Animal Fairy Tales
Encyclopedia
Animal Fairy Tales is a collection of short stories written by L. Frank Baum
, the creator of the Land of Oz
. The stories, animal tales comparable to Aesop's Fables
or the Just-So Stories and Jungle Book
of Rudyard Kipling
, first received magazine publication in 1905
. For several decades in the twentieth century, the collection was a "lost" book by Baum; it resurfaced when the International Wizard of Oz Club published the stories in one volume in 1969.
The nine stories in the collection were printed in nine consecutive monthly issues of The Delineator
, a popular women's magazine of the time, from January to September 1905. The tales were part of the magazine's regular feature, "Stories and Pastimes for Children." They were illustrated by Charles Livingston Bull. (The Delineator had printed Baum's story "A Kidnapped Santa Claus
" in December 1904, with illustrations by Frederick Richardson, who had begun illustrating Baum's serialized novel, Queen Zixi of Ix, the previous month in St. Nicholas.)
It is clear that Baum favored book publication for the stories. When his health declined in 1918, Baum worked ahead to prepare books for future publication in the event of his death. He readied three manuscripts, so that his publisher Reilly & Britton
could issue annual Baum books through 1921. Two of those books were the last two in his Oz series, The Magic of Oz
and Glinda of Oz
, which were duly published in 1919 and 1920. The third book was the Animal Fairy Tales. It is unclear why Reilly & Britton did not publish the book, in 1921 or later.
The contents of the collection are:
All of the stories were likely composed in 1903 and 1904; they resemble other animal tales that Baum wrote in the same era, some of which appeared in his American Fairy Tales
(1901) and The Twinkle Tales
(1906), and as episodes in his novels. Baum's animal tales are composed in his own highly imaginative vein, colored with his interest in Theosophy
, and different from the more naturalistic tales of contemporaries like Albert Bigelow Paine
. In "The Story of Jaglon," for example, an orphaned tiger is raised by "Tiger Fairies." (In 1953, Oz author Jack Snow's
expansion of this story, titled Jaglon and the Tiger Fairies, was published with illustrations by Dale Ulrey. This was the first in a series of expanded versions of all nine stories planned by Reilly & Lee; but the other eight never appeared.)
Among the nine stories, "The Enchanted Buffalo" is the most frequently anthologized.
(Baum wrote another story that he intended for the collection; titled "The Tiger's Eye
," it is an extraordinarily grim and harsh story about evil magic enchanting animals and men. The story was not printed until 1962.)
Another edition of Animal Fairy Tales, which includes the original illustrations by Charles Bull, appeared in 1992.
L. Frank Baum
Lyman Frank Baum was an American author of children's books, best known for writing The Wonderful Wizard of Oz...
, the creator of the Land of Oz
Land of Oz
Oz is a fantasy region containing four lands under the rule of one monarch.It was first introduced in The Wonderful Wizard of Oz by L. Frank Baum, one of many fantasy countries that he created for his books. It achieved a popularity that none of his other works attained, and after four years, he...
. The stories, animal tales comparable to Aesop's Fables
Aesop's Fables
Aesop's Fables or the Aesopica are a collection of fables credited to Aesop, a slave and story-teller believed to have lived in ancient Greece between 620 and 560 BCE. The fables remain a popular choice for moral education of children today...
or the Just-So Stories and Jungle Book
The Jungle Book
The Jungle Book is a collection of stories by British Nobel laureate Rudyard Kipling. The stories were first published in magazines in 1893–4. The original publications contain illustrations, some by Rudyard's father, John Lockwood Kipling. Kipling was born in India and spent the first six...
of Rudyard Kipling
Rudyard Kipling
Joseph Rudyard Kipling was an English poet, short-story writer, and novelist chiefly remembered for his celebration of British imperialism, tales and poems of British soldiers in India, and his tales for children. Kipling received the 1907 Nobel Prize for Literature...
, first received magazine publication in 1905
1905 in literature
The year 1905 in literature involved some significant new books.-Events:*L. Frank Baum's Animal Fairy Tales are published in The Delineator magazine from January to September....
. For several decades in the twentieth century, the collection was a "lost" book by Baum; it resurfaced when the International Wizard of Oz Club published the stories in one volume in 1969.
The nine stories in the collection were printed in nine consecutive monthly issues of The Delineator
The Delineator
The Delineator was an American women's magazine of the late 19th and early 20th centuries, founded by the Butterick Publishing Company in 1869 under the name The Metropolitan Monthly. Its name was changed in 1875. In November 1926, under the editorship of Mrs...
, a popular women's magazine of the time, from January to September 1905. The tales were part of the magazine's regular feature, "Stories and Pastimes for Children." They were illustrated by Charles Livingston Bull. (The Delineator had printed Baum's story "A Kidnapped Santa Claus
A Kidnapped Santa Claus
A Kidnapped Santa Claus is a Christmas-themed short story written by L. Frank Baum, famous as the creator of the Land of Oz; it has been called "one of Baum's most beautiful stories" and constitutes an influential contribution to the mythology of Christmas."A Kidnapped Santa Claus" was first...
" in December 1904, with illustrations by Frederick Richardson, who had begun illustrating Baum's serialized novel, Queen Zixi of Ix, the previous month in St. Nicholas.)
It is clear that Baum favored book publication for the stories. When his health declined in 1918, Baum worked ahead to prepare books for future publication in the event of his death. He readied three manuscripts, so that his publisher Reilly & Britton
Reilly & Britton
The Reilly and Britton Company, or Reilly & Britton was an American publishing company of the early and middle 20th century, famous as the publisher of the works of L. Frank Baum.-Founding:...
could issue annual Baum books through 1921. Two of those books were the last two in his Oz series, The Magic of Oz
The Magic of Oz
The Magic of Oz: A Faithful Record of the Remarkable Adventures of Dorothy and Trot and the Wizard of Oz, Together with the Cowardly Lion, the Hungry Tiger and Cap'n Bill, in Their Successful Search for a Magical and Beautiful Birthday Present for Princess Ozma of Oz is the thirteenth Land of Oz...
and Glinda of Oz
Glinda of Oz
Glinda of Oz: In Which Are Related the Exciting Experiences of Princess Ozma of Oz, and Dorothy, in Their Hazardous Journey to the Home of the Flatheads, and to the Magic Isle of the Skeezers, and How They Were Rescued from Dire Peril by the Sorcery of Glinda the Good is the fourteenth Land of Oz...
, which were duly published in 1919 and 1920. The third book was the Animal Fairy Tales. It is unclear why Reilly & Britton did not publish the book, in 1921 or later.
The contents of the collection are:
- "Prologue" (originally published January 1905)
- "The Story of Jaglon" (January 1905)
- "The Stuffed Alligator" (February 1905)
- "The Discontented Gopher" (March 1905)
- "The Forest Oracle" (April 1905)
- "The Enchanted Buffalo" (May 1905)
- "The Pea-Green Poodle" (June 1905)
- "The Jolly Giraffe of Jomb" (July 1905)
- "The Troubles of Pop Wombat" (August 1905)
- "The Transformation of Bayal the Porcupine" (September 1905).
All of the stories were likely composed in 1903 and 1904; they resemble other animal tales that Baum wrote in the same era, some of which appeared in his American Fairy Tales
American Fairy Tales
American Fairy Tales is the title of a collection of twelve fantasy stories by L. Frank Baum, published in 1901 by the George M. Hill Company, the firm that issued The Wonderful Wizard of Oz the previous year...
(1901) and The Twinkle Tales
The Twinkle Tales
The Twinkle Tales is a 1905 series by L. Frank Baum, published under the pen name Laura Bancroft. The six stories were issued in separate booklets by Baum's publisher Reilly & Britton, with illustrations by Maginel Wright Enright...
(1906), and as episodes in his novels. Baum's animal tales are composed in his own highly imaginative vein, colored with his interest in Theosophy
Theosophy
Theosophy, in its modern presentation, is a spiritual philosophy developed since the late 19th century. Its major themes were originally described mainly by Helena Blavatsky , co-founder of the Theosophical Society...
, and different from the more naturalistic tales of contemporaries like Albert Bigelow Paine
Albert Bigelow Paine
Albert Bigelow Paine was an American author and biographer best known for his work with Mark Twain. Paine was a member of the Pulitzer Prize Committee and wrote in several genres, including fiction, humour, and verse....
. In "The Story of Jaglon," for example, an orphaned tiger is raised by "Tiger Fairies." (In 1953, Oz author Jack Snow's
Jack Snow (writer)
John Frederick "Jack" Snow was an American radio writer and scholar, primarily of the works of L. Frank Baum. When Baum died in 1919, the twelve-year-old Snow offered to be the next Royal Historian of Oz, but was politely turned down by a staffer at Baum's publisher, Reilly & Lee...
expansion of this story, titled Jaglon and the Tiger Fairies, was published with illustrations by Dale Ulrey. This was the first in a series of expanded versions of all nine stories planned by Reilly & Lee; but the other eight never appeared.)
Among the nine stories, "The Enchanted Buffalo" is the most frequently anthologized.
(Baum wrote another story that he intended for the collection; titled "The Tiger's Eye
The Tiger's Eye
The Tiger's Eye: A Jungle Fairy Tale is a short story by L. Frank Baum, famous as the creator of the Land of Oz. The story was unpublished in its own era, but has attracted significant attention since its belated publication in 1962....
," it is an extraordinarily grim and harsh story about evil magic enchanting animals and men. The story was not printed until 1962.)
Another edition of Animal Fairy Tales, which includes the original illustrations by Charles Bull, appeared in 1992.