Gone Is Gone: or the Story of a Man Who Wanted to Do Housework

by Wanda Gág

The classic illustrated folktale by the author of Millions of Cats--now back in print after nearly thirty years! Gone Is Gone addresses an age-old question between couples--who works harder? This long-out-of-print children's book is based on a charming Bohemian tale recited to Wanda Gag when she was a child, and is now once again available to enchant audiences of all ages. The tale's sly peasant humor and conversational style combined with Gag's expressive black-and-white illustrations made the book an instant classic. In this delightful story we meet Fritzl, who lives on a farm with his wife Liesi and their baby. Fritzl works hard in the fields every day. Liesi works hard all day, too, but Fritzl somehow feels that he works harder. When he complains about how hard he works and how easy Liesi has it, doing nothing but "putter and potter about the house a bit, " Liesi calls his bluff and suggests they trade places. The hilarious outcomes of Fritzl's calamitous day at home are portrayed in Gag's singular illustrations. In the end Fritzl admits that Liesi's work is "none too easy" and begs to return to his fields and not do housework another day. "Well then, " says Liesi, "if that's how it is, we surely can live in peace and happiness for ever and ever."

Genres: Picture Books, Childrens, Classics, Fiction, Humor

64 pages, Hardcover

First published January 1, 1933

About the author

Wanda Hazel Gág (pronounced GOG) was an American author and illustrator. She was born on March 11, 1893, in New Ulm, Minnesota. Her mother, Elisabeth Biebl, and father, Anton, were of Bohemian descent. Both parents were artists who had met in Germany. They had seven children, who all acquired some level of artistic talent. Gág grew up the eldest of these, and despite their economic hardships, the family was surrounded by music, art, light, and love, making it for the most part a joyous existence.

When Gág was 15, her father died of tuberculosis; his final words to her were: "Was der Papa nicht thun konnt', muss die Wanda halt fertig machen." ("What Papa couldn't do, Wanda will have to finish.") Following Anton's death the family was on welfare, and some townspeople thought that Gág should quit high school and get a steady job to help support her family. Despite this pressure, Gág continued her studies. After graduating in 1912, she taught country school in Springfield, Minnesota, from November 1912 to June 1913.

In 1917, she illustrated A Child’s Book of Folk-Lore, following which she worked on many different projects and became a well-known artist and author. Her art exhibition in the New York Public Library in 1923 was the true beginning of her fame. She gained a reputation as an illustrator for socialist publications such as The New Masses, and she considered herself a feminist and advocate of free love in the 1920s. She did not marry her lover until later in life, for instance, although she lived with him before they wed.

She was especially esteemed for her lithographs, though today if her name is known at all it is usually from her children's books, specifically the classic Millions of Cats, which won the Lewis Carroll Shelf Award in 1958. Gág also received the Newbury Honor Award for this book, and the combined effects of it and her exhibition gave her the funds she needed to carry on her work without stress.

She died in New York City on June 27, 1946.

Reviews

[Calista · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is the second book I read in the Rare books section of the Library of Congress. The room was deathly quiet and it was a smaller room compared to the main reading room. They had orange curtains that reminded me of the style in Gone with the Wind and the ceiling was white with cameras at every angle. They are serious about taking care of their collection, which is good. I had fun checking out this library and reading this book.

This was such an amusing story that I snorted out loud. Wanda has such a great sense of comedic timing here and it’s a great story. It needs to be re-released to the public again.

I appreciate the dedication: “To my peasant ancestors”

There are Fritzl, Liesi and baby Kinndli. Fritz thinks women’s work is easy while his plowing is difficult, so his wife, Liesi, challenges him to switch jobs for a day. Fritzle quickly makes a huge mess.

The dog runs off with all the sausages while he spills all the good apple cider chasing said dog. The cow’s tongue hanging out of his thirsty mouth is quite funny. Fritzl puts the cow on his grass roof. The butter was spilled by the untended Kinndli. Fritzl ties himself to the cow on the roof through the chimney to keep him from falling off the roof and the cow does fall off the roof which jerks him into the chimney where he dangles at the end of a rope. He left the gate to his garden open which lets in the pigs, goats and sheep and everything is eaten. Kinndli is running free covered in butter. I laughed out loud in the quiet rare books section. It was a little embarrassing.

It is Disaster! Chaos! Fritzl ended up in the large pot of soup that never got cooked. He decided he enjoyed working the fields.

The artwork is small little pictures on the sides of the page. It is the Wanda Gag style.

Very humorous and amusing. I loved this book!

[Manybooks · Rating 3 out of 5]

So according to Wanda Gág's author's note for her 1933 picture book Gone is Gone: Or the Story of a Man Who Wanted to do Housework, this story is based on an old Bohemian peasant tale, but indeed and annoyingly, no further folkloric information and details are presented except that Gone is Gone: Or the Story of a Man Who Wanted to do Housework is obviously very much traditional and ancient in scope and that Wanda Gág is in fact also retelling the story in the exact same manner that she had Gone is Gone: Or the Story of a Man Who Wanted to do Housework told to her by her grandmother when she was a little girl. And while I guess that this is probably more than adequate enough for a general author's note, I for one do feel more than a trifle put off by the fact that Wanda Gág has not provided the original and likely German language title of Gone is Gone: Or the Story of a Man Who Wanted to do Housework (as that bit of supplemental information would certainly make trying to find out more on and about the original story online all that much easier and less potentially frustrating).

And unlike folkloric tales involving magic, fairies and supernatural entities, Gone is Gone: Or the Story of a Man Who Wanted to do Housework is simply (but delightfully) a typical and hilariously funny little tale of a husband who thinks that his on the field outside chores (such as ploughing, sowing, hoeing, baling etc.) are oh so very much more difficult and strenuous than his wife's "easy and relaxing" housework (and who learns an important and essential lesson that this is certainly not at all the case when he agrees to switch roles with his wife and with EVERYTHING going wrong for him, with the husband not being able to successfully complete even one of his wife's daily home-based tasks). Truly a lovely story with an important and yes for the 1930s very modern message is Gone is Gone: Or the Story of a Man Who Wanted to do Housework (and indeed accompanied by author and illustrator Wanda Gág's signature and descriptive black and white artwork), I have really enjoyed reading Gone is Gone: Or the Story of a Man Who Wanted to do Housework and have very much appreciated how the message of gender respect is presented so naturally and with such sweet humour (and yes, Gone is Gone: Or the Story of a Man Who Wanted to do Housework is also to be highly and warmly recommended, my personal wishes that the author's note provided more details on the original story quite notwithstanding and insignificant).

[Lobstergirl · Rating 3 out of 5]

Gág retells a Bohemian folktale she heard growing up, of a peasant farmer who wants to switch places with his wife because her job is so much easier. Naturally, mayhem ensues. Gág's tiny ink drawings please.

[Brittany Clark · Rating 4 out of 5]

Gone is Gone: Or The Story of A Man Who Wanted to Do Housework by Wanda Gag is a retelling of a bohemian fable that discusses gender roles in a humorous way. Fritzl and Liesi live on a farm with their baby. Fritzl works hard in the field every day, and one day makes the mistake of complaining to his wife that she has it so easy compared to him. To prove that his assumption isn't true, Liesi suggests they switch places, and Fritzl happily agrees. Fritzl learns the hard way that his wife's work isn't so easy after all, when he can't seem to do anything right and makes a mess of all of the chores. In the end, Fritzl falls into the cooking pot and gets stuck until Liesi comes to pull him out, and he realizes he'd rather be working the farm!

This book is suitable in language and content for elementary aged children. In a world that often divides "girls roles" and "boys roles" it offers a unique scenario for them to consider! The illustrations are simple, but they correspond to the text, and help to facilitate a child's understanding of the story.

[Molly · Rating 4 out of 5]

A retelling of a Bohemian folktale told to Wanda Gag by her grandmother, this book tells the tale of a man who thinks he works harder in the fields than his wife does doing housework. She suggests they switch places to find out and hilarious results ensue.

I really enjoyed this folktale. It is very cool how it is a bit feminist and ahead of it's time. As with many folktales and fairy tales, there are parts that might be scary for kids, such as a cow that is nearly hanged to death by accident. However, it is very brief and some kids might not catch on. The artwork is great and in Wanda Gag's classic style. It was great to discover this lesser known piece of her work.

[Dianna]

Cute story about a man and a woman who switch roles one day. I love the old-fashioned tone in which the story is told, but it's very modern in that the man is the blunderer.

[Anne · Rating 5 out of 5]

Who works harder, the husband or the wife? LOVE this book ;0)

[Robert Davis · Rating 3 out of 5]

I especially liked the humorous pictures of the cow panting and dangling by a rope.

[Robin · Rating 3 out of 5]

An old story of a man who changes places with his wife and learns how difficult housework is.

[Jeffrey · Rating 5 out of 5]

Fabulous telling and such striking illustrations - this strikes me as a perfect folktale picture book!

[Michael Fitzgerald · Rating 4 out of 5]

Wish the pictures were bigger.

[Margaret Chind]

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Excerpts and/or reprints included in Stories And Fables.

[K · Rating 4 out of 5]

Always around when I was a kid, this story is wonderful, funny and wise. Why the stupid subtitle? My parents' edition is just Gone is Gone, and that is that.

[Andrew · Rating 4 out of 5]

Gotta love Wanda Gag.

[Alice Teets · Rating 4 out of 5]

Another cute children's book by one of my favorites from my childhood.

[Humeyra A. Cetinel · Rating 4 out of 5]

‘Gone is gone’ addresses the age-old question : in a traditional household, who works harder, woman or man? A beautifully written and funny children’s book that I definitely recommend reading.

[Sara · Rating 3 out of 5]

Maybe his wife’s work is much harder than he thought! This wee small book was on a shelf at the Eureka branch of the Humboldt County Library and it called to me.

[Debi Cates · Rating 5 out of 5]

The littlest Little (age 7) has been asking why I keep forgetting to bring the Book Bingo game I made just for them and our reading time together. I promised I wouldn't forget the next time.

Today was the "next time" -- an unexpected conflict of parents' schedules. Could I pick girls up from school? You bet I can!

I grabbed the Book Bingo and a random grab of two books from Granny's Kids Book Box.

We three girls loved this oldie! Married farmer peasants, Fritzl and Liesi switch duties for the day. She goes to work in the field, and he stays home ready for a relaxing, easy day. Yeah, right.

The other book I picked for today, The Paper Bag Princess made an interesting pairing with this book, both about gender role reversals. Quite by accident! When we were done reading, it was fun to talk about that. Since we've come a long way from the 1930s and the 1980s (a fight the whole way, I might add, and one that is slipping backwards under the current MAGA mentality), I was able to ask them if these two stories could have been told with the roles reversed. Funny that, how "traditional" roles were reversed but that idea, hallelujah, was not very pertinent to these young ones. They agreed the roles could be reversed. Instead, the message we talked about was different perspectives that happen not just about farm work, but any kind of work. Sometimes people think someone else has an easy job only to find out they are quite wrong, and we need all kinds of skill sets to make things run smoothly. Sometimes on a farm. Sometimes in a castle with a fire-breathing dragon hanging around

Then we played Book Bingo as promised, using the two books we just read. When done, the Granny bag of stickers that accompanies the Book Bingo game was brought out to select a few for a celebratory reward.

Good times.

[Prabhat sharma · Rating 4 out of 5]

Gone is gone or the story of man who wanted to do housework by Wanda Gag- Children’s illustrated colour picture book- Bohemian folktale- The book narrates the story of Fritzl and his wife Liesi who own a small piece agricultural land and a house. They own domestic animals. Liesi is responsible for maintain the house, looking after domestic animals, take care of her daughter and cook food for the family. Fritzl works on the farm and performs all agriculture related chores alone. One day Fritzl feels that he works harder than his wife and suggests to her that they must exchange their jobs. Here, the book addresses an age-old question between couples--who works harder? Liesi moves to the farm early morning. Fritzl has a tough day. He spills the apple juice, his dog eats his food, cow remains thirsty, neighbours’ domestic animals enter his kitchen garden and eat away all the vegetables. In the afternoon, when Liesi returns from the farm to the house for lunch, she finds that everything is topsy- turvy. Fritzl admits that Liesi's work is "none too easy" and he begs her that he will return to his fields and not do housework. They find the importance of co-operation and respect for each other’s duties. Thus, they live in peace and happiness forever." I have read this book in Hindi language. The coloured illustrations help the reader to relate to the story.

[Kathy Piselli · Rating 4 out of 5]

I obtained this little book from the gift shop at the Whitney while they had a small showing of prints by Gág. It was a small room, painted an odd mustardy color, with some excellent examples of her work, including my favorite, the one called Macy's stairwell, the landing with the fire hose mounted on the wall. There also were two of the children's books she illustrated, a fascinating print she did on sandpaper, and one of her cats painted near a corner, so low to the floor not one visitor noticed it while I was there. But I learned something about the artist there. I love this retelling of a traditional story, illustrated with Gág's hilarious drawings, and dedicated "To My Peasant Ancestors". The 3 year old loved holding the book in little hands, turning the pages for me, and telling me from the pictures what mishap was coming next.

[JapaneseBookworm · Rating 5 out of 5]

I reread a Wanda Gág picture book that was read to me when I was a child. It’s still such a fun story.
Housework is real work too — it shouldn’t be underestimated!
Next time, I’d love to read it to my son as well.

子どもの頃に読み聞かせてもらったワンダ・ガアグの絵本を、久しぶりに読み返しました。やっぱり面白くて、読んだあとスッキリした気分になります（笑）。
家事も立派な仕事のひとつ。軽く見ちゃいけません！
今度は息子にも読み聞かせてあげたいと思います。

#japanesebookworm

#読書記録 #読書 #読書好きな人と繋がりたい #booklover #本が好きな人と繋がりたい #絵本 #海外子育て #日本語教育 #男の子ママ #絵本のある暮らし #絵本育児 #ワンダガアグ #くよくよしてもしかたがない #wandagag #wandagág #goneisgone

[Debbie C · Rating 5 out of 5]

I opened this book not expecting to like it much, but what a fun book! Husband and wife switch their traditional roles, and one gets more than HE bargained for. Gag's illustrations hilariously bring the action to life.

[Melanie Gaum · Rating 4 out of 5]

Very tiny but quite funny.

[Barbara · Rating 4 out of 5]

Fritzl the farmer is convinced that he works harder than his wife Liesi - until they swap work for the day!

[Radha · Rating 3 out of 5]

A sweet little fairy tale about walking in someone else's shoes.

[Janet Brien · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was a fun story and the classic of teaching a man that "women's work" is often much more challenging than a "man's". Loved it, and of course the illustrations by the author are fantastic!

[Gareth Crawford · Rating 2 out of 5]

Very generic.

[Rebekah Sturgill · Rating 4 out of 5]

Perfectly charming. While reading, you can tell it was told to Gág in German and the phrasing is delightful.

[Alexane Pelissou · Rating 4 out of 5]

Le (mini) livre parfait à offrir à vos potes mecs hétéros pour les troller

[Nicole Michelle · Rating 3 out of 5]

A cute little read I received as a holiday gift. The story and illustrations were very cute. I liked learning more about the author & thought it was neat she shared a cherished childhood fairytale from her memory and translated it into a tiny illustrated story. Fun to think this was first published in 1935. Will make a fun “coffee table” book & a quick one to share!