Anyone who starts the Harry Potter series now and forever after will have the luxury of reading one book right after another, with no break – no agonizing wait – for the next piece of the story.
But perhaps J.K. Rowling can be enticed to periodically add to the series' auxiliary books, as she has this year with "The Tales of Beedle the Bard," giving latecomers a small taste of that delicious anticipation.
"Beedle" supports the plot of "Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows," the final installment in Rowling's seven-book saga of the young wizard, his friends and his enemies. Albus Dumbledore, the late headmaster of the wizarding school Hogwarts, has willed an ancient copy of the tales – similar to Grimm's fairy tales, but for young wizards – to top student Hermione Granger, "in hope that she will find it entertaining and instructive."
Hermione and Harry, who grew up in the non-magical world, don't recognize the book, but Ron does, he says: "All the old kids' stories are supposed to be Beedle's, aren't they? 'The Fountain of Fair Fortune' ... 'The Wizard and the Hopping Pot' ... 'Babbitty Rabbitty and Her Cackling Stump' ..."
So Rowling has written the stories that go with these titles, purportedly "translated from the ancient runes by Hermione Granger" and with notes left behind by Dumbledore himself.
Beedle's little stories carry gentle reminders for young wizards that magic is not the answer to every problem.
Rowling, er, Granger does not embellish them much, writing in classic fairy tale style. But Dumbledore's notes are fascinating, as the scholar points out, for instance, how times have changed since Beedle made a pro-Muggle wizard the hero of "Hopping Pot."
It's the last of the five stories, "The Tale of the Three Brothers," that figures in Rowling's seventh book – particularly the legendary gifts (the Deathly Hallows) that were given to the brothers by Death. (The entire tale is read aloud by Hermione during a visit to Luna Lovegood's father, and is repeated here exactly.) Dumbledore's notes on wands show he was aware of the attractions of power, even to himself.
Short as "Tales" is, it offers a quick return trip into Rowling's vivid imagination and may send you back to the entire series.
Call The Bee's Kathy Morrison, (916) 321-1080.
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