Part B of the Jewish Fairy Tales is similar to Part A in that is a collection of short stories and fairytales. They seem to be mainly directed to children as they are easy to read and tend to impart some a lesson or wisdom onto the reader. Of the short stories, King for Three Days was notable as one of the characters is an actual historical character. The historical connection is seen at the end of this story as statues of Godfrey de Bouillon are mentioned to exist currently in places such has Belgium. Godfrey de Bouillon in the short story is depicted as a greedy king with a dislike of the Jews and thus wants to take over Jerusalem. In regards to history, Godfrey de Bouillon did in fact take over Jerusalem and like he does in the story, he refuses to call label himself as king of the city. While Godfrey de Bouillon reason for conquering Jerusalem was due to his hatred of the Jews, his actual reason for doing so in real life was due Pope Urban II calling for crusade to liberate Jerusalem from Muslim forces. Additionally, his conquest of Jerusalem led him to being characterized as a man of great strength, and he is often considered a hero of Belgium. Despite this praise of Godfrey de Bouillon, he is not depicted as so heroic in the short story. This may because of his loathing of Jews and the fact that this short story is included in collection of stories called Jewish Fairy Tales. Adding to this fact is how Rabbi Rashi is depicted as holy and all knowing. His role in the story helps to show Godfrey de Bouillon's arrogance as he is initially unwilling to accept any negative predictions of his future. Overall, the short story is a quick read of a historical figure's story through a Jewish perspective.
Bibliography: Jewish Fairy Tales and Legends by Gertrude Landa (1919).
Bibliography: Jewish Fairy Tales and Legends by Gertrude Landa (1919).
Wikimedia: A real depiction of Godfrey de Bouillon
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