The Laughing Prince: Jugoslav Folk and Fairy Tales — Edition Insights

Fillmore's Retelling Philosophy

Fillmore's note openly acknowledges his method: he takes old stories and retells them 'in a new language,' adding detail and shifting emphasis to suit a general audience. He admits that the setting for the nonsense story 'In my young days when I was an old, old man' is his own invention. This candor distinguishes the collection from scholarly anthologies. The excerpt shows Fillmore's hand in the dialogue: the prince's friendly 'Good evening, granny' and the dragon's grunted 'I am pretty strong as dragons go' feel modern and colloquial, not archaic. The result is a text that reads smoothly but may diverge from traditional versions.

Recurring Motifs: Nested Strength and Cunning

The dragon's strength is hidden in a chain: a lake, a dragon, a boar, a hare, a pigeon. This nested structure is a classic folk motif, but Fillmore emphasizes the process of discovery through trickery. The old woman's repeated questions and the dragon's teasing answers create a rhythm of deception and revelation. The youngest prince's cautious approach—ignoring the hare to later return—shows a hero who relies on wit rather than brute force. These elements align with the catalog subject 'Fairy tales -- Yugoslavia,' yet the specific handling of the motif reflects Fillmore's narrative choices, not necessarily a single regional variant.

Voice and Humor in Dialogue

Fillmore's characters speak in a direct, slightly informal register. The old woman calls the dragon 'Master' and flatters him with 'beautiful body,' while the dragon laughs at her gullibility. The prince's 'Granny, would you like me to rescue you?' is matter-of-fact, not heroic. This conversational tone makes the fantastic elements feel grounded. The humor arises from the dragon's amusement at his own trickery and the old woman's exaggerated performances. Such dialogue choices suggest Fillmore aimed for a storytelling style that appeals to children and adults alike, prioritizing entertainment over ethnographic accuracy.

Readers should approach The Laughing Prince as a creative retelling rather than a faithful transcription. Fillmore's note provides essential context for understanding his additions and emphases. The excerpts reveal a playful, inventive narrator who shapes traditional material into accessible, engaging tales. Those interested in comparative folklore may wish to consult source variants, while general readers can enjoy the stories as crafted entertainments.

There’s something about Fillmore’s Balkan heroes—how they smile when cornered, spin straw into sense—that lingers. I remember wanting the trickster’s patience. Then I stumbled back onto More Tales in the Land of Nursery Rhyme — Key Ideas to Explore, and felt that same unhurried hush, as if old friends were still telling their stories just past the lamplight.