It is almost impossible to envision what childhood would be like without the enc
hanting world of fairyland. Princess Rosanella, The Three Bears, giants and dwar
fs, monsters and magicians, fairies and ogres -- these are the companions who th
rill young boys and girls of all lands and all times, as Andrew Lang's phenomena
lly successful collections of stories have proved. From the day that they were f
irst printed, the Lang fairy tale books of many colors have entertained thousand
s of boys and girls, as they have also brought pleasure to the many parents who
have read these unforgettable classics to their children.In the Green Fairy Book
, the third in the series, Lang has assembled stories from Spanish and Chinese t
raditions, a few of the most entertaining creations penned by the Comte de Caylu
s, others by Sebillot, Fenelon, Kletke, and Mme. d'Aulnoy, and, of course, some
of the best-loved tales from the Brothers Grimm. Here in one attractive paperbou
nd volume with enlarged print are "The Blue Bird," "Sylvain and Jocosa," "Narcis
sus and the Princess Potentilla," "The Three Little Pigs," "The Half-Chick," and
many other favorites that have become an indispensable part of our cultural her
itage.
All in all, this collection contains forty-two stories, all narrated in
the clear, lively prose for which Lang was famous. Not only are Lang's translati
ons generally conceded to be the best English versions of standard stories, his
collections are the richest and widest in range. His position as one of England'
s foremost folklorists as well as his first-rate literary abilities make his col
lections unmatchable in the English language.
