The Key of Gold: 23 Czech Folk Tales

This rich collection of 23 Czech folk tales offers a golden key to open the door into the meanings of traditional stories that differ in details, but are broadly similar in, motifs from Ireland to India. Though on the surface they appear to deal mostly with the extraordinary rise in fortune of a humble hero or heroine through winning out over daunting forces (wicked relatives, monsters, dragons, witches, or powerful enemies), their functions, meanings, and origins have tantalized scholars in many disciplines.