Introduction
The Tales of Beedle the Bard is a book containing some legendary stories written by Beedle the Bard. He
wrote them for young wizards and witches. It is still unknown how many
stories he originally wrote, but presently there are 5 stories that are
known to have survived. These stories are well known amongst the
students at Hogwarts just like stories such as Snow White and Cinderella are well known amongst Muggle children. The stories were originally written in Ancient Runes, and Hermione Granger translated them into English. These stories share many themes with the Muggle stories, including the the theme of goodness always prevailing and evil being punished. In Muggle fairytales we usually find that magic is the root of all problems and trouble. However, in Beedle's stories both heroes and villians are able to perform magic. This is one of the significant differences between Beedle's stories and Muggle fairytales. This also shows us a fact: that magic can cause as much trouble as it cures!
The Author
Beedle the Bard lived in the 15th century. The only known facts about him are that he was born in Yorkshire and he had an exceptionally luxuriant beard (as shown by the only surviving wood cut). If his stories are based on his opinion about life we can conclude that he quite liked Muggles, he didn't believe in Dark Magic, and he believed that the things that caused trouble in life are humans' natural traits: cruelty, apathy and arrogance. The heroes and heroines in his stories are not those with the most powerful magic but those who are kind and ingenuous. They use logic to solve both their own problems and those of others. Professor Albus Dumbledore shared this view with him. Some notes written by Prof. Dumbledore himself about the stories were found amongst the papers that Dumbledore left in his will to the Hogwarts Archives and have been included in these lessons for you to see.
The Stories
There are 5 stories in this book: The Wizard and The Hopping Pot, The Fountain of Fair Fortunes, The Warlock's Hairy Heart, Babbitty Rabbitty and Her Cackling Stump, and The Tales of The Three Brothers. All of these tales (except The Warlock's Hairy Heart) have been re-written by Beatrix Bloxam in a book called The Toadstool Tales. But the book has since been banned because it caused nausea and vomiting in the children who read them.
And now, let's discuss the first story: The Wizard and The Hopping Pot.
And now, let's discuss the first story: The Wizard and The Hopping Pot.
The Wizard and The Hopping Pot
This story tells us about an old wizard who lived with his son a long time ago. He was a very kind person and he liked using his magical abilities to help his neighbors, most of whom are Muggles, with their problems. Rather than revealing the true source of his magic, he pretended that his all charms, antidotes, and potions came from a cauldron he called his lucky cooking pot. People came from far away to bring their problems to the wizard. He was pleased to stir his pot and cure them.
This wizard lived to a goodly age, and when he died, he left all of his possessions, including his pot, to his only son, whose personality was very different to his own. His son thought that those who could not perform magic were not worth helping or even dealing with. Upon his father's death, he found a small package inside the old cooking pot, bearing his name. When he opened it, he found a single soft, thick slipper, which was too small to wear. There was a note attached to the slipper, which read: "In the fond hope, my son, that you will never need it". He cursed his father's age-softened mind and threw the slipper back into the pot.
That night, a peasant woman knocked on his front door. "My granddaughter is afflicted by a crop of warts, sir," she told him. "Your father used to mix a special poultice in that old cooking pot ― "
"Be gone!" cried the son. "What care I for your brat's warts?"
And he slammed the door in the woman's face.
After closing the door on the old woman, the son heard a clacking noise in the kitchen and saw his pot had grown a foot and a case of warts. It was hopping in the middle of the floor, making a fearful noise. The son tried to vanish it, clean it and force it out of his house. None of his attempts were successful in stopping the pot from hopping and following the wizard wherever he went.
This wizard lived to a goodly age, and when he died, he left all of his possessions, including his pot, to his only son, whose personality was very different to his own. His son thought that those who could not perform magic were not worth helping or even dealing with. Upon his father's death, he found a small package inside the old cooking pot, bearing his name. When he opened it, he found a single soft, thick slipper, which was too small to wear. There was a note attached to the slipper, which read: "In the fond hope, my son, that you will never need it". He cursed his father's age-softened mind and threw the slipper back into the pot.
That night, a peasant woman knocked on his front door. "My granddaughter is afflicted by a crop of warts, sir," she told him. "Your father used to mix a special poultice in that old cooking pot ― "
"Be gone!" cried the son. "What care I for your brat's warts?"
And he slammed the door in the woman's face.
After closing the door on the old woman, the son heard a clacking noise in the kitchen and saw his pot had grown a foot and a case of warts. It was hopping in the middle of the floor, making a fearful noise. The son tried to vanish it, clean it and force it out of his house. None of his attempts were successful in stopping the pot from hopping and following the wizard wherever he went.
The
next morning, an old man came to look for help. He had lost
his donkey and could not go to the market without it to fetch food for
his starving family. The son closed the door on him as well, and
afterwards the pot started making sounds like a donkey.
That evening, a young woman came knocking on the door, hoping the wizard could cure her sick baby. But again, the wizard ignored her and he shut the door on her. And now the pot began to fill up with salt water, and slopped tears all over the floor as it hopped and brayed, groaned and sprouted even more warts.
The wizard could not sleep or eat while the pot kept hopping beside him, but the pot refused to leave, and the wizard still could not silence it or force it to be still.
Finally, the son could not take it any longer. He called all his neighbors and used his magic to help cure their problems. As the people's troubles began to fade away the pot started emptying, until at last out popped the mysterious slipper — one that perfectly fitted the foot of the now-quiet pot. Together the two of them returned to the wizards home and he helped the villagers from that day forward.
That evening, a young woman came knocking on the door, hoping the wizard could cure her sick baby. But again, the wizard ignored her and he shut the door on her. And now the pot began to fill up with salt water, and slopped tears all over the floor as it hopped and brayed, groaned and sprouted even more warts.
The wizard could not sleep or eat while the pot kept hopping beside him, but the pot refused to leave, and the wizard still could not silence it or force it to be still.
Finally, the son could not take it any longer. He called all his neighbors and used his magic to help cure their problems. As the people's troubles began to fade away the pot started emptying, until at last out popped the mysterious slipper — one that perfectly fitted the foot of the now-quiet pot. Together the two of them returned to the wizards home and he helped the villagers from that day forward.
Notes from Professor Dumbledore
Professor Dumbledore wrote about how he was amazed that there are such stories like this. He was equally amazed that its original version survived from burning. If we look back at the story it is a pro-Muggle story, despite having been written during an era in which wizards and witches were hunted. Some anti-Muggles have even revised the story and made it really creepy just because they didn't want to 'damage' their children. Through this story Beedle had spread the message of brotherly love for Muggles. This story also teaches us that being anti-Muggle isn't always right and sometimes it can even bring us trouble.
Sources
- The Tales of Beedle the Bard by J.K. Rowling (ISBN 978-0-7475-9987-6)