DIERE STORIES

Von Wielligh se eerste boek word uitgegee 1907 as Dire Storiis. Hierdie is die derde uitgawe, uitgegee 1921 met die meer Afrikaanse titel Diere Stories. Hierdie is deel 1. Daar sou later vier dele uitgegee word. Harde karton buiteblad, 73 bladsye. 'n Kopie in baie mooi toestand.

'n Verdere kopie van Dierestories 3 word ook hierby ingesluit, alhoewel van minimale waarde vanwee sy toestand. 1921 eerste uitgawe met 87 bladsye. Sy binding is sleg, het oud-biblioteek merke en het watervlekke aan die boek se onderste randte. 

In ons letterkunde neem hy ’n besondere plek in, aangesien hy die tydperk tussen die Eerste en Tweede Taalbewegings oorspan, met sy sketse wat reeds in die eerste tydperk verskyn, met sy romans en ander werk hoofsaaklik in die tweede tydperk. Die aard van sy skryfwerk het egter meer gemeen met die styl van die Patriot-skrywers, wat al geselsende lesers wil vermaak, stig en onderrig. Op sestienjarige leeftyd reeds word hy lid van die Genootskap van Regte Afrikaners en werk vanaf 1876 mee aan Die Patriot, ’n verbintenis wat hy in 1891 opskort in protes teen die politieke rigting wat die blad onder leiding van S.J. du Toit inslaan. wikipedia

Dictionary of South African Biography volume 1 pages 857-858. Gideon Retief Von Wielligh 1859 -1932, surveyor and early popular writer in Afrikaans, was the son of Nikolaas von Wielligh and his wife Martha M. Retief. He was educated privately and at the Paarl Gymnasium. In 1879 he passed the examination for the Certificate of proficiency in the theory of land surveying of the University of the Cape of Good Hope and the next year was admitted as a government land surveyor in the Cape Colony. He was admitted to practice as a land surveyor in the South African Republic (Transvaal) in 1883 and the next year was appointed surveyor-general of the territory, succeeding G.P. Moodie. He held this post until 1895, when he was succeeded by Johan F.B. Rissik. Von Wielligh's narratives are simple in construction and plot, but their very simplicity explains the charm of his Bushmen and animal stories. His main significance lies in this type of story and its educational value. His Boesmanstories and Dierestories are told simply, discursively and colloquially. His reshaping of their material makes these didactic tales more than historically interesting. The second work is an amplification of his Dire Storiis which was published at Paarl in 1907.