The Wise Men of Helm & Their Merry Tales
Solomon Simon "Once upon a time an angel, carrying a pack of foolish souls back to heaven for repair, lost his way in a storm and flew over Helm. The town, as you know, lies in a valley, completely surrounded by high mountains. On the topmost peak of the highest mountain there was a pointed tree. Suddenly, as the angel struggled through the storm, the bottom of the sack caught and tore on the tree top, and alas, all the poor, damaged souls spilled out... more info
The Wise Men of Helm & Their Merry Tales:
The Wise Men of Helm & Their Merry Tales
Solomon Simon "Once upon a time an angel, carrying a pack of foolish souls back to heaven for repair, lost his way in a storm and flew over Helm. The town, as you know, lies in a valley, completely surrounded by high mountains. On the topmost peak of the highest mountain there was a pointed tree. Suddenly, as the angel struggled through the storm, the bottom of the sack caught and tore on the tree top, and alas, all the poor, damaged souls spilled out... more info
Funny as can be:
These 14 stories, published in Yiddish in 1942, and in English the same year, link us to a vanished world, reviving the Jewish folklore of the fools of Helm, a mythic town set deep in the forests of Poland. There Jews had long beards and black coats that reached their ankles--but were not quite like other Jews.
In the spring after a very hard winter, they built a wall around their town to keep the cold out. Later, they invited an organist to play for the town--although there was not a single organ in... more info
Stories for both parents and kids:
I was originally lent this book and after the rave reviews of my 10 year old boy, I bought our own copy. The stories are well-translated from the Yiddish and represent a small review of the better stories of the "wise men and women of Chelm". From the search for the wisest youth in Chelm (Q. "Why is herring salty" -- A. "Because it comes from the sea!") to the construction of the magnificent water mill on a mountaintop these stories gently, wisely and humorously look at humans in all their foolish charm.
