Which Tale of Beedle the Bard did You Like Most/Least?

[bellatrix93]

My favourite would be The Tale of the Three Brothers and The fountaine of Fair Fortune.

My least favourite was The Warlock's Hairy Heart. I didn't like it at all, actually. Though, I enjoyed Dumbledore's comments.

And I can't remember what Babbity Rabbity and her Cackling Stump, was about? . Maybe I should pick up the book again..

[CurseCruciatus]

My list from most to least liked:
The Tale of the Three Brothers
The Fountain of Fair Fortune
The Warlock's Hairy Heart
Babbity Rabbity and her Cackling Stump
The Wizard and the Hopping Pot

[firewitch08]

I actually really liked Babbity Rabbity. I also voted for The Fountain of Fair Fortune. I don't really have a least favorite, however because The Tale of the Three Brothers was already in DH, I was least interested. By the time the book came out, I could recite the whole story myself.
Out of all of DD notes, I liked the The Wizard and the Hopping Pot. Got to love the Malfoys.

[MC2456]

Wow, loads of people seem to like The Fountain of Fair Fortune. Here's mine:
1) Fountain of Fair Fortune
2) Babbity Rabbity and her Cackling Stump (It reads like the Emperor's New Clothes)
3) The Wizard and the Hopping Pot AND the Warlock's Hairy Heart
4) Three Brothers

[captain Sparrow]

Most, I liked the Fountain of Fair Fortune. The second best for me was the Tale of the Tree Brothers. The ones I liked least were the Warlock's Hairy Heart and the Wizard and the Hopping Pot.

[ProtegoTotalum]

My favourites were The Fountain of Fair Fortune, Warlock's Hairy Heart, and The Tale of the Three Brothers. I can't choose one above the others. Fountain is just...pretty, I suppose, is the word that comes to mind. I love the end, discovering the fountain wasn't magical at all. TWHH is just so pleasingly chilling, and...somewhat relatable, in all honesty. Not that I'd ever rip out my heart and eat my lover's >.> but I can very easily imagine why a person would choose not to make a fool of themselves by falling in love. I also adore the connection it makes to Horcruxes. And, of course, the Three Brothers is just...the Three Brothers. I love everything about it, the discussions and thoughts on which Hallow to choose, the idea of being rewarded for outsmarting Death, as Ignotus was...

My least favourite was The Wizard and the Hopping Pot. I don't know why--it just didn't bode well with me. Though I did love the thing about the Toadstool Tales...
I find it interesting that most people didn't like Babbity Rabbity...it almost was on my list of favourites. I like that it was possibly based on the "true" story of Lisette du Lapin...I don't know, stuff like that interests me for some reason.

[Snapelives]

I prefer Babbity Rabbity. I find it has a more intriguing storyline then most of the others, and isn't based along love and happiness. I do not like the Warlock's hairy heart because the subject matter is so gruesome.

[PeverellWand]

I'm going to go against the norm here and say the Babbity Rabbity and her Cackling Stump is my favorite. I thought it was the most interesting, because it was as Dumbledore says in his comments, "the most 'realistic'" I thought that the fact that it showed the limits of magic and followed the "rules" of magic that JKR set up (aside from talking Animagi) made up for its slightly less interesting storyline.
I didn't really like The Wizard and the Hopping Pot that much, because it was 'controversial' as Dumbledore said.(You know, I think I payed more attention to Dumbledore's commentary on the stories than the stories themselves) I liked the ones that showed more concrete morals. I mean, yeah, helping people is good, but Dumbledore's comments ruined it for me.
Basically, I based what stories I liked on Dumbledore's commentary, not the stories.

[Lisl_Loveheart]

"The Wizard and The Hopping Pot" is my favorite because it holds an important lesson for muggle children too: we are here to help each other with the talents we have. That is my motto and I love how the story helped me teach that to my daughter.
"The Warlock's Hairy Heart" is a very good story (for adults) but I didn't find it fitting for my 7 year-old daughter yet. I think the final scene is very strong. As far as the meaning and philosophical questions go it's a wonderful tale, but it's the one I read the least.

[kmhm]

Oddly, my favorite was The Warlock's Hair Heart. I thought it was deep, I was surprised to read it, at first actually. But it's what happens when people feel to secure that they forget what it's like to love.

My least would have to be The Wizard and the Hopping Pot. It was too common. And I think the wizard just helped them because he was scared of the pot.

I am very dense, okay.

[Grainne_Mima]

i liked the fountain of fair fortune and the tale of the three brothers equally my least favorite has to be warlocks hairy heart

[horcrux4]

My actual favourite was the Toadstool Tales quote, but since that's not one of Beedle's tales:
I liked 3 Tale of the Three Brothers best; I thought it had the most substance.

I didn't like the Warlock's Hairy Heart much. I think it was the hairiness I disliked!

[Dobson]

I love The Tale of the Three Brothers. That has to be my favorite, for several reasons. It's very interesting how all of Beedle's Tales have morals/themes/whatever you want to call them and yet 3 Brothers doesn't. (Hopping pot: Help people and you'll be rewarded, if you don't, then bad things will happen; Fountain: You have to appreciate what you have in life, not what you could have; Hairy Heart: This one isn't quite as clear, but I would say it's something like "Don't rush into things that you aren't willing to do, don't be greedy", etc..; Babbity: Don't be foolish.)

Now, for 3 Brothers, what is the theme? I know Ron said in DH (paraphrased) "Don't meddle with things that you don't need to worry about..." things like that. But I don't think that accurately represents what it's trying to tell you. The Brothers weren't necessarily meddling in things that weren't their buisness, because who wouldn't accept gifts like that? It was completely their buisness, and their choice, to do what they did. If you look at it from the perspective of the 1st or 2nd brothers, and you see the trouble they got into...maybe it has something of a theme. But there was nothing wrong with how the 3rd brother lived the rest of his life.

I think my point here is that nearly all "tales", including those in Beedle the Bard, have themes: what you should and shouldn't do, and they provide examples. 3 Brothers is unique because it is an exception to this. (And I also love it because it sparked more than any other tale ever did!)

[Pottermore]

I liked the Tale of the Three Brothers the best, because it has the most meaning.
And it was also used in the Deathly Hallows and explained how the brothers got the 3 Hallows.

[MrSleepyHead]

Originally Posted by Dobson

I love The Tale of the Three Brothers. That has to be my favorite, for several reasons. It's very interesting how all of Beedle's Tales have morals/themes/whatever you want to call them and yet 3 Brothers doesn't.
[...]
Now, for 3 Brothers, what is the theme? I know Ron said in DH (paraphrased) "Don't meddle with things that you don't need to worry about..." things like that. But I don't think that accurately represents what it's trying to tell you. The Brothers weren't necessarily meddling in things that weren't their buisness, because who wouldn't accept gifts like that? It was completely their buisness, and their choice, to do what they did. If you look at it from the perspective of the 1st or 2nd brothers, and you see the trouble they got into...maybe it has something of a theme. But there was nothing wrong with how the 3rd brother lived the rest of his life.

I think my point here is that nearly all "tales", including those in Beedle the Bard, have themes: what you should and shouldn't do, and they provide examples. 3 Brothers is unique because it is an exception to this. (And I also love it because it sparked more than any other tale ever did!)

I agree with you, but only partly. I think The Tale of the Three Brothers is more unique because its moral is made through comparison. With the others, the morals are more or less evident and spelled out. With the Three Brothers, the moral is achieved by comparing the three brothers. Here is what Ron thinks is the moral of the story:

DH, Ch. 21, The Tale of the Three Brothers "Don't go looking for trouble, don't go pick fights, don't go messing around with stuff that's best left alone! Just keep your head down, mind your own business, and you'll be okay."

And I think his analysis is apt, though scant. In this, he basically summarizes the three brothers' positions, and in comparing the three brothers' decision lies the true moral, in my opinion.

The story, to me, makes clear that the first and second brothers made poor decisions through greed, arrogance, and combativeness. And those decisions led them to an early death that they did not accept - just like Voldemort, they sought to best Death. Meanwhile, the third brother was humble, deliberate, and wary, and his choice allowed him to live a long, wise life that terminated with his acceptance of death.

While I do not think the moral of the tale is about accepting death, I think the tale's moral is clear: disparage greed and arrogance, and through humility and good choices comes understanding and acceptance. Thus, it is not that The Tale of the Three Brothers has no moral, but - unlike the other tales - its moral requires more analysis and deliberation. But I do agree that this is one of the elements that makes the tale so fascinating.

[PhoenixGryffin]

The Fountain of Fair Fortune was my favorite. I really don't have a least favorite.

[tomriddlemethis]

I enjoyed the Fountain of Fair Fortune most, with The Three Brothers second. If I'm honest, I didn't particularly like the other stories... Perhaps on revision I may, I have only read this book once.

[ameekha]

tale of the three brothers