December 1, 2010

A Friendly Dance

Oh, to be a child in the spring, dancing with a giant bug.

Novelty Postcard

17 comments:

Verdant Earl said...

I don't know which frightens me more. The giant bug, or the evil girl choosing to dance with a giant bug. Shivers.

That Hank said...

You don't want to cut in?

Ms. Moon said...

Maybe the girl is teeny-tiny. Like Thumballena. That would be just as frightening, though.

That Hank said...

But then how tiny would those butterflies have to be?

A said...

In patent leather shoes.

Steph(anie) said...

Oh I love this! I always loved to imagine that I was either teeny tiny or that other things were bigger. I used to have that Shirley Temple hair, too.

Steph(anie) said...

And I have vivid memories of wanting a pair of patent leather shoes and my mother refusing because they weren't practical.

Of course now I'm a thousand time worse than her as far as wanting to be practical.

That Hank said...

My sister wanted (and, I think, finally got) shiny black shoes as well.

doc patcheko said...

This is probably an illustration for the german fairytale "peterchen's mondfahrt" in which two children accompany a giant cockchafer (new word for me, in german it's a Maikäfer) to the moon to retrieve his missing sixth leg. I loved this tale as a child.

Been following this blog for a while and I really enjoy the images and your writings and also the commentaries of the usual suspects around here. So, hello everybody.

That Hank said...

Actually, we'd say cockroach. This is fascinating, though - I love finding out information I didn't even know to look for.

Glad you're enjoying it. Please, feel free to speak up and join in with the comments. That's what makes it fun to blog.

doc patcheko said...

thanks for the welcome. and not to be nitpicking but it's not a cockroach, it really is a pretty large beetle, which apparently never emigrated to america. It's got a collective breeding cycle of 4 or 5 years, which means you'll not see a single beetle for years and then one day you find yourself sitting under a tree infested with thousands of them making a very very loud humming sound and falling on top of you, cause they're quite clumsy. They're completely harmless, though.

That Hank said...

You're right, I looked them up - actually very cool looking. Sounds a little like our cicadas, although I don't think they're related. Another ones of those beetles with a multiple year lifespan. But I don't know if I'd call a giant, dancing bug completely harmless!

May said...

Around her a cock chafer would be something else entirely!
Also yes, I got those shoes for going to the doctor, I believe. I would do anything for a pair of black shiny shoes. ANYTHING! They are like crack for a five year old girl.
I love this picture. I wonder what the bug's face looks like. Rather charming, I would think. I would also like to read that fairy tale. I'll have to look it up.

That Hank said...

Well, her face is fairly demonic. The bug's is probably less eeeevil.

May said...

I meant "around here". She is too young for a cock chafer.

May said...

Maybe it is more eeevil.

That Hank said...

I wasn't gonna say that, but yeah.