The Wonderful Story of Reynard the Fox
Reynard the Fox is hero of several medieval European cycles of versified animal tales that satirize contemporary human society. Though Reynard is sly, amoral, cowardly, and self-seeking, he is still a sympathetic hero, whose cunning is a necessity for survival. He symbolizes the triumph of craft over brute strength, usually personified by the greedy and dull-witted wolf.
The essence of this fable in which all characters are animals living in one state, under the scepter of the lion, is to present the corrupt public morals, where tricksters acquire titles and honors, while the meek, quiet, modest and unassuming people are always the victim of "ill fortune". This fable, wonderfully re-created as a novel in verse, shows the immense and eternal struggle between good and evil, truth and falsehood, honesty and dishonesty.
Dimitar Stoevski
Dimitar Stoevski (1902 - 1981) was a famous Bulgarian writer, playwright and translator of works mainly from the German literature. He left translations of novels, novellas, short stories, tales, miniatures, lyric poems, poems and dramas in verse or free verse. "The Wonderful Story of Reynard the Fox" was released in 1938.
Verses should be transformed, not translated. We recreate thoughts, feelings, images. We don't recreate literal texts. (Dimitar Stoevski)
