CANVAS

3
Ecofables for Children
 A complete range of giftware featuring the paintings in
CANVAS EARTH TALES is available at
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First published in hardcover by CANVAS, 2009

Online e-book version 2009
Printed in the Republic of the Philippines

Book and Cover Design by Daniel Palma Tayona

Photography by Mike Cheung
The Hummingbird
Author Unknown
Art by Plet Bolipata
A big fire was burning in the forest, and the
animals were forced to flee.
Only one small hummingbird stayed. It flew to the river,
picked up one tiny drop of water in its small beak, flew
back, and poured that drop on the fire.
Again and again, back and forth, it flew to the
river, each time scooping up a single drop and
pouring it on the fire.
 The other animals watched in disbelief from the
far shore. They laughed at and began to mock the
hummingbird.
“Just what do you think you’re doing?” the
animals finally asked.
 Without stopping,
the hummingbird
answered calmly, “I’m
doing what I can.”
The Star Thrower
Author Unknown
Art by Liza Flores
One day, thousands of starfish had washed ashore
along a beach that a man was walking upon.
 As he looked down the beach, he
saw a human figure moving like a
dancer.
When he got closer, he saw that it
was a little girl and she wasn’t
dancing. Instead she was reaching down
to the shore, picking up starfish and very
gently throwing it into the ocean.
He called out, “Good morning! What are you doing?” The
little girl paused, looked up and replied “Throwing starfish into
the ocean so they won’t die.”
 “Don’t bother, dear,” the man said, “There are too many starfish. It
won’t make a difference.”
The little girl listened politely. Then she bent down, picked up another
starfish and threw it into the sea, past the breaking waves.
She then looked up and the man, smiled and said, “Well, it made a
difference for that one!”
The King and the Royal Trees
Story by Paul Aird
Art by Ivee Olivares-Mellor
 The King had a frightful dream. He dreamt that while riding his
horse through the Royal Forest, the south wind called: "Beware of
falling trees! Beware of falling trees!"
Though the trees were beautiful and waved gently in the wind,
the King was frightened. He turned his horse and galloped
out of the forest.
 The next morning the King ordered his people to cut down all
the trees in the kingdom. "We do not want the trees to fall down
and hurt our children," he reasoned. "We will remove the forest
and grow vegetables instead."
The people liked the King's idea, for now they had their pick of
the finest wood in the forest to build houses
and furniture, and the rest of the trees
were sold at handsome prices to
neighbouring kingdoms.
 Once all of the trees were cut
down, the King felt happy - and
relieved. But the people were
unhappy. They missed the
trees, which had provided work
for loggers and carpenters, and
homes for birds. Although they
sadly missed their work, they
missed the birds most of all.
 Soon after the trees were gone, a dry south wind began to blow.
It blew day after day. The vegetable crops began to wither and
die. People huddled helplessly in their houses watching the wind
uproot their gardens and scatter the dead plants across the land.
 The King was worried. He called
for his horse and rode through the
fields to inspect the damage. There
were no more trees to break the fury
of the wind. As the wind blew faster,
it swept withered plants and soil past
the King, who watched dumbly as his
kingdom blew northward.
Lost in clouds of dust and drifting
sand, fatigue overcame the King.
Nodding asleep in the saddle, he
heard the south wind call: "Beware of
falling trees! Beware of falling trees!"
 THE HUMMINGBIRD
The author of “The Hummingbird” is not known, and various versions of this simple yet
powerful ecofable are can be found in Japanese, Brazilian, African, and likely other folklore.

About Plet Bolipata

“The Hummingbird” was Plet’s first show since she returned from her art residency as a
Freeman Fellow at the Vermont Studio Center in the United States. It marks her return to oil,
as well as her initial foray into new media.

Plet currently resides in San Antonio, Zambales with husband-painter Elmer Borlongan.

THE STAR THROWER

The authorship of “The Star Thrower” is not clear, but the inspiration is widely attributed to the
writings of anthropologist Loren Eiseley. The story has been used by various motivational
speakers, often without attribution.

About Liza Flores

Liza Flores is a highly respected illustrator of picture books, including “Chenelyn! Chenelyn””
whch won the 2000 Gintong Aklat award. She was also one of the illustrators of “100 Questions
Filipino Children Ask,” which won the 2006 National Book Awards and Gintong Aklat.

A former president of Ang Illustrador ng Kabataan (Ang INK), the only association of children’s
book illustrators in the Philippines, Liza obtained her degree in Fine Arts from the University of
the Philippines. She now runs a design company, Studio Dialogo which specializes in brand, web
and graphic design.

The Star Thrower was her first solo art exhibition.

THE KING AND THE ROYAL TREES
About Ivee Olivares-Mellor
U.K.-based Filipina painter Ivee Olivares-Mellor studied sculpture and painting at the prestigious
Chelsea College of Art and Design where she participated in and helped organize a group exhibition at
the Fridge Gallery, an alternative art venue, and an installation exhibition at the Moravian Cemetery in
London. In 1998, she held a well-received solo exhibition at the Hamilton Place in Park Lane,
London.

Her usual subjects are landscapes loosely based on the English countryside as well as her memories of
her home province of Zambales. Her pieces are introspective explorations of the sublime and abstract
qualities of nature. The acrylic works, with their unique lines tempered with washes of colour, convey
energy and emotion as well as gentleness.

For The King and the Royal Trees, Ivee departs from her usual style using circles as her inspiration and
motif to symbolize the presence and threat of the south wind. The circles underpin the structures and
provide the framework of the drawings.

Ivee Olivares-Mellor currently resides in West Sussex, England.

About Paul Aird

Paul Aird has promoted nature conservation through his twenty years of employment as a forest
scientist in the Québec forest industry and twenty years as professor of forest conservation policy in the
Faculty of Forestry and the Center for Environment, University of Toronto, Ontario, Canada. He has
also served as a member of the university’s Board of Governors and of the Ontario government’s
Niagara Escarpment Commission.

Paul’s travels through forests, fields, rivers and lakes have inspired him to write about Canada’s
precious natural heritage of wild plants and animals.

His website www.loonsforever.com describes his conservation writings, which include his acclaimed
book titled Loon Laughter: Ecological Fables and Nature Tales, and presents samples of his poems,
animated poems, plays, articles, fables and essays.