What is the title of J.K. Rowling’s first published Harry Potter short-story collection?

The Tales of Beedle the Bard is J.K. Rowling’s published collection of Harry Potter-world fairy tales.

The book was released in 2007, shortly after Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows. In the story world, Beedle’s tales are old wizarding children’s stories. One of them, “The Tale of the Three Brothers,” becomes especially important because it tells the legend of the Deathly Hallows.

The collection contains five tales, followed by explanatory notes attributed to Albus Dumbledore. Rowling wrote both the stories and the commentary, blending folklore with additional information about wizarding culture.

The title can be confused with two other Hogwarts-related companion books: Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them and Quidditch Through the Ages. Those works are presented as school texts, whereas Beedle’s book is a collection of fictional fairy tales.