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Czech Folk Tales
To those who love fairy stories (I do) I can heartily recommend Dr. Baudis's collection in the attractive volume, "Czech Folk Tales." A short but valuable preface prepares the English reader for the spirit of Czech folk lore. These have been skillfully selected, for there is not a dull page, provided always that you believe in fairies."
-"The Yale Review"
* * * * *
From the Introduction:
..".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 Havlicek, 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!
-"The Yale Review"
* * * * *
From the Introduction:
..".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 Havlicek, 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!
- GenresShort StoriesFairy Tales
212 pages, Paperback
First published July 29, 2009
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Displaying 1 - 5 of 5 reviews
August 5, 2020
I'm on the search for stories from my European heritage to learn and tell to my baby, and this book has some fun options. This week, I will work on learning “The Bear, the Eagle, and the Fish” for a start.
January 18, 2018
A decent collection of Czech folktales.
Having lived in Slovakia since 2011, I was surprised that only one of the 23 here was familiar to me. ("The 12 Months") The tales here are written as if Baudis was transcribing a village storyteller's yarn word for word, adding a bit of color with a number of droll asides. There's plenty of heroes, a couple dragons, lots of princesses and kings, and more than one person who outwits the devil.
The collection, though, peters out at the end with a few no-plot tales that felt more like local folklore than fairy tales. Bits like, "A witch once lived there," or "A guy fought the vodnik at that riverbank." They're amusing, but not as fleshed out as the stories that come before.
Still, on the whole, the stories were fun and certainly not well-worn. They still felt pretty fresh for a book first published in 1917.
Having lived in Slovakia since 2011, I was surprised that only one of the 23 here was familiar to me. ("The 12 Months") The tales here are written as if Baudis was transcribing a village storyteller's yarn word for word, adding a bit of color with a number of droll asides. There's plenty of heroes, a couple dragons, lots of princesses and kings, and more than one person who outwits the devil.
The collection, though, peters out at the end with a few no-plot tales that felt more like local folklore than fairy tales. Bits like, "A witch once lived there," or "A guy fought the vodnik at that riverbank." They're amusing, but not as fleshed out as the stories that come before.
Still, on the whole, the stories were fun and certainly not well-worn. They still felt pretty fresh for a book first published in 1917.
February 27, 2013
Good tales overall. There was only one that entirely new to me in this collection -- it featured a kind, wise, and exotic "black man" who claimed that while he "had dark skin, his heart was still good." If you're interested in odd takes on color in folktales, this collection is worth reading for his story alone.
December 19, 2010
This book does help one to be a part of Czech folk culture. I believe some of the stories could have been developed better to make the basic story go more smoothly and be more interesting.
January 5, 2015
I read a book by Josef Baudis entitled "Czech Folk Tales," published in 1913. It was interesting and I forgot how odd fairy tales are.
Displaying 1 - 5 of 5 reviews