''The Story of Ferdinand'' (1936) is the best-known work by the American author

Munro Leaf Wilbur Monroe Leaf ( Munro Leaf) (December 4, 1905 – December 21, 1976) was an American writer of children's literature who wrote and illustrated nearly 40 books during his 40-year career. He is best known for ''The Story of Ferdinand'' (1936), ...

. Illustrated by Robert Lawson, the

children's book Children's literature or juvenile literature includes stories, books, magazines, and poems that are created for children. Modern children's literature is classified in two different ways: genre or the intended age of the reader. Children's ...

tells the story of a

bull A bull is an intact (i.e., not castrated) adult male of the species ''Bos taurus'' (cattle). More muscular and aggressive than the females of the same species (i.e., cows), bulls have long been an important symbol in many religions, includin ...

who would rather smell flowers than fight in

bullfights Bullfighting is a physical contest that involves a bullfighter attempting to subdue, immobilize, or kill a bull, usually according to a set of rules, guidelines, or cultural expectations. There are several variations, including some forms wh ...

. He sits in the middle of the bull ring failing to take heed of any of the provocations of the

matador A bullfighter (or matador) is a performer in the activity of bullfighting. ''Torero'' () or ''toureiro'' (), both from Latin ''taurarius'', are the Spanish and Portuguese words for bullfighter and describe all the performers in the activit ...

and others to fight. ''The Story of Ferdinand'' was published in 1936 by

Viking Books Viking Press (formally Viking Penguin, also listed as Viking Books) is an American publishing company owned by Penguin Random House. It was founded in New York City on March 1, 1925, by Harold K. Guinzburg and George S. Oppenheim and then acquire ...

. Later, after the

Spanish Civil War The Spanish Civil War ( es, Guerra Civil Española)) or The Revolution ( es, La Revolución, link=no) among Nationalists, the Fourth Carlist War ( es, Cuarta Guerra Carlista, link=no) among Carlists, and The Rebellion ( es, La Rebelión, link ...

, it was viewed as having a political agenda. During

World War II World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great powers—forming two opposing ...

, the British

Air Transport Auxiliary The Air Transport Auxiliary (ATA) was a British civilian organisation set up at the start of the Second World War with headquarters at White Waltham Airfield in Berkshire. The ATA ferried new, repaired and damaged military aircraft between factori ...

started flying into Europe after D-Day and their pilots, who were non-combatants, used Ferdinand the Bull as their call sign. The book has been adapted into two films, the 1938 animated short ''Ferdinand the Bull'' and the 2017 computer-animated feature film ''Ferdinand''.

Plot

Young Ferdinand does not enjoy butting heads with other young

s, preferring instead to sit under a

cork tree Cork tree or corktree may refer to: * Cork oak, ''Quercus suber'', the tree from which most cork is harvested * Chinese cork oak, '' Quercus variabilis'', a tree from which cork is occasionally harvested * Cork-tree, a species of ''Phellodendron'' * ...

smelling the flowers. His mother is concerned that he might be lonely and tries to persuade him to play with the other calves, but when she sees that Ferdinand is content as he is, she leaves him alone. Ferdinand grows to be the biggest bull in the herd and he often spends time alone. All the other bulls dream of being chosen to compete in the

in Madrid, but Ferdinand still prefers smelling the flowers instead. One day, five men come to the pasture to choose a bull for the

. Ferdinand is again on his own, sniffing flowers, when he accidentally sits on a bumblebee. Upon getting stung as a result, he runs wildly across the field, snorting and stamping. Mistaking Ferdinand for a mad and aggressive bull, the men rename him "Ferdinand the Fierce" and take him away to Madrid. All of Madrid, including many beautiful ladies, turn out to see the handsome

fight "Ferdinand the Fierce." When Ferdinand enters the bull ring, he is faced with the matador, banderilleros and picadors who panic when they see him. However, he is delighted by the flowers that the ladies throw in the ring and sits down in the middle of the ring to enjoy them, upsetting and disappointing everyone and making the matador and other fighters throw tantrums. Ferdinand is then taken back to his pasture, where to this day he is still sitting under the

happily smelling flowers.

Publication

The book's first run by Viking Press in 1936 sold 14,000 copies at $1 each. The following year saw sales increase to 68,000 and by 1938, the book was selling at 3,000 per week.An article from 1986 suggests even lower initial sales, with an initial print run of just 5,200 copies, and low sales until after late December 1936. That year, it outsold ''

Gone with the Wind Gone with the Wind most often refers to: * ''Gone with the Wind'' (novel), a 1936 novel by Margaret Mitchell * ''Gone with the Wind'' (film), the 1939 adaptation of the novel Gone with the Wind may also refer to: Music * ''Gone with the Wind'' ...

'' to become the number one best seller in the United States. As of 2019 the book has never been out of print. The book has been translated into more than sixty languages. In 1962, a Latin translation, ''Ferdinandus Taurus'', was published by David McKay Publications in New York and by Hamish Hamilton in London. A first-edition copy sold at auction for $16,500 in 2014.

Reception

In 1938, ''Life'' magazine called ''Ferdinand'' "the greatest juvenile classic since ''

Winnie the Pooh Winnie-the-Pooh, also called Pooh Bear and Pooh, is a fictional Anthropomorphism, anthropomorphic teddy bear created by English author A. A. Milne and English illustrator E. H. Shepard. The first collection of stories about the character w ...

'' and suggested that "three out of four grownups buy the book largely for their own pleasure and amusement". The article also noted that Ferdinand was accused of being a political symbol, noting that "too-subtle readers see in Ferdinand everything from a fascist to a pacifist to a burlesque sit-down striker". Others labelled the work "as promoting fascism, anarchism, and communism". The ''

Cleveland Plain Dealer ''The Plain Dealer'' is the major newspaper of Cleveland, Ohio, United States. In fall 2019, it ranked 23rd in U.S. newspaper circulation, a significant drop since March 2013, when its circulation ranked 17th daily and 15th on Sunday. As of M ...

'' "accused the book of corrupting the youth of America" while ''

The New York Times ''The New York Times'' (''the Times'', ''NYT'', or the Gray Lady) is a daily newspaper based in New York City with a worldwide readership reported in 2020 to comprise a declining 840,000 paid print subscribers, and a growing 6 million paid d ...

'' downplayed the possible political allegories, insisting the book was about being true to oneself. The book was released less than two months after the outbreak of the

, and was seen by many supporters of Francisco Franco as a pacifist book. It was banned in many countries, including in Spain (where it remained banned until after Franco's death). In

Nazi Germany Nazi Germany (lit. "National Socialist State"), ' (lit. "Nazi State") for short; also ' (lit. "National Socialist Germany") (officially known as the German Reich from 1933 until 1943, and the Greater German Reich from 1943 to 1945) was ...

Adolf Hitler Adolf Hitler (; 20 April 188930 April 1945) was an Austrian-born German politician who was dictator of Nazi Germany, Germany from 1933 until Death of Adolf Hitler, his death in 1945. Adolf Hitler's rise to power, He rose to power as the le ...

ordered the book burned (as "degenerate democratic propaganda"), while it was the only American children's book available for sale in Cold War era Poland. It received particular praise from

Thomas Mann Paul Thomas Mann ( , ; ; 6 June 1875 – 12 August 1955) was a German novelist, short story writer, social critic, philanthropist, essayist, and the 1929 Nobel Prize in Literature laureate. His highly symbolic and ironic epic novels and novell ...

H. G. Wells Herbert George Wells"Wells, H. G."
Revised 18 May 2015. ''

Gandhi Mohandas Karamchand Gandhi (; ; 2 October 1869 – 30 January 1948), popularly known as Mahatma Gandhi, was an Indian lawyer, anti-colonial nationalist Quote: "... marks Gandhi as a hybrid cosmopolitan figure who transformed ... anti- ...

, and Franklin and

Eleanor Roosevelt Anna Eleanor Roosevelt () (October 11, 1884November 7, 1962) was an American political figure, diplomat, and activist. She was the first lady of the United States from 1933 to 1945, during her husband President Franklin D. Roosevelt's four ...

. Following the 1945 defeat of Germany during the

Second World War World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great powers—forming two opposi ...

, 30,000 copies were quickly published and given out for free to the country's children. In the United States, the book was so popular with the public in the 1930s that it was used in various commercial products, from toys to

Post Toasties Post Toasties was an early American breakfast cereal made by Post Foods. It was named for its originator, C. W. Post, and intended as the Post version of corn flakes. Post Toasties were originally sold as Elijah Elijah ( ; he, אֵלִ� ...

breakfast cereal. Disney made it into an animated short in 1938, which became a classic and was the basis for ''Ferdinand the Bull, based on 'The Story of Ferdinand' by Munro Leaf and Robert Lawson'' ( Whitman Publishing Co., 1938), ''Walt Disney's Ferdinand and the Robbers'' (

Random House Random House is an American book publisher and the largest general-interest paperback publisher in the world. The company has several independently managed subsidiaries around the world. It is part of Penguin Random House, which is owned by Germ ...

, 1983) by Vincent H. Jefferds and ''Walt Disney's Ferdinand and the Bullies'' ( Bantam Books, 1986, ). In 1951, ''Holiday'' magazine published an

Ernest Hemingway Ernest Miller Hemingway (July 21, 1899 – July 2, 1961) was an American novelist, short-story writer, and journalist. His economical and understated style—which he termed the iceberg theory—had a strong influence on 20th-century f ...

children's story called " The Faithful Bull". This story has been interpreted as a "rebuttal" to the earlier Leaf book. According to one scholar, the book crosses gender lines in that it offers a character to whom both boys and girls can relate. More recently ''The New York Times'' positioned the story in the context of discrimination and social exclusion. It characterized the story as “an icon for the outsider and the bullied".

Background

Leaf is said to have written the story on a whim in an afternoon in 1935, largely to provide his friend, illustrator Robert Lawson (then relatively unknown) a forum in which to showcase his talents. The landscape in which Lawson placed the fictional Ferdinand is more or less real. Lawson faithfully reproduced the view of the city of

Ronda Ronda () is a town in the Spanish province of Málaga. It is located about west of the city of Málaga, within the autonomous community of Andalusia. Its population is about 35,000. Ronda is known for its cliff-side location and a deep chasm ...

Andalusia Andalusia (, ; es, Andalucía ) is the southernmost autonomous community in Peninsular Spain. It is the most populous and the second-largest autonomous community in the country. It is officially recognised as a "historical nationality". The t ...

for his illustration of Ferdinand being brought to Madrid on a cart: we see the Puente Nuevo ("New Bridge") spanning the El Tajo canyon. The Disney film added some rather accurate views of Ronda and the Puente Romano ("Roman bridge") and the Puente Viejo ("Old bridge") at the beginning of the story, where Lawson's pictures were more free. Ronda is home to the oldest bullfighting ring in Spain that is still used; this might have been a reason for Lawson's use of its surroundings as a background for the story. Although most of the illustrations are realistic, Lawson added touches of whimsy by adding, for instance, bunches of corks, as though plucked from a bottle, growing on the

like fruit. According to a documentary from Sweden (where the Disney film is shown every year on Christmas Eve) the story has a basis in truth. A peaceful bull named Civilón was raised on a farm outside Salamanca in the early 1930s, and the Spanish press campaigned for it to not have to meet its fate in the bull-fighting arena. It was pardoned mid-fight, but when the Spanish Civil War broke out days later, it never lived to see its home.

Legacy

"Ferdinand" was the code name chosen for the Australian

Coastwatchers The Coastwatchers, also known as the Coast Watch Organisation, Combined Field Intelligence Service or Section C, Allied Intelligence Bureau, were Allied military intelligence operatives stationed on remote Pacific islands during World War II ...

Eric Feldt Commander Eric Augustas Feldt (3 January 1899 – 12 March 1968) was an officer in the Royal Australian Navy and the director of the Coastwatchers organisation for much of the Second World War. Early life Feldt was born in Ingham, North Que ...

, the organization's commander: In 1938, the book became a bestseller and an animated short was created, winning the

Academy Award The Academy Awards, better known as the Oscars, are awards for artistic and technical merit for the American and international film industry. The awards are regarded by many as the most prestigious, significant awards in the entertainment ind ...

for Best Short Subject. 80 years later, a full length movie was released by

20th Century Fox 20th Century Studios, Inc. (previously known as 20th Century Fox) is an American film production company headquartered at the Fox Studio Lot in the Century City area of Los Angeles. As of 2019, it serves as a film production arm of Walt Dis ...

References in other works

Marvel Comics Marvel Comics is an American comic book publishing, publisher and the flagship property of Marvel Entertainment, a divsion of The Walt Disney Company since September 1, 2009. Evolving from Timely Comics in 1939, ''Magazine Management/Atlas Co ...

featured a recurring character named Rintrah in the pages of '' Doctor Strange''. This extraterrestrial anthropomorphic bull was frequently referred to as Ferdinand for his gentle and kind nature. *In the

DC Comics DC Comics, Inc. (doing business as DC) is an American comic book publisher and the flagship unit of DC Entertainment, a subsidiary of Warner Bros. Discovery. DC Comics is one of the largest and oldest American comic book companies, with thei ...

, the name Ferdinand is used for a Minotaur chef at the Themysciran embassy in New York City. Ferdinand also makes an appearance in the animated movie '' Wonder Woman: Bloodlines'' *Illustrator Betty Fraser used a picture of a child reading the book of Ferdinand, along with a bull smelling some flowers, in the 1978 book ''A House is A House for Me'', authored by Mary Ann Hoberman. *A rubber mask of Ferdinand is featured in Stephen King's 1995 novel '' Rose Madder''. *A non-player character (NPC) named Ferdinand in the computer game ''

World of Warcraft ''World of Warcraft'' (''WoW'') is a massively multiplayer online role-playing game (MMORPG) released in 2004 by Blizzard Entertainment. Set in the ''Warcraft'' fantasy universe, ''World of Warcraft'' takes place within the world of Azeroth ...

'' can be found in the continent of Pandaria, in the zone of the Jade Forest. He is a yaungol (an oxen-like race) who sits in a garden filled with flowers and trees, with a bouquet of flowers in each hand. He is classed as a rare mob and drops rare level loot as well as a chance to drop an epic weapon when killed. Unlike most other rare mobs, he is one of the few who are not marked as hostile and will only fight back if attacked. *The

Palladium Books Palladium Books is a publisher of role-playing games (RPGs) perhaps best known for its popular, expansive '' Rifts'' series (1990–present). Palladium was founded April 1981 in Detroit, Michigan by current president and lead game designer Kevin ...

role-playing game ''

Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles & Other Strangeness ''Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles & Other Strangeness'' is a role-playing game based on the comic book created by Kevin Eastman and Peter Laird. The core rulebook was first published by Palladium Books in September 1985 – a couple years before th ...

'' features a mutant bull terrorist named "Ferd", which is short for "Ferdinand". *The book was also featured in an episode of '' Kino's Storytime''.

Film

*A plushie of Ferdinand plays a significant role in the 1940 film '' Dance, Girl, Dance''. The toy is passed between various characters, having been originally purchased as a memento of a visit to a nightclub called Ferdinand's. The nightclub has a large statue of Ferdinand at the rear of the bandstand. *Ferdinand the Bull was the favorite book of the main character in the 1997 film '' Strays'', a Sundance favorite written/directed/starring a then-unknown

Vin Diesel Mark Sinclair (born July 18, 1967), known professionally as Vin Diesel, is an American actor. One of the world's highest-grossing actors, he is best known for playing Dominic Toretto in the ''Fast & Furious'' franchise. Diesel began auditio ...

. *Ferdinand is referenced by the 2009 movie '' The Blind Side'', the story of

Michael Oher Michael Jerome Oher (; né Williams Jr.; born May 28, 1986) is a former American football offensive tackle who played in the National Football League (NFL) for eight seasons, primarily with the Baltimore Ravens. He played college football at t ...

. The movie includes a scene where the character played by Sandra Bullock reads "Ferdinand the Bull" to two adolescents.

Music

*The story was set to incidental music in ''Ferdinand the Bull'' by classical composer

Mark Fish Mark Anthony Fish (born 14 March 1974) is a retired South African footballer who played as a defender. Club career Born in Cape Town, Fish started his career in his native South Africa under the guidance of renowned coach Steve Coetsee, play ...

. This piece has been narrated in concerts by actors including

David Ogden Stiers David Allen Ogden Stiers ( ; October 31, 1942 – March 3, 2018) was an American actor and conductor. He appeared in numerous productions on Broadway, and originated the role of Feldman in '' The Magic Show'', in which he appeared for fou ...

, Lauren Lane, and Emmy award-winner Roscoe Lee Browne. Fish and Stiers have co-produced a recording of a reduced version of the piece for narrator, cello, and piano, also narrated by Stiers, and recorded by northwest composer Jack Gabel and released by North Pacific Music. *The book was adapted, in 1971, as ''Ferdinand'', a piece for solo violin and narrator by the British composer Alan Ridout. *Singer-songwriter Elliott Smith had a tattoo of Ferdinand the Bull, from the cover of Munro Leaf's book, on his right upper arm, which is visible on the cover of his record ''

Either/Or ''Either/Or'' ( Danish: ''Enten – Eller'') is the first published work of the Danish philosopher Søren Kierkegaard. Appearing in two volumes in 1843 under the pseudonymous editorship of ''Victor Eremita'' (Latin for "victorious hermit"), it ...

''. *The rock band

Fall Out Boy Fall Out Boy is an American rock band formed in Wilmette, Illinois, a suburb of Chicago, in 2001. The band consists of lead vocalist and rhythm guitarist Patrick Stump, bassist Pete Wentz, lead guitarist Joe Trohman, and drummer Andy Hurle ...

named their second studio album ''

From Under the Cork Tree ''From Under the Cork Tree'' is the second studio album by the American rock band Fall Out Boy, released on May 3, 2005, through Island Records as the band's major label debut. The music was composed by lead vocalist and guitarist Patrick Stump, ...

'' after a phrase in the book.

Audio adaptations

In 1951, Capitol Records released ''Walt Disney's Ferdinand the Bull'' (CAS 3095), adapted from the book by Alan Livingston with music by Billy May and narrated by Don Wilson, as a 10" 78 RPM album. This recording was later released by Capitol in LP format in 1961 as part of ''The Sorcerer's Apprentice from Walt Disney's Fantasia'' (J-3253); the album was re-released in 1972 by Wonderland Records (L-8110). The story was released as an audio recording in 1967 by Scholastic Records (CC 0606) as a 7" 33-1/3 RPM LP. The story was narrated by former professional boxing champion Juan Nazario with music composed, arranged and conducted by

Arthur Rubenstein Arthur Rubinstein ( pl, Artur Rubinstein; 28 January 188720 December 1982) was a Polish-American pianist.

. Gwen Verdon narrated the story for a 1971

Caedmon Records Caedmon Audio and HarperCollins Audio are record label imprints of HarperCollins Publishers that specialize in audiobooks and other literary content. Formerly Caedmon Records, its marketing tag-line was Caedmon: a Third Dimension for the Printe ...

recording, ''The Story Of Ferdinand And Other Stories'' (TC 1341). In 1973, Columbia Records released a recording, ''The Story Of Ferdinand/

Andy and the Lion ''Andy and the Lion'', written and illustrated by James Daugherty, is a 1938 picture book published by Puffin Books. ''Andy and the Lion'' was a Caldecott Medal Honor Book for 1939 and was Daugherty's first Caldecott Honor Medal of a total of two ...

'' (CR 21519) narrated by Owen Jordan.

Film adaptations

The story was adapted by

Walt Disney Walter Elias Disney (; December 5, 1901December 15, 1966) was an American animator, film producer and entrepreneur. A pioneer of the American animation industry, he introduced several developments in the production of cartoons. As a film p ...

as a short animated film entitled ''

Ferdinand the Bull Ferdinand is a Germanic name composed of the elements "protection", "peace" (PIE "to love, to make peace") or alternatively "journey, travel", Proto-Germanic , abstract noun from root "to fare, travel" (PIE , "to lead, pass over"), and "co ...

'' in 1938, in a style similar to his ''

Silly Symphonies ''Silly Symphony'' is an American animated series of 75 musical short films produced by Walt Disney Productions from 1929 to 1939. As the series name implies, the ''Silly Symphonies'' were originally intended as whimsical accompaniments to pieces ...

'' series. ''Ferdinand the Bull'' won the 1938 Academy Award for Best Short Subject (Cartoons). A 3D feature-length computer-animated film remake, titled ''

Ferdinand Ferdinand is a Germanic name composed of the elements "protection", "peace" (PIE "to love, to make peace") or alternatively "journey, travel", Proto-Germanic , abstract noun from root "to fare, travel" (PIE , "to lead, pass over"), and "co ...

'', was released on December 15, 2017. It was directed by

Carlos Saldanha Carlos Saldanha (; born 24 January 1965) is a Brazilian animator, director, producer, and voice actor of animated films who worked with Blue Sky Studios until its closure in 2021. He was the director of '' Ice Age: The Meltdown'' (2006), '' Ice A ...

and produced by

20th Century Fox Animation 20th Century Animation, Inc. (originally known as Fox Family Films, Fox Animation Studios, and 20th Century Fox Animation and sometimes referred to as Fox Animation) is an American animation studio located in Century City, Los Angeles. Formed ...

and Blue Sky Studios. ''Ferdinand'' was nominated for Best Animated Film (ultimately losing to '' Coco'') in the

90th Academy Awards The 90th Academy Awards ceremony, presented by the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences (AMPAS), honored the best films of 2017, and took place at the Dolby Theatre in Hollywood, Los Angeles, California. The ceremony was held on March 4, ...

References

External links

''Ferdinand the Bull'' Turns 75
''

'', March 31, 2011
"Ferdinand the Bull"
in the Encyclopedia of Disney Animated Shorts. * Disney cartoon short. {{DEFAULTSORT:Story Of Ferdinand, The American picture books 1936 children's books Madrid in fiction Andalusia in fiction Animal tales Fictional cattle Cattle in literature Children's books adapted into films Censored books Bullfighting books