The Further Adventures of Gobbolino and the Little Wooden Horse

First published in 1984, long after Adventures of the Little Wooden Horse (1938) and Gobbolino the Witch's Cat (1942), this book brings the heroes of these two earlier works together. When Gobbolino, happily settled into his life as a kitchen cat, receives a letter from his sister Sootica, pleading for his help, he feels honor-bound to go to her aid. Meeting up with the little wooden horse on his journey to the Hurricane Mountains, Gobbolino finds a kindred spirit and a companion on his quest.

Together, the two friends encounter many dangers along their way, barely escaping from a pack of hunting dogs, and spending a night in a haunted church. When they finally reach their destination, they discover that Sootica longs to escape from her show more life as a witch's cat, and has concocted a plan to deceive her witch, using Gobbolino as her double. Although the little wooden horse strongly objects, Gobbolino agrees to his sister's plan, only to find himself trapped in the witch's cavern.

How Gobbolino and his friend freed themselves from the witch - who wasn't as bad as she might have been - and how Sootica discovered just what it was she truly wanted, make for a satisfying conclusion to this light-hearted adventure. All in all, I found that my reactions to the characters of Gobbolino and the little wooden horse remained the same as in the first two books, and that a cat makes for a more engaging and endearing protagonist than a wooden toy. show less