The Tales of Beedle the Bard by JK Rowling

The Tales of Beedle the Bard contains five richly diverse fairy tales, each with its own magical character that will invariably bring delight, laughter and the thrill of mortal peril. Additional notes for each story penned by Professor Albus Dumbledore will be enjoyed by Muggles and wizards alike, as the Professor muses on the morals illuminated by the tales, and reveals snippets of information about life at Hogwarts. A uniquely magical volume, with illustrations by the author, J.K. Rowling, that will be treasured for years to come.

The Tales of Beedle the Bard comprises of five not-so-average stories for children and adults alike. They are not your typical fairy tales with happily ever afters. In fact, they depict the realities of life all of us go through every single day instead of the carefree dreamlands that so many of us wish to live in. This is what makes The Tales of Beedle the Bard so special, as its stories will stand out and stay in your minds for numerous nights and days.

The Wizard and the Hopping Pot, The Fountain of Fair Fortune, The Warlock’s Hairy Heart, Babbitty Rabbitty and her Cackling Stump and lastly, The Tale of the Three Brothers all tell stories of wizards (and Muggles) who lack something human. Be it kindness, hope, love, or wisdom, the characters in each of these stories are very much like us, all the while missing something very human yet they do not realise it.

Reading The Tales of Beedle the Bard is somewhat like self-discovery. Many of us will soon come to realise that one of the many characters in the book itself resembles us a lot, to which we can’t help but flip right to the end of the story to find out what happened to that character at the very end. The stories themselves also give us many things to ponder about, of life and of self.

The Tales of Beedle the Bard is indeed an excellent read for people of all ages with its humorous descriptions and simple language, which makes it so easy to read. I strongly recommend this book to those who like fairy tales and happily ever afters, since all of you will soon know that happily ever afters do not exist after all.

Done by: Claire Hsieh 3P