Naftali the Storyteller and His Horse, Sus: And Other Stories [Paperback]

Isaac Bashevis Singer (Author), Margot Zemach (Illustrator)

Book Description

Publication Date: April 1, 1987

A collection of short stories which explores the humor and life of the people of Poland.

Editorial Reviews

Review

"Like title character Naftali, Singer is a master craftsman: these eight varied stories are as much an evocation of a bygone way of life as a tribute to the storyteller's art."- -Starred, School Library Journal

Product Details

• Paperback: 144 pages
• Publisher: Farrar, Straus and Giroux (BYR) (April 1, 1987)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0374454876
• ISBN-13: 978-0374454876
• Product Dimensions: 7.5 x 5.1 x 0.5 inches
• Shipping Weight: 3.2 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 4.5 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (2 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,444,057 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

10 of 11 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Eight fabled delights, January 1, 2005

By 

Alyssa A. Lappen (Earth) - See all my reviews
(TOP 1000 REVIEWER)    (VINE VOICE)   

This review is from: Naftali the Storyteller and His Horse, Sus: And Other Stories (Hardcover)

Isaac Singer aptly dedicated this book of eight stories to his family--and to all readers young and old, who contemplate the wonder of growing up and facing the riddle of life and love.

Thus he begins with the book's title story. Naftali, to make a long, delicious story short, grew up at the feet of his father Zelig, who often told him of and imp, whose tail tasted like salt. He also grew up reading and loving stories.

Reb Zebulin told him that even fictional stories were often true. After hearing stories that sounded completely unbelievable, Reb Zebulin would go to a place where those things had actually happened. "The brain is created by God," he told Naftali, "and human thoughts and fantasies are also God's works."

Thus Naftali resolved to become a bookseller and a writer when he grew up. He could not support himself, but he met Reb Falik, who had a house built for Naftali to house all the books that he intended to bequeath him. When his horse Sus died, he marked the grave with the oak whip he never used. Several weeks later, the whip sprouted shoots and roots, much as his stories had done.

Other tales take readers to Chelm, the village of idiots young and old. Even the people have funny names--Gronam Ox, Dopey Lekisch, Zeinvel Ninny, Shmendrick Numskull, Feyvel Thickwit, Sender Donkey, Treitel Fool and their most foolish compatriots. For many weeks, these sages had been sitting about wondering why the town treasury was empty and they had not received their wages.

Then 80-year-old Zalman Typpesh arrived, offering 2,000 pieces of gold if they could provide good advice as to how he could live forever. Shlemiel finally arrived at the solution: Dalfunka, a nearby suburb was where all the paupers live. He noted with great satisfaction that no rich man had ever died there. Thus, if Zalman moved to Dalfunka, he would live forever. Needless to say, he moved to Dalfunka, went broke spending money on blintzes and died--a pauper.

To discover the details--and six more of Singer's fabled delights--you'll have to read this book.

--Alyssa A. Lappen

4.0 out of 5 stars Wonderful, August 2, 2007

By 

Skatemom68 "Figure Skating Mom" (Charlotte, NC) - See all my reviews

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This review is from: Naftali the Storyteller and His Horse, Sus: And Other Stories (Paperback)

My 10-year-old son enjoyed this classic and so did I. We highly recommend it.