Art of the Turkish Tale V. 1

'In casting them into English, Walker has paid particular attention to capturing the flavor and excitement of the Turkish telling, while not infringing 'on the narrator's right to have the tale recreated as he had told it'. The Beauty, power, and appeal of the present volume for the general reading public, however, depends largely upon Barbara Walker's own consummate skill as a teller and re-teller of tales and her commitment to conveying as much of the Turkish performance context as possible. In a gesture which is perhaps symptomatic of the reasons for this volume's success, [Barbara Walker] recognizes in the Acknowledgments section each and every tale-teller by name - all forty of them, ranging in age from nine to ninety and coming from the many different walks of life, both urban and rural, to be found in twenty out of Turkey's seventy-four provinces from Mugla to Kars and from Istanbul to Diyarbakir. In presenting the works of 'all these generous bearers of tradition' to an English-speaking audience, [she] has achieved her aim of opening a small window on the art of the Turkish tale in a volume which stands as a tribute to the art of book making as well' - Sarah Moment Atis, Chair, Middle East Studies Program, University of Wisconsin-Madison President, Turkish Studies Association. 'This will stand as a fine, quintessential contribution. One hears the whispers of the original voices in these versions, all of which are artful, recast in colloquial rhythms, and couched in a style that conveys the substance, the shape, the spirit, and the sumptuousness or the simplicity of the tale' - Talat Sait Halman, Turkey's former Minister of Culture, then Ambassador for Cultural Affairs; now Professor of Near Eastern Languages and Literatures, New York University.

Table of Contents:
Cengidilaver Tekerleme The Princess and the Red Horse Husband The Cutworm and the Mouse Nasreddin Hoca as Preacher The Hoca, the Witch, the Captain, and the Haci's Daughter The Prince, the Parrot, and the Beautiful Mute The Authority of a Host The Uncontrollable Desire and the Irresistible Urge The Two Stepdaughters ""If Allah Wills"" Pears and Pears The Hoca and the New Barber Community Mourning for Brother Louse The Fisherman and the Jinn The Two Brothers and the Magic Hen The Wordless Letter ""Who's Selling these Pomegranates?"" The Stonecutter The Cock and the Prince The Stepdaughter and the Forty Thieves The Unfaithful Wife Detected The Careful Servant and the Curious One The Pilgrim Pays His Debt Backward on the Donkey The End of the Tyrant Bolu Bey The Patience Stone A Tale of Prayers Answered The Faithful Son of the Lala Okra for Dinner All for a Wrinkled Little Pomegranate How the Siege of Van was Lifted The Kose and the Three Swindlers The Hoca and the Drought Charity Above All ""A Bouquet of Roses for an Eye"" The Defendant Who Won through Discretion The Frog Wife The Donkey that Climbed the Minaret The Shoemaker and the Snake Four Purchased Pieces of Advice The Stepdaughter and the Black Serpent The Farmer and the Padishah of Fairies The Shepherd and His Secret Akilli, Taskafali, and the Three Gifts The Woodcutter's Heroic Wife Good to the Good and Damnation to the Evil Cihansah and Semsi Bani Camesap and Sahmeran Sheepskin Girl and the Promise The Quest for a Nightingale

About the Author :
Talat Sait Halman, Turkey's former Minister of Culture, then Ambassador for Cultural Affairs; now Professor of Near Eastern Languages and Literatures, New York University.