Guardians of the lost Library

[Even Flood]

First, my complements to Don on "Guardians of the lost
Library". It is a wonderful story, lots of facts, humour, gags
and details. Every time I read it I discover some new joke or
detail. Great work! And the description of how the libraries
were (and are!) destroyed and the litterature was preserved is
excellent done. 

The only thing that disgusted me is the way the main point and
surprise is given away on the front page - Who did that?? Good
it was not Don. And thanks for telling us there is no D.U.C.K.
on the front page - otherwise I would still have been looking!

But I would like to make one comment, since Don says it was
(also) ment to be educational. The story would have gained by
some reference to the great Muslim libraries in the middle
ages. The biggest libraries around year 1000 were Muslim, for
example the ones in Cordoba and Bagdad. To have included them
in the story would have shown people the Muslim role in
preserving the antique litterature and adding their own, and
it would have given some alternative to the present
disgustingly prevalent western view of Muslims as Ruhsdie
haters.

And one trivia question to Don about GotlL: In one panel
Columbus is shown being lefthanded. Is that true? On the other
(or same) hand: the scholar on the third last page is also
lefthanded, so is there some other explanation? I am
lefthanded myself and like to know about famous southpaws. 

Among other news from Norway: There was a short notice in VG
about the upcomming "Double or Nothing" competition on TV this
spring. The leader of the program said that one of the
subjects attracting most competitors is Donaldism. So this
spring we might see our heroes as subject for the most
prestigeous Norwegian television game. (The theme with the
most interest is the novel series (47 vols) "Isfolket" by the
Norwegian/Swedish author Margit Sandemo. The less said about
her the better.) 

As this is my first time in this forum, I can give a short
description of myself: Reference librarian at the Technical
Universty Library in Trondheim, Norway. Specializing in
electronic information sources. Originally a chemist, worked
for six years at the Universty of Tromsoe in North Norway (the
most northern university in the world!) as a lecturer before
continuing a career in the library.

Age: 49, that makes me the old(est) man around here?

I was four and a half when "Donald Duck & Co" first came out
in Norway, and a year later I had learned to read them. And I
had to read them *fast*, before Dad got home. No, no parental
censorship, only he wanted to read them too. In those days the
text in Donald was all in capital letters, so it was easy to
learn to read. 

Among the best memories of growing up with Donald is: 
"Luck of the North", 
"The Golden Helmet" (always my favorite), 
"Only a poor old Man"  (with one of the great mysteries of my 
     childhood: What was the trick Scrooge learned in Bagdad?
     Who tought it to him and why? Don: any answers in Lo$?)
and (sigh) "Peter Pan" (The album of the movie. All right - so
I was a kid!)

When I started my studies DD&Co was at a low and I mistakenly
thought it was me growing up. So when "Lost in the Andes" came
when I was a student I completely missed it. I rediscovered it
later though.

That is it for now - glad to be here!

Even Flood
even.flood at due.unit.no