Fable: The mouse and the elephant cross a bridge

[ADSGarson O'Toole]

The October 2014 issue of "The Quote Unquote Newsletter" from Nigel
Rees included a short tale featuring a mouse and an elephant crossing
a bridge. Nigel was sent a version in Dutch from 1963, and he
skillfully traced it back to an American periodical in 1937. Below is
a citation in 1936. The tale was presented in comic strip form, and
only the captions are given below.

Date: May 17, 1936
Newspaper: Cleveland Plain Dealer
Newspaper Location: Cleveland, Ohio
Section: Sunday Magazine
Cartoon Strip: Funny Fables by Ed Kuekes
Cartoon Title: The mouse and the Elephant
Quote Page: 10
Database: GenealogyBank

[Start excerpt]
ONE DAY A GREAT BIG ELEPHANT AND A
ITSY BITSY MOUSE WENT FOR A WALK.

THEY ADMIRED THE FLOWERS AND
BIRDS ALL ALONG THE WAY.

SOON THEY CAME TO A BRIDGE.

AND AS THEY CROSSED THE BROOK, THE
BRIDGE TREMBLED AND SHOOK UNDER
THE WEIGHT OF THE ELEPHANT.

"GOSH,' SQUEAKED THE MOUSE WHEN THEY
WERE ON THE OTHER SIDE OF THE STREAM,
"DIDN'T WE MAKE THAT BRIDGE SHAKE"

THE INSIGNIFICANT SOMETIMES FEEL
IMPORTANT WHEN IN THE PRESENCE
OF THE GREAT
[End excerpt]

Garson

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