Forty-Four Turkish Fairy Tales with illustrations by Willy Pogany , 1st part

Forty-Four Turkish Fairy Tales collected and translated by Ignácz Kúnos with illustrations by Willy Pogany was published 1913.

Most of these stories are framed by the usual fairy tale apparatus. There are quests to win the hand of a princess, evil step-relations, talking animals, magical objects and transformations, simple (but brave) peasants, wizards and witches, dragons and dungeons, thousand-league journeys, and loveable fools. The majority of these stories contain encounters with Turkish supernatural beings. These are called 'Dews,' known elsewhere in Islamic folklore as 'Devis,' or 'Jin,' Europeanized as 'Genie.' (Sometimes in this book, the Turkish Dew are also called 'Arabs!') These most resemble the giants of European folk tales, with elements of the fairies. The Dews are, more often than not, malevolent towards humans, although they occasionally help the protagonist in their quest. There are many other specifically Turkish elements and terminology in the stories, for which note the helpful glossary at the end of the book. So this isn't simply an orientalized set of European Märchen, but apparently drawn from an authentic Turkish oral storytelling tradition. However, there is no attribution of source for any of these stories; this is not a scholarly study by any means. - J.B. Hare

Frontispiece

Now as the Prince sat in his palace looking on the two fountains which yielded oil and honey, an old woman appeared with a jug in her hand, intending to fill it at the fountain. The Prince took up a stone and cast it at the old woman's jug and broke it to pieces. Without a word the woman withdrew. Next day she came again, and just as she was about to fill her jug the Prince once more threw a stone and broke the vessel. Without a word the old woman went away. On the third day she reappeared, and for the third time her jug was shattered by the Prince. Said the old woman :" I pray Allah thou mayst be smitten with love for the three Orange Peris." She then went away, and was seen no more.

" As soon as you hear the bear, go away and leave him to it, to do what he will."
So the cavalcade set out, and when presently they came to the bear's hidingplace the mounted escort left our hero in the lurch and rode back. Mustafa spurred his steed, but the animal would not move, and the bear came at him with ungainly strides. Seeing a tree close at hand, our hero sprang on to the back of his horse, clutched at the overhanging branches, and pulled himself up. The bear came underneath the tree and was preparing to ascend when Mustafa, letting go his hold, alighted on ist back, and boxed bruin's ears so severely that he set off in the direction the horsemen had taken. Catching sight of them, he yelled: "Kara Mustafa, the hero, is coming ! " "Whereon they all wheeled round, and, understanding the situation, dispatched the bear with their lances. After this the fame of Kara Mustafa spread far and wide.

"Take this bird and hide it. When my father asks which of the three maidens you desire, point to me,- if, however, you do not recognise me, produce the bird and answer :' I desire the maiden to whom this bird shall fly.'" Saying this the dove flew away. The next day the dervish brought with him the three maidens and asked the youth which of them pleased him best. The youth accordingly produced the bird and said that he desired her to whom the bird should fly. The bird was set free and alighted on the maiden who had instructed  him. She was given in marriage to the youth, but without the consent of her mother, who was a witch.