The folks at the national office asked if I would lend them my name on a corporate blog post. I read through it, and I immediately felt transported to Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows… but for reasons not so obvious.

Let’s see if I can remember the scene. Hermione had just received a very special book: The Tales of Beetle the Bard. Ron Weasley knew what the tales were all about because to him, they were like Goldilocks and the Three Bears or many other familiar tales that start with “Once upon a time” are to me and my family. To Harry and Hermione, however, Beetle the Bard was completely foreign. They had been raised in Muggle households without the knowledge of wizard folk literature.

What’s my point? Oh, readers, I always have a point, magical or not. The post I’d been asked to claim as my own had to do with folk tales. One line near the beginning stated, “By this time, your student will know all about tales like –” I think you get the picture. Not all families tell the same tales from the same culture, and our world is much richer for the variety that results.

People, the Fabled Fairies remain my own creation. But for a few other fables, take a look at this post. While Beetle the Bard remains conspicuous in his absence, I hope I inserted enough statements and hints that no one will presume that one culture has a monopoly on stories passed down through generations. Cinderella, anyone?