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The Mouse that Roared (book, movie)

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Grand Fenwick

by António Martins-Tuválkin

I have had several occasions to make the "flag of Grand Fenwick" for various customers. The first one was in 1972. It was customer supplied information and was a sky blue field with a black double headed eagle.

The second was sometime in the 1980's. It was based on the dust-jacket cover art for the hardcover first edition of "The Mouse that Roared". This flag was illustrated on the spine of the book was was a red background with a golden yellow double eagle and scroll.

The third and subsequent flags were after some research into the subject. The popular movie showed two flags for Grand Fenwick one was a national flag, the other, the one on Steve Kramer's web page, was shown as the military color of the Fenwickian Expeditionary Force sent to invade the United States. The film was shot in black and white so we have no color values for the flags, and both were in motion, and therefore hard to see. However, if we again turn to the books written by author Leonard Wibberley we discover that this was only one in a series of books about Grand Fenwick.

The arms are both described and illustrated in "Beware of the Mouse". On page 102 he writes, "This noble procession of knights was led across the lists by Sir Roger of Grand Fenwick, his sturdy blocky figure clad in armor with over it a surcoat displaying the charge of his dukedom - a double-headed eagle, gules, on a field argent."

One version of the paper-back edition of "The Mouse That Roared" had a dark red double-headed eagle on a white swallowtailed field. Sir Roger Fenwick's Three Great Truths!

1. Yes can be turned to no, and no can be turned to yes if sufficient words are applied to any subject!
2. The victor is always right!
3. The pen may indeed be mightier than the sword, but the sword will sing louder at any given moment!

James Ferrigan III, 10 september 1998