Czech Folk Tales — Josef Baudiš
You may copy it, give it away or re-use it under the terms of the Project Gutenberg License included with this eBook or online at www.gutenberg.org . If you are not located in the United States, you will have to check the laws of the country where you are located before using this eBook. Title : Czech Folk Tales Translator : Josef Baudiš Release date : July 17, 2016 [eBook #52596] Most recently updated: October 23, 2024 Language : English Other information and formats : www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/52596 Credits : Produced by Jeroen Hellingman and the Online Distributed Proofreading Team at http://www.pgdp.net/ for Project Gutenberg (This file was produced from images generously made available by The Internet Archive/American Libraries.) *** START OF JOSEF BAUDIŠ , M.R.I.A. LECTURER IN COMPARATIVE PHILOLOGY AT THE PRAGUE UNIVERSITY WITH 8 ILLUSTRATIONS LONDON: GEORGE ALLEN & UNWIN LTD. RUSKIN HOUSE 40 MUSEUM STREET, W.C. 1 First printed in 1917 ( All rights reserved ) PREFACE The present collection has been selected from the following sources:— Josef Kubín, Povídky kladské , i., ii. (in “ Národopisný věstník českoslovanský ”). V. Vondrák, Několik pohádek z Dubu u Vodňan (S. Bohemia), in “ Český Lid ,” xiii. V. Tille, Povídky sebrané na Valašsku (S. Moravia). “ Národopisný sborník českoslovanský ,” Svazek vii. Prague, 1901. Elpl, Řada pohádek a pověstí nasbíraných v Líšni u Brna (Moravia). B. M. Kulda, Moravské národní pohádky a pověsti , i. (Prague, 1874). From Moravia. The first two stories (“Twelve Months,” “Víťazko”) have been retold by the novelist Božena Němcová (from the Slovak). My translation could not be, of course, a literal one, because many phrases in the original might seem strange to the English reader’s ear. Finally, I wish to express my thanks to Miss Eleanor Hull and Mr. Robin Flower for revising my English. JOSEF BAUDIŠ. London , October 1917 . CONTENTS PAGE PREFACE vii INTRODUCTION xiii THE TWELVE MONTHS. From B. Němcová 1 VÍŤAZKO. From B. Němcová 16 BOOTS, CLOAK, AND RING . From B. M. Kulda 39 SILLY JURA. From B. M. Kulda 55 SLEEPY JOHN. From B. M. Kulda 61 THREE DOVES. From B. M. Kulda 71 THE BEAR, THE EAGLE, AND THE FISH. From Elpl 98 KOJATA. From V. Tille 103 SHEPHERD HYNEK. From Kubín 111 THE THREE ROSES. From Kubín 123 THE ENCHANTED PRINCESSES. From Kubín 129 THE TWIN BROTHERS. From “ Český Lid ,” xiii. p. 84 142 THE WATERNICK. From Kubín 151 THE MAN WHO MET MISERY. From Kubín 157 NINE AT A BLOW. From “ Český Lid ,” xiii. p. 130 161 A CLEVER LASS. From Kubín 165 THE SOLDIER AND THE DEVIL. From “ Český Lid ,” xiii. p. 167 170 OLD NICK AND KITTY. From Kubín 179 THE KNIGHT BAMBUS. From Kubín 182 FRANCIS AND MARTIN. From “ Český Lid ,” xiii. p. 213 186 WITCHES AT THE CROSS. From Kubín 190 THE WITCH AND THE HORSESHOES. From Kubín 191 THE HAUNTED MILL. From Kubín 195 The first two illustrations are copies of pictures by Josef Mánes ; the others have been drawn by Mr. E. Staňek, who in some cases has adapted drawings by Mikuláš Aleš. INTRODUCTION 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. The Czechs, then, have preserved their love for folk tales, adapting them to the higher morality and to the national sentiment, and discarding many of their supernatural features, or where the supernatural was allowed to remain for a moment, reverting very soon to the strict limits of probability. It is the very same method which, for example, Mr. Wells employs in some of his novels. That the Slav nations have a certain tendency to lay stress upon the ethical side in their folk tales has already been pointed out by the Czech poet Erben, whose tales have been translated into English in Wratislaw’s Collection. As for their humour, the Czechs have a natural tendency to satire. The best works in Old Czech literature are satires, and in modern times one of the most brilliant of Czech politicians, Karel Havliček, was also the greatest Czech satirist. This spirit may also be seen in the present collection; but in every case the story-teller, instead of assuming the attitude of the morality preacher or of indulging in theatrical invective against the wickedness of the times, rests content with a good-humoured gibe at the folly of the world, at the frailty of his fellow-men, and, it may be, at his own. These two traits are inherent in the nature of the Czech people; and those who know their love of such tales and of the literature which has grown out of them, can realize their search for a haven of refuge from the cruel present and their fond dream-pictures of a land where all was good, where at last everything was bound to end well, where truth and justice at last had conquered. Alas! to the victims of Habsburg rule and Austrian bayonets the bare possibility seemed utterly excluded. And yet why should they not dream of such a land? Amo quia absurdum! But at the very moment their