Beschreibung
Abenteuer des Esels Cadichon
by Sophie de Ségur
with 52 illustrations by Horace Castelli, translated from the French and freely adapted by Ulrich Taschow
286 pages, 52 illustrations, paperback edition, published in 2013, series: avox fantasia, ISBN: 978-3-936979-11-4, >>> Reading Sample
Target groups
Classic all-age literature, lovers of refined artistic illustration, lovers of satirical literature, and lovers of historical children’s books
“Compassion for animals and a good character are so closely
connected that one may say with certainty that no one who is
cruel to animals, who kills and eats them, can be a good person.”
Arthur Schopenhauer (1788-1860)
Let yourself be enchanted by one of the funniest, most touching, most affectionate, and most profound life stories of an animal since the fables of Aesop: an absolute bestseller of world literature, the most successful book by the French author Sophie de Ségur, adapted for film, translated into various languages, and now also available in German.
The clever and at the same time rebellious donkey Cadichon tells of his utterly incredible adventures, of the funny and rough pranks he played on his owners, but also of his great sorrow in search of happiness in a human world that dismisses him and his fellow donkeys as stupid, ignorant, and stubborn. Driven in this way from one loveless, cruel owner to the next, each one again determining his life as fate would have it, Cadichon’s life resembles a mad odyssey that can really only find a tragic end.
Fortunately, however, this is not so. After many confusions, Cadichon finally meets in little five-year-old Jakob a human being and friend who is capable of true, unprejudiced love even for a donkey. And through this little boy, Cadichon finds his way back to the path of the heart.
As Cadichon reflects without restraint on the behavior of human beings, which from his animal point of view is utterly absurd, his adventure story also becomes a delightful critique of society, as sharp and entertaining in its way as, for example, Gulliver’s Travels. Cadichon’s adventures are also among the earliest confessions of the dignity and rights of animals. Sophie de Ségur also finds a wonderful tone that touches the hearts of children and adults alike. One simply has to love this donkey Cadichon ...
If one reader or another discovers parallels to his or her own life while reading, this is no coincidence. For Cadichon’s adventures are ultimately the parable-like, eternally timely story of a gifted being who longs for freedom, love, and recognition and who, precisely because of this, encounters only rejection in a society trapped in prejudice. Thus, in order to protect his ideals and identity, Cadichon involuntarily becomes a rebel who tries, quite literally, to turn the world upside down. Or, to conclude in his own words:
“After you have read this little book, you will finally have to admit that instead of saying as before: ‘Stupid as a donkey, ignorant as a donkey, stubborn as a donkey, impudent as a donkey,’ from now on it must rightly be said: ‘Ingenious as a donkey, clever as a donkey, understanding as a donkey, loving as a donkey.’ And I am certain that you and your dear parents will still be proud of these words of praise. Hee-haw!”
Contents
1. The Market 15
2. The Pursuit 25
3. The New Masters 28
4. The Bridge 34
5. The Ghost in the Churchyard 42
6. The Hiding Place 47
7. The Medallion 56
8. The Fire 62
9. The Donkey Race 68
10. The Good Household 81
11. Cadichon Falls Ill 88
12. The Robbers 93
13. The Underground Vaults 100
14. The Hunt 114
15. The Murder 130
16. Médor 139
17. The Cruel Schoolchildren 150
18. The Learned Donkey 155
19. The Frog 173
20. The Pony 179
21. The Punishment 193
22. The Conversion 206
23. The Thieves 229
24. The Interrogation 243
25. Reconciliation and Atonement 250
26. The Fishing Trip 261
Epilogue 278
Jakob’s Addendum 283
