Epigraph
When Childhood’s toys have passed away,
May Books become another play.
Then may each book a blessing give
And bring you pleasure while you live.
—Ruth Landa.
Preface
The very cordial welcome given to my earlier volume of “Jewish Fairy Tales and Fables” has prompted me to draw further upon Rabbinic lore in the interest, chiefly, of the children. How the wise Rabbis of old took into account the necessities of the little ones, whose minds they understood so perfectly, is obvious from such legends as those dealing with boyish exploits of the great Biblical characters, Abraham, Moses, and David. These I have rewritten from the stories in the Talmud and Midrash in a manner suitable for the children of to-day.
I have ventured also beyond the confines of these two wonderful compilations. There is a wealth of delightful imagination in the legends and folk-lore of the Jews of a later period which is almost entirely unknown to children. I have drawn also on these sources for some of the stories here presented. My desire is to give boys and girls something Jewish which they may be able to regard as companion delights to the treasury of general fairy-lore and childish romance.
Aunt Naomi.
London, March, 1919.
Illustrations
| PAGE | |
| “Where is the door?” | Frontispiece |
| Og, riding gaily on the unicorn behind the Ark, was quite happy | 26 |
| A strange crowd of demons of all shapes and sizes poured into the synagogue with threatening gestures | 36 |
| He could not see what Sarah saw—a figure, a spirit, clutching a big stick | 68 |
| “The big fellow here got angry, beat the others and smashed them to bits” | 88 |
| He sprang from his stool, spluttering and cursing | 100 |
| He found a beautiful youth, clad in a deer skin, lying on the ground | 112 |
| With a cry, he put his fingers in his mouth to ease the pain and burned his tongue | 126 |
| They saw the land rise up like a huge mountain and a tremendous stream of water gush forth | 134 |
| He looked up and beheld the most beautiful woman his eyes had ever seen | 150 |
| As the Shah raised his sword an old man stepped from behind the tree | 162 |
| Behind him a fierce roar indicated that the lion was in pursuit | 172 |
| The gates opened from within and the Arab stood before them | 178 |
| The sun was shining on a noble city of pinnacles and minarets | 188 |
| He heard a cry of alarm and saw a huge stone fall on the soldier riding behind him | 194 |
| The four youths mounted the eagles which flew aloft to the extremity of their cords | 202 |
| “Thou canst only be my long lost son Elkanan!” | 214 |
| He crouched on his throne and imagined he saw angels and demons and fairies | 234 |
| The monster was battering down the door of the synagogue | 244 |
| Hanina and his wife followed the giant frog | 252 |
| The giant bird did not seem to notice its burden at all | 258 |
| Then the door slowly opened and a figure in white stood in the entry | 276 |