Changes: The Toadstool Tales

Revision as of 22:47, 4 January 2016

"Mrs. Bloxam took a variety of old stories, including several of Beedle's, and rewrote them according to her ideals, which she expressed as "filling the pure minds of our little angels with healthy, happy thoughts, keeping their sweet slumber free of wicked dreams, and protecting the precious flower of their innocence."

— Albus Dumbledore on Mrs. Bloxam's goal of writing the books.^[src]

The Toadstool Tales were a series of adaptations of other works, written by Beatrix Bloxam. ^[1] They contained soppy, "sanitised" versions of other works, including the The Tales of Beedle the Bard , which was Mrs. Bloxam's way of purifying them so as to preserve childrens' innocence. Beatrix Bloxam set out to write The Toadstool Tales because of the "unwholesome characters" and themes found in The Tales of Beedle the Bard that she believed were damaging to children.^[2]

Adaptation of "The Wizard and the Hopping Pot"

"Then the little golden pot danced with delight- hoppitty hoppitty hop! - on its tiny rosy toes! Wee Willykins had cured all the dollies of their poorly tum-tums, and the little pot was so happy it filled up with sweeties for Wee Willykins and the dollies!"

— An extract of Beatrix Bloxam's version of The Wizard and the Hopping Pot in The Toadstool Tales

Among these adaptations were a "pure and precious" reworking of "The Wizard and the Hopping Pot", the last paragraph of which contains nausea-inducing nonsense about "Wee Willykins" curing her "dollies" of their "poorly tum-tums", and then giving them sweeties, reminding them to brush their "teethy-pegs", and promising to help the dollies and no longer be an "old grumpy-wumpkins".

Reaction by Wizarding children

The Toadstool Tales were universally loathed by children, and were eventually banned, presumably by the Ministry of Magic because they had a tendency to induce uncontrollable retching in the children who read them, as well as an immediate demand to "have the book taken from them and mashed into pulp".^[3]

Etymology

The name The Toadstool Tales may be in reference to the fact that Beatrix Potter, whom Beatrix Bloxam may have been named after, was an amateur mycologist prior to her publication of The Tale of Peter Rabbit.

Behind the scenes

This would appear to be an individual with inclinations much like those of Thomas Bowdler, the Muggle who, in 1807, published The Family Shakespeare, a reworking of the Bard designed not to offend delicate sensibilities. Mr. Bowdler's contribution to history, however, was the eponymous "to bowdlerise", meaning, essentially, to eviscerate a text in a futile attempt to remove all violent or sexual imagery and yet maintain some degree of story.

Appearances

Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone (video game) (Mentioned on a Famous Wizard Card)
Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets (video game) (Mentioned on a Famous Wizard Card)
Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban (video game) (Mentioned on a Famous Wizard Card)
The Tales of Beedle the Bard (Mentioned only)
Pottermore (Mentioned on a Famous Wizard Card)

Notes and references

↑ Beatrix Bloxam's Famous Wizard Card
↑ The Tales of Beedle the Bard (real)
↑ Beatrix Bloxam's Famous Wizard Card

[1] Beatrix Bloxam's Famous Wizard Card

[2] The Tales of Beedle the Bard (real)

[3] Beatrix Bloxam's Famous Wizard Card

[1]

[2]

[3]

@@ Line 2: / Line 2: @@
 {{Book infobox
 |name=''The Toadstool Tales''
-|image=[[Image:The Toadstool Tales.jpg]]
+|image=[[File:The Toadstool Tales.jpg|250px]]
 |author=[[Beatrix Bloxam]]
 |released=
@@ Line 8: / Line 8: @@
 |subject=Children's stories
 |copies=
+}}{{Quote|Mrs. Bloxam took a variety of old stories, including several of [[Beedle the Bard|Beedle]]'s, and rewrote them according to her ideals, which she expressed as "filling the pure minds of our little angels with healthy, happy thoughts, keeping their sweet slumber free of wicked dreams, and protecting the precious flower of their innocence.|[[Albus Dumbledore]] on Mrs. Bloxam's goal of writing the books.|The Tales of Beedle the Bard (real)}} '''''The Toadstool Tales''''' were a series of adaptations of other works, written by [[Beatrix Bloxam]]. <ref>Beatrix Bloxam's Famous Wizard Card</ref> They contained soppy, "sanitised" versions of other works, including the ''[[The Tales of Beedle the Bard]]'' , which was Mrs. Bloxam's way of purifying them so as to preserve childrens' innocence. Beatrix Bloxam set out to write ''The Toadstool Tales ''because of the "unwholesome characters" and themes found in ''The Tales of Beedle the Bard'' that she believed were damaging to children.<ref>''[[The Tales of Beedle the Bard (real)]]''</ref>
-|first=''[[Famous Wizard Card]]''
-|latest=''[[The Tales of Beedle the Bard (real)|The Tales of Beedle the Bard]]''
-|last=
-}}
+==Adaptation of "The Wizard and the Hopping Pot"==
-'''''The Toadstool Tales''''' were a series of adaptations of other works, written by [[Beatrix Bloxam]]. <ref>Beatrix Bloxam's Famous Wizard Card</ref> They contained soppy, "sanitized" versions of other works, including the ''[[The Tales of Beedle the Bard]]''.<ref>''[[The Tales of Beedle the Bard (real)]]''</ref> The ''Toadstool Tales'' were universally loathed by children, and were eventually banned, presumably by the [[Ministry of Magic]] because they found to induce nausea and vomiting in the children who read them.<ref>Beatrix Bloxam's Famous Wizard Card</ref>
+{{Quote|Then the little golden pot danced with delight- hoppitty hoppitty hop! - on its tiny rosy toes! Wee Willykins had cured all the dollies of their poorly tum-tums, and the little pot was so happy it filled up with sweeties for Wee Willykins and the dollies!|An extract of Beatrix Bloxam's version of ''[[The Wizard and the Hopping Pot]]'' in [[The Toadstool Tales]]}}
+Among these adaptations were a "pure and precious" reworking of "[[The Wizard and the Hopping Pot]]", the last paragraph of which contains nausea-inducing nonsense about "[[Wee Willykins]]" curing her "dollies" of their "poorly tum-tums", and then giving them sweeties, reminding them to brush their "teethy-pegs", and promising to help the dollies and no longer be an "old grumpy-wumpkins".
+==Reaction by Wizarding children==
+The ''Toadstool Tales'' were universally loathed by children, and were eventually banned, presumably by the [[British Ministry of Magic|Ministry of Magic]] because they had a tendency to induce uncontrollable retching in the children who read them, as well as an immediate demand to "have the book taken from them and mashed into pulp".<ref>Beatrix Bloxam's Famous Wizard Card</ref>
+==Etymology==
+The name ''The Toadstool Tales'' may be in reference to the fact that {{wplink|Beatrix Potter}}, whom Beatrix Bloxam may have been named after, was [[Wikipedia:Beatrix Potter#Scientific illustrations and work in mycology|an amateur mycologist]] prior to her publication of ''The Tale of Peter Rabbit''.
+==Behind the scenes==
+This would appear to be an individual with inclinations much like those of Thomas Bowdler, the [[Muggle]] who, in 1807, published ''The Family Shakespeare'', a reworking of the Bard designed not to offend delicate sensibilities. Mr. Bowdler's contribution to history, however, was the eponymous "to bowdlerise", meaning, essentially, to eviscerate a text in a futile attempt to remove all violent or sexual imagery and yet maintain some degree of story.
 ==Appearances==
+*''[[Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone (video game)]]'' {{FWC mention}}
-*''[[Famous Wizard Card]]''
-*''[[The Tales of Beedle the Bard (real)|The Tales of Beedle the Bard]]''
+*''[[Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets (video game)]]'' {{FWC mention}}
+*''[[Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban (video game)]]'' {{FWC mention}}
+*''[[The Tales of Beedle the Bard (real)|The Tales of Beedle the Bard]]'' {{mention}}
+*''[[Pottermore]]'' {{FWC mention}}
 ==Notes and references==
 {{Reflist}}
+[[de:Die Märchen von den Giftpilzen]]
+[[ru:Сказки дедушки Мухомора]]
+[[pl:Opowieści spod muchomora]]
+[[fr:Les Contes du champignon]]
 [[Category:Books|Toadstool Tales, The]]