The Wizard and the Hopping Pot

• Type: Wizarding Children's Story
• Author: Beedle the Bard
• Contained In: The Tales of Beedle the Bard

Note: The plot of this story is not detailed in the seven main novels. The following summary is taken from the supplementary book, The Tales of Beedle the Bard. “The Wizard and the Hopping Pot” tells the story of an elderly and benevolent wizard who generously used his magical pot, which he pretended was a simple cooking pot, to brew potions and cures for his Muggle neighbours whenever they were in need. Upon his death, he leaves all his possessions to his son, who, unlike his father, harbors a strong disdain for Muggles and believes magic should not be used to assist them. The son discovers the pot left by his father, containing a single slipper and a note which reads, “In the fond hope, my son, that you will never need it.” Shortly after, a peasant woman with a warty granddaughter comes seeking help, but the son slams the door in her face. Immediately, the magical pot sprouts a single brass foot and develops warts, beginning to hop and clang loudly behind the son. The pot becomes a constant, noisy torment, acquiring the ailments of every Muggle the son turns away: it brays like a donkey, spews stale cheese, and sobs tears. The son is unable to silence or abandon the pot through any magical means. Driven to madness by the incessant noise and hopping, he finally relents and sets out to help all the villagers he had previously rejected. As he cures each person's ailment, the corresponding symptom vanishes from the pot. Once all the villagers are aided, the pot becomes clean and silent, and it produces a slipper that perfectly fits its brass foot. The son, humbled by his experience, places the slipper on the pot's foot, and the two walk off into the sunset together.

Note: The analysis of the story's moral is based on the text provided in the supplementary book, The Tales of Beedle the Bard. The central moral of “The Wizard and the Hopping Pot” is a powerful argument for kindness, social responsibility, and the proper use of magic. It directly challenges anti-Muggle prejudice by demonstrating the negative consequences of selfishness and isolationism. The pot itself serves as a physical manifestation of the wizard's conscience and the burden of his neglected duties. The story teaches young witches and wizards that their magical abilities come with an obligation to help others, regardless of their blood status, and that ignoring the suffering of one's neighbours leads only to personal torment.

Note: The history of this story's reception is detailed in Albus Dumbledore's notes within the supplementary book, The Tales of Beedle the Bard. The story has long been a beloved classic among wizarding families, told to children for generations. However, its strong pro-Muggle message made it controversial among certain Pure-blood supremacist circles. In the sixteenth century, an ancestor of Lucius Malfoy named Brutus Malfoy vociferously campaigned to have the tale, along with the entire collection of Beedle the Bard's work, banned from Hogwarts. Some families who opposed the story's message created altered versions for their children. In these retellings, the wizard son would use the pot to capture his Muggle neighbours and would triumphantly avoid having to help them. Despite these efforts, the original, benevolent version of the story remained overwhelmingly popular and has endured as a cornerstone of wizarding children's literature.

“The Wizard and the Hopping Pot” is first mentioned in Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows as one of the five stories contained within the book The Tales of Beedle the Bard. The book itself is a crucial object, bequeathed to Hermione Granger by Albus Dumbledore in his will. While Harry, Ron, and Hermione do not read or discuss this specific tale in detail, its inclusion in the collection helps establish the book's nature as a set of seemingly innocuous fairy tales. This context is vital, as it is through another story in the same book, `The Tale of the Three Brothers`, that the trio discovers the symbol and existence of the `Deathly Hallows`, which becomes central to their quest to defeat `Lord Voldemort`. The presence of a simple moral tale like this one helps to obscure the more profound secrets hidden within Beedle's work.

• The full text of this story, along with annotations by Albus Dumbledore, was published for Muggles by J.K. Rowling in 2008 in the book *The Tales of Beedle the Bard*, with proceeds going to charity.
• In the film adaptation of Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows – Part 1, the book `The Tales of Beedle the Bard` is shown, but the only story animated and told in its entirety is `The Tale of the Three Brothers`. (film)