the Sages of Chelm and Moon

The people of Chelm loved to go outside and walk around, especially on moon-lit nights. Why especially on moon-lit nights? 'Because the streets of Chelm were full of mud and there were no streetlights. And when the road is full of mud, and there are obstacles in the way and no lamps to light up the darkness, it's nice when the moon is shining and you can see where you're going'. Jewish folklore of Eastern Europe celebrates a mythical town of Chelm. The town, believed to have been somewhere in Poland, was supposed to be populated by notoriously stupid residents. There are numerous tales of their idiotic exploits and the most famous is the story the story of the people of Chelm and the moon. The people of Chelm would go outside at night and admire the moon. Indeed, they loved the sight of the moon so much they were always frustrated they could not see it every night. They decided the best course of action would be to capture the moon in a barrel, so they could gaze upon it whenever they chose. Shlomo Abbas retells the story with a perfect comic touch and Omer Hoffmann illustrates the tale beautifully.

Welcome to the topsy-turvy world of Chelm – the city of wise fools celebrated in Jewish folklore. According to legend, Chelm was populated by preposterously silly townsfolk. There are numerous tales of their idiotic exploits and the most famous is the story of the people of Chelm and the moon… The people of Chelm have a problem. They love to walk the streets at night under the light of the radiant moon. But every now and then, the moon disappears from the sky and they can’t find their way home. Perhaps someone is stealing it, or maybe it’s hiding on purpose? Being very clever, the wise people of Chelm know exactly what they must do. They will buy a brand-new moon – one that will shine clear and bright every night. But will everything go according to plan? Shlomo Abbas retells the story with a perfect comic touch and Omer Hoffmann illustrates the tale beautifully. For 4–8-year-olds.