Czech Folk Tales

Оглавление

Baudiš Josef. Czech Folk Tales

PREFACE

INTRODUCTION

THE TWELVE MONTHS

VÍŤAZKO

BOOTS, CLOAK, AND RING

SILLY JURA

SLEEPY JOHN

THREE DOVES

THE BEAR, THE EAGLE, AND THE FISH

KOJATA

SHEPHERD HYNEK

THE THREE ROSES

THE ENCHANTED PRINCESSES

THE TWIN BROTHERS

THE WATERNICK

THE MAN WHO MET MISERY

NINE AT A BLOW

A CLEVER LASS

THE SOLDIER AND THE DEVIL

OLD NICK AND KITTY

THE KNIGHT BAMBUS

FRANCIS AND MARTIN

WITCHES AT THE CROSS

THE WITCH AND THE HORSESHOES

THE HAUNTED MILL

Отрывок из книги

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 “every one 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.

At last the mother thought: “Why should I keep a pretty stepdaughter in my house? When the lads come courting here, they will fall in love with Maruša and they won’t look at Holena.”

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“Alas! sister dear, I didn’t eat a single one. But when I had shaken the tree once, one apple fell down, and when I shook it a second time, another apple fell down, and they wouldn’t let me shake it again. They shouted to me to go straight home,” protested Maruša.

Holena began to curse her: “May you be struck to death by lightning!” and she was going to beat her.

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