Fairy Tales and Fantasies.

South Brunswick: A. S. Barnes and Company, 1969. Octavo, white cloth (hardcover), 196 pp. Near-Fine, with former-owner inscription, in a Fair dust jacket with rubbing and edgewear that includes light chipping. From dust jacket: Fairytales and Fantasies is a happy collection of delightful tales from all over the world, as written and adapted by an expert story-teller, well able to make the make-believe believable. Young and old alike are certain to be enchanted by little Harriet’s voyage to Fairy-Land on her magic kite, by the cat who became duchess and (truncated) then queen, by the two contenders for a throne who were identical twins (and the ingenious way in which a wise old judge solve the dilemma), by Ben-Kish, the humble man who untied a knot that had long withstood the attempts of nobles to unravel it, by te honeysuckle who tried to stay awake through the winter, and by a most impertinent perch who brought down disaster upon himself and others. The settings range from contemporary North America, through ancient China, India, Arabia, and biblical Palestine, to the entirely mythical country of Ever-Wake, and the perhaps not-so-mythical Catana. As with all good fables, a moral is to be found in these tales. However, the moral becomes evident to all at the end of each story, and there is scarcely any need for a “tag” at the bottom of the last page. OF course, virtues such as thrift, patience, and wisdom are well rewarded, while impetuosity, cruelty, and vanity never fail to go unpunished. The stories do not always end upon an entirely happy note, but justice is always done. (Inventory #: 5024bd)