J.K. Rowling has done it again! Readers who enjoyed the grand adventures of Harry, Hermione, Ron, Dumbledore and the rest of the memorable characters will findTHE TALES OF BEEDLE THE BARD a valuable tome of literature harvested straight from HARRY POTTER AND THE DEATHLY HALLOWS. Remember the book that Dumbledore gave to Hermione, the one that, with great difficulty, she translated into the wizarding fables that help our beloved Trio on their journeys? Now, with never-before-seen commentary from Albus Dumbledore himself, five of Beedle’s tales have been made available to wizards and Muggles alike. Enjoy!

On “The Wizard and the Hopping Pot”:

People from miles around come to get help from a well-beloved wizard, but when he dies at a happy age, his son inherits everything, including the wizard’s calling. The problem is, the son doesn’t like the non-magical folk and doesn’t want anything to do with them. No visits. No help. No healings. No nothing.

But when village folk begin showing up at the son’s door, in need of help, strange things begin to happen, and all the strangeness centers on his father’s old cooking pot. If he had his father’s character and goodness, he might be able to handle it all, but he, of course, does not. Prejudiced against all non-magical people and desiring only to please himself, his life begins to fall apart, and he must figure out what kind of person he will be if he hopes to survive the chaos.

On “The Fountain of Fair Fortune”:

Once each year on the longest day, the enchanted garden lets one person try to drink from the Fountain’s magical waters. On one particular year, three witches tie themselves together in hopes of sharing the fortunate blessing with each other, should the garden choose them to enter. Things do not go according to plan, though, as a pitiful-looking knight is pulled into the garden with them. Their difficult journey to the fountain teaches them about the illusion of fair fortune and the joy of real contentment.

On “The Warlock’s Hairy Heart”:

In this, the most gruesome of the five tales, a talented young warlock notices how foolish people become when they fall in love and vows never to fall in love himself. Using the Dark Arts to his “advantage,” he removes his heart and hides it deep in the dungeon of his castle. Family, friends and indeed the whole kingdom wish him to find love, but he laughs at them all, until the rumors about him begin to spread. After having his heart closed off for so long, it becomes the hairiest journey imaginable for him to learn to love again.

On “Babbitty Rabbitty and Her Cackling Stump”:

A foolish king turns his Brigade of Witch-Hunters loose on the countryside to hunt down and arrest any magical folk. At the same time, however, he puts out an advertisement wanting an Instructor in Magic. Spying the perfect opportunity to make a quick buck, a clever charlatan pretends to be a sorcerer and goes to work for the king. All goes well until someone finds out his secret. In classic form, the foolish king shows us the kind of fear that can be created when the people in power label a certain group as the evil ones in society. Racism and prejudice are soon to follow. As providence would have it, though, someone always rises up who puts the prideful in his place, showing him where he has gone astray and leaving we readers satisfied that justice has won the day again.

On “The Tale of the Three Brothers”:

When three brothers figure out a way to cheat Death, he pretends to congratulate them by offering them each a prize. The three prizes --- the most powerful wand, a stone with the power to recall others from Death, and an Invisibility Cloak --- lead the brothers down eerily similar paths. Even with such powerful tools, they cannot run from Death. Indeed, it seems no one can.

This tale is showcased in HARRY POTTER AND THE DEATHLY HALLOWS, as Harry and Hermione learn that the three prizes are real and that all of wizarding history seems to center on the hunt for the three items. Without giving any of Harry’s story away, the parallels between this tale and the end of Harry’s journey intertwine nicely for a pleasing payoff and a strong message.

On Dumbledore’s Commentary:

After each of the five tales, Rowling has included commentary by Albus Dumbledore. In these commentaries, Dumbledore sheds light on bits of wizarding history and shows how they help expound the stories’ meanings. Readers will enjoy interesting tidbits from Dumbledore’s past, stories about Hogwarts and interesting background details about the struggle between The Order and the Death Eaters and the evil practice of creating Horcruxes. Even though events from the past cannot be changed, for this reader, it certainly was great to hear Dumbledore’s voice again.

Final Thoughts:

Beatrix Bloxam, an author from Harry and Dumbledore’s wizarding world, believes that Beedle’s tales are “damaging to children, because of what she called ‘their unhealthy preoccupation with the most horrid subjects, such as death, disease, bloodshed, wicked magic, unwholesome characters, and bodily effusions of the most disgusting kind.” I, however, believe the opposite. THE TALES OF BEEDLE THE BARD contains five enjoyable and easy-reading fables that we Muggles will be able to learn from and enjoy. The subjects of the stories are just what people should be talking about, and these tales offer much opportunity for conversation and re-reading.

My thanks go out to Hermione Granger for all her hard work translating Beedle’s tales from the ancient runes and to J.K. Rowling for bringing Harry Potter back into our world again, even if for a brief enjoyable moment.

   --- Reviewed by Jonathan Stephens