Text by: Monika Ocieczková
I love stories, especially those with happy endings. My friend’s 17-year-old daughter was in the ICU after major brain surgery. To help pass the time during their visits and take their minds off things, my friend brought her daughter’s favorite childhood fairy-tale book. And she read. With her velvety voice, her presence, and the familiar stories, she lulled the girl to sleep. It was *The Big Book of Czech Fairy Tales*, and when they were discharged, they left the book at the hospital for other patients.
Keep your treasures safe on your bookshelf—they might still come in handy and serve a good purpose.
When I was looking for classic fairy tales for my children, I was drawn to the book *Špalíček veršů a pohádek* by František Hrubín. First published in 1957 and beautifully illustrated by Jiří Trnka, it is a timeless treasure of Czech children’s literature. František Hrubín dedicated it to his children, Jitka and Vítek, their friends, and all children. It’s full of playful rhymes, poems, and fairy tales in verse. Among our favorites is *The Fairy Tale of Little Red Riding Hood*.
As I read, I realized how beautiful the Czech language is and how our mother language brings us together.
In *Špalíček*, you’ll find classic fairy tales as well as lesser-known ones. The stories are lighthearted; they don’t scare children, are optimistic, and are peppered with light-hearted humor. For example, in the fairy tale about Smolíček, the brave Smolíček sets off on a journey through the forest to help a deer. Other fairy tales, such as those about Všudybyl or Nosáč, condemn greed, excessive curiosity, and pride. These are stories drawn from real life. In the tale of Beauty and the Beast, wealth and poverty, beauty and ugliness, are pitted against one another. But thanks to all-powerful love, the story has a happy ending.
The final section of *Špalíček* features *Tales from One Thousand and One Nights*, which are full of fantasy and magic and introduce us to the Orient. The central story revolves around the wise Scheherazade and the cruel King Shahryar. These tales teach us that wealth and power aren’t the most important things—what truly matters is true love, family, and perseverance.
You can take advantage of the opportunity to listen to the tales online; they’ve been wonderfully narrated by our leading actors.
The time you’re spending with your children right now—the stories you tell or read, the music you listen to together, and the experiences you share—will bring you closer together forever.
