Slovenia
217
Bitenc, Janez (text)
Rešcic, Lucijan (illus.)
Zmaj Lakotaj z Ljubljanskega grada (The ever-hungry dragon from Ljubljana castle)
Ljubljana : Zalozba Mladika, 1998. – 25pp
(Zbirka planika)
ISBN 961-205-077-5
Ljubljana/History - Dragon - Shepherd-boy - Legend
This picture books recounts a legend about the history of the Slovenian capital,
Ljubljana. A fearless shepherd boy succeeds in taming the dragon who lives in a cave near
Ljubljana castle. As a result, the dragon children abandon the cave, shortly followed by
their father. A remarkable feature of this legend is its peaceful and reconciliatory tone:
no heroic feats are celebrated and the traditional, bloody extinction of the dragon is
avoided. Instead, the legend advocates non-violent coexistence and underlines that even
the dragon, as our fellow creature, has a right to life and respect. The coloured
pen-and-wash illustrations unfold the setting in a skilful, historicising style. One
picture will often show a whole sequence of events. An appendix includes the folksong
about the ever-hungry dragon. (5+)
218
Dremelj-Resnik, Anton (storyteller)
Maticetov, Milko (record)
Štefan, Anja (ed.)
Mancek, Marjan (illus.)
O Pustu in zakletem gradu : slovenska ljudska pravljica
(Carnival and the enchanted castle : a Slovenian folktale)
Ljubljana : Slovenska Knjiga, 1999. – [26pp]
(Slovenske ljudske)
ISBN 961-210-147-7
Slovenia - Roman legionist - Good deed - Castle - Magic - Devil - Exorcism - Fairy tale
This fairy tale picture book is about a Roman veteran with the name of Carnival who
received magic objects from people he had helped in times of need. One evening, while on
the look-out for a place to spend the night, he comes upon an enchanted castle which is
deserted by all its inhabitants at nightfall for fear of the devils who wreak havok there
all night. In spite of many warnings, the dauntless soldier stays in the castle overnight
and chases the devils away. The next morning, he is richly rewarded. This fairy tale was
told by Anton Dremelj-Resnik (*1910), one of the last Slovenian storytellers, written down
by the literary scholar and collector of folklore, Milko Maticetov, and adapted to modern
standard Slovenian by Anja Štefan. The caricaturesque illustrations are a
contribution from the popular Slovenian artist and cartoonist Marjan Mancek. (7+)
Special Mention
219
Prap, Lila [i.e. Liljana Praprotnik-Zupancic] (text/illus.)
Male zivali (Little animals)
Ljubljana : Mladinska Knjiga 1999. – [32pp]
ISBN 86-11-15689-7
Insects - Spider-family - Nursery rhyme
This picture book for beginning readers presents little animals in witty verses. The
ladybug and the firefly will be among the happy few to arouse affection. They are followed
by less likable fellows like the daddy-long-legs, the moth, the maggot, the book-worm, the
spider, the flea, the potatoe beetle, the tick, the drone, the woodworm and the louse. The
amusing rhymes and the simple, anthropomorphised animal-illustrations will join in the
effort to relieve children of their fear or digust at these fine little creatures. (3+)