ONCE UPON A FABLE

A slim volume of mostly anthropomorphic short stories explores the underlying nature of relationships and family.

Though pitched as fables—and bestowed the dreamy quality of such by their substitution of animal for human characters—Robinson’s tales offer less a thou shalt or thou shalt not moral than a wistful, nonjudgmental imparting of experiences gained. The first and longest story in the collection, “Leave Her to Heaven,” breezes through the married life of a purebred Siamese cat and her tabby husband raising an adoptive litter born of the tabby’s one-off infidelity with a Burmese. The message by the tale’s end is not that either cat should have acted differently but rather that parenthood is unpredictable and should be embraced for whatever it brings. Next is “A Raven Named Rubin,” in which a field mouse tries unsuccessfully to nurse an injured raven back to health—at only four pages, the story delivers an aptly fleeting look of how dreams can be stillborn. “The Beginning of Wisdom” features the only human protagonist in the volume, a boy who collects insects in glass bottles. The boy eventually changes his ways—not after suffering a comeuppance but instead from talking with a squirrel and gaining a new, empathetic perspective on the sanctity of life. “Mayor Spare That Tree” is related in theme but relatively uninspiring (unlike the other tales, it gains little from using animal characters). Robinson’s prose is simple but redolent and at its best affords enchanting glimpses of underlying human frailties. “Bridge in the Afternoon” sees an egret spend many contented years playing cards and cultivating the perfect bridge partner only to realize how empty his heart is without a similar partner in life. “The Good the Bad and the Hideous” tells how a chicken and a praying mantis find happiness together. The volume concludes with “There’s No Business Like Show Business,” in which a mallard fails in pursuing her dreams of stardom but finds solace in returning to her sister and foster parents. All told, the author has fashioned an absorbing little collection. Each of the seven tales repays consideration and the stories work well as a series, probing gently and never overstaying their welcome.

Languid, engaging, inwardly revealing flights of fancy.