The Story of Ferdinand

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The Story of Ferdinand (1936) is the best-known work by American author Munro Leaf. The children's book tells the story of a bull who would rather smell flowers than fight in bullfights.

The book was released at the outbreak of the Spanish Civil War, and so was seen by many supporters of Francisco Franco as a pacifist book. It became a target of the right wing, being banned in many countries, and—perhaps because of that suppression—was promoted by many on the left. It was banned in Nazi Germany, but was one of the few non-Communist books promoted in Soviet-occupied Poland.

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 story was adapted by Walt Disney as a short animated film entitled Ferdinand the Bull in 1938, in a style similar to his Silly Symphonies series (and sometimes considered an unofficial part of that series). Ferdinand the Bull won the 1938 Academy Award for Best Short Subject (Cartoons).

The rock band Fall Out Boy named their third album From Under The Cork Tree after a phrase in the book. 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.

Richard Horvitz commented that fellow actor and friend Fred Willard performed this story as a 5th grade class play when Fred was a child.