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Once Upon a Time: Forty Hungarian Folk-Tales
Compilation of Hungarian Folk-Tales, including:
"The Rooster and the Hen"
"The Shepherd Who Understood the Language of the Animals"
"Wooden Peter"
"The Student Who was Forced to be King"
"Little Berry"
"The Simple-Minded Bootmaker as a Miraculous Healer"
"Long-Neck, Fatty and Droopy"
"The Flying Castle"
"The Fox and the Wolf at the Wedding"
"The Green-Bearded King"
"The Finch with the Golden Voice"
"The Musical Silver Goat"
"The Girl with the Beautiful Flowers"
"Fairy Ilona and Argelus"
"The Flute Made of Maple-Wood"
"Dear-Boy"
"The Secretive Little Boy and His Little Sword"
"The Vain King"
"Bendebukk"
"Martin, the Honest Thief"
"Tree-Root, Iron-Strong and Hill-Roller"
"Three Wishes"
"The Truest Adventures of the Truthful Mountain Boy"
"The Flower-Headed Man"
"Victor"
"The Three Wanderers"
"The Fish Maid"
"The Competition of Fools"
"King Matthias and the Old Man"
"Goose Matt"
"Little Kathy Free-as-the-Wind"
"Oh Dear!"
"What Happens to the Envious"
"Ravenspring"
"The Two Girls and the Iron-Nose Witch"
"Pearly-Dew John"
"The Three Golden Billy-Goats"
"The Fairy of the Three-Branched Oak"
"The Seven Ravens"
"Kalamona and the Winds"
"The Rooster and the Hen"
"The Shepherd Who Understood the Language of the Animals"
"Wooden Peter"
"The Student Who was Forced to be King"
"Little Berry"
"The Simple-Minded Bootmaker as a Miraculous Healer"
"Long-Neck, Fatty and Droopy"
"The Flying Castle"
"The Fox and the Wolf at the Wedding"
"The Green-Bearded King"
"The Finch with the Golden Voice"
"The Musical Silver Goat"
"The Girl with the Beautiful Flowers"
"Fairy Ilona and Argelus"
"The Flute Made of Maple-Wood"
"Dear-Boy"
"The Secretive Little Boy and His Little Sword"
"The Vain King"
"Bendebukk"
"Martin, the Honest Thief"
"Tree-Root, Iron-Strong and Hill-Roller"
"Three Wishes"
"The Truest Adventures of the Truthful Mountain Boy"
"The Flower-Headed Man"
"Victor"
"The Three Wanderers"
"The Fish Maid"
"The Competition of Fools"
"King Matthias and the Old Man"
"Goose Matt"
"Little Kathy Free-as-the-Wind"
"Oh Dear!"
"What Happens to the Envious"
"Ravenspring"
"The Two Girls and the Iron-Nose Witch"
"Pearly-Dew John"
"The Three Golden Billy-Goats"
"The Fairy of the Three-Branched Oak"
"The Seven Ravens"
"Kalamona and the Winds"
323 pages, Hardcover
First published January 1, 1964
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Displaying 1 of 1 review
June 11, 2008
This is a very interesting collection of Hungarian Folk Tales. Some were straightforward and felt very traditional, while others were rambling or even absurd.
Actually, the most interesting part of the entire book, to me, was the eloquent preface in which Illyes explains, "What grown-ups can learn from children's books." I would highly recommend this book to anyone interested in folk-lore or storytelling for the preface alone. Here is a beautiful example:
"These tales, without exception, express the truth that justice triumphs in the end. They all contain the idea that it is worth while to fight for the truth, in any situation.
In this fight man is assisted by more powerful beings than ordinary mortals. And the triumph of justice is the only sense and consolation in this world. Indeed, the world itself started out with this hope. The human race received it long, long ago as a cradle-song."
Actually, the most interesting part of the entire book, to me, was the eloquent preface in which Illyes explains, "What grown-ups can learn from children's books." I would highly recommend this book to anyone interested in folk-lore or storytelling for the preface alone. Here is a beautiful example:
"These tales, without exception, express the truth that justice triumphs in the end. They all contain the idea that it is worth while to fight for the truth, in any situation.
In this fight man is assisted by more powerful beings than ordinary mortals. And the triumph of justice is the only sense and consolation in this world. Indeed, the world itself started out with this hope. The human race received it long, long ago as a cradle-song."
Displaying 1 of 1 review