Yiddish Folktales

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ISBN: 9780805210903 | 0805210903
Cover: Paperback
Copyright: 9/23/1997

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Filled with princesses and witches, dybbuks and wonder-working rebbes, the two hundred marvelous 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; stories about rebbes and their disciples; and tales whose only purpose is to entertain. Long after the culture that produced them has disappeared, these enchanting Yiddish folktales continue to work their magic today.

Introduction

xix

PART ONE Maked Truths and Resplendent Parables: Allegorical Tales

(28)

1. Naked Truth and Resplendent Parable

(1)

2. A Bit of Herring, a Pinch of Salt, and a Morsel of Bread

(1)

3. Things Can Always Get Worse

(1)

4. The Luck That Snored

(2)

5. The Fever and the Flea

(2)

6. Why Dogs Chase Cats and Cats Chase Mice

(1)

7. Wisdom or Luck?

(4)

8. Pleasing All the World

(1)

9. Poverty Grows and Grows

(1)

10. The Sacrifice of Isaac and the Caretaker of Brisk

(2)

11. The Treasure at Home

(1)

12. A Fable of a Bird and Her Chicks

(1)

13. Letting In the Light

(1)

14. Bad Luck

(9)

PART TWO A Rooster and a Hen, Let the Story Begin: Children's Tales

(34)

15. The Pain in the Neck: A Nonsense Tale

(1)

16. The Six-Pointed Homentash: A Purim Tale

(1)

17. A Tale of Two Brothers

(7)

18. Stones and Bones Rattle in My Belly

(1)

19. Sore-Khane at the Tip of the Church Tower

(2)

20. Little Bean

(3)

21. A Topsy-Turvy Tale

(1)

22. Clever Khashinke and Foolish Bashinke

(2)

23. The Granny Bear

(1)

24. Moyshele and Sheyndele

(3)

25. Next Time That's What I'll Say

(3)

26. The Naughty Little Girl

(9)

PART THREE Magic Rings, Feathers of Gold, Mountains of Glass: Wonder Tales

(86)

27. Hang the Moon on My Palace Roof

(4)

28. The Sorcerer's Apprentice

(4)

29. The Beggar King and the Melamed

(2)

30. Of Nettles and Roses

(4)

31. The Demon and Sosye

(2)

32. How Much Do You Love Me?

(4)

33. The Master Thief

(4)

34. The Orphan Boys

(5)

35. Two Brothers Who Went to the Devil

(3)

36. The Snake Bridegroom

101

(4)

37. The Princess and Vanke, the Shoemaker's Son

105

(2)

38. The Foolish Youth and Elijah the Prophet

107

(5)

39. The King's Lost Daughter

112

(3)

40. The Magic Fish and the Wishing Ring

115

(5)

41. The Hunchbacks and the Dancing Demons

120

(2)

42. The Princess of the Third Pumpkin

122

(4)

43. The Orphan Boy Who Won the Bride

126

(4)

44. Forty Hares and a Princess

130

(5)

45. The Merchant's Son and the Demons

135

(5)

46. The Ram, the Basket, and the Stick

140

(2)

47. The Golden Feather

142

(13)

PART FOUR Justice, Faith, and Everyday Morals: Pious Tales

155

(52)

48. The Tale of a Stingy Woman

155

(2)

49. The Wheat Poured In at the Door

157

(1)

50. In Heaven and Hell

158

(2)

51. The Miracle of the Tree

160

(1)

52. The Poor Man's Ruble

161

(1)

53. Blood and Water

162

(1)

54. A Letter to God

163

(4)

55. The Seven Good Years

167

(1)

56. Set a Trap for Another

168

(2)

57. A Succos Tale

170

(2)

58. Only Eleven Little Fish

172

(1)

59. A Passover Tale

173

(3)

60. A Shocking Tale of a Viceroy

176

(6)

61. The Leper Boy and Elijah the Prophet

182

(3)

62. The Trustees

185

(1)

63. A Tragic Tale

186

(3)

64. Upon Me

189

(1)

65. The Ballad of the Faithful Wife

190

(2)

66. The Iron Chest

192

(3)

67. Water Wouldn't Hurt

195

(1)

68. The Unlearned Villager

195

(1)

69. Holding On to One-Quarter of My World

196

(2)

70. The Poor Rabbi and His Three Daughters

198

(9)

PART FIVE Nitwits, Wits, and Pranksters: Humorous Tales

207

(58)

71. The Clever Girl: A Riddle Tale

207

(3)

72. Then Where's the Cat?

210

(1)

73. The Best for My Wife

211

(1)

74. The Coat of Patches

211

(3)

75. The Bishop and Moshke: Another Riddle Tale

214

(2)

76. Good Manners and Foolish Khushim

216

(2)

77. Khushim and His Bride

218

(1)

78. The Tale of a Leaf from the Tree of Knowledge

219

(2)

79. Reb Hershele and the Goose Leg

221

(1)

80. Hershele Ostropolyer and the Sabbath Caftan

222

(1)

81. Why Khelmites Are Fools

222

(1)

82. The Angel Spills the Jar of Fools

223

(1)

83. A Shoyfer in Khelm

223

(1)

84. The Hill Pushed Away

224

(1)

85. How Khelmites Lighted Up the Night

225

(1)

86. The Melamed's Trunk

226

(1)

87. The Rolling Stone

227

(1)

88. A Cat in Khelm

227

(1)

89. Khelmites Who Refused to Tread on Snow

228

(1)

90. The Sundial

228

(1)

91. A Khelm Compromise

229

(1)

92. A Bridge in Khelm

229

(1)

93. Sowing Salt

230

(1)

94. Two Cows for a Melody

231

(2)

95. Froyim Greydinger, the Magic Stick, and the Pot of Soup

233

(2)

96. What Makes Tea Sweet: An Exercise in Logic

235

(1)

97. The Visitor from the World Beyond

235

(2)

98. The Ten Women

237

(2)

99. The Congregation Loves Jam

239

(1)

100. Motke Khabad Needs a Place to Live

239

(1)

101. Why the Head Turns Gray before the Beard

240

(3)

102. The Love Potion

243

(3)

103. Skotsl Kumt: Skotsl's Here

246

(1)

104. The Clever Little Tailor

247

(3)

105. Two Tunes for Three Hundred Rubles

250

(4)

106. Some True Miracles of God

254

(11)

PART SIX Sages, Tsadikim, and Villains: Legends

265

(64)

107. Sabbath in Paradise

265

(2)

108. The Baal Shem Tov and the Herdsman

267

(3)

109. Yisroel, the Child Rebbe

270

(1)

110. The Disciple Who Went Astray

271

(1)

111. The Rebbe's Melody

272

(3)

112. Don't Go into the Mud in the First Place

275

(1)

113. The Missed Moment of Redemption

276

(1)

114. The Mekarev Rebbe Gets Even with a Stingy Woman

277

(2)

115. The Happy Pair and the Baal Shem Tov

279

(3)

116. The Fleet-Footed Tomeshef Rebbe

282

(1)

117. The Right Order Is Important

283

(1)

118. Reb Khaim Urbakh Rocks a Cradle on Yom Kippur

284

(1)

119. Rain and the Rebbe of Stolin

284

(1)

120. The Miracle of the Dry Well

285

(1)

121. The Reincarnation of Queen Esther

286

(3)

122. The Penitent and the Rebbe of Tshekhenove

289

(1)

123. The Boy Who Put Two Socks on One Foot

290

(1)

124. The Power of the Mourner's Prayer

291

(2)

125. The Curious Disciple

293

(1)

126. A Common Piece of Earth

293

(1)

127. Reb Malkiel and the 702 Candles

294

(2)

128. A Modern Miracle

296

(2)

129. How Judah Halevi Entered Heaven Alive

298

(1)

130. Rabbi Joshua and the Emperor of Rome

299

(1)

131. A Wonderful Legend of a Cave

300

(1)

132. Waiting for the Messiah

301

(2)

133. The Torah of My Servant Moses

303

(1)

134. Rabbi Jonathan and the Minister: A Disputation

304

(2)

135. He Has Only One Weakness

306

(1)

136. The Rabbi Shows Respect for His Shoemaker

306

(1)

137. Evening the Score

307

(2)

138. Reb Leybele of Mir Goes to the Marketplace

309

(3)

139. Napoleon the First and the Jewish Officer

312

(1)

140. Napoleon in Vilna

313

(1)

141. Nafol tipol: Napoleon, You Will Fall

313

(2)

142. The Cantonist's Mother and Nicholas the First

315

(5)

143. Czar Nicholas Decrees the Burning of the Talmud

320

(1)

144. Emperor Franz Josef and the Innkeeper's Infant

320

(1)

145. The Poor Man and Rothschild

321

(1)

146. Rothschild's Shoes

322

(1)

147. Rothschild's End

322

(7)

PART SEVEN Elves and Dibbuks, Ghosts and Golems: Supernatural Tales

329

(40)

148. The Shoemaker and the Shretelekh

329

(1)

149. The Synagogue, the Church, and the Town Hall

330

(1)

150. The Transmigrating Soul

331

(2)

151. Who's Milking the Cows?

333

(1)

152. The Passover Elf Helps Great-Grandmother

334

(1)

153. The Old Shul in Motele

334

(2)

154. The Blacksmith and the Horses with Human Hands

336

(1)

155. The Mysterious Gold Chain

337

(1)

156. The Unquiet Grave

338

(1)

157. The Large Stone Synagogue of Berditshev

339

(1)

158. The Golem of Vilna

340

(2)

159. The Baal Shem Tov and the Gilgl

342

(1)

160. The Shretele That Took a Little Nip

343

(1)

161. The Lost Hat and the Pile of Gold

344

(1)

162. The Miracle of the Beer Keg

345

(1)

163. How Doves Saved a Synagogue from Fire

346

(1)

164. The Calf That Turned to Gold

346

(1)

165. A Cave That Leads to the Land of Israel

347

(1)

166. Late-Night Spooks

348

(1)

167. The Demon Sheep

348

(1)

168. The Dibbuk Melody of Tolne

349

(3)

169. The Missing Bridegroom

352

(1)

170. Two Hrubeshoyv Legends

353

(1)

171. Why the Rebbe's Pipe Must Be Kept Lighted

354

(1)

172. Luckily, the Rooster Crowed Late

355

(1)

173. Neither Eat nor Drink What a Demon Offers

356

(1)

174. A Balshem Drives Out a Dibbuk

357

(2)

175. Lantekh, the Bridge Hobgoblin

359

(1)

176. The Demon and the Willow Twigs

359

(1)

177. The Sleepy Tailor and the Zmore

360

(1)

178. The Last Dibbuk

361

(8)

Glossary

369

(10)

Annotations to the Tales

379

(24)

Notes

403

(4)

Bibliography

407

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Yiddish Folktales

Summary

Author Biography

Table of Contents

Supplemental Materials