WHAT WAS THE MATTER? HAD HE STUCK HIS NOSE INTO A PIN-CUSHION?
Billy Whiskers, Jr. and His Chums.
By Frances Trego Montgomery.
Illustrated by Hugo von Hofsten.
The Saalfield, Publishing Company: Chicago, Akron, Ohio & New York. 1907.
-
Follow
Following
Already have a WordPress.com account? Log in now.
Elephant's Picture Book 
The man doesn’t look very compassionate. Poor goat! Even the little dog’s in trouble. Did you know that with those old beehives you had to kill the hive to get the honey?
That must have been back in the day when we had bees to kill! I didn’t know that – although I have wondered why hives now have those frames you can take in and out – now it makes sense. Sorry bees from the past!
The man in the illustration has a kind of complicated relationship with Billy Whiskers. They don’t always play nice with each other. One hundred years ago a Chinese man was likely to be portrayed as a confusing character.
Elephant
Asians are still the only ethnic group that Hollywood sees fit to cast as “comical” characters. Strange that. It’s interesting that the Chinese man seems almost childlike and ridiculous–do you remember Sixteen Candles?
I vaguely remember Sixteen Candles, but . . . Billy has a long running feud with this man. Billy cuts his cue off for revenge!
Elephant
Poor Bees, poor everyone. I expect the Chinese man is laughing because he is the only one not being attacked by the bees.
I was attacked by wasps when I was a child – that was a very bad experience – it hurt and I got very tired, but nobody thought much of it except me.
Elephant
That would have been horrible. Poor you.