THOSE FOOLISH MOLBOES!

Three trifles from Denmark, the land of the Molboes, goofy folks whose muddied thinking leaves them with possessions buried or lost at sea, with faces full of mud, and out of pocket for a boat too little to leave its mother. As pictured by Margot Tomes--half in color, half in black-and-white --these chuckleheads are properly peculiar, tying up a ship on land, carving an X on the boat to mark its location at sea, or puzzling over a missing companion. Less preposterous than the Stupids, far less polished than the fools of Chelm, they're mildly amusing, especially for kids who enjoy the habitual irrationality of adults.