What was J.K. Rowling’s 2008 charity book that presents stories attributed to the wizard Beedle the Bard?

J.K. Rowling’s 2008 charity book presenting stories attributed to Beedle the Bard was The Tales of Beedle the Bard.

The book contains five wizarding fairy tales: “The Wizard and the Hopping Pot,” “The Fountain of Fair Fortune,” “The Warlock’s Hairy Heart,” “Babbitty Rabbitty and Her Cackling Stump,” and “The Tale of the Three Brothers.” The last story is especially important in Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows, where Hermione reads it to Harry and Ron.

Within the fictional wizarding world, Albus Dumbledore provides commentary on the tales. Rowling wrote both the stories and the accompanying notes, presenting the book as a magical text with a long history.

Seven handwritten and illustrated copies were originally produced, with most given to people closely involved with the Harry Potter books. One copy was auctioned in 2007, and the published 2008 edition raised money for the charity Children’s High Level Group, later renamed Lumos.