Ferdinand the Bull

Oh, how I love the library. Back in the early 70s, I saw a Disney film at school called Ferdinand the Bull. Even at my young age, the pacifist that was the bull really resonated with me. If for no other reason than a bull who only wanted to smell pretty flowers while surrounded by other bulls and matadors whose only thoughts were of fighting, I just thought it was the funniest thing. I thought of that cartoon the other day - I must have been 6 or 7 when I first (and last) saw it - and looked for it online at my local library's website. Sure enough, they had it and so I put in my request and now it's in my living room in DVD format.

Tomorrow, I'll play it and let my kiddos get a kick out of it. Tonight, I am learning things about it via the wonder of Wikipedia. (More trustworthy now than in its early days, right?) Apparently, it was originally a book which was released around the time of the Spanish-Civil War and was banned in many countries as it was viewed as a dangerous pacifist book.

Music group Fall Out Boy takes their third album's name from a phrase in the book ("From Under The Cork Tree") and singer-songwriter Elliott Smith had a tattoo of Ferdinand on his upper right arm.

I doubt I'll be getting any Ferdinand tattoos, but I can't wait to watch it again tomorrow. For the curious, there is a Portuguese narration version of it easily found on YouTube.

Peace.