Figure descriptions
The illustrated poem title appears centred at the top of the periodical page in hand-drawn
lettering. It is superimposed over
an illustration of a dense evergreen canopy. The vertical line from the initial letter
“T” is curved. An anthropomorphic squirrel
inhabits this space. The squirrel sits on the letter and looks into a mirror which
is positioned on the letter’s horizontal stroke
ending. The stroke ending functions as a small table for the squirrel. A hairbrush
also sits on the table beside the mirror. The
squirrel ties its necktie while looking into the mirror. The illustrated scene is
partially contained within a medium-weight
single-ruled rectangular border. At the left extremity, by the initial letter “T”,
the illustration of a tree trunk descends the
page. At the right side of the border, below the word “Bluebottle”, an enlarged fly
is superimposed over the border’s bottom edge.
1/10 page.
An anthropomorphic fly works at a desk in a small library. The fly wears glasses and
a shirt collar and dips a feather quill
into a pot of ink. It appears to be writing. A waste paper bin sits beside the desk;
it is filled with folded and crumpled paper.
Books line the shelves in the background. A medium-weight zig-zag line separates this
illustrated scene from the proceeding scene
along the bottom-left corner. 1/16 page.
An anthropomorphic fly shops at a grocery store that is being staffed by a toad. The
fly wears glasses and a top hat and
gestures towards the toad’s wares. The toad places its two front legs on the counter.
On the counter top, there are empty plates as
well as platters and display cases filled with various types of foods. The shop windows
contain signs which read “SOUP” and “ICES”
in reverse. 1/12 page.
An anthropomorphic squirrel reads a folded dinner invitation. The invitation features
a drawing of a wine bottle. The envelope
which once contained the invitation lies opened on the ground. The squirrel smiles
while reading and appears to dance with delight.
A bird flies near the squirrel’s head. There are plants on the ground and tree trunks
in the background. There is a single-ruled
border in the top-right corner of the illustrated scene. 1/12 page.
An anthropomorphic fly changes its dress in its home. The fly’s top hat hangs on a
mounted coat hook next to another garment.
A chair leans on the wall below the coat hook. There is a table next to the chair.
A bowl sits on the table and a jug is placed
below the table. The fly stands at the left side of the illustrated scene and is in
the middle of putting on a pair of black pants.
This illustrated scene is contained within a single-ruled circular border. It is superimposed
over a second illustrated scene. The
second illustrated scene features a picnic basket, glasses, tableware, a pie, and
a bottle of wine, all of which have been set out
in the grass. There are leaves at the right side of the illustration. There is a single-ruled
border along the bottom and right
edges of this illustrated scene. 1/16 page.
A group of animals steals the fly’s dinner spread. The scene occurs at the base of
a thick tree trunk. The fly appears at the
center-top of the illustration and the squirrel peeks its head out from behind the
trunk, witnessing the theft with wide eyes. The
fly throws its arms in the air. Multiple animals begin to run away from the picnic
blanket. Two birds, a mouse, a snail, and a
lizard all scurry toward the left side of the illustration. One bird, identified in
the poem text as a cuckoo, flies away holding a
pie. The lizard steps on a plate as it walks away. At the center, a beetle and a toad
attempt to get out of an empty dish. Cutlery,
a glass, a corkscrew, and a wine bottle fall down the grass incline. Another insect
is also falling; it has been flipped over on its
back. At the right side of the illustration, a bird feasts on a prepared pudding.
The bird is identified in the poem text as a
robin. 1/3 page.
An anthropomorphic fly lies down incapacitated in the grass. Its legs are splayed
and it wears black pants and a white shirt
collar. An anthropomorphic squirrel stands and looks at the fly. The squirrel clutches
its tail and looks toward the fly with a
worried expression. 1/6 page
An anthropomorphic fly and squirrel drink wine together under a bush. The squirrel
smiles at the fly as it pours wine into the
fly’s glass. The squirrel holds its own full glass up in the air. The fly sits and
looks up toward the squirrel. It uses a mushroom
as a stool, and there are two other mushrooms behind it. The fly wears glasses, a
shirt collar, and black pants. The bush’s leafy
branches form a slight canopy over their picnic. 1/6 page.
