Josef Čapek strana 6 z 6

Dnešní rodiče vědí, jak vděčně jejich děti naslouchají Povídání o pejskovi a kočičce. Josef Čapek je napsal a nakreslil koncem dvacátých let, kdy sám měl doma malé děvčátko chtivé tatínkových obrázků a rozprávek. Byl ostatně na takovou `objednávku` dobře připraven. I v dospělosti si uchoval dětskou hravost a schopnost bezprostřední účasti, sám se postupně dobíral stavu, který obdivoval u své babičky a který pojmenoval `jasnou veselostí duše`. Nadto patřil k umělecké generaci, která už před první světovou válkou hledala poučení u všech projevů tzv. naivní tvořivosti, a která proto vážně studovala i principy dětského výtvarného projevu. Některé z nich jsou datovány dvojím letopočtem: první oznamuje, kdy malíř fixoval prvotní nápad miniaturní tužkovou skicou - tou začínal práci na všech svých obrazech -, druhý zaznamenává, kdy vytvořil definitivní dílo. Na všech pastelech jsou hrající si dětské postavičky v oné typicky čapkovské zjednodušující stylizaci a s nimi i všecka atmosféra blaže

Autorova slavná báseň v překladu Karla Čapka a s ilustracemi Josefa Čapka.

Dear children and others, we are informing you that everything is in the best disorder, and so we are again meeting you in this next book from the Tales About a Doggie and a Pussycat, which is all about the two of us, written by the author Mr. Josef Čapek. We want to add to this that we are both very happy that he had portrayed us so nicely in his pictures. This new book about us is named How They Were Making a Cake, because once we really made such a big cake since as it happened we both had a name day and a birthday at the same time. However, it was also for the last time, because we found out that we should not overdo even a good thing; but we can’t reveal more because then you would easily guess how all of this ended. So have a good read and perhaps don’t show our recipe for a real proper cake to your mum. Ask her instead to make you a cake for your name day or birthday from her own head, or from a cookery book. Good appetite! So cheerio and regards Yours PUSSYCAT and DOGGIE

Dear children, as you well know we both like you a lot and that is why we are writing you a letter today; it’s not long but it is important. You see, both of us, the doggie and the pussycat, we think that you like us a lot, and so we are writing to you because we want you to like all the doggies and pussycats in the whole wide world. That is why this book about us is called How They Wrote a Letter, because it is important that you not only find out what is written in this letter, but also what has been happening about that letter and in fact how all of this have happened. Writing such a letter is a hard work even for children, let alone for doggies and pussycats. However, you will find out all about it in a greater detail in this book, so we better not tell you too much about it beforehand. We will only remind you that any pain hurts doggies and pussycats just as much as it hurts you, the children. So remember it well and if you forget it sometimes, quickly go and read this book again and everything will be all right. Yours DOGGIE AND PUSSYCAT

Dear children, Josef Čapek, the writer, wrote for you the Tale About a doggie and a pussycat. For this Tale he also drew lots of very nice pictures. When he was writing and drawing all of this, little Alice was sitting on his lap. She was his daughter and he loved her very much, and little Alice loved her father. Because they were fond of each other like that, Mr. Čapek wrote and drew his story just like his Alice wished. Maybe she even suggested a bit what he should write and draw. However, we are not sure about that, we are just quessing. We would like to tell you that we are in good health and that we just began to be published as a serial for children. Now, as far as we know, you are going to be told in different books how we were washing the floor, how we made a cake, how we were writing a letter, how doggie tore his pants, then about a doll which was crying faintly and also about a proud night shirt. We are looking forward to tell you more. We hope that you feel the same. So bye and regards, Yours PUSSYCAT and DOGGIE

Tento svazek obsahuje kromě souboru aforismů Psáno do mraků celé samostatné prozaické dílo Josefa Čapka. Vzniká tak pozoruhodný obraz jeho tvůrčího vývoje – od válečného zoufalství, které se projevilo v Leliovi ztotožněním předmětné skutečnosti a chaosu a východiskem ve snové niternosti, přes optiku dětského světa, příběh viny a trestu ve Stínu kapradiny, k rezignaci na principy epické beletrie a k příklonu k reflexivnímu přístupu k existenciální problematice -, který nechává nahlédnout i do základů osobnosti velkého malíře.