The first edition of this rhyming story was published in 1880! Aleksander Fredro is familiar to the entire Polish nation, since his works have always appeared in the canon of school set books.
Paul and Gavel is also included in the collection of texts The First Reading Book – a book published by the Polish Book Institute as part of the bookstart initiative Small Book – Great Person, which was given to all first-year primary pupils in the years 2020-2022.
The protagonists of the title are two neighbours living in one building. One is exuberant and disturbs the other, who is quiet and peace-loving. When requests for silence don’t work, Paul, until then “not having disturbed anyone” resorts to tricks and teaches Gavel a lesson. Successive generations of Poles have learnt the archaic language by heart. And the contemporarily imagined illustrations by the talented Kasia Walentynowicz are a crucial key to the “past”, which is woven into images from our times.
Małgorzata Swędrowska, translated by David French
