The Listener in some version of The Surprising Adventures of Baron Munchausen (the one with illustrations by Gustave Doré) is recruited by the Baron because of his singular ability for great hearing. One day, the Baron comes upon this man with his ear to the ground. When he asks what the man is listening to, the Listener says he’s listening to the grass grow, to while away the time. In a tale that follows, the Baron’s accomplices, the Runner, the Listener, the Marksman, the Strong Man, and the Blower, all aid him in winning a wager with the Grand Turk of Cairo over the quality of a certain wine, else he lose his head. If provided a name, perhaps a good one would be “Gustavus”.
Creators/Key ContributorsGustave Doré, Rudolf Erich Raspe
First Appearance Baron Munchausen’s Narrative of his Marvellous Travels and Campaigns in Russia (1785)
First Publisher ○
Appearance List Literature: The Surprising Adventures of Baron Munchausen; or Baron Munchausen’s Narrative of his Marvellous Travels and Campaigns in Russia (English, 1785), The Adventures of Baron Munchausen: A New and Revised Edition; Illustrations by Gustave Doré (English, 1865, 2012) [Internet Archive], Aventures du Baron de Münchhausen; illustrées par Gustave Doré (French, 1866) [Internet Archive], Aventures du baron de Münchhausen; Illustrations par Gustave Doré (French, 1893) [Wikisource], The Surprising Adventures of Baron Munchausen; Illustrated by Willaim Strang and J. B. Clark (English, 1895) [Internet Archive], Mr. Munchausen (1901). Film: Baron Munchausen’s Dream (1911, Georges Méliès), Münchhausen (1943, Josef von Báky with script by Erich Kästner), The Fabulous Baron Munchausen (1961, Karel Zeman), The Very Same Munchhausen (1979, Mark Zakharov), The Adventures of Baron Munchausen (1988, Terry Gilliam). Pulps: Beadle’s Half Dime Library #9 – The Adventures of Baron Munchausen (Nov 12, 1877), “How Münchhausen and the Allies Took Berlin” by Hugo Gernsback in Amazing Stories (Feb 1928). Comic strip: Baron Munchausen (1935-1937, Klaus Nordling).
Sample Read The Adventures of Baron Munchausen: A New and Revised Edition; Illustrations by Gustave Doré [Internet Archive]
Description The Listener in some version of The Surprising Adventures of Baron Munchausen (the one with illustrations by Gustave Doré) is recruited by the Baron because of his singular ability for great hearing. One day, the Baron comes upon this man with his ear to the ground. When he asks what the man is listening to, the Listener says he’s listening to the grass grow, to while away the time. In a tale that follows, the Baron’s accomplices, the Runner, the Listener, the Marksman, the Strong Man, and the Blower, all aid him in winning a wager with the Grand Turk of Cairo over the quality of a certain wine, else he lose his head. If provided a name, perhaps a good one would be “Gustavus”.
