About This Book
. . . The remembrance of his dream troubled him greatly. He did not want
to part with the riches that his father had left him, for he had known
all his life what it was to be cold and hungry, and now he had hoped for a
little comfort and pleasure. Still, he was honest and good-hearted, and if
his father had come wrongfully by his wealth he felt he could never enjoy
it, and at last he made up his mind to do as he had been bidden. He found
out who were the people who were poorest in the village, and spent half of
his money in helping them, and the other half he put in his pocket. From
a rock that jutted right out into the sea he flung it in. In a moment it
was out of sight, and no man could have told the spot where it had sunk,
except for a tiny scrap of paper floating on the water. He stretched down
carefully and managed to reach it, and on opening it found six shillings
wrapped inside. This was now all the money he had in the world . . .
Thirty-seven tales of virtue and wickedness, courage and luck, gathered
various countrys from Russia to Japan!
About Andrew Lang
(1844-1912)
Scotsman Andrew Lang was a scholar, an anthropologist, and a writer. In
addition to authoring several novels and histories, and a volume of poetry
and ballads, he was a serious student of world folklore. From 1889 through
1907 he collected and edited numerous folk tales and fairy tales from
France, England, Germany, Scandinavia, and Greece. His books of fairy
tales are a staple of all generations of children (and adults.)
His "Blue Fairy Book" (which alone includes over 30 classic fairy tales),
"Red Fairy Book," "Lilac Fairy Book," and many others have introduced
half a dozen generations of children and adults to the marvelous
happily-ever-after stories of handsome princes and beautiful maidens,
wicked witches and kindly fairies that have shaped the culture of the
world we live in.
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