THE KEY OF GOLD 23 Czech Folk and Fairy Tales E-Book

Anon E. Mouse

• Herausgeber: Abela Publishing
• Kategorie: Fantasy und Science-Fiction
• Sprache: Englisch

Veröffentlichungsjahr: 2017

Beschreibung

HEREIN you will find 23 Czech tales like THE TWELVE MONTHS, BOOTS, CLOAK, AND RING, SILLY JURA, SLEEPY JOHN, KOJATA, THE ENCHANTED PRINCESSES, NINE AT A BLOW and many more. Some of which are the Czech equivalent of perennial favourites and others will seem to be completely new and previously unread.

THIS collection of 23 Czech folk tales is intended to exemplify the richness of spirit of the Czech race. While it may be argued that folk-tales are part of a common stock belonging to all European races, and even to many primitive peoples: these tales are all the richer, for the origins of the Czech Republic are in the ancient, central European kingdoms of Bohemia, Moravia and Czech Silesia, all of which have their unique and distinct flavour of folk and fairy tales.

THE selection has been made from all sorts of folk tales, artistic and primitive alike; and yet two things are common to all of them: the moral tendency and a sense of humour. By this we do not mean morality in the earthy sense of retribution for evil. We mean that higher sort of morality which was the mainspring of European culture.

IN recent times these tales have survived two world wars, the Prague Spring and fifty years of Communist (Russian) domination. During the years of communist oppression, all Warsaw Pact countries were expected to be mini-Russian states. During this time Russian language and culture dominated often to the detriment of local customs and culture. But through the power of folklore and folk tales the Czech people have been able to hold on to their national identity.

SO, find a comfy chair, get yourself a hot drink and sit back and be prepared to be entertained. A warning: if you’re reading these stories to children, just when you think you’re finished, expect a tug at your sleeve and a simple request for “More please?”

 

Leseprobe

THE KEY OF GOLD

23 CZECH FOLK TALES

SELECTED AND TRANSLATED BY

DR. JOSEF BAUDIS, M.R.I.A.

LECTURER IN COMPARATIVE PHILOLOGY AT THE PRAGUE UNIVERSITY

WITH 11 ILLUSTRATIONS

Originally Published by

London: George Allen & Unwin Ltd.

Ruskin House Museum Street, W.C. 1

[1917]

*******

Resurrected by

Abela Publishing, London

[2017]

The Key Of Gold

Typographical arrangement of this edition

© Abela Publishing 2017

This book may not be reproduced in its current format in any

manner in any media, or transmitted by any means whatsoever,

electronic, electrostatic, magnetic tape, or mechanical ( including

photocopy, file or video recording, internet web sites, blogs,

wikis, or any other information storage and retrieval system)

except as permitted by law without the prior written permission

of the publisher.

Abela Publishing,

London

United Kingdom

2017

ISBN-13: 978-8-822815-30-9

email

[email protected]

Webpage

www.AbelaPublishing.com

PREFACE

THE present collection has been selected from the following sources:

Josef Kubín, Povídky kladské, i., ii. (in "Národopisný ve

̌

stník c

̌

eskoslovanský").

V. Vondrák, Ne

̌

kolik pohádek z Dubu u Vodn

̌

an (S. Bohemia), in "C

̌

eský Lid," xiii.

V. Tille, Povídky sebrané na Valas̃sku (S. Moravia). "N

á

rodopisn

ý

sborn

í

k c

̌

eskoslovanský," Svazek vii. Prague, 1901.

Elpl, R

̌

ada pohádek a pove

̌

stí nasbíraných Lís̃ni u Brna (Moravia).

B. M. Kulda, Morayské národní pohádky a pove

̌

sti, i. (Prague, 1874). From Moravia.

The first two stories ("Twelve Months," "Vít

̌

azko") have been retold by the novelist Boz

̌

ena Ne

̌

mcová (from the Slovak).

My translation could not be, of course, a literal one, because many phrases in the original might seem strange to the English reader's ear.

Finally, I wish to express my thanks to Miss Eleanor Hull and Mr. Robin Flower for revising my English.

Josef Baudiš.

LONDON, October 1917.

CONTENTS

PREFACE

INTRODUCTION

1 THE TWELVE MONTHS

2 VÍŤAZKO

3 BOOTS, CLOAK, AND RING

4 SILLY JURA

5 SLEEPY JOHN

6 THREE DOVES

7 THE BEAR, THE EAGLE, AND THE FISH

8 KOJATA

9 SHEPHERD HYNEK

10 THE THREE ROSES

11 THE ENCHANTED PRINCESSES

12 THE TWIN BROTHERS

13 THE WATERNICK

14 THE MAN WHO MET MISERY

15 NINE AT A BLOW

16 A CLEVER LASS

17 THE SOLDIER AND THE DEVIL

18 OLD NICK AND KITTY

19 THE KNIGHT BAMBUS

20 FRANCIS AND MARTIN

21 WITCHES AT THE CROSS

22 THE WITCH AND THE HORSESHOES

23 THE HAUNTED MILL

INTRODUCTION

THE present collection is intended to exemplify the spirit of the Czech race. It may perhaps be objected that folk-tale themes are part of a common stock belonging to all European races, and even to many primitive peoples: but though this is perfectly true, it is also no less certain that the spirit of the nation manifests itself in the manner of their telling. The selection has been made from all sorts of folk tales, artistic and primitive alike; and yet two things are common to all of them: the moral tendency and a sense of humour. By this I do not mean morality in the vulgar sense of retribution for evil, or of filial devotion, or the sentimental insistence upon "everyone living happily ever afterwards," and above all upon Jack marrying his Molly. I mean that higher sort of morality which was the mainspring of Protestantism. It is often supposed that Protestantism is very unfavourable to the development and preservation of folk tales; but those of Bohemia are certainly an exception to this rule. The Czech nation was the first to adopt the Protestant faith, and even to-day is still Protestant at heart, though the Habsburgs forced it back into the Catholic fold.

The Czechs, then, have preserved their love for folk tales, adapting them to the higher morality and to the national sentiment, and discarding many of their supernatural features, or where the supernatural was allowed to remain for a moment, reverting very soon to the strict limits of probability. It is the very same method which, for example, Mr. Wells employs in some of his novels. That the Slav nations have a certain tendency to lay stress upon the ethical side in their folk tales has already been pointed out by the Czech poet Erben, whose tales have been translated into English in Wratislaw's Collection.

As for their humour, the Czechs have a natural tendency to satire. The best works in Old Czech literature are satires, and in modern times one of the most brilliant of Czech politicians, Karel Havliček, was also the greatest Czech satirist. This spirit may also be seen in the present collection; but in every case the story-teller, instead of assuming the attitude of the morality preacher or of indulging in theatrical invective against the wickedness of the times, rests content with a good-humoured gibe at the folly of the world, at the frailty of his fellow-men, and, it may be, at his own.

These two traits are inherent in the nature of the Czech people; and those who know their love of such tales and of the literature which has grown out of them, can realize their search for a haven of refuge from the cruel present and their fond dream-pictures of a land where all was good, where at last everything was bound to end well, where truth and justice at last had conquered. Alas! to the victims of Habsburg rule and Austrian bayonets the bare possibility seemed utterly excluded. And yet why should they not dream of such a land? Amo quia absurdum! But at the very moment their humorous ego could not suppress a sneer. Yes, even in that wonderland which their fancy painted are foolish kings, ever prone to break their word: even there people are bad and stupid! But our tale says that the bad were vanquished and the foolish put to shame: let, then, the tale be told! And even as he tells it, his heart nurses the inward hope that the foreign tyrants who oppress him may one day be vanquished and annihilated.

That such were the wishes of the Czech people, the Great War has shown. They have proved by their deeds their love of freedom; and to-day Czechs are fighting bravely in every Allied army and in their own national units formed in Russia. May their Austrian oppressors be brought to the ground, and may Bohemia regain the freedom for which she has longed for three centuries!

Josef Baudiš.

LONDON, October 1917.

1

THE TWELVE MONTHS

ONCE upon a time there lived a mother who had two daughters. One was her own child, the other her stepdaughter. She was very fond of her own daughter, but she would not so much as look at her step-daughter. The only reason was that Maruša, the stepdaughter, was prettier than her own daughter, Holena. The gentle-hearted Marus