The Wonder Clock

I've been in a bit of a reading funk lately, with lots of good books to read but the wrong mood for any of them. A few nights ago, I decided to pull out the used copy of "The Wonder Clock", by Howard Pyle, that I picked up a couple of years ago at a library sale. I've read some other things by Pyle that I really enjoyed- "The Merry Adventures of Robin Hood" and "Men of Iron" are fantastic, with illustrations not to be missed. "The Wonder Clock" was no disappointment. It is a collection of fairy tales that the author first heard from an amazing clock that he found in Father Time's attic. There is one tale for each hour of the day, a short verse that precedes each one, and great illustrations throughout. I did have to tuck away some feminist leanings that bubbled up as I started to read, but once I remembered the age in which this was written, I thoroughly enjoyed the book and learned several very useful life lessons.

1. It is much better to be a youngest son than an older one. Unfortunately, I can't help that one, being neither a son nor a youngest.

2. When you are traveling through a forest and meet an old woman in tatters who asks you for two pennies, don't hesitate for a second- just fork them over.

3. Never bet your left eye against your brother's horse unless you are absolutely sure that you will win.

4. If you ignore lesson #3 and lose the aforesaid bet, you can be healed by wetting your eye with a handkerchief that has been soaked in dew collected under a gallows.

5. When faced with the task of having to collect crow's eggs from the top of a 100 ft. fir tree with sides as smooth as glass, the best way to succeed is to find a princess that will call to the wind to carry her hair up to the top so that you can climb it.

6. Stealing magic pinecones from a dwarf blacksmith can be hazardous to your happiness and that of your children.

7. If you are a grey goose, a red fox is probably not the best husband for you.

8. If you are a sausage who wants to explore the big wide world, watch out for friends with ulterior motives.

Enough said!