‘Ferdinand’ is a familiar character now, thanks to the Animated film that came out in 2017. The storyline of this film is loosely based on the children’s book published in 1936 titled ‘The Story of Ferdinand’, written and illustrated by Munro Leaf and Robert Lawson respectively.
The story is about a bull named ‘Ferdinand’. He likes to sit alone quietly under his favourite cork tree and smell the flowers the whole day, unlike other bulls who naturally spend their time snorting and butting their heads together and fighting.
I came to know about this book while watching the movie ‘The Blind Side’. In the movie, Sandra Bullock reads the story of Ferdinand to her son and Michael Oher at bedtime, and also compares the passive nature of well-built Michael Oher to Ferdinand, the bull. I immediately read the story of Ferdinand after watching the movie, and I was deeply touched by this story. I also begin to explore the impact this story could have on other readers. A simple search in google showed the profound impact this work had on several readers across the world, including Mahatma Gandhi and Eleanor Roosevelt. Leaf could not have expected such a great response for his book because he said in 1937, that this book “was for children…but now I don’t know”. The New Yorker reported in 1938 that “Ferdinand has provoked all sorts of adult after-dinner conversations”. Not everyone shared the same kind of relationship with this story. For a long time, this book became ‘fodder for the culture wars of its era‘. Adolf Hitler called it “degenerate propaganda” and demanded the burning of this book. Francisco Franco, the Spanish general banned the book in his country. Though this book is not banned anymore, the story continues to generate huge interest and multiple meanings to its readers, including this reader. I have shared the book with my friends and everyone is deeply elated by the story of Ferdinand. Panchajanya Srinivas was one among them.
Panch told me that for her, this book has a lot of impact even in the work she is currently involved in. She listed out 10 reasons why she loved this book, what it meant to her and how this book impacted her (in her own words):
1. It portrays bulls like Ferdinand as individuals who have their own personalities.
2. It shows the cruel reality behind bullfighting or any such aggressive sport. With the Banderilleros poking them with sharp needles and the Picadores with spheres.
3. It shows the bonding between Ferdinand and his mother who was kind, concerned, yet understanding just like every other mother in the world. It is so beautifully portrayed.
4. The message of non-human animals being sentient beings and having emotions just like humans has a huge impact on me.
5. Sheds light on the egoism and aggressiveness that is developed within people who not only participate in such animal sports but also the audience.
6. It depicts how the audience has also been desensitized to animal cruelty which wrenches my heart but this truth needs to be told.
7. The idea that Ferdinand was a calm bull by nature and wanted to sit peacefully underneath his favorite cork tree and smell flowers give out the message that animals seek peace and a life of freedom.
8. It elevates the humanity that is left within people who brought him back to his home and gave him the life he deserved. A life away from all forms of oppression, exploitation and full of love.
9. I loved the idea behind portraying such a story from when he was a baby to show that his worldview remains the same irrespective of what his peers are thinking or doing. It highlights self-love for me.
10. I love every character in this story and they are adorable in all senses. It ultimately gives out the message that all living beings must be treated as sentient and left to live their lives freely instead of being exploited in ruthless and countless ways only to satisfy human desire.
More than anything, these above reasons suggest why the story of Ferdinand stands relevant for today and how it is a story for everyone, a story that needs to be read, reread, shared, talked about, and a story to learn from and live with. Now it’s your turn…
rishvanth.com 
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