Arabela (sometimes Arabela the Princess, or A Tale of the Magic Ring) was a children's television series produced in Czechoslovakia which aired from 1979 to 1981.[1]
The series has 13 episodes and is in Czech and German.
Because of Jana Nagyová's distinct accent, which was deemed too hard for children to properly understand, the actual voice of Arabela was provided by Libuše Šafránková. Nagyová and Dagmar Patrasová (Xenie) had also a joint performance in the crime drama Smrt stopařek (lit.: "Killing Hitchhikers", 1979) directed by Jindřich Polák, who is better known for his creation of the children TV's character Pan Tau.
Besides, Theodor Pištěk designed the costumes for the series.
Plot
Synopsis
Arabela comes to the Human World
The series revolves around the members of a regular family, the Majers, who encounter people from the Fairytale Kingdom. Karel Majer, an actor and fairy tale reader on children's TV, one day finds a small bell which, when rung, summons an enigmatic figure calling himself Rumburak the Magician who claims that he is intent on fulfilling every wish Majer has.
In order to please his children at a fair's shooting gallery, Majer wishes to learn to shoot, which Rumburak grants; but the wolf Majer shoots unexpectedly begins to talk in the human tongue as it lies dying. As it turns out, Rumburak has taken Majer to the Realm of Fairy Tales for his shooting lessons, and the wolf was the principal antagonist from the tale of Red Riding Hood.
At last, Majer is sent back to the human world, but Rumburak is ousted for this perceived act of mischief and must henceforth play the role of the wolf himself.
Rumburak also comes to the Human World
Enraged, Rumburak takes revenge on the Fairytale Kingdom by establishing a pirate broadcast station in his castle and, by using his magic to impersonate Majer, twisting the fairy tales into grotesque stories, like having the prince from Sleeping Beauty (here named Vilibald) stealing from the sleeping people instead of reawakening them.
The King of the Fairytale Realm, Hyacint, decides to put Majer under observation and sends his court magician Vigo and his daughters Arabela and Xenie to the human world. Arabela, the kinder and gentler of the two princesses, soon meets and falls in love with Majer's son Petr, while Xenie, spoiled and selfish, takes a liking to the modern world's commodities and eventually wishes to accordingly convert the Fairytale World.
Humans come to the Fairytale World
Soon, life for the Majers and the royal family turns upside down as the presence of their most important magical items, particularly three Wishing Rings, begins to wreak confusion in both worlds and several members of each side, especially Petr, his younger brother Honzik and their girl neighbor Mařenka, are left stranded in the respective other world.
In addition, Rumburak lusts after Arabela and with the help of the Evil Witch, who manages to turn the Queen into a white dove and take her place at the king's side, does everything he can to make her his bride. But with the aid of Fantomas, a denizen of the Realm of Adult Fairytales, all is eventually put back in place : Arabela marries Petr and prepares to spend the rest of her life in the human world; Rumburak and the Witch are turned into household appliances just as they make a last-ditch attempt to sabotage the wedding; and the Queen is restored to her rightful place.
The only regret is that the magic bell, left by Hyacint with the Majers for emergencies, is soon buried in the garden by the Majers' dachshund, severing the connection between the two worlds for the time being.
The series featured several magic items, starting with the magic rings.
Magic rings - make any wish become reality
Magic cape - teleports the wearer from one place to another (usual from fairy tale world to our world)
Magic wand - less powerful than the magic rings, it can be used only by a wizard
Crystal globe - it shows a person
Magic boots - makes its wearer run fast. Based on the Seven-league boots of many European fairy tales.
Night cap - makes its wearer invisible and allows him to pass through walls
Suitcase - flight. Based on the tale "The Flying Suitcase" ("Der Fliegende Koffer") by Hans Christian Andersen.
Broom stick - flight
Gold bell - calls somebody from the fairy tale world
Money pouch - endless supply of gold coins
White Snake - When its flesh is eaten, its consumers (here, Arabela and Rumburak) are able to understand the language of animals. Based on the fairy tale "The White Snake" ("Die Weiße Schlange") by the Brothers Grimm.
The series was first broadcast on Czechoslovak Television. The first German broadcast began on the ARD program (Westdeutscher Rundfunk) on October 4, 1981. In the German Democratic Republic, the series - in the GDR version - was first broadcast from July 30 to November 12, 1983 in the first program and was repeated in the second program in 1987.
This show aired in 57 other countries as well, like Yugoslavia (modern Slovenia and North Macedonia), Bulgaria, Romania and even Vietnam in the 1980s and also in Croatia in 1990s. It was also very popular in West Germany, where it was renamed Die Märchenbraut (lit: "The Fairytale Bride"),[3] while in East Germany it was broadcast under its original title.
It was first released on DVD in 2009 by Universum Film. Since 2021, the German Blu-ray version has been widely released on websites.
Adaptations and sequels
The character of Rumburak has received his own TV movie, called Rumburak (1984), in which Jiří Lábus reprises his role from Arabela. However, in this instance Rumburak is portrayed as a reformed protagonist and sympathetic character, and its story has no direct connection with Arabela. The film was written by Miloš Macourek, and directed by Václav Vorlíček.
There is also a sequel series, Arabela Returns, or Rumburak the King of the Fairytale Kingdom (Arabela se vrací aneb Rumburak králem Říše pohádek) in 1993, with several new stories and figures, but it did not gain the popularity of the original series.
Besides, in 2013, Václav Vorlíček received an offer to film a remake of the series with German actors for German television, but the director refused.[4]
