The Sânziene
- The Fern Flower
- The Forest Maiden
- The Garland Thrown on the Roof
Tales of Transylvania · Volume III of 3 14+
Summer and Autumn
From the Sânziene to St. Andrew’s · When the Lamp Goes Out
Summer comes to Gura Hotarului with hay, with the yellow sânziene in flower, and with the machines of a man who wants to cut a ski run through the clearing where no grass grows. Grandma Floarea no longer gets out of bed, and now Ana puts out the lamp herself.
PDF in English · 259 pages · full edition + phone version · instant delivery by email
12tales
4parts, by the feast days
12tales from the old folk
259pages
17engravings: one for every tale, plus five plates
2files: full + phone
Volume III · Summer and Autumn
“On paper the tales sleep. They wake only when someone tells them, out loud, in the dark.”
The volume that completes the novel in stories. Grandma Floarea no longer gets out of bed, and Ana puts out the lamp herself: still to be told are the fern flower, the Forest Maiden, the solomonar and the balaur of the lake, the Vâlva of the Mines, the ursitoare and the Forefathers who come to supper. And, last of all, on St. Andrew’s Night, a single tale that Floarea never heard from anyone: her own.
Besides the twelve tales, the volume has five interludes and the epilogue, in which Ana tells what is happening in Gura Hotarului and in her grandmother’s house, plus the map of the village and the family tree of the Straja women.
For adults and teenagers (14+). Horror tales from folklore, told with restraint: these are not bedtime stories for young children.
Contents
Four nights, twelve tales
St. Elijah’s Day
- The Solomonar
- The Balaur of the Bottomless Lake
- The Caloian
St. Mary’s Day and Autumn
- The Vâlva of the Mines
- Mother of the Forest
- The Ursitoare
St. Demetrius’s Day and St. Andrew’s Again
- St. Demetrius’s Fire
- The Forefathers Who Come to Supper
- Floarea’s Story
Look inside
What the pages look like
Real pages from the book. Tap a page to see it large.
Free, no email needed
The first 20 pages
The cover, the family tree of the Straja women, the contents, the plate of the Sânziene night, the interlude at the start of summer and the first pages of “The Fern Flower”.
What you get
Two files, one book
The full editionA 259-page PDF with the engravings, the map and the ornaments at print quality (about 32 MB). For tablet, computer or printer.
The phone versionThe same text with lighter engravings (about 6 MB). Quick to download and always with you.
With your dedicationThe book opens with a dedication page: the name of the person receiving it, your message and your signature, in handwriting.
Tales of Transylvania · Volume III: Summer and Autumn · PDF
€5.90one-off payment · instant delivery by email · no subscription
All three volumes: €13.90 instead of €17.70. Winter, Spring, Summer and Autumn: the whole story.
Buy the set →Questions
A few things to know
What is this volume about?
The volume that completes the novel in stories. Grandma Floarea no longer gets out of bed, and Ana puts out the lamp herself: still to be told are the fern flower, the Forest Maiden, the solomonar and the balaur of the lake, the Vâlva of the Mines, the ursitoare and the Forefathers who come to supper. And, last of all, on St. Andrew’s Night, a single tale that Floarea never heard from anyone: her own.
What age is it for?
For adults and teenagers (14 and up), not bedtime stories for young children. These are horror tales from folklore, told with restraint: strigoi and moroi, the dead who come back, grief and fear, now and then the death of a person or an animal, told without detail. There are no explicit scenes; the dread comes from the silence, from the old customs and from what is left unsaid.
Do I need to read the earlier volumes first?
It is best to read them in order: the interludes carry on the story of Ana and her grandmother Floarea. Each tale can also be read on its own.
What format is it in?
A 259-page PDF in English, with the engravings, the map and the ornaments of the edition. You get two files: the full edition (about 32 MB, for tablet, computer or printing) and a light version for phones (about 6 MB). The links arrive by email right after payment and stay in My library.
Can I buy all three volumes at once?
Yes: the complete set costs €13.90 instead of €17.70. You will find it on the series page.
Can I give it as a gift, with a dedication?
Yes. When you buy it, you write the name of the person receiving it, a message and your signature: they appear handwritten on the dedication page at the start of the book. Tick ‘It is a gift’, add their email and, if you like, a day: the book is sent by itself that morning.
Is it a translation?
Yes: the complete English translation of the Romanian original, with the same engravings, map and ornaments. It is also available in Romanian and Spanish.
What if the file will not open?
Write to books@arkabooks.org and we will send you a good copy straight away or refund you.
“On paper the tales sleep. They wake only when someone tells them, out loud, in the dark.”
Tales of Transylvania · Volume III