Yiddish Folktales [Paperback]

Filled with princesses and witches, dybbuks and wonder-working rebbes, the two hundred tales that make up this delightful compendium were gathered during the 1920s and 1930s by ethnographers in the small towns and villages of Eastern Europe. Collected from people of all walks of life, they include parables and allegories about life, luck, and wisdom; tales of magic and wonder; poignant encounters between rabbis and their disciples; and stories whose only purpose is to entertain. Long after the culture that produced them tragically disappeared, these enchanting Yiddish folktales continue to work their magic today.

With black-and-white illustrations throughout
Part of the Pantheon Fairy Tale and Folklore LibraryIntroduction  •  xix
 
PART ONE:Naked Truths and Resplendent Parables: Allegorical Tales
1. Naked Truth and Resplendent Parable  •  7
2. A Bit of Herring, a Pinch of Salt, and a Morsel of Bread  •  8
3. Things Can Always Get Worse  •  9
4. The Luck That Snored  •  10
5. The Fever and the Flea  •  12
6. Why Dogs Chase Cats and Cats Chase Mice  •  14
7. Wisdom or Luck?  •  15
8. Pleasing All the World  •  19
9. Poverty Grows and Grows  •  20
10. The Sacrifice of Isaac and the Caretaker of Brisk  •  21
11. The Treasure at Home  •  23
12. A Fable of a Bird and Her Chicks  •  24
13. Letting In the Light  •  25
14. Bad Luck  •  26
 
PART TWO:A Rooster and a Hen, Let the Story Begin: Children’s Tales
15. The Pain in the Neck: A Nonsense Tale  •  35
16. The Six-PointedHomentash:A Purim Take  •  36
17. A Tale of Two Brothers  •  37
18. Stones and BonlĂ!