7 of 8 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars
The devil went down to Cornwall, June 8, 2004
This review is from: Duffy and the Devil (Hardcover)
First of all, I suggest that prior to picking this pookie up you peruse some other Zemach titles along the way. Take a gander at Margot's excellent "It Could Always Be Worse". Thrill to Harve's "The Liar", complete with shocking ending. Then come back to the 1974 Caldecott winning "Duffy and the Devil". After reading the first two, you will understand perfectly how the Zemachs used their considerable skills and talents to bring to the world a wide variety of fabulous folktales. In this particular concoction our authorial duo offer unto us a retelling of the old Rumplestiltskin story. The result is charming.
In Cornwall there was once a rich Squire by the name of Lovel of Trove. He lived with his ancient housekeeper, a woman so old she was unable to properly mend and knit her employer's clothing. One day, the Squire sets out to find another housekeeper when he hears a local woman berating a girl because she is shiftless and lazy. The girl, Duffy, is immediately hired by the Squire (who apparently isn't put on guard by her reputed sloth) and the two go to his home. When confronted with her duties, the lazy Duffy somehow finds a way to destroy the only sewing machine. Uttering an oath, she is quickly joined by a little three-foot tall devil. The devil informs the girl that he will do all her chores and after three years he will take her away with him. That is unless, of course, she guesses his name within those three years. Duffy is a careless sort, and she readily agrees. The clothes the devil makes are fabulous and after a while the Squire and Duffy wed. When the time comes to pay the devil's due, Duffy panics and finds she cannot discover his name. With a little help from Old Jone, the older servant, the problem is solved and everyone is able to get back to things the way they used to be.
Don't you love picture books that some people hate for no good reason? I will now draw your attention to the fact that this story uses one little motif that sets the good Christian conservatives of the world on their ear faster than anything. It shows a little devil. Not THE devil, mind you. Just an underling. The story also shows a bunch of witches dancing about the fire. Now, what I like about all of this is that these characters are clearly evil, and the devil himself is destroyed at the end of the tale. But some people will not be appeased. They will lobby cries of "Satanism!" and "Evil" against this poor little picture book. Better still, they'll insist that elements of this tale (based, no less, on a popular Cornish play performed in the nineteenth century) be changed. That the author should have taken out the devil. Such suggestions are as ill advised as they are innocently insulting. There is nothing perverse or bad about this story. But if you feel it would be an evil presence in your home then by all means avoid it.
It is a good story, though. Not only are the words well recorded but the pictures are a stitch. The devil is a plump fellow with a tale that's longer and grosser than any rat's. I was particularly impressed that illustrator Margot Zemach understands the logistics of spinning wheels. Here marks the second picture book I've ever seen that shows how spinning wheels actually work (the first being Paul O. Zelinsky's elegant "Rumplestiltskin"). The casual reader might point out that, in a way, Duffy is rewarded for her laziness. That's one possible interpretation. Another might be to add that this book is potentially a comment on the idle rich. Industrious workers like the old servant remain in their station while the lazy cheaters join the hoity toity ranks of other lazy cheaters. Such is the way of the world. Another way to look at this book is to simply give it the due offered to so many fairy tales out there. After all, we've never objected to the ending of the real Rumpelstiltskin, have we? So how is this story any different? That's just my take.
In the end, the book's a fun romp. Kids will be just as amused by the feisty little devil as they will by the Squire loosing all this clothing in the end (making careful use of his top hat, I might add). If you care for a good folktale told with the appropriate amount of fun and ridiculousness, look no further than "Duffy and the Devil". It's an adorable concoction.
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3 of 8 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars
I thought this book had great detail and wonderful pictures!, October 21, 1999
By A Customer
This review is from: Duffy and the Devil (Hardcover)
This book was great for children to open up! The pictures and the story went hand in hand. The pictures had great detail and included a lot of color. I would recommend this book to every child, every parent of a child, and every teacher!
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