The Key of Gold: 23 Czech Folk Tales

by Josef Baudis (Translator)

This rich collection of 23 Czech folk tales offers a golden key to open the door into the meanings of traditional stories that differ in details, but are broadly similar in, motifs from Ireland to India. Though on the surface they appear to deal mostly with the extraordinary rise in fortune of a humble hero or heroine through winning out over daunting forces (wicked relatives, monsters, dragons, witches, or powerful enemies), their functions, meanings, and origins have tantalized scholars in many disciplines.

Genres: Short Stories, Fairy Tales

190 pages, Paperback

First published July 29, 2009

Reviews

[Hana · Rating 5 out of 5]

I'm on the search for stories from my European heritage to learn and tell to my baby, and this book has some fun options. This week, I will work on learning “The Bear, the Eagle, and the Fish” for a start.

[Benjamin Chandler · Rating 3 out of 5]

A decent collection of Czech folktales.

Having lived in Slovakia since 2011, I was surprised that only one of the 23 here was familiar to me. ("The 12 Months") The tales here are written as if Baudis was transcribing a village storyteller's yarn word for word, adding a bit of color with a number of droll asides. There's plenty of heroes, a couple dragons, lots of princesses and kings, and more than one person who outwits the devil.

The collection, though, peters out at the end with a few no-plot tales that felt more like local folklore than fairy tales. Bits like, "A witch once lived there," or "A guy fought the vodnik at that riverbank." They're amusing, but not as fleshed out as the stories that come before.

Still, on the whole, the stories were fun and certainly not well-worn. They still felt pretty fresh for a book first published in 1917.

[Danielle · Rating 3 out of 5]

Good tales overall. There was only one that entirely new to me in this collection -- it featured a kind, wise, and exotic "black man" who claimed that while he "had dark skin, his heart was still good." If you're interested in odd takes on color in folktales, this collection is worth reading for his story alone.

[Rrshively · Rating 2 out of 5]

This book does help one to be a part of Czech folk culture. I believe some of the stories could have been developed better to make the basic story go more smoothly and be more interesting.

[Katie · Rating 4 out of 5]

I read a book by Josef Baudis entitled "Czech Folk Tales," published in 1913. It was interesting and I forgot how odd fairy tales are.