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Book Review: The Tales of Beedle the Bards

December 17, 2017



One more book collections from Harry Potter series, The Tales of Beedle the Bards. For you whom familiar with Harry Potter, at the last book of Harry Potter series, it tells that this book was inherit to Hermione Granger from Albus Dumbledore. From this book then, we all know where The Deadly Hallows came from.

Oh, this also my first time reviewing a book. This is Australian edition, looks like the Australian edition is same like UK edition. Anyway, I bought this book when my boyfriend and I went to K-mart, and found a book corner that have all Harry Potter's book. Since I had all Harry Potter series (even in Indonesian Language), and also two other books, and didn't have this one, so I bought this book.

Writen by J.K. Rowling it self, published in aid of Lumos (wearelumos.org) an organization that help all the children around the world.
The Tales of Beedle the Bards 
Writer: J.K. Rowling
Language: English
Published: 2017
Publisher: Bloosmbury Publishing
Pages: 134 Pages
Price: AU $9
Soft Cover


Like any other story that came from Harry Potter series (Quidditch Trough the Age, and Fantastic Beast and Where to Find Them) this book also written from the wizard point of view. If you look at the back of this book, you will find the writen "Five enchanting fairly tales full of magic and trikery, THE TALS OF BEEDLE THE BARDS have been favourite bedtime reading in wizarding households for centuries."
and it also added...
"Translated from the original runes by Hermione Granger, with accompanying notes by Professor Albus Dumbledore, indluded by kind permission of the Hogwart Archive."

Yes, there are five tales inside this book. Each tales will take us imagining to the wizarding world, and enjoying each wizarding stories. And the exciting thing is in every end of the story, we can read Albus Dumbledore note and point of view about the stories.

The Wizard and the Hopping Pot


This is the first tale inside this book. It telling a story about an old wizard and his son who have different character from him. Even thought they are wizards, but since they living at muggle (non-magic people) village, they have to hide their identity as a wizard. The father is a kind and helpful wizard. He like to help people around the village. While his son have a different character, he more introvert and doesn't like to see muggles.

This story tells us how the father trying to inherit his good character to his son that been rejected. So with a "little push" from his old pot, his son finally can change his character. From the snob and introvert person, to be kind and helping person.

The Fountain of the Fair Fortune


The second story tells about the magic fountain inside the magic garden, This garden only allows one person every year to enter, which is the day when the sun shine the longest that day. In this story, we will find not only wizard, but also non-magic person have the same chance to get inside the garden and baths at the fountain. The only condition that required is they have to have the most complicated problem at their life.

It tells three wizcrafts with their own problem, Asha, Altheda and Amatha, came at the day it promise, and they are the chosen people together with one muggle knight, Sir Luckless. A knight with dismal face.

To get to the fountain they have to face the obstacles inside the garden. Because only one person that able to take a bath inside the fountain. Who do you think the one that able to come inside the fountain?

The Warlcok's Hairy Heart


This is the tale about a warlock that hide his precious heart. It makes him can't feel any emotion, he can't feel sad, happy, pain, or fall in love, even to the most beautiful woman in his place. All the people start talking about how unlucky he was, he have all the gold, really powerful wizard too, but he is not interest with having a partner for his life. He, then said, that he just only wanted a the most superior woman, have the most beautiful face, until makes all the men jealous of him, he also wanted her came from the most powerful wizarding family, so their decents will inherit the most powerful wizard line, and this woman should be at least have the same wealth like him.

He found the woman at his fifty age. Even he's not fall in love with her, but this woman have all the things he desire for. So they finally married, and having the most rousing wedding party ever. Lot's of gold and silver to be their decorations, lots of entertainments serve at their party. Even the warlock himself making the most beautiful poem to his wife, even himself didn't understand the meaning of it. Even so, the woman really flattered with the warlock poems, and said "You speak well, Warlock, and I should be delighted by your attention, if only I thought you have a heart." The Warlock then take the woman to the dungeon, where there is a crystal decorate chest, which his heart inside.

But since the heart was keep too long inside the chest, and not connected to his body it grew a dark long hair all over the heart. The woman become really scared and asked him to put the heart back to where it belong. The warlock cast a spell to open the chest, and put the heart at the empty space inside him. But since the heart has been detached from his body for a long time, at the end, the heart kill both of them..

Babbity Rabbity and her Cackling Stump


Telling a story about the stupid king, that want to be the greatest wizard, But since he's not someone from the wizarding family, he don't know how to make a different between the muggle and wizard. Until he employed a charlatan who have no magical power to teach him magic.

An old washer woman named Babbity knew that the charlatan only played with the king to get a lots of gold. Until one day, they found out that Babbity was watching them from her window, and made the king so angry. He said he will show to people about his new ability, magic to his people tomorrow. Afraid that his secret will be open, the charlatan said he will leave the kingdom far away early in the morning. But the king said he will stay. If he reject it, all his guards and witch hunter will seek and beheaded him, and when his magic is not work, and people start laughing at him, the charlatan also beheaded.

Afraid of being beheaded, the charlatan came to Babbity, and asked her to help him, if she refuse it, the charlatan will tell the king that she is a witch. Babbity agree and help the charlatan the next day. It was going well until someone came to the king and asks him to revive his death dog. But, Babbity didn't do anything for it, knowing no magic will help to revive the death. People become laughing because all the fake chants that the king made can't make the dog alive. The king become really angry, and when he started to beheaded the charlatan, the charlatan said that Babbity is the bad witch one who blocked all his magic.

The king's guards and witch hunters then try to catch Babbity into the forest. Until they found a big old tree. The charlatan said that the big old tree is Babbity. He and the king asked king's guard to chop down the tree. But. after the tree chopped down and they started to return to their kingdom, suddenly they heard the voice that came from inside the tree. The voice said that the king is cursed, he will suffer the same everytime he swing his sword to all the witches.

What do you thing it will end??

The Tale of the Three Brothers


Of course every Harry Potter fans know about this story. This story just as same as the time Hermione Granger tells her friends and Mr. Lovegood about the Deathly Hallows.


Moral Messages
Since these are an imaginary stories, doesn't mean it doesn't have it moral message in each story. All the moral message not just only for the "magical community" but also to our everyday life. It is easy to find the moral message, because Albus Dumbledore special notes in every story will makes us easier to understand it, even thought it came with some magical words story too.
Albus Dumbledore note
I don't know it can be work to be a bedtime story at muggle world or not. But, if you a Potter fans, and already have a kid, maybe you can try it.

I had try once, to my boyfriend granddaughter. She was three years old. Too bad she didn't like it. Maybe at that time she just came from her kinder, and in her active time. So she more interest with tale with lots of pictures and colours in it.

Could be it just me, who can't tell a story. Oh well..

As a Harry Potter fans, this is a must-have-book to collect, even this is not another story of Harry Potter adventure. But if you are not a fan of Harry Potter, this could be the alternative book for bedtime story for your kids, nephew, little brother or sister, or anyone.

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