just for a change, we should find another route. 'There are many other roads that lead to the pond." "No," said the second sister, "I do not agree. I really do not want to try a new way. 'This road makes me feel comfortable. I am accustomed to it." One morning the Ducks met a Fox sitting on a fence along the road. "Good morning, ladies," said the Fox. "On your way to the pond, I suppose?" "Oh, yes," said the sisters, "we come along here every day." "Interesting, said the Fox with a toothy smile. When the sun came up the next morning, the first sister said, "We are sure to meet that Fox again if we go our usual way. I did not like his looks. Today is the day that we must find another road!" "You are being just plain silly," " said the second sister. "That Fox smiled at us. He seemed most gentlemanly." The two Ducks waddled down the same road to the pond. There was the Fox, sitting on the fence. This time he carried a sack. "Lovely ladies," ' said the Fox, "I was expecting you. I am glad that you have not disappointed me." Opening his sack, he jumped upon them. The sisters quacked and screamed. They flapped and flopped their wings. They flew home and bolted their door. The next morning, the two Ducks did not go out. They rested at home to quiet their nerves. On the following day they carefully searched for a new and different road. They found one, and it took them safely to the pond. 

At times, a change of routine can be most healthful

The Crocodile in the Bedroom

Moral of the Fable: 

Without a doubt, there is such a thing as too much order.

Three pages from one of my books.

FABLES

Written and Illustrated by

ARNOLD LOBEL

1980

My plan is to post one fable until I have shown you the entire book.

xo

Rabbit Rabbit -- Hello February

The phrase rabbit rabbit is a long-held superstition thought to bring about good luck. But it's not to be uttered just any old random day. If you say it on the first day of the month, before any other words come out of your mouth, then luck will be coming your way.

I have always loved this rabbit pattern in navy blue designed by William Morris in 1882.  I have seen the wallpaper but never the fabric. The pattern was a tribute to the Uncle Remus books, first published in 1881, and a favourite of the Morris family.

Earliest Published Nursery Rhymes Book c.1744

Mary Cooper, whose two-volume Tommy Thumb's Pretty Song Book (1744) is the first known nursery rhyme collection, featuring early versions of well-known classics like ‘Bah, bah, a black sheep’, ‘Hickory dickory dock’, ‘London Bridge is falling down’ and ‘Sing a song of sixpence’.

The History of Little Goody Two-Shoes (1765) has a good claim to be called the first children’s novel. It tells the story of a poor orphan, Margery, who makes a career for herself as a teacher before, like a less glamorous Cinderella (with no fairy godmother, balls to attend, or glass slipper), she marries the local landowner whom she has impressed by her honesty, hard work and good sense.

Isn't this a much better story than Cinderella?

Click to enlarge the images found in a great article 

ORIGINS OF CHILDREN'S LITERATURE 

in the archives of The British Library

Enjoy.

xo

Carrots and Turnips are Fine

From the Jane Johnson's personal Manuscript Nursery Library

(c. 1740-1759) at Indiana University. All 438 items are hand drawn and colored for her son as teaching items. I love this one and wish I could see all the others.

click to enlarge

Photo Source

Bookshelves / Library in My Spare Room

These are all of my reference books in my dressing room. That's what I call my extra bedroom because it has a closet. I sleep in the back room that has an identical custom bookcase scaled down for the smaller space. I added both when renovating my cottage. On these shelves I have reference books on antiques, architectural reference books, gardening, birds, New Jersey. Many are broken down into categories like antique furniture, antique silver, antique houses, antique prints, etc. and many DIY books. I need to get in this room and rearrange a bit and return some books I pulled out so the remaining ones are currently leaning. You can never have too many books, can you? Have a great Sunday. xo