The Troubles and Trials of Wandering Bunny
Hi Guys!
I'm back with another searing tale by Dame Dingle! You know, the lady who gave us The Cats' Party. Judging from her stuff, nobody hated kids and wanted to make them cry more than her!
So this time we've got a story about a dumb bunny who decides to leave the warren in search of adventure! He can't be happy where he's at, so he goes off to see the great world! Well, like anything that's half-cocked, it doesn't work out so well. Read on and you'll see what I mean!
Hey, I don't mean to interrupt your reading pleasure, but check out that farmer's face! Is that inbreeding or what?? And it looks like he eats his rabbits raw! OK, let's get back to it!
Whoa! That's a tough ending -- We don't even have the moral to set us straight! But hey, the moral should be obvious: stay home, kids! Don't be dumb bunnies! Never leave, never have fun, and the world won't kick you in the backside! Thanks, Dame Dingle!
OK guys, see you next time. And don't stick your heads out of the hutch until I give the all-clear!
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But every time the witch asked to feel Billy's finger, he stuck a dry stick through the bars. "Oh", cried the witch, "You need to fatten up"!
ReplyDeleteCareful now! Let's not give Dame Dingle any more ideas!
DeleteIt's fascinating that this predates Beatrix Potter's The Tale of Peter Rabbit by more than thirty years. I wonder if she cribbed some of her story line from Dame Dingle. After all, Ms. Potter was only three years old when The Troubles and Trials of Wandering Bunny hit the presses.
ReplyDeleteIs this Dingle Dreadful still in Copyright? I couldn't find your source anywhere -- although I did turn up a better cover.
I too thought there was a more than passing resemblance to the Tale of Peter Rabbit. As far as I know, this is public domain material -- the pictures are from my own copy.
DeleteDame Dingle makes an appearance in Queen Zixi of Ix, L. Frank Baum, 1904. I found this in Public Domain Superheroes. Whether Baum dredged up the name from memories or, more likely, stole it I have no idea. He would have been the right age to have read the rabbit story as a boy. Copyrights seem to have been merely amusing to publishers on the other side of the Atlantic from their home country. Edison was not able to enforce his patent on film even here, just by moving to California the industry was able to give him the fingeroo and laughed while they did so.
DeleteA scary cautionary tale for kids-The Victorian times were pretty tough! Great find though-love the illustrations!
ReplyDeleteThanks! I definitely agree about Victorian times -- they were not kid-friendly! Dame Dingle books turn up here and there; I'm hoping to find some more if I can.
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