Contes d'un royaume perdu

by Erik L'Homme, François Place (Illustrator)

Des contes recueillis par l'auteur au royaume de Chitral, entre Pakistan et Afghanistan : ni cour, ni brillants châteaux, mais de pauvres roitelets et des paysans vivant à la dure sur des terres inhospitalières. Pas de folklore facile ni d'exotisme. Seulement la portée universelle de récits simples, sans didactisme, d'une vraie profondeur symbolique, très aisément accessibles au jeune lecteur occidental."Nano Begal" ("La Maman de Begal") : dans le village de Shoghor vit un joueur de polo appelé Begal. Jaloux de sa réputation, le roi décide de le défier. Incapable d'accepter la première défaite qu'il lui inflige, le roi fait assassiner Begal. Or, au jour de la revanche, celui-ci se présente, vêtu de noir et le visage masqué, pour affronter de nouveau le roi..."Kakho shilogh" ("Le Roi au Corbeau") : le roi de Chitral, parti chasser le léopard des neiges, se repose au pied d'un arbre quand un corbeau se soulage sur son front..."Hashim Bigim" ("La Princesse désappointée") : Hashim Bigim, la belle princesse de Gilgit, est promise en mariage au prince de Chitral. La jeune fille se plaît à imaginer son futur époux. Sera-t-il aussi beau que dans ses rêves ? De l'autre côté de la rivière qui sépare les deux royaumes, elle aperçoit enfin son fiancé : un nain difforme et grimaçant, à mille lieues du portrait qu'elle s'en était fait...

48 pages, Paperback

First published October 16, 2003

Reviews

[Guilherme Semionato · Rating 3 out of 5]

Contos de um reino perdido (São Paulo: Edições SM, 2006).

[GoldGato · Rating 4 out of 5]

Enchanted Lion Books always publish unique books for children, and this title certainly falls under that area. Three stories are told here about the ancient kingdom of Chitral, which is at the border between Pakistan and Afghanistan.

Begal's Mother is a wonderful tale about the sport of polo and familial devotion.

The Disappointed Princess tells of marriage dreams and reality.

The Crow King, my favorite, pits a tribal king against a shrewd crow.

The illustrations by Francois Place are simple and colourful and author Erik L'Homme ends the book with photographs and a travelogue of Chitral, which makes the folktales even more valued. A different book and one which I'm glad I purchased.

Book Season = Summer

[Cam · Rating 3 out of 5]

(3.25) L'intention est super bonne mais j'ai pas particulièrement accroché à deux histoires sur trois.

[Ardyth · Rating 3 out of 5]

Those of us in the West hear little enough about Pakistan, and what we hear is nearly always bad news from the northwest region.

This small collection offers our children a different view.

I'll be upfront and admit that I detested the third story, "Hashim Bigim" -- the tale of a beautiful princess happily anticipating her pending nuptials to a neighboring prince. It culminates in the girl's suicide when she first lays eyes upon him: "He was a dwarf, deformed and grimacing. Drool dribbled down his chin and he seemed to grunt in the manner of a beast."

/sigh

Old tales don't always reflect so well on the old ways, huh?

At this point, you're probably wondering how this still gets four stars when 33% of the included tales received that energetic Two Thumbs Down. Here are the big points in favor:

-- The other two tales are great.
-- The language throughout is quite literary and flows nicely.
-- L'Homme learned Khowar over the course of a couple years in Chitral, and gathered these tales from locals himself.
-- The map is a zoomed-in watercolor topological of that area that runs along Pakistan and Afghanistan. Current-day political boundaries are not emphasized, although the edges indicate Tajikstan, China and India in a vague way. We sense the spirit of this region, rather than perfect cartography, and (in)famous places like Kabul, Peshawar and the Khyber Pass make up only a small part of it.
-- The end of the book is an eight-page Author's Note, part geography reader, part travelogue. This is as long as any of the included tales, and the language here is just as vivid:

The north of Pakistan, stark and beautiful, immediately comes to mind as the place where men, titans and gods meet. This is how I can best describe the mountainous region that stretches between the ranges of the Hindu Kush, Karakoram and the Himalayas... Facing these immense mountains, one has the feeling of having arrived at the doors of our world.

-- This section is illustrated with a scrapbook feel, equal parts photograph and watercolor.

Maybe the third tale is so egregious that this book only deserves three? But I'm on the fence. So, rather than let perfect be the enemy of good, I say just skip "Hashim Bigim" and enjoy the rest.

[Justina · Rating 3 out of 5]

Interestesting climps into a very different culture. Great for kids!