The Tales of Beedle the Bard - A Review

J.K. Rowling's Latest Charity Offering of Harry Potter Fairy Tales

Feb 22, 2009 Jodie Wells-Slowgrove

Once again J.K. Rowling illustrates the depth of the Harry Potter universe in this collection of fairy tales in support of her charity, the Children's High Level Group.

The Tales of Beedle the Bard by J.K Rowling (Children's High Level Group, 2008), is a collection of five fairy tales, supplemented with a written commentary by Albus Dumbledore, the fictional former Headmaster of Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry.

Each tale is accompanied by black and white illustrations drawn by J.K. Rowling herself and the book includes a six page introduction by the author, revealing even more enticing tidbits of information about the Harry Potter universe.

The Children's High Level Group

Proceeds from The Tales of Beedle the Bard will support the Children's High Level Group, a charity set up in 2005 by J.K. Rowling and Emma Nicholson MEP to help institutionalised children across Europe. In 2007, a handwritten copy of The Tales of Beedle the Bard smashed records at a Sotheby's auction and raised £1.950,000 for the charity. A new edition for general sale sold over 2.6 million copies when released in December 2008 and raised over 4 million pounds.

A Moral Education by Beedle the Bard

Like all good fairy tales there is a moral message in Beedle's tales. The characters we are led to look up to exhibit the qualities of kindness, tolerance, generosity and wisdom. As in all good fairy tales, these characters receive their happy ending. Those characters who fail to follow a moral compass however, who are found to be selfish, intolerant, deceptive or arrogant have shorter and less pleasant destinies.

Where Beedle Fits into the Harry Potter Universe

The first introduction to Beedle's tales occurred in Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows when Hermione Granger, Harry's longtime schoolmate and companion was gifted a copy by the late Albus Dumbledore. Only one tale was recounted in that book, that of the Three Brothers, however it played a vital part in the story and even harked back to an artifact that appeared in the very first of Rowling's novels, Harry Potter and the Sorceror's Stone.

Beedle's Tales

1. The Wizard and the Hopping Pot - A tale of magic and the responsibilities that come with power and good fortune.
2. The Fountain of Fair Fortune - A tale about teamwork and the rewards that come from selflessness.
3. The Warlock's Hairy Heart - A cautionary tale about the danger of rejecting one's heart.
4. Babbitty Rabbitty and her Cackling Stump - A tale showing the downfall of deception and folly.
5. The Tale of the Three Brothers - A tale where caution is rewarded over pride and self-interest.

For fans of the Harry Potter series, there is much to enjoy in this small collection. However, as in the later books of the series this volume does embrace some mature themes and in the tradition of the Brothers Grimm, there is also a touch of the gruesome. One tale in particular, The Warlock's Hairy Heart, has a rather violent ending and may not be suitable for younger readers. Parents would be advised to read the book first before giving it to younger children.

The copyright of the article The Tales of Beedle the Bard - A Review in Sci-Fi/Fantasy Fiction is owned by Jodie Wells-Slowgrove. Permission to republish The Tales of Beedle the Bard - A Review in print or online must be granted by the author in writing.

The Tales of Beedle the Bard