Book Comenius Dtg

FOLKTALES Collection of Bulgarian, Turkish and Latvian folktales

C U L T U R E TRADITIONS F O L K L O R E H I S T O R Y

This publication is carried out in the framework of "The value of divercity in our cultural heritage" project. This project has been funded with support from the European Commission. This publication reflects the views only of the author, and the Commission cannot be held responsible for any use which may be made of the information contained therein.

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THE VALUE OF DIVERSITY IN OUR CULTURAL HERITAGE Comenius School partnership Theme for 2007 - 2008:

FOLKTALES

Partners: Coordinating institution Name: State High School of Economics “Dimitar Hadjivasilev” 11 “Dimitar Hadjivasilev” Street 5250 Svishtov, Bulgaria

Partner institution N°1 Name: Selcuk Primary School Ereglikapi Mahallesi Selcuk Caddesi 1451 Nolu Sokak Aksaray, Turkey Partner institution N°2 Name: Zakumuizas Primary School Skolas 3, Zakumuiza, LV – 2133, Riga region Latvia

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BULGARIAN FOLKTALES

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Grand Fathers' Glove Translated by Michael Bennion, Bulgaria A grandfather left his home and made his way across the plains to the town of Zlatica. Along the way he lost his glove. A little mouse who was playing in the plain ran across the glove. She saw the glove and went inside it. Next, a rabbit, running wet and scared of something came across the glove. “Who is inside the glove?” asked the long-eared rabbit. “It is me, the little mouse, Grizana. Who are you?” asked the frightened mouse. “I am rabbit, Srednogorski. I am hiding from people's words,” said the rabbit who was also afraid, and asked very carefully, “Is there room in that warm glove where I can find peace for my soul?” “Come in! When I am alone I am bored,” said the mouse. Next, came a fox. She stopped on the road and smiled, “Who is in that glove?” “The little mouse is resting in the warmth, and the rabbit is hiding from people's words, and what Drawn by Kristina Pusheva

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are your troubles? Why

are you disrupting us?” “I am the golden fox and I would like to warm in your glove, too.” “Well, come in. Even if it is crowded you are still a member of our family,” Drawn by Florans Miteva

said the mouse.

The wolf from the Balkans next came by and spotting the glove, stopped and smelt it. Then he felt the glove and it moved and he asked, “Whose scared soul is hiding in that glove?” “In the glove is the resting little mouse Grizliva, the rabbit Srednogorski, hiding from the bad people's words, and the golden fox who is warming herself in the glove,” said a voice from the glove. “Be our guest and accept our invitation.” The wolf from the Balkans obliged and went inside the glove. Not soon after, there was another visitor seeking solace in the glove. “Who is there and why are you disrupting us?” said a voice from the glove. “I am the shaggy bear, and I wish to be your guest”, said the shaggy bear. “Come inside! Even if we are plenty, you are still our relative.” They all became friendly together sitting like kings, and began getting to know eachother. Soon the grandfather from Zlatica went to find his warm glove, knowing -7-

if he didn’t find it his wife would hit him with a stick. And while he was walking and coughing from the cold, his soul became shaken and his heart started beating harder. He searched everywhere and finally spotted it, and was startled by what he saw. His glove was moving. He could see a head of mouse, a shinny tooth, a long bushy tail wagging, a little piece of mountain wolf’s ear, and one small chunk of bear’s fur. “What are you thinking?” asked the grandfather to himself. He got his stick, rolled up his sleeves, and began to start violently hitting his glove over and over again. That night at home his wife was waiting for him. The old man, smoking his pipe and smiling from ear to ear, came inside and laid down on the table more game (animal meat) than either had seen in years.

Drawn by Tsvetelina Vidiova

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Lazy Bogdanka Translated by Galabina Todorova, Bulgaria When was time for Bogdanka to get married her mother gave instructions to her parents-in-law: - My child shouldn’t overwork herself, she isn’t taught to work. Take care of her. Don’t give her the broom to clean the house or the yard because she’ll get dust into her eyes. Don’t let her carry the coppers because her shoulder is tender and isn’t used to carrying full coppers. Put under her head a down pillow because she is used to sleeping on a soft pillow. The parents-in-law looked at each other but didn’t say anything. - Promise me to never tell her a bad word. Her ears are not used to listening bad words. - Don’t worry about bad words, there isn’t such thing in our house – said the father-in-law and got on the cart. Next to him sat the mother-in-law and at the back sat the groom and Bogdanka. They set off for the other village. They traveled all day because the other village was far away. In the evening when they arrived, the Drawn by Diana Hristova

mother-in-law got to work, prepared -9-

a cheese pasty, killed a chicken, boiled it in the pot, went down to the cellar and poured some wine. Bogdanka was sitting on a stool, armscrossed and thought to herself: “What a nimble woman my mother-in-law is just like my mother. We’ll have a good life here.” They had dinner and went to bed. The night was soon over. On the next day her father-in-law got up early and woke up everyone: - C’mon – he said, - get up, let’s go to the field! - What will we do there? – rubbed her sleepy eyes Bogdanka and started to yawn sweetly. - We’ll hoe the corn. - With hoes? – asked the spoiled bride. - Of course with hoes- answered her mother-in-law. - I won’t come. - Why? – asked the groom. - Because the hoe is very heavy and I shouldn’t pick up heavy things. - Leave her – said the father. – let her clean the house and prepare something to eat for tonight. We need a person here too. The hosts went to the field and the young bride stayed at home. She stayed in bed until noon. When she got up she felt hungry and started to look for something to eat but she didn’t find anything in the pots. - They didn’t leave me anything, they have forgotten me – Bogdanka stretched and entered the garden to look at the flowers. - Àh, what beautiful flowers! – she exclaimed and started to pick them and smell - 10 -

them. The little bees were flying fast from flower to flower and were buzzing happily. - Why are those in a hurry? – said Bogdanka and started to walk idly to the nearest cherry-tree. She lied on the grass under the tree, reached up as she was lying down and picked a few cherries to beguile

Drawn by Kristina Pusheva

her hunger and started to yawn. She spent the whole day like that. In the evening the three hoers came back beaten from work and extremely tired. They looked around and what did they see: the house wasn’t in order, there was no water in the coppers, the fire had went out, the hens fell asleep without being fed. The mother-in-law threw the hoe and grabbed the coppers first. She brought water from the fountain. She made fire, put potatoes in the pot and kneaded a white round loaf. She prepared the dinner fast. Bogdanka was watching her sitting on a chair and dangling her legs. When the dinner was ready, the mother-in-law invited everyone. - Let’s have dinner! Bogdanka sat first. The father-in-law took the loaf and broke it in three parts. He gave one part to his wife, one to his son and the third one left for himself. - 11 -

- And what about the bride? – the mother-in-law asked him. - She isn’t hungry. He, who doesn’t work, doesn’t get hungry. Bogdanka bit her lips, frowned and got up from the table. She went to her room and started to cry. She couldn’t sleep all night because of the hunger. On the next morning everything repeated. The three workers went to plant the vegetable garden. Bogdanka didn’t feel like going with them. - The sun shines too much – she said, - I’ll sunburn. They left her again at home. That day the spoiled bride didn’t do anything again. She found under a dish a piece of dry bread left for the dog and ate it, afterwards she lied down all day until the evening in the garden. Because she didn’t bring water to water the garden the beautiful flowers started to dry out. Late in the evening the three workers came back again, extremely tired. The mother-in-law frowning started to knead a loaf and when they sat around the table the father-in-law again split the round loaf in three. Bogdanka again was left empty-handed. - Why don’t you give bread to the bride? – asked the mother-in-law. - Because he who doesn’t work, mustn’t eat! – replied the father. Bogdanka turned in her bed all night and thought for a long time. She fell asleep at dawn. At third cock-crow she jumped. She looked for her parents-in-law and her husband but she didn’t find them because they had gone out to the field at dark. Then Bogdanka got to work. She ran here and there. She swept the house. She brought water from the fountain, - 12 -

watered the flowers in the garden, made fire and cooked a meal for the workers. She kneaded with some flour from the bread-trough. She baked a round loaf. When she finished all the housework she sat at the doorstep to spin. In the evening the eyes of the tired workers brightened up when the saw all the work the bride had done. Bogdanka set the table gave the loaf to her father-in-law and waited anxiously what he would do. Her father-in-law took the round loaf and split it in four pieces. The biggest one gave to Bogdanka and said: - Eat, my child, you earned this bread because you worked hard today! Bogdanka took the bread and started to eat. She has never tasted such sweet bread.

Drawn by Vania Nikolova

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The Sly Peter as Mayor Translated by Michael Bennion, Bulgaria The people of Sly Peter’s village got together in the square of their village to elect a mayor. The man known as Sly Peter also turned up. He put on his new fur cap because he knew that there were people who judged a person by what was on his head and not what was in it. Soon the village crier arrived. He was a man with a big stomach, who had a long pipe and a rosary. Drawn by Vania Nikolova

“Peter, the fur cap you have put on looks like mine. Give it to me to have a look at it,” said the crier.

Sly Peter gave him the fur cap. “Let’s see if it rolls,” said the village crier who then threw it on the ground in an attempt to make the villagers laugh. Sly Peter bent down, picked up his fur cap, shook it off and said, “Listen to me, people of the village, as I’m going to tell you one story.” The people of the village knew that he could tell stories very well, so they crowded around him. The Sly Peter began, “I think that everyone has heard something about the Jewish king, King Solomon. People say, that he knew people’s pasts, could predict the future and understood the language of every creature on the Earth. Once Solomon invited to his garden all the animals: Lions, bears, wolves, deer, horses, and animals both big and small alike. You will ask me why he invited them. He invited them because he knew their - 14 -

languages and wanted to listen to their conversations and to laugh with them, knowing that animals told each other very funny things. The king’s garden soon filled up.” Drawn by Diana Hristova

The villagers listened carefully,

as did the village crier, as Sly Peter continued. “Eventually the donkey (jackass) came. When it saw so many animals in one place, it stood in front of Solomon and started braying (the sound a jackass makes) with all the power it had. All the animals were taken aback and Solomon plugged his ears. When the jackass stopped braying, the lion came up to it and asked what the jackass was doing? ‘I’m braying,’ replied the jackass. ‘Why are braying?’ the lion asked. ‘Because I am a jackass and if I don’t show my ass trick in front of this big meeting, where will I show it?’ said the ass.” “This is the end of the story,” Sly Peter said. “Did you understand it?” The people of the village said they did and showed it by laughing. The village crier got up and ran away from the square. In the end, the people of the village elected Sly Peter for mayor. Drawn by Mihaela Markova - 15 -

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TURKISH FOLKTALES

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Ali Baba and Forty Thieves Translated by Tugba Cevik, Turkey Once upon a time, there is a man whose name is Ali Baba. He lives in a small town with his wife, his son and his son’s wife together. He makes his living by cutting wood. He is so poor but his brother- Kasim is too rich. One day, while he is cutting woods he sees a troapof horsemen. He is afraid of so he hides behind a tree and watches them. There are forty horsemen. They are robbers. They stop in front of a big rock. One of them says "Open sesame open!" and the rock opens slowly. They all go into the cave. Then the door close after them. After a short time the door opens and the horseman says "Close sesame close!" The door closes and they all ride away. After they go away, Ali Baba comes down. He says the magic words and goes into the cave. He can’t believe his eyes. The cave is full of all kinds of treasure. He loads his three asses with them. He goes out and says "Close sesame close!" He gets home. He tells everything to his family. They want to count the Drawn by Kezban Altintas

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gold. But it will take too

long time so they decide to measure them with a bucket. They haven’t got a bucket so his wife runs to Kasim’s house to borrow one. Kasim’s wife is very inquisitive Drawn by Yasemin Eser

and she wants to learn

what they will measure. She covers the bottom of the bucket with honey. When the bucket is brought, they see a piece of gold is stuck to the honey. They are surprised and immediately Kasim goes his brother’s house to learn everything. Ali Baba tells him his secret. Then Kasim wants to get the treasure too. He goes and gets some treasure. After he fills up bags of gold, he wants to go out from the cave but he forgets the magic words. He can’t go out and the horsemen return. They cut his body into four parts and kills him. Kasim doesn’t return so his wife is very curious about him. He goes to Ali Baba to find him. Ali Baba goes the cave and find his dead. He brings his dead and want to show his death normal. So they find an old cobbler to get his body stitch. They close the cobbler’s eyes not to learn their house. But he counts his steps to find their house again. When forty horsemen return, they can’t find Kasim’s dead. So they decide to go to town to find the person who learns their secret. They - 19 -

hears Kasim’s death, then find an old cobbler. They give him a lot of money to bring them to Ali Baba’s house. They find his house and make a cross sign on its door to find it again easily. When Ali Baba’s son’s wife- Mihriban returns home, she notices it and makes the same sign on every doors. Forty men come but they can’t find. Later they manage to find his house again. This time they come their house as a merchant to sell some oil. They bring a lot of large earthenware pots in which men are hidden. They plan to kill them at night. Mihriban notices them. She boils a lot of oil and pour oil into these pots. She kills these men. By this way, they get rid of these robbers and pass a very happy and wealthy life together.

Prepared by English Club - 20 -

Keloglan and the Sultans Translated by Tugba Cevik, Turkey Once upon a time there lived an orphan named Keloglan. He was too poor. In his childhood he had to learn how to earn his own living. He had to work at difficult jobs and to use his mind while his friends had been playing games. One day, Keloglan was passing by the Sultan’s palace. He saw Sultan’s daughter and fell in love. When Sultan was returning from hunting, he found Keloglan staring at his

Drawn by Melike Yener

daughter. Keloglan admited; he fell in love with her daughter. The Sultan was very angry with Keloglan because of his being fearless and disrespectful. So the Sultan put him into dungeon. One day, a letter and a stick from Sultan of India came to this country’s Sultan. He asked them to find the thicker part of this stick otherwise he said ‘I will attack you with my army. Nobody found the answer. Sultan’s daughter reminded Keloglan and finally he found. But again they put him into the dungeon. Later, Indian Sultan sent them three horses and wanted them to find which horse was mother, which one was foal and which one was the - 21 -

foal’s colt? Again nobody but Keloglan found the answers. Then Indian Sultan said them to send the greatest and the most clever person in their country. He said Drawn by Ali Arik

otherwise he would

invade their country and take them as a prisoner. Nobody wanted to help to The Sultan. Then they brought Keloglan. Keloglan accepted his offer but he said "I will go to the Indian Sultan and bring him to you as a prisoner on the condition that you let me marry your daughter as a reward." The Sultan accepted his offer because he thought it was impossible. Finally, Keloglan managed to bring Indian Sultan as a prisoner and get married to Sultan’s daughter…

Drawn by Elif Akpinar

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Nasrettin Hodja Translated by Tugba Cevik, Turkey

GIVE ME TEN OR GIVE ME NONE! One day, after lunch Hodja was sleeping. He had dream. In his dream there was a rich man. This man was giving nine pieces of gold to Hodja. But Hodja was saying; "Give me ten or give me none!" Then Hodja woke up. He looked at his hand. It was empty. The gold pieces in his dream weren’t there! The rich man wasn’t there either. Hodja closed his eyes again and open his hand. He said; "Ok! Ok! I’ll take nine…"

Drawn by Ayse Nur Tekin

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Drawn by Kubra Cakmak

BAKLAVA One day Hodja’s student said, "Look, Hodja! The baker is carrying a big tray of baklava!" Hodja didn’t stop reading. |"It is none of my business what the baker is carrying." he said. "But Hodja," the student said, "He is carrying it to your house!" Hodja looked up then. "In that case, it is none of your business."

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THEN, WHERE IS THE CAT? One day Nasrettin Hodja brought home, some meat but never got a chance to eat it. His wife ate it with her friends. When Hodja returned his home, he asked for some meat. His wife said: "The cat stole it. I run after it but I couldn’t catch it." Hodja said; "Bring the cat please." He grabbed the cat and weighed it. It weighed three kilos. Hodja then turned his wife and said; " This is three kilos. If this is the cat, then where is the meat? But if this is the meat, then where is the cat?"

Drawn by Mustafa Erdogan

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LATVIAN FOLKTALES

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Silver, gold and diamond Translated by Dzintra Kalnina, Latvia A king makes his son work the land. Once while ploughing, the son hits his horse too strong. The horse says, “Do not hit me, you’ll need me tomorrow. Drawn by Kaspars Ciris

Your

father is going to send

you to the underworld with a message.” “What message?” wonders the son. But in the morning it is obvious that the horse was right. The king wakes his son up very early to carry a message to the underworld. All right. The son mounts the horse and goes like a hurricane. In the underground he leaves his horse in the clover field, and goes directly to the devil. The devil says, “It’s good, it’s good that you came with a message! But stay with me! You can walk wherever you want, but do not enter that room that is tied with basts”. The son is thinking, “What a joke! He won’t let me where I want! Special rooms, indeed!” and opens the door. And what is in it? He sees a big wolf riding on his horse’s back. But it is not clear who has led the horse in there. - 28 -

The son gets angry, “What a bad luck! This thief is going to ride my horse!” and wants to give him a good scold. But the wolf calmly gets down from the horse’s back and starts to eat meat in the other corner of the room. The horse has got a manger full of oats, and he is eating as well. The son is thinking,“What a nice lifestyle he is leading! He can eat meet as much as he wants!” Then, deliberately mocking at the wolf, the son takes meat and puts it in front of his horse, but the manger with oats he brings to the wolf. The very moment the wolf gets an-gry. How could he change the food? But the son doe’s not answer. It stays the way it is. On the second day the son unlocks the room and changes the food once more. The devil goes mad but the son does not answer. On the third day, when the oats are changed to meet, the horse says, “Listen, the right time has come. Here is silver, gold, diamonds and three cauldrons. Pour silver, gold and diamonds each into a separate cauldron and heat till it boils. Then pour the boiling liquid from the cauldrons into three little pots, again separately, and tomorrow drop a bit from all the three pots on me and yourself, and that moment we will glitter in pure silver, gold and - 29 -

Drawn by Kristiana Miezite

diamond.” All right, the son does as it was said. In the following morning, he puts some drops from the pots onto himself and his horse, and at the same moment both are glittering and shimmering. The wolf stands nearby and looks desperately, as if willing to have few drops. The son being in high spirits, thinks, “A11 right, lets give the wolf as well” and drops a bit from the pots. But as soon as he does it, the scoffed wolf turns into such a beautiful girl in silver, golden and diamond robes that his heart cannot stand still. Being so happy he puts the girl onto his horse and rides home as quick as possible. But not much time has gone when the devil sees it and runs after them making the earth thunder. But the son pours few drops from the silver pot onto the ground - this very moment a dense forest springs up. The devil goes like madman. He tears the silvery trees with his teeth, and finally he gets through and runs after them again. Now, the son pours a bit from the pot with gold, and a golden mountain rises there. The devil goes back to get an ax and axes his way through the mountain. He tries to bury the ax under a stone, but the gray crow is crying, “I’l1 steal, I’ll steal it!” Nothing doing, the devil has to bring the ax home. When he gets back, the riders are far away, and the devil has to go really quickly. But the son spills some drops from the diamond pot, and the very moment large, wide diamond river is flowing there. The devil has to spend several days to get over, but by that time the riders are safely at home with the girl’s father. - 30 -

The daughter goes to meet her father, while the son stays outside in the king’s garden where he spills few drops from his pots. In a short while the garden is full of silver trees with golden and diamond fruit. The king comes out very happy, “My trees have not been fruitful for ages! But now, look, how full they are. How does it come?” The very second the devil arrives and asks to give him the girl, otherwise all will go bad way. “Yes, yes, what can I do, you can take her!” But the devil, waiting for the girl, falls asleep in the silver garden. The son comes with some sleeping drug and drops it in the devil’s nose. The devil springs up to kill the son, but he is so sleepy that cannot fight prop-erly. So the son beats the devil. Now the hero laughs and runs to the king: he asks to give the girl to him, because he has freed the king from the devil. The king is so pleased that he allows him to marry king’s daughter.

Drawin by Aleksejs Polukovs

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The ant and the grasshopper Translated by Elina Luca-Ratfelde, Latvia Once there lived two neighbours -an ant and a grasshopper. The ant was diligent and hardworking, the grasshopper, in its turn, wasn't at all. When the summer came, the ant started building its house

Drawn by Diana Vitola

and worked hard to get enough food to last through the winter. In the autumn its larders were well stocked. So while the ant was working, the grasshopper was jumping, singing and having just fun without thinking of the coming winter. The summer was soon over. Rainy and cold weather set in. The ant lived in its warm house having its tummy full, but the grasshopper was hungry and had to shiver in the cold weather, for it had neither a house to get in to warm itself, nor a morsel of food to satiate its hunger. Weak with hunger the grasshopper finally went to the ant Drawn by Paula Pure

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and asked humbly: "Dear

Anty, help me! Please, give me just a little bit to eat, otherwise I am going to die of hunger...." "What did you do in the summertime, if you have not gathered enough food for the winter?" Drawn by Dinars Matiss

the ant asked the grasshopper.

"I didn't do anything special -just jumped, sang and didn't think of the winter" - was the grasshopper's answer. "What a terrible lazybones you are! All the summer you've spent without working! And haven't thought at all, how it will be in the cold wintertime!" "I didn't do anything special -just jumped, sang and didn't think of the winter" - was the

Drawn by Sandra Podina

grasshopper's answer. "What a terrible lazybones you are! All the summer you've spent without working! And haven't thought at all, how it will be in the cold wintertime!" "Dear Anty, please help me! I swear I will build my own house in the next summer and will have gathered my own food when the winter comes!" The ant listened to the promises of the grasshopper and gave the grassDrawn by Girts Rudzitis

hopper a shelter and a meal. - 33 -

The crumpet Translated by Elina Luca-Ratfelde, Latvia One day a farmer’s wife took some butter and a handful of meal and wanted to bake a great crumpet. When the crumpet was put on the bread-shovel, it looked so delicious that it made the

Drawn by Marika Kumma

mouths of her seven children and the grandfather water. The crumpet saw everything and started considering, how to run away from them. Finally, when the farmer’s wife drew the crumpet out of the oven in order to look at it a little, the crumpet jumped down of the bread-shovel and ran to the door. The door was open because it was a hot summer day. The crumpet rolled out through the door and rolled further along the way, without knowing where. The seven children of the farmer’s wife and the grandfather followed it, but they couldn’t catch the crumpet. On the way it met a rooster that called to wait for it. “If Drawn by Arturs Rinkevichs - 34 -

the farmer’s wife, her seven

children and the grandfather followed me, but couldn’t catch me, what do you want then?!” answered the crumpet and rolled further. Then it met a duck that called Drawn by Einars Vaichekausks

to wait for it as well, but the crumpet answered the same

“If the farmer’s wife, her seven children, the grandfather and the rooster followed me, but couldn’t catch me, what do you want then?!” Then it met the tailor Jegermeier that also called to wait for him, but the crumpet answered however: “If the farmer’s wife, her seven children, the grandfather, the rooster and the duck followed me, but couldn’t catch me, what do you want then?!” Finally the crumpet met a pig that offered to carry it on its muzzle. The crumpet gladly agreed and as it had set itself down on the pig’s muzzle, the pig ate it immediately up.

Drawn by Unigunda Meijere - 35 -

Summary Every child likes reading fairytales because this is how we learn many useful things and we dream to be in the place of the characters. In fairytales there is always a moral that helps us to understand what the important things are. Fairytales always use unusual characters and magical objects and that makes them Drawn by Gergana Hristova similar to the games that we play. And the most important thing of course is that we find out a lot about the customs and traditions of people from different countries around the world. Latvian fairytales were very close and familiar to us because we have the same stories in our folklore. They have almost the same names in Bulgaria “The Damper” and “A cricket and an ant”. In both fairytales the good and the wise is that with work and diligence you could overcome any hardship. The wisdom of the crumpet is similar to the desire of each of us to explore the world without considering even for a moment the problems and obstacles we might face on our way. We notice the desire of elder people to help, to show us the way, but we see also the disobedience of the young. “The cricket and the ant” shows a different side of life; there the qualities of the characters are leading. The diligence of the ant, her foresight meets the merriment and careless of the cricket. Music is opposed to the care for the home. But the happy end makes everything alright and the message is understood by the readers. Turkish fairytales were familiar to us too, not in plot but in the qualities of the characters. Nasrettin Hoca looks like our Sly Peter and the little Keloglan looks like the poor boy we have in the story “The poor boy and the king’s daughter”. The common thing is that the ordinary person, the poor villager could win only with his qualities. The good thing is that the characters are always led by the desire to help others. Their reactions are always fun and witty; they manage to outwit the bad guy with a joke. And naturally love wins. Fairytales are wealth and reading them bear us delight as well as wise advice about life.

Written by Bulgarian students - 36 -

There are lots of Turkish folktales. Keloglan, Nasrettin Hodja and Ali Baba and Forty Thieves are the most well-known ones. There are a lot of folktales about Nasrettin Hodja. Nasrettin Hodja is loved and well-known in Turkey. These folktales aim to give some lessons to the readers and make them laugh at the same time. They can be named as anecdotes at the same time. Thet aren’t too long but the are too funny. At the end of the tales, they make readers think. Ali Baba and Forty Thieves is an enjoyable tale too. There is only one tale about Ali Baba. At the end of the tale it gives lessons to the readers too. There are a lot of folktales which have been written about Keloglan. Keloðlan means bald boy in Turkish. Keloglan is very intelligent like Nasrettin Hodja and Sly Peter. These tales about him make the readers think too. There aren’t any clear differences between Turkish, Bulgarian and Latvian folktales. But there are lots of similarities among them. Bulgarian tales have got some similarities with the Turkish ones. “Sly Peter as Mayor” is similar to Nasrettin Hodja. This folktale makes the people think and laugh. At the end of the tale it gives lessons to the readers. This tale is about one man who is too intelligent like Nasrettin Hodja. Like these tales, the folktale whose name is “Lazy Bogdanka” gives a lesson at the end of it. Grand father’s glove is found enjoyable and funny by little readers like other all folktales. Latvian folktales "Silver, gold and diamond" and "The crumpet" make the reader curious about the conclusion like other folktales. Silver, gold and diamond has resemblance to Keloglan and the Sultans. The ant and the grasshopper is well known in Turkey too. Turkish readers read and like this story very much. Readers read these stories fondly and gladly. They make the readers curious about the conclusion. At the end of the tales, most of these tales give some lessons to the readers. Most of time, at the end, they make the readers smile.

Drawn by Gergana Hristova

Written by Turkish students - 37 -

Folktales, which we had read, are full of incredible events, interesting characters. There are many elements of fantasy in every tale. But the tale has wisdom of the ages. It can tell for the reader who to act in complicated situation. There are described good and bad and wicked things, values of our lives. A reader acquires experience and knowledge. We wanted to learn some similarities in Turkish and Bulgarian tales. We found out every people’s tale differs with language, main characters, but all of them contains some instructions

Drawn by Gergana Hristova

or wisdom. Latvian folklore has a similar story with Bulgarian tale “Grandfather’s glove”, where main characters are clever animals. There are lots of stories about young girls, lazy daughters in the Latvian fairy tales too. Turkish people’s tales are full of comic elements, jokes and jests. Every folktale contains nation wisdom told by clever joke, comic situation. We found out about clever little boy Keloglan and interesting national character Nasrettin Hodja. The tale about Ali Baba and Forty Thieves was well known from animation film and book for children. Every nation differs with their tales, songs, dances, beliefs and rituals, and these differences we can see in national literature, music and art. But we are glad to find out some similarities in folk tales, that makes our people closer and friendlier to each other.

Written by Latvian students

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