How Obelix Fell into the Magic Potion When he was a Little Boy

How Obelix Fell into the Magic Potion When he was a Little Boy

Original French title	Comment Obélix est tombé dans la marmite du druide quand il était petit
Story	René Goscinny
Illustrations	Albert Uderzo
French edition	1989
English translation	1989

How Obelix Fell into the Magic Potion When he was a Little Boy is an Asterix story written by René Goscinny and originally published in the French magazine Pilote issue 291 (1965), with only a few drawings. In 1989 it was fully illustrated by Albert Uderzo and published in an album as a text story with illustrations.

Plot summary

The story is narrated by Asterix: he tells of his early childhood (when he was about six years old) when Obelix was shy, overweight and bullied.

After the other kids picked on Obelix one too many times, Asterix decided to help him by getting him to drink some of Getafix' magic potion when the village men went out to beat up Romans, but Obelix slipped and fell in — being rescued by Getafix when the battle was over.

Notes

• This is the first time Asterix's and Obelix's parents are seen. Obliscoidix, Obelix's father, is shown to enjoy collecting the helmets of Roman legionaries - a hobby Obelix enjoys himself as an adult.
• Vitalstatistix, who is a generation older than Asterix and Obelix, is still village chief, albeit smaller and slimmer (similar to his appearance at the end of Asterix and the Chieftain's Shield).
• The age of Asterix and Obelix as they appear in the story is about the amount of time Asterix stories had been appearing at the time it was written.
• Throughout the story Obelix is seen pulling a small white wooden toy dog that resembles Dogmatix.
• The 24-year gap between the story text and most illustrations leads to some inconsistencies between the two, and also with the rest of the Asterix stories (mostly minor and relating to the chief).
• Prior to falling into the cauldron, Obelix is shown as shy and pacifistic - possibly because the other boys pick on him. He gains his characteristic love of fighting after getting his own back and is also shown to have taken on some other characteristics he is well known for as an adult - at the conclusion of the story the village children enjoy a miniature banquet, in which Cacofonix is tied to a tree and gagged for the first time, and someone comments "Fat lot of good fighting you, Obelix.", to which Obelix angrily retorts "WHO ARE YOU CALLING FAT?!"

Publication

• The book has been out of print in English for the past decade but since October 2009, it has been re-released with a brand new cover.

In other languages

• Czech: Jak Obelix spadl do druidova kotle, když byl malý
• Dutch: Hoe de kleine Obelix in de ketel van de Druïde viel
• Finnish: Kuinka Obelix putosi pienenä tietäjän taikajuomapataan
• German: Wie Obelix als kleines Kind in den Zaubertrank geplumpst ist
• Greek: Πώς ο Οβελίξ έπεσε στη χύτρα του Δρυΐδη όταν ήταν μικρός
• Italian: Come fu che Obelix cadde da piccolo nel paiolo del druido
• Norwegian: Hvordan Obelix falt oppi trollmannens gryte da han var liten
• Polish: Jak Obeliks wpadł do kociołka kiedy był mały
• Portuguese: Como Obelix caiu no caldeirão no caldeirão do druida quando era pequeno
• Serbian: Како је Обеликс упао у чаробни напитак
• Spanish: Cómo Obélix se cayó en la marmita del druida cuando era pequeño
• Turkish: Oburiks küçük bir çocukken kudret şerbeti kazanına nasıl düştü

See also

• Younger versions of cartoon characters