Arany mesekönyv : A világ legszebb meséi by Elek Benedek
"Arany mesekönyv" by Elek Benedek is a collection of fairy tales written in the early 20th century. Drawing on famous world stories, it offers vivid retellings full of wonder, moral turns, and exotic settings. The opening tale centers on a cheerful Baghdad porter, three reclusive sisters, three one‑eyed wanderers, and the Caliph in disguise, all bound by a strict house rule that forbids questions and hides painful secrets. The opening of the
collection follows a porter who, after helping a veiled woman shop, is welcomed into a lavish home shared by three sisters—Szobeida, Szafia, and Amina—on condition that no one ask questions. Their feast is interrupted by the arrival of three “kalandos” (dervish‑like wanderers), each blind in the left eye, and later by the disguised Caliph Harun al‑Rashid with his companions. A strange ritual ensues: Szobeida cruelly whips two black dogs, then weeps and kisses them; Amina sings of separation, tears her dress, and reveals scarred flesh. When curiosity breaks the rule, seven armed slaves are summoned, and the men must save their lives by telling their stories: the porter’s brief account; the first wanderer’s tale of royal kinship, betrayal, a secret tomb, and flight; and the second wanderer’s tale of shipwreck, an underground palace, a jinn’s vengeance, enchantment as a monkey, rescue by a princess who dies defeating the jinn, and his banishment—after which the third wanderer begins his sea‑voyage story just as disaster looms, cutting the opening on a tense note. (This is an automatically generated summary.)
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About this eBook
| Author | Benedek, Elek, 1859-1929 |
|---|---|
| Illustrator | Ford, H. J. (Henry Justice), 1860-1941 |
| Illustrator | Kotász, Károly, 1872-1941 |
| Illustrator | Pogány, Willy, 1882-1955 |
| Title | Arany mesekönyv : A világ legszebb meséi |
| Original Publication | Budapest: Athenaeum, 1913. |
| Series Title | Csudalámpa, a világ legszebb meséi |
| Contents | A három kalandos és az öt bagdádi nő története -- Sahabeddin sejk -- A föld teremtése -- A vízitündér és a királyfi -- A néma szultánkisasszony -- A feltámadott asszony -- Bar Kappara -- A kőtörő -- A féleszű Lull -- A teve és a patkány -- Napvilág és Holdvilág -- A kígyókirály -- Az első esztendő -- Világszép Nádszál kisasszony -- Az átok -- A hűség jutalma -- A hal-leány -- Hófehérke és Rózsapiroska -- A párjanincs szép királykisasszony -- Bella-Flór hercegnő -- Porkó király -- Bukolla -- A vízitündér fia. |
| Credits | Albert László from page images generously made available by the Hungarian Electronic Library |
| Language | Hungarian |
| LoC Class | PZ: Language and Literatures: Juvenile belles lettres |
| Subject | Fairy tales |
| Subject | Folk literature |
| Category | Text |
| EBook-No. | 77874 |
| Release Date | Feb 6, 2026 |
| Copyright Status | Public domain in the USA. |
| Downloads | 193 downloads in the last 30 days. |
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