Written by Lloyd Alexander & Cover Art by David Wyatt
SUMMARY:
Originally published in 1973, this 98-page Henry Holt and Company paperback reprint was issued in 2006. As an anthology supplement to The Chronicles of Prydain, author Lloyd Alexander provides eight prequel fables. Readers will some answers to mysteries Alexander tantalizingly left to conjecture after The High King. Specifically, the short stories are:
- The Foundling: Some backstory was already divulged during the saga, as to how infant Dalben was found and raised by the Witches of Morva. Yet, the reason why Dalben opts for the mystical Book of Three as his parting gift from them offers insight into the wizard he ultimately becomes. The last scene segues into The Stone.
- The Stone: A struggling farmer named Maibon insists on a reward of immortality for freeing a leprechaun-like Doli of the Fair Folk from a log that has trapped him. Courtesy of a mystical stone, Maibon finds that the reality of living forever has dire consequences once time has halted for his family.
- The True Enchanter: The tragic love story of Eilonwy’s parents is revealed, as her mother, Princess Angharad, rebelliously chooses her heart’s desire instead of family tradition.
- The Rascal Crow: Kaw’s overconfident father, Kadwyr, finds that his wily tricks may be no match for Arawn’s Chief Huntsman once he encroaches on Medwyn’s forest. Yet, the fellow forest creatures whom Kadwyr has belittled are more ingenious than the crow realizes.
- The Sword: The wicked legend as to why the enchanted blade, Dyrnwyn, ended up deep underneath Spiral Castle is revealed.
- The Smith, The Weaver, and The Harper: Arawn’s feared methods of deception of preying upon humanity’s greed to steal Prydain’s treasures are demonstrated. Yet, could someone ingeniously reverse Arawn’s corrupted game?
- Coll and His White Pig: Coll’s legendary adventure to rescue his pig, Hen Wen, from Annuvin is told.
- The Truthful Harp: Gifted with a cursed harp by the Chief Bard, King Fflewddur Fflam’s early heroics are explored (at least, as Fflewdddur might have supposedly told them).
REVIEW:
Too often middling, this assortment of morality tales is Prydain’s answer to Aesop’s Fables. Its most intriguing asset is Arawn’s fable, though it isn’t hard to guess what direction Alexander (much like Mark Twain would have) is going in. The other stories are generally okay, but the unsettling and bloody violence implied in The Sword is likely inappropriate material for elementary school kids. Short on genuine surprises, The Foundling and Other Tales of Prydain is a decent experience — but the end result is a far cry from Alexander’s Prydain at its best.
ADDITIONAL CONTENT:
In addition to an ‘Author’s Note,’ Alexander provides a black-and-white map of Prydain as a two-page spread. A pronunciation guide for Prydain’s terminology is included, as is a two-page Alexander biography.
BRIAN’S ODD MOON RATING: 5 Stars
