Purely Whimsical

One of my favorite books from when I was younger was a book called “The Arbuthnot Anthology” (first edition). It’s a book directed at educators, and has poems, folk tales and fairy tales from around the world, and fiction and non-fiction from the time it was published, 1952.

Even when I started reading it, it was pretty worn. Considering that it had been used by five children, this is probably not unexpected. The first 30 pages or so are missing. Some of the pages are missing sections, sometimes significant sections. I remember taping some pages very carefully so they’d not tear anymore. Someone has done arithmetic problems on one of the pages. It looks similar to my handwriting, but I’m pretty sure it isn’t mine. Kansa has signed her name a couple of times on the back. Someone has circled a poem about flag day in blue ink and written “V.K.’s birthday!". Gaffer’s tape has been used to fix the binding on the inside and out.

The very inside of the book has a stamp from Elmendorf AFB that’s barely legible, and is signed Lorenz Kaufman, 1952. I can see echos of his handwriting style in mine, eerie since I never met my grandfather. There is a peculiar musty smell to it that some old books possess. The smell comforts me. I remember reading this book over and over again, finding new stories to enjoy as I got older. I loved how soft the well-thumbed pages felt when I browsed through it to find a familiar story.

In fact, I loved this book so much that my mom gave it to me a couple of years ago, knowing how much I loved it. I find that I can just look at this book, and I want to smile. I don’t even have to pick it up and read it. It’s like an old, comfortable friend. I’ve looked for another 1st edition Arbuthnot, since I’m curious about whats on those missing pages, but all I’ve been able to find are second editions, usually old library copies.

I decided the other day that I should pass it on to my 10 year old cousin who I hope will enjoy it as much as I did. The stories included in the book are classics for a reason; people have enjoyed these stories for centuries and will continue to enjoy them for centuries to come. It’s also a small slice of family history, and I hope she’ll appreciate that as well.

Since I couldn’t bear not having at least a copy of my old friend around, I ordered a well used personal copy (second edition) from a seller on Amazon. After much consideration, I’d rather have a somewhat worn but cherished book than a brand new spotless copy that sat somewhere, protected and out of the way or unused on a library storage shelf.

I’ll miss the copy signed by my grandpa, but I hope my cousin will enjoy it. It’s a well loved book.