The "Tales of Beedle the Bard" is probably one of J. K. Rowling's most expensive books in record. It was sold for £370,000 or US$463,727 in an auction in London, England on December 13. But, it wasn't just any other book. It was hand-written by Rowling herself.
"Harry Potter" fans may remember the first mention of "The Tales of Beedle the Bard" in the last book of the series, "Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows", as pointed out by the Inquirer. It is a collection of short stories written by Rowling to supplement the series. Of all the tales of the book, "The Tales of the Three Brothers" is probably the most familiar to readers, since it explains the back story of the Elder Wand, the Resurrection Stone and the Invisibility Cloak. These three are all mentioned throughout the seven books of the "Harry Potter" series.
According to a report by BBC News, the British novelist have made only seven hand-written copies. She gave one of each to the six people who worked with her through her best-selling series "Harry Potter". The seventh copy of this limited edition was made specifically to be auctioned. It was in 2007 when J. K. Rowling sold it for £1.95 million.
The particular "Tales of Beedle the Bard" book which went in auction is J. K. Rowling's gift to publisher Barry Cunningham. Aside from being written by hand, it also contains the author's sketches and a personal note to her publisher, to which is reads, "To Barry, the man who thought an overlong novel about a boy wizard in glasses might just sell... THANK YOU." It is also covered in brown leather with rare jewels on it to protect the manuscript.
The rarity of this Harry Potter memorabilia is enough to bring fans to their toes. It is a living testament that the magic indeed lives on. Part of the proceeds of the book is given to Lumos Foundation, J. K. Rowling's charity.
This article is copyrighted by Travelers Today, the travel news leader
