Ace of clubs: "The queen bee"
Collected by the Brothers Grimm in the 1800s, I stumbled upon this lesser known fairy tale when I was trying to incorporate a bee...
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Collected by the Brothers Grimm in the 1800s, I stumbled upon this lesser known fairy tale when I was trying to incorporate a bee into one of my designs. Those of you who know my art know that I am enamoured by bees so I honestly could not imagine creating 54 pieces without including my beloved pollinator in at least one of them (actually there is one other card that bees turn up on, can you find it?). When I discovered this tale I knew it would be included in the collection despite being relatively unknown. The story tells the tale of a competitive journey between 3 brothers in which the brother least likely to win winds up being the victor. The winning brother had protected some ants, ducks and bees from being killed by his other 2 brothers before the quest and these creatures, in return, help him complete 3 very difficult tasks. The final task (for the win!), the Queen Bee herself helps him with, and the rest is history. Here is the Brothers Grimm version if you’d like more details:
https://www.worldoftales.com/fairy_tales/Brothers_Grimm/THE%20QUEEN%20BEE.html#gsc.tab=0
https://www.worldoftales.com/fairy_tales/Brothers_Grimm/THE%20QUEEN%20BEE.html#gsc.tab=0
Two of clubs: "The lion and the mouse"
Aesop fable (#150). No one is ever too small to help out…I’ve always loved this fable - it’s a good reminder to never judge a book by...
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Aesop fable (#150). No one is ever too small to help out…I’ve always loved this fable - it’s a good reminder to never judge a book by its cover and to keep in mind that what goes around comes around. I have illustrated the lion, entangled in ropes, in one club silhouette and the mouse, trying to free him, in the other. Here is a version of the fable:
https://etc.usf.edu/lit2go/35/aesops-fables/631/the-lion-and-the-mouse/
https://etc.usf.edu/lit2go/35/aesops-fables/631/the-lion-and-the-mouse/
Three of clubs: "The billy goats gruff"
First collected and published in Norway in the 1840s. Three goats, of increasing size, escape from a hungry troll. I've never been...
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First collected and published in Norway in the 1840s. Three goats, of increasing size, escape from a hungry troll. I’ve never been entirely sure if the goats are throwing each other under the bus (wait for my brother, he’s bigger) or if they are working together to outsmart the troll. Whatever the case, the troll hungrily waits for the largest goat of the 3 to eat and presumably regrets this greedy decision when the third (and largest) goat overpowers and kills him. My illustration depicts the Billy Goats 3 (small, medium and large) tripping and trapping their way to a safer pasture and plumper bellies. Most of the versions of this tale seem to end with the little rhyme “Snip, snap, snout. This tale’s told out”, how adorable! Here is a version of the Norwegian fable:
https://americanliterature.com/childrens-stories/the-three-billy-goats-gruff
https://americanliterature.com/childrens-stories/the-three-billy-goats-gruff
four of clubs: "The Goose that Laid the Golden Egg"
Aesop fable (#87). A farmer has a goose which lays 1 golden egg a day but that isn’t good enough for him so he cuts open the bird...
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Aesop fable (#87). A farmer has a goose which lays 1 golden egg a day but that isn’t good enough for him so he cuts open the bird to try to get all of the golden eggs out at once. After eviscerating the poor goose the farmer realizes that there is nothing different about it internally and it contains no further gold. Not only did he not get any golden eggs that day but his greed ruined his chances of ever getting golden eggs in the future. I guess it’s always a good idea to appreciate what you have, especially if you’re getting free gold every day! I decided to illustrate the goose with the one daily golden egg framed by the many gold eggs that the farmer was hoping for. Read a version of the fable yourself here:
www.umass.edu/aesop/content.php?n=14&i=1
www.umass.edu/aesop/content.php?n=14&i=1
five of clubs: "Puss in Boots"
The first version of this fairy tale was written by Giovonni Francesco Straparola followed by Giambattista Basile and finally it was...
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A.K.A. "The Master Cat". The first version of this fairy tale was written by Giovonni Francesco Straparola followed by Giambattista Basile and finally it was collected and recorded by Charles Perrault in the 17th century. A feline con artist capable of epic levels of trickery, that’s my kind of cat! I illustrated the feline in all of his finery with some delightful knee-high boots. Read Perrault’s version here:
https://sites.pitt.edu/~dash/perrault04.html
https://sites.pitt.edu/~dash/perrault04.html
six of clubs: "The Steadfast Tin Soldier"
This fairy tale, by Hans Christian Andersen, (published in 1838) was not based on a pre-existing folk tale. It is a love story, of sorts,...
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This fairy tale, by Hans Christian Andersen, (published in 1838) was not based on a pre-existing folk tale. It is a love story, of sorts, between a tin soldier with only one leg and a paper ballerina. The end is tragic, yet sadly romantic. I have chosen to illustrate the ballerina in mid-pirouette (which is how I imagine her) and rather than the “spangle” or rose which is on her sash in some versions of the story, I have chosen to illustrate a club pendant on a necklace. The soldier, with his missing leg, is staring at her as longingly as a toy soldier can. Beneath them is the paper boat, in which the soldier took his journey through a gutter, and hanging between them is the tin heart and the ballerina’s bead that were discovered at the end of the story. You can read my summary HERE, or a slightly longer version here:
https://andersen.sdu.dk/vaerk/hersholt/TheSteadfastTinSoldier_e.html
https://andersen.sdu.dk/vaerk/hersholt/TheSteadfastTinSoldier_e.html
seven of clubs: "The Frog Prince"
Or “Iron Henry” Published in 1812 by The Brothers Grimm. Honestly, I am not a huge fan of the story of the frog prince. The frog...
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Or “Iron Henry” Published in 1812 by The Brothers Grimm. Honestly, I am not a huge fan of the story of the frog prince. The frog seems smarmy and manipulative to me and I don’t like how the princess marries him when he turns back into a prince; I mean he was such a creep when he was a frog! Having said this, I love the imagery associated with the Frog Prince and the strange aesthetic of a frog paired with a crown that has become ubiquitous with the story. I included my take on the classic tale in this deck despite my feelings about the slimy prince and the princess that should definitely NOT have married him in the end. You can read The Brothers Grimm version here:
https://sites.pitt.edu/~dash/grimm001.html
https://sites.pitt.edu/~dash/grimm001.html
eight of clubs: "Goldilocks and the three bears"
Some of the first recorded versions of the tale are credited to Eleanor Mure and Robert Southey in the 1830s. The version many of..
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Some of the first recorded versions of the tale are credited to Eleanor Mure and Robert Southey in the 1830s. The version many of us are familiar with today involves a chair, a bed, some porridge, a golden haired girl and a family of bears, but this fairy tale had numerous versions before the protagonist (or antagonist depending on how you look at it) became the one we know today. Originally an old woman, Goldilocks didn’t take the shape of a little girl until years after the first publication of the tale (this adaptation is credited to Joseph Cundall) and she wasn’t named Goldilocks or given blonde hair until even later, in 1904. How different this story would feel with an old lady instead of a curious little girl! And as for astronomy, “The Goldilocks Zone” sounds so much better than “The Old Lady Zone” don’t you think? When I thought of the version of Goldilocks that I am familiar with, this image of her fast asleep with the silhouettes of the baby, mama and papa bears above her came to mind. I felt it was important to emphasize her golden locks so I juxtaposed the black and white of the graphic with a bright pop of yellow. If you want to learn more about the history of the various versions of the story here check out:
https://torontopubliclibrary.typepad.com/arts_culture/2021/01/the-three-bears-before-goldilocks-the-history-of-a-fairy-tale.html
https://owlcation.com/humanities/goldilocks-and-three-bears
https://torontopubliclibrary.typepad.com/arts_culture/2021/01/the-three-bears-before-goldilocks-the-history-of-a-fairy-tale.html
https://owlcation.com/humanities/goldilocks-and-three-bears
nine of clubs: "Wolf in Sheep’s Clothing"
When researching this idiom I came across some conflicting information about whether the origin of this phrase/fable is from...
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When researching this idiom I came across some conflicting information about whether the origin of this phrase/fable is from Aesop or the bible. Although it is in the Aesopic collection there is some debate over whether it should in fact be credited to him or not. Whatever its true source, my piece is inspired by the fable that is numbered 451 in the Perry index of Aesop’s collection. As for the illustration, I knew that I wanted to incorporate celestial imagery and was particularly inspired by the wood engraving which appeared in Camille Flammarion’s 1888 book. It is by an unknown artist and is referred to as the “Flammarion Engraving”. You can read the fable of questionable origin and unknown authorship here:
https://fablesofaesop.com/the-wolf-in-sheeps-clothing.html
You can see the engraving that inspired the sky in my illustration here:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Flammarion_engraving#/media/File:Flammarion.jpg
https://fablesofaesop.com/the-wolf-in-sheeps-clothing.html
You can see the engraving that inspired the sky in my illustration here:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Flammarion_engraving#/media/File:Flammarion.jpg
ten of clubs: "The Tortoise and the Hare"
Aesop fable #226. I love a tale where the underdog wins - this kind of story always gives a little more hope to the rest of us! This...
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Aesop fable #226. I love a tale where the underdog wins - this kind of story always gives a little more hope to the rest of us! This illustration features a cozy and cocky hare nestled in his burrow oblivious to the steadfast and determined tortoise above him. Can you find all 10 clubs? You can read the fable here:
Aesop fable #226. I love a tale where the underdog wins - this kind of story always gives a little more hope to the rest of us! This illustration features a cozy and cocky hare nestled in his burrow oblivious to the steadfast and determined tortoise above him. Can you find all 10 clubs? You can read the fable here:
https://etc.usf.edu/lit2go/35/aesops-fables/612/the-hare-and-the-tortoise
Aesop fable #226. I love a tale where the underdog wins - this kind of story always gives a little more hope to the rest of us! This illustration features a cozy and cocky hare nestled in his burrow oblivious to the steadfast and determined tortoise above him. Can you find all 10 clubs? You can read the fable here:
https://etc.usf.edu/lit2go/35/aesops-fables/612/the-hare-and-the-tortoise
jack of clubs: "Jack and the Beanstalk"
Initially this fairy tale was published as “The Story of Jack Spriggins and the Enchanted Bean” in 1734 (wow, who knew Jack had a...
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Initially this fairy tale was published as “The Story of Jack Spriggins and the Enchanted Bean” in 1734 (wow, who knew Jack had a last name?!?!). It was re-worked by a couple more authors in the 17 & 1800s and then finally published in a Joseph Jacobs collection of fairy tales in 1890; this is the version most of us are familiar with. I love the idea of a young boy climbing up through the clouds to a great unknown in the sky so this is the moment I chose to depict in my illustration of Jack. He’s high above the mountains and the trees, blinking clouds out of his eyes just before he hears the infamous call of the giant: “Fee-Fi-Fo-Fum!” Read the Joseph Jacobs version here: https://fairytalez.com/jack-and-the-beanstalk/
queen of clubs: "The Snow Queen"
Original fairy tale written by Hans Christian Andersen and published in 1844. Another tale I was not aware of before I created this...
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Original fairy tale written by Hans Christian Andersen and published in 1844. Another tale I was not aware of before I created this deck. I have included the 2 children, Gerda and Kai, in the center along with some symbols from the story (snow, bees and roses). It is Hans Christian Andersen’s longest fairy tale, which is broken into 7 parts, so if you would like to read an abridged version check out the summary on Wikipedia:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Snow_Queen
You can read the full tale here, but grab a snack and get comfy, it will take a while:
https://andersen.sdu.dk/vaerk/hersholt/TheSnowQueen_e.html
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Snow_Queen
You can read the full tale here, but grab a snack and get comfy, it will take a while:
https://andersen.sdu.dk/vaerk/hersholt/TheSnowQueen_e.html
king of clubs: "King Midas"
I wanted a well-known king figure to represent this card and King Midas was the right man for the job. Although this is not a fairy...
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I wanted a well-known king figure to represent this card and King Midas was the right man for the job. Although this is not a fairy tale or classic story per se (it has roots in Greek Mythology), to me it very much reads like a fairy tale or fable with a clear intended moral. I remember being introduced to the story as a child and have always really liked the idea of a greedy king learning his lesson the hard way. I chose to illustrate Midas in the fashion of a classic face card (a portrait flipped and repeated) and surround him with the gold he so longed for.