Der kleine Drache Hab-mich-lieb: Ein Märchen für große Leute

by Andrea Schwarz

Hardcover

First published January 1, 2001

Reviews

[Manybooks · Rating 5 out of 5]

This sweet and tenderly told original German language fairy tale by Andrea Schwarz (für große Leute, for big people, in other words, for adults) is nothing majorly philosophical, spectacular and in any way earth shattering, but simply an uplifting, inspiring account of a lonely and frustrated, somewhat depressed dragon lady who needs to find both herself and to accept herself for whom and for what she is (that she is a dragon, and that simply because she is a dragon, she does not have to act like the typical fire-spewing and dangerous, savage dragons of folklore, of history, that she can be a loving and unfierce dragon whilst still being herself, whilst still, in fact, existing as a dragon).

I remember first reading Der kleine Drache Hab-mich-lieb at a time when I too was questioning my very existence and especially my German background, and Andrea Schwarz' narrative, her gracefully guiding, often caressing words of encouragement massively and lastingly helped me to not only accept my ethnic origin but to also stand by it even in the face of criticisms by and from those ignorant and unenlightened individuals who even now (even in the this century) sometimes still tend to think that being German is at best problematic and as worst predisposes us to Fascism, Nazism and anal extremism.

Basically a bit of a miniature Bildungsroman (a novel of development), Hab-mich-lieb (the name of the dragon, roughly translated as "please love me"), passes through multiple and painful stages of development and set-backs (at first attempting to be anything but a dragon, at first trying to and of course unsuccessfully changing her being from that of a dragon) until she meets a hippie-like modern magician who instructs her gently but firmly and shows her that being a dragon is not so problematic and loathsome an existence (that one can be a dragon and still be fond of flowers, love and friendship). And when Hab-mich-lieb finally meets a tomcat who is also looking for love and acceptance, understanding, her happiness, her development and acceptance of herself as to whom and what she is and represents has come full circle (most highly recommended, but some fluency in German is strongly suggested, as while Der kleine Drache Hab-mich-lieb is not a difficult read in any way, it would still be a bit too complicated for German language novices, for absolute beginners).

[Nomnivor · Rating 5 out of 5]

Hörbuch gelesen von Alexandra Maria Lara.

Der kleine Drache ist traurig: Immer sieht sie die Tiere des Waldes vor ihrer Höhle spielen. Aber jedes Mal, wenn sie mitspielen will, rennen alle vor Angst davon. Eines Nachts träumt sie von einer Katze auf einer Wiese und beschließt wegzurennen, um diese zu finden.

Dabei lernt sie viele Dinge: Man kann nicht nur so tun, als würde man die anderen verstehen, man sollte nicht mitten auf der Straße schlafen, und manchmal muss man sich in unbequeme Situationen begeben, um anschließend viel glücklicher zu sein.

[Merisa · Rating 4 out of 5]

Cuento ligero y casi poético.
Una dragona personifica la metáfora de la búsqueda de sí mismo y el sentido de la vida.

[Catherine · Rating 4 out of 5]

Ein nettes Märchen für Erwachsene, von dem man einiges mitnehmen kann.