Barbora Hédová Books

The Czech people, like every nation on earth, have their own wealth of fairytales, passed down from generation to generation since time immemorial. Despite the familiarity of the basic themes, Czech fairytales retain their distinctive features, attracting young and old alike. Stories such as "The Princess with the Golden Star on her Forehead" or "Fire Bird and Red Fox" by Božena Němcová and Karel Jaromír Erben offer an insight into the lives of the ordinary people in Bohemia and Moravia, as well as their wishes and dreams, which is not only romantic, but also thrilling. Thus that most magical phrase, which reminds adults of their childhood and brings a twinkle to children's eyes, still casts a spell like no other: "Once upon a time..."

I had two elder brothers one of which was lieutenant-colonel to an English regiment of foot in Flanders formerly commanded by the famous Colonel Lockhart and was killed at the battle near Dunkirk against the Spaniards. What became of my second brother I never knew any more than my father or mother did know what was become of me.