Full Description
A man is changed into a flea and must bring his future parents together in order to become human again. A woman convinces a river god to cure her sick son, but the remedy has mixed consequences. A young man must choose whether to be close to his wife's soul or body. And two deaf mutes transcend their physical existence in the garden of dreams. Strange and fantastical, these fairy tales of Bela Balazs (1884-1949), Hungarian writer, film critic, and famous librettist of Bluebeard's Castle, reflect his profound interest in friendship, alienation, and Taoist philosophy. Translated and introduced by Jack Zipes, one of the world's leading authorities on fairy tales, The Cloak of Dreams brings together sixteen of Balazs's unique and haunting stories. Written in 1921, these fairy tales were originally published with twenty images drawn in the Chinese style by painter Mariette Lydis, and this new edition includes a selection of Lydis's brilliant illustrations. Together, the tales and pictures accentuate the motifs and themes that run throughout Balazs's work: wandering protagonists, mysterious woods and mountains, solitude, and magical transformation.
His fairy tales express our deepest desires and the hope that, even in the midst of tragedy, we can transcend our difficulties and forge our own destinies. Unusual, wondrous fairy tales that examine the world's cruelties and twists of fate, The Cloak of Dreams will entertain, startle, and intrigue.
Contents
Acknowledgments ix Bela Balazs, the Homeless Wanderer, or, The Man Who Sought to Become One with the World 1 A Note on the Mysterious Illustrator Mariette Lydis 58 THE CLOAK OF DREAMS Chapter 1: The Cloak of Dreams 65 Der Mantel der Traume Chapter 2: Li-Tai-Pe and the Thief 70 Li-Tai-Pe und der Dieb Chapter 3: The Parasols 74 Die Sonnenschirme Chapter 4: The Clumsy God 80 Der ungeschickte Gott Chapter 5: The Opium Smokers 86 Die Opiumraucher Chapter 6: The Flea 90 Der Floh Chapter 7: The Old Child 95 Das alte Kind Chapter 8: The Robbers of Divine Power 104 Die Gottesrauber Chapter 9: Li-Tai-Pe and Springtime 109 Li-Tai-Pe und der Fruhling Chapter 10: The Ancestors 114 Die Ahnen Chapter 11: The Moon Fish 119 Der Mondfisch Chapter 12: The Friends 123 Die Freunde Chapter 13: The Revenge of the Chestnut Tree 133 Die Rache des Kastanienbaumes Chapter 14: Tearful Gaze 139 Tranenblick Chapter 15: The Clay Child 145 Das Lehmkind Chapter 16: The Victor 150 Der Sieger Appendix A: A Beautiful Book by Thomas Mann 155 Appendix B: The Book of Wan Hu-Chen by Bela Balazs 159 Bibliography 173
