Which 2008 J.K. Rowling book contains the wizarding tales known as The Tales of Beedle the Bard?

The Tales of Beedle the Bard is the 2008 J.K. Rowling book containing five wizarding fairy tales. In the Harry Potter story, the collection is left to Hermione Granger by Albus Dumbledore in his will.

The tales include “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 explains the origin of the Deathly Hallows and becomes especially important in Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows.

Rowling wrote the collection as a companion to the Harry Potter novels. The fictional translator is Hermione, while Dumbledore supplies notes that comment on the stories and their moral ideas. This framing makes the book appear both inside and outside the fictional world.

The real-world edition was published in support of the Children’s High Level Group, later renamed Lumos. The book therefore connects Rowling’s fantasy writing with her charitable work for vulnerable children.