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| from "The Snow Queen" in The Snow Queen and Other stories--an oversize Golden Book with illustrations by Adrienne Segur |
I pored over my copy of The Snow Queen and Other Stories when I was a small child as blonde and blue-eyed as an Adrienne Segur character. Later little gold crowns ringed my pupils and my eyes turned green. My hair would darken. Back then I had a deep love for Segur's illustration that I now find was not uncommon among women writers around my age. Many of us had one (or two--the lucky ones!) of the big story collections Segur illustrated for Golden Books. I bought the second one some years ago and wished that I could send it through time to the child-me. Instead, I shall send you a little card from child-me and current-me: Young Crone-me.
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| Segur, "The Little Lamb" |
The Year of the Blue Christmas Tree
Part 1
Part 2
Part 3
Part 4
Part 5
Here’s Snow Day in the Writing Room.
And a childhood favorite at Christmas.
Here’s a poem for Christmas Day.
*****
Maybe a little William Blake (1757-1827) to accompany that illustration?
The Lamb
Little Lamb who made thee
Dost thou know who made thee
Gave thee life & bid thee feed.
By the stream & o'er the mead;
Gave thee clothing of delight,
Softest clothing wooly bright;
Gave thee such a tender voice,
Making all the vales rejoice!
Little Lamb who made thee
Dost thou know who made thee
Little Lamb I'll tell thee,
Little Lamb I'll tell thee!
He is called by thy name,
For he calls himself a Lamb:
He is meek & he is mild,
He became a little child:
I a child & thou a lamb,
We are called by his name.
Little Lamb God bless thee.
Little Lamb God bless thee.
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| One of my favorite books as a child. Segur illustrations. |
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| Segur, "Melito and his Soul" |
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| Segur illustration, "La Rose de Noël"
The New-year's Gift
Let others look for pearl and gold,
Tissues, or tabbies manifold:
One only lock of that sweet hay
Whereon the blessed Baby lay,
Or one poor swaddling-clout, shall be
The richest New-year's gift to me.
Robert Herrick (1591-1674)
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| Segur. I'm not sure what this one is from... |
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| Segur, for "The Legend of the Rossignol" |
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| Segur detail, "The Little Girl Made of Snow"
Christmas-Eve, Another Ceremony
Come guard this night the Christmas-Pie,
That the thief, though ne'er so sly,
With his flesh-hooks, don't come nigh
To catch it
From him, who all alone sits there,
Having his eyes still in his ear,
And a deal of nightly fear
To watch it.
--Herrick
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| Three kind Segurian dwarves assisting a poor child shoved out in the snow by her cruel stepmother! |
