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The Coloured Fairy Books
The Brown Fairy Book
32 folk tales from American Indians, Australian Bushmen, African Kaffirs, India, Persia, Lapland, Brazil, India, New Caledonia and more. 50 illustrations.
384 pages, Paperback
First published March 23, 1904
146 people are currently reading
2620 people want to read
About the author
Andrew Lang
2,902 books556 followersTales of the Scottish writer and anthropologist Andrew Lang include
The Blue Fairy Book
(1889).
Andrew Gabriel Lang, a prolific Scotsman of letters, contributed poetry, novels, literary criticism, and collected now best folklore.
The Young Scholar and Journalist
Andrew Gabriel Lang, the son of the town clerk and the eldest of eight children, lived in Selkirk in the Scottish borderlands. The wild and beautiful landscape of childhood greatly affected the youth and inspired a lifelong love of the outdoors and a fascination with local folklore and history. Charles Edward Stuart and Robert I the Bruce surrounded him in the borders, a rich area in history. He later achieved his literary Short History of Scotland .
A gifted student and avid reader, Lang went to the prestigious Saint Andrews University, which now holds a lecture series in his honor every few years, and then to Balliol College, Oxford. He later published Oxford: Brief Historical and Descriptive Notes about the city in 1880.
Moving to London at the age of 31 years in 1875 as an already published poet, he started working as a journalist. His dry sense of humor, style, and huge array of interests made him a popular editor and columnist quickly for The Daily Post, Time magazine and Fortnightly Review. Whilst working in London, he met and married Leonora Blanche Alleyne Lang, his wife.
Interest in myths and folklore continued as he and Leonora traveled through France and Italy to hear local legends, from which came the most famous The Rainbow Fairy Books . In the late 19th century, interest in the native stories declined and very few persons recounting them for young readers. In fact, some educationalists attacked harmful magical stories in general to children. To challenge this notion, Lang first began collecting stories for the first of his colored volumes.
Lang gathered already recorded stories, while other folklorists collected stories directly from source. He used his time to collect a much greater breadth over the world from Jacob Grimm, his brother, Madame d'Aulnoy, and other less well sources.
Lang also worked as the editor, often credited as its sole creator for his work despite the essential support of his wife, who transcribed and organised the translation of the text, to the success.
He published to wide acclaim. The beautiful illustrations and magic captivated the minds of children and adults alike. The success first allowed Lang and Leonora to carry on their research and in 1890 to publish a much larger print run of The Red Fairy Book , which drew on even more sources. Between 1889 and 1910, they published twelve collections, which, each with a different colored binding, collected, edited and translated a total of 437 stories. Lang, credited with reviving interest in folklore, more importantly revolutionized the Victorian view and inspired generations of parents to begin reading them to children once more.
Last Works
Lang produced and at the same time continued a wide assortment of novels, literary criticism, articles, and poetry. As Anita Silvey, literary critic, however, noted, "The irony of Lang's life and work is that although he wrote for a profession... he is best recognized for the works he did not write," the folk stories that he collected.
He finished not the last Highways and Byways of the Border but died.
Andrew Gabriel Lang, a prolific Scotsman of letters, contributed poetry, novels, literary criticism, and collected now best folklore.
The Young Scholar and Journalist
Andrew Gabriel Lang, the son of the town clerk and the eldest of eight children, lived in Selkirk in the Scottish borderlands. The wild and beautiful landscape of childhood greatly affected the youth and inspired a lifelong love of the outdoors and a fascination with local folklore and history. Charles Edward Stuart and Robert I the Bruce surrounded him in the borders, a rich area in history. He later achieved his literary Short History of Scotland .
A gifted student and avid reader, Lang went to the prestigious Saint Andrews University, which now holds a lecture series in his honor every few years, and then to Balliol College, Oxford. He later published Oxford: Brief Historical and Descriptive Notes about the city in 1880.
Moving to London at the age of 31 years in 1875 as an already published poet, he started working as a journalist. His dry sense of humor, style, and huge array of interests made him a popular editor and columnist quickly for The Daily Post, Time magazine and Fortnightly Review. Whilst working in London, he met and married Leonora Blanche Alleyne Lang, his wife.
Interest in myths and folklore continued as he and Leonora traveled through France and Italy to hear local legends, from which came the most famous The Rainbow Fairy Books . In the late 19th century, interest in the native stories declined and very few persons recounting them for young readers. In fact, some educationalists attacked harmful magical stories in general to children. To challenge this notion, Lang first began collecting stories for the first of his colored volumes.
Lang gathered already recorded stories, while other folklorists collected stories directly from source. He used his time to collect a much greater breadth over the world from Jacob Grimm, his brother, Madame d'Aulnoy, and other less well sources.
Lang also worked as the editor, often credited as its sole creator for his work despite the essential support of his wife, who transcribed and organised the translation of the text, to the success.
He published to wide acclaim. The beautiful illustrations and magic captivated the minds of children and adults alike. The success first allowed Lang and Leonora to carry on their research and in 1890 to publish a much larger print run of The Red Fairy Book , which drew on even more sources. Between 1889 and 1910, they published twelve collections, which, each with a different colored binding, collected, edited and translated a total of 437 stories. Lang, credited with reviving interest in folklore, more importantly revolutionized the Victorian view and inspired generations of parents to begin reading them to children once more.
Last Works
Lang produced and at the same time continued a wide assortment of novels, literary criticism, articles, and poetry. As Anita Silvey, literary critic, however, noted, "The irony of Lang's life and work is that although he wrote for a profession... he is best recognized for the works he did not write," the folk stories that he collected.
He finished not the last Highways and Byways of the Border but died.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 40 reviews
October 9, 2021
This was yet another solid collection in the Rainbow Fairy Series, with diverse stories from around the world. The illustrations were still excellent (and still not culturally accurate) and there remained no female heroines. Some of the language in several stories was also culturally & racially insensitive so be forewarned if reading to children. There were, however, plenty of stereotypically vile ogres, wicked witches, magic boots, and happily-ever-afters and, in the end, that’s what we’re all looking for. Happy questing!!
March 30, 2020
برخلاف اسم کتاب یه جورایی پر از خشونت بود. برای بچه ها مناسب نیست.
July 2, 2014
I do not think I could ever get tired of read the Fairy Books by Andrew Lang.
November 4, 2023
June 2023 reread:
This fairy book probably has the largest ratio of stories I do not like. There are too many brutal ones in which animals swindle and kill each other. Then there are ones that are too weird or confusing (What the Rose Did to the Cypress, Ball Carrier, Pivi and Kabo). But, happily, there are some gems that make me love the book overall.
Habogi is an utterly magical and satisfying story. Helga is rewarded for not rejecting Habogi based on his initially unappealing appearance, although she does have doubts, and one could not blame her for refusing to go with him. On a more metaphorical level, the story is a reminder that others may not see the value and beauty in those we love, but that should not bother us. Others might never see it, but fortunately in this story Helga's family does.
I am assuming The Bunyip is about not taking things for the sake of self-aggrandization, or something of the sort. What started as a necessary hunting trip for food turned out to be a trophy grab. I'm also not sure if the bunyip caused everyone to turn into birds or if that was from another power. Either way, it is an interesting story.
Which Was the Foolishest? is a hilarious tale similar to The Merry Wives in Pink Fairy and The Believing Husbands in Lilac Fairy. I can't help thinking that feminist readers might take joy in seeing men ridiculed in the story but call it misogynistic if the roles were reversed. I find that hypocrisy to be toxic. But I try to push such thoughts out and just enjoy the hilarity. Men in general are not ridiculed but two gullible men in particular.
Asmund and Signy is very similar to The Three Robes. Asmund and Signy is not quite as magical, but I am so charmed by the idea of living in hollowed out trees.
How Geirald the Coward Was Punished is about honesty (or lack thereof) and keeping one's promises. Rather than showing the hero making mistakes and learning from them, as often is the case in fairy tales, this one shows the hero acting honorably the entire time. And he is rewarded. The story also features one of many examples of fairy tales in which female characters are not at all "weak" or passive. I have read critical reviews of the story stating that Geirald should not be punished for refusing to fight but applauded for being peaceful. If he does not want to fight that is all very well, but he should not take credit for the hero's feats. The point of the story is not violence versus non violence but about the foolishness of deception.
I did not much like The Sacred Milk of Koumongoe when I first read it, but I greatly enjoy it now. I like how animals chastise the father and how he is punished for being unjust (although perhaps being eaten by an ogre is a bit harsh). I realize this time that the story points to how disobedience is sometimes necessary and even laudable. The heroine did not have much choice in either giving the milk to her brother or in saving her child.
I'm not sure if I believe in "fate," but The King Who Would be Stronger than Fate makes a strong case for realizing and accepting that we have little control over our lives. We can try to prevent undesirable things happening, but they may happen anyway. Making peace with this fact is the best course of action. Sure, doing our best to prevent misfortune is a good idea but not to the extent that we become obsessed like the king.
I enjoy explanatory fables like How Some Wild Animals Became Tame Ones.
Fortune and the Wood-Cutter seems to encourage giving up rather than working hard, but I take it more to mean that good fortune can come to us when we least expect it and when we are not seeking it out.
I have always loved The Enchanted Head (although the "negro" slaves part is unfortunate). The head bouncing and rolling to follow the woman and then sitting for weeks in her house creates a funny image. I love how, at the end, the head reveals that only for the princess is he a man with a body and she does not care that no one else sees him as "normal." Similarly, other people might never appreciate those we love or see them as we do, but that should not trouble us.
The Husband of the Rat's Daughter is a very amusing, wise tale about ridiculous ideals.
The Cunning Hare is entertaining and I am glad the hare triumphs in the end, although I'm not sure how much of that is due to wits and how much to the magic that he performs.
I have always thought The Lion and the Cat is an odd story, as it veers into another direction toward the end. I suppose it is about dissention over desirable objects.
Tale of Wali Dad the Simple-Hearted is an absolutely wonderful tale, both wise and amusing, about humility and contentment.
The Elf Maiden has always been a "just okay" tale, but I appreciated it more this time. To me, it shows how apparent loss can turn into gain. The hero loses the maiden of his choice through his friend's treachery, but this misfortune leads to him meeting and marrying a magical elf maiden.
I have tried The Turtle and His Bride several times, but I can never bring myself to like it. I rather like having turtles as characters, but neither the main turtle or the maiden is very admirable. The turtle is very forceful about her marrying him, and the maiden first promises to marry him and then breaks her word and murders him. Not very pleasant or meaningful.
I find Kisa the Cat so comforting--once the princess is rescued by Kisa, that is. The part about the princess having her feet cut off is horrifying but glossed over matter of factly, as often happens in fairy tales. Imagining the severed feet sitting next to Kisa in the carriage is amusing, though. Like other reviewers, I wish that in this story and several others talking animals did not turn out to be humans. Animals do us so much good because of the very fact that they are not human.
The Prince and the Three Fates is another tale that refreshingly does not follow a worn out formula, and it is yet another example of a tale in which the woman saves the man. The crocodile following the prince around is a delightfully eerie picture and reminds me of Captain Hook being haunted by the ticking crocodile. This is an obscure story, but I can't help wondering if Barrie knew it.
The Knights of the Fish is very similar to other tales with twins who part ways but one ends up saving the other. But this one involves the variations of tricking a dragon with a mirror and echoes that are almost characters themselves.
Naturally I enjoy Father Grumbler, since it contains magical objects. But this story involves magical objects in a bit more meaningful way than many other stories. The dangers of such objects is shown through Father Grumbler's inability to keep them secret and through the inkeeper and his wife's theft. Only very wise individuals should possess such powerful objects, but even then they might cause destruction and anarchy. I can see why the wise man keeps them hidden in his cave.
Apart from the subject and lessons in the story, it is told in a very charming way. For instance, the beginning states that Father Grumbler goes to the tavern to get away from care, but care follows him out.
I remember being bored by Sister of the Sun, but this time I enjoyed it, although it's not a story I could read very often, as it feels like it is stitched together with various fairy tale formulas. I have never liked the one in which the hero meets men arguing over who should possess a magical object and then tricks them and steals the object. Maybe the logic is that they would never settle the argument anyway, but it still doesn't seem right. Anyway, I do enjoy the character of the Sister of the Sun with the star on her forehead, her castle, and the golden hen. I do wish the fox came back into the story and that there was closure about whose arrow caught the golden feather. But, like many other fairy tales, this one shows that mistakes can be remedied, and misfortune can turn into blessing.
I have always only mildly liked The Story of the Yara, and I still feel that way after rereading it. Maybe, other than the presence of the Yara, this is because it feels a little too like real life rather than having that "once upon a time" feeling. The dialogue feels a lot more realistic than in many fairy tales. But I do like how affectionately the hero speaks to the heroine and how her song spell proves to be stronger than the allure of the Yara.
Rubezahl reminds me of The Wizard King and The Invisible Prince from Yellow Fairy Book. Like these two stories, Rubezahl involves a magical being taking a beautiful mortal maiden captive hoping to win her love. In this one, the magical being, Rubezahl, tries so hard to please the maiden, but she never comes to love him, proving that love cannot be forced. I noticed this time how spoiled and bratty the princess is. I find myself rooting for Rubezahl, even though, of course, he should not have kidnapped her. I notice, too, that the story comments on the treachery of mankind and how it causes Rubezahl to declare himself done with the species. I generally do not like literature that bashes humans as if they are all treacherous, but it is interesting that, while modern authors seem to think they are being innovative by criticizing mankind, Rubezahl proves that this theme has been around a long, long time.
Besides the message about the uncontrollable nature of love, I greatly enjoy the magic in this story, with the vegetables that can be turned into friends and pets, Rubezahl's ability to shapeshift, and the magnificent palace.
I love many things about The Mermaid and the Boy: the prince shapeshifting into a lion, bear, and bee, the image of the princess playing her violin by the seaside in the moonlight, the Red Knight. This is one of many bad bargain stories in which a character really has no choice but to make the deal, but so much of it is unique and interesting. The Red Knight, for instance, is introduced as if the reader already knows who he is. The tale does not specify why he is called the Red Knight. The very vagueness of fairy tales is often what makes them so fascinating.
***
2014:
Favorites:
Father Grumbler
Habogi
Husband of the Rat's Daughter
Mermaid and the Boy
Enchanted Head
Which was the Foolishest?
Asmund and Signy
Rubezahl
Wali Dad
This fairy book probably has the largest ratio of stories I do not like. There are too many brutal ones in which animals swindle and kill each other. Then there are ones that are too weird or confusing (What the Rose Did to the Cypress, Ball Carrier, Pivi and Kabo). But, happily, there are some gems that make me love the book overall.
Habogi is an utterly magical and satisfying story. Helga is rewarded for not rejecting Habogi based on his initially unappealing appearance, although she does have doubts, and one could not blame her for refusing to go with him. On a more metaphorical level, the story is a reminder that others may not see the value and beauty in those we love, but that should not bother us. Others might never see it, but fortunately in this story Helga's family does.
I am assuming The Bunyip is about not taking things for the sake of self-aggrandization, or something of the sort. What started as a necessary hunting trip for food turned out to be a trophy grab. I'm also not sure if the bunyip caused everyone to turn into birds or if that was from another power. Either way, it is an interesting story.
Which Was the Foolishest? is a hilarious tale similar to The Merry Wives in Pink Fairy and The Believing Husbands in Lilac Fairy. I can't help thinking that feminist readers might take joy in seeing men ridiculed in the story but call it misogynistic if the roles were reversed. I find that hypocrisy to be toxic. But I try to push such thoughts out and just enjoy the hilarity. Men in general are not ridiculed but two gullible men in particular.
Asmund and Signy is very similar to The Three Robes. Asmund and Signy is not quite as magical, but I am so charmed by the idea of living in hollowed out trees.
How Geirald the Coward Was Punished is about honesty (or lack thereof) and keeping one's promises. Rather than showing the hero making mistakes and learning from them, as often is the case in fairy tales, this one shows the hero acting honorably the entire time. And he is rewarded. The story also features one of many examples of fairy tales in which female characters are not at all "weak" or passive. I have read critical reviews of the story stating that Geirald should not be punished for refusing to fight but applauded for being peaceful. If he does not want to fight that is all very well, but he should not take credit for the hero's feats. The point of the story is not violence versus non violence but about the foolishness of deception.
I did not much like The Sacred Milk of Koumongoe when I first read it, but I greatly enjoy it now. I like how animals chastise the father and how he is punished for being unjust (although perhaps being eaten by an ogre is a bit harsh). I realize this time that the story points to how disobedience is sometimes necessary and even laudable. The heroine did not have much choice in either giving the milk to her brother or in saving her child.
I'm not sure if I believe in "fate," but The King Who Would be Stronger than Fate makes a strong case for realizing and accepting that we have little control over our lives. We can try to prevent undesirable things happening, but they may happen anyway. Making peace with this fact is the best course of action. Sure, doing our best to prevent misfortune is a good idea but not to the extent that we become obsessed like the king.
I enjoy explanatory fables like How Some Wild Animals Became Tame Ones.
Fortune and the Wood-Cutter seems to encourage giving up rather than working hard, but I take it more to mean that good fortune can come to us when we least expect it and when we are not seeking it out.
I have always loved The Enchanted Head (although the "negro" slaves part is unfortunate). The head bouncing and rolling to follow the woman and then sitting for weeks in her house creates a funny image. I love how, at the end, the head reveals that only for the princess is he a man with a body and she does not care that no one else sees him as "normal." Similarly, other people might never appreciate those we love or see them as we do, but that should not trouble us.
The Husband of the Rat's Daughter is a very amusing, wise tale about ridiculous ideals.
The Cunning Hare is entertaining and I am glad the hare triumphs in the end, although I'm not sure how much of that is due to wits and how much to the magic that he performs.
I have always thought The Lion and the Cat is an odd story, as it veers into another direction toward the end. I suppose it is about dissention over desirable objects.
Tale of Wali Dad the Simple-Hearted is an absolutely wonderful tale, both wise and amusing, about humility and contentment.
The Elf Maiden has always been a "just okay" tale, but I appreciated it more this time. To me, it shows how apparent loss can turn into gain. The hero loses the maiden of his choice through his friend's treachery, but this misfortune leads to him meeting and marrying a magical elf maiden.
I have tried The Turtle and His Bride several times, but I can never bring myself to like it. I rather like having turtles as characters, but neither the main turtle or the maiden is very admirable. The turtle is very forceful about her marrying him, and the maiden first promises to marry him and then breaks her word and murders him. Not very pleasant or meaningful.
I find Kisa the Cat so comforting--once the princess is rescued by Kisa, that is. The part about the princess having her feet cut off is horrifying but glossed over matter of factly, as often happens in fairy tales. Imagining the severed feet sitting next to Kisa in the carriage is amusing, though. Like other reviewers, I wish that in this story and several others talking animals did not turn out to be humans. Animals do us so much good because of the very fact that they are not human.
The Prince and the Three Fates is another tale that refreshingly does not follow a worn out formula, and it is yet another example of a tale in which the woman saves the man. The crocodile following the prince around is a delightfully eerie picture and reminds me of Captain Hook being haunted by the ticking crocodile. This is an obscure story, but I can't help wondering if Barrie knew it.
The Knights of the Fish is very similar to other tales with twins who part ways but one ends up saving the other. But this one involves the variations of tricking a dragon with a mirror and echoes that are almost characters themselves.
Naturally I enjoy Father Grumbler, since it contains magical objects. But this story involves magical objects in a bit more meaningful way than many other stories. The dangers of such objects is shown through Father Grumbler's inability to keep them secret and through the inkeeper and his wife's theft. Only very wise individuals should possess such powerful objects, but even then they might cause destruction and anarchy. I can see why the wise man keeps them hidden in his cave.
Apart from the subject and lessons in the story, it is told in a very charming way. For instance, the beginning states that Father Grumbler goes to the tavern to get away from care, but care follows him out.
I remember being bored by Sister of the Sun, but this time I enjoyed it, although it's not a story I could read very often, as it feels like it is stitched together with various fairy tale formulas. I have never liked the one in which the hero meets men arguing over who should possess a magical object and then tricks them and steals the object. Maybe the logic is that they would never settle the argument anyway, but it still doesn't seem right. Anyway, I do enjoy the character of the Sister of the Sun with the star on her forehead, her castle, and the golden hen. I do wish the fox came back into the story and that there was closure about whose arrow caught the golden feather. But, like many other fairy tales, this one shows that mistakes can be remedied, and misfortune can turn into blessing.
I have always only mildly liked The Story of the Yara, and I still feel that way after rereading it. Maybe, other than the presence of the Yara, this is because it feels a little too like real life rather than having that "once upon a time" feeling. The dialogue feels a lot more realistic than in many fairy tales. But I do like how affectionately the hero speaks to the heroine and how her song spell proves to be stronger than the allure of the Yara.
Rubezahl reminds me of The Wizard King and The Invisible Prince from Yellow Fairy Book. Like these two stories, Rubezahl involves a magical being taking a beautiful mortal maiden captive hoping to win her love. In this one, the magical being, Rubezahl, tries so hard to please the maiden, but she never comes to love him, proving that love cannot be forced. I noticed this time how spoiled and bratty the princess is. I find myself rooting for Rubezahl, even though, of course, he should not have kidnapped her. I notice, too, that the story comments on the treachery of mankind and how it causes Rubezahl to declare himself done with the species. I generally do not like literature that bashes humans as if they are all treacherous, but it is interesting that, while modern authors seem to think they are being innovative by criticizing mankind, Rubezahl proves that this theme has been around a long, long time.
Besides the message about the uncontrollable nature of love, I greatly enjoy the magic in this story, with the vegetables that can be turned into friends and pets, Rubezahl's ability to shapeshift, and the magnificent palace.
I love many things about The Mermaid and the Boy: the prince shapeshifting into a lion, bear, and bee, the image of the princess playing her violin by the seaside in the moonlight, the Red Knight. This is one of many bad bargain stories in which a character really has no choice but to make the deal, but so much of it is unique and interesting. The Red Knight, for instance, is introduced as if the reader already knows who he is. The tale does not specify why he is called the Red Knight. The very vagueness of fairy tales is often what makes them so fascinating.
***
2014:
Favorites:
Father Grumbler
Habogi
Husband of the Rat's Daughter
Mermaid and the Boy
Enchanted Head
Which was the Foolishest?
Asmund and Signy
Rubezahl
Wali Dad
December 7, 2014
This one fares farther than the earlier ones, with a lot more from North America, Iceland, Egypt, etc. and fewer from Europe -- not that that doesn't demonstrate how the forms of stories can last. "The Sister of the Sun" and "The King Who Would Be Stronger than Fate" in particular are charming versions with local color of familiar tales. (Well, familiar if you read more than the Top Twenty(ish) Tales). I really don't like the first one "What The Rose Did to the Cypress," and some are more like notes on folklore than fairy tales as such.
December 21, 2010
I am struck, as I often am when reading fairy tales that are collected from all over the world at the similarities in the stories. These stories seem to be a part of what it means to be human.
On to The Orange Fairy Book!
On to The Orange Fairy Book!
June 3, 2018
It was not as boring as some other were but it wasn't that good.
Read
March 15, 2012My mother had a whole shelf of the (color) fairy books. I remember there was a violet one, and a blue one...
This one goes the furthest afield, dealing with folktales from many different peoples, and it was the one that impressed me the most. I particularly like the story of the bunyip.
Those who are sensitive to such things (probably most of us, by now) will find the Preface offensive and patronizing. I very much doubt whether Aboriginal children, for example, would prefer to take their chances with 'birching and bullying' than their own educational methods. I grant that scarification is not for everybody. But it is voluntarily adopted by people who ARE familiar with 'birching and bullying', as a form of initiation and identification. One may deplore this: but are we free of our own fashionable cruelties? Furthermore, it's doubtful that Aboriginal children at the time would have considered themselves poor just because they didn't have a lot of stuff. There are other measures of wealth, after all.
Still, it's important to read the Preface, if only to be warned that the stories have been bowdlerized. The authors have a very patronizing idea of what children will find offensive. So, for example, though it's likely that the original stories contained erotic passages (they were, after all, NOT meant only for children), these have been removed: and yet other, MUCH more offensive violent passages (steeped in gore, and in assumptions about the 'appropriate' forms of violence and revenge) are deliberately left in.
CONTENTS:
(1) What The Rose Did to The Cypress: From what I can tell, nothing. What's sauce for the goose is sauce for the gander. Why is it all right for the princely 'hero' to take four wives, but it's not (it's implied) all right for the wives to take lovers? And to defend them when they're attacked? Come to that, why SHOULD the penalty for not knowing the riddle be death? This never seems to be questioned. Why shouldn't the failed suitors just be sent home with their tails between their legs?
(2) Ball-Carrier And The Bad One: A Native American tale reminiscent of Little Red Riding Hood, except that it seems likely that what happened to Ball-Carrier was some sort of initiation. But it's a bad one, if so. I hadn't remembered that Ball-Carrier was a thief and a murderer. What exactly is supposed to be the difference between the Bad One and the witch who sends Ball-Carrier to despoil and murder him?
(3) How Ball-Carrier Finished His Task: Having successfully robbed and murdered The Bad One, Ball-Carrier gets lost, establishes and abandons a family, and eventually, having been raised from the dead, returns to the parents he'd abandoned in the first place without any apparent compunction.
(4) The Bunyip: Much less violent. The hunters do kidnap the baby bunyip, with the intention of butchering and eating it. But the consequences are not intentional, and the hunters don't end up just getting slaughtered. Which is why I prefer it to many other stories.
(5) Father Grumbler: another one of those 'quests in search of the wise hermit' stories. I don't remember this one, but I like the part at the beginning when Father Grumbler spends several hours in a pub trying to 'chase away Care': "...but when he came out...Care was still with him". I suspect that it'll end by him realizing he's not so badly off: but maybe not. Buddha realized that the sufferers were truly suffering. Maybe others do also. I've always found the premise that 'suffering is misunderstanding' dubious at best: and I don't believe in redemptive suffering, or earned happiness. So I probably won't agree with the resolution. But we'll see. Nope, turns out it's one of the 'magic gifts' sort: but the user doesn't abide by the conditions. One wonders, by the way, why the hermit keeps stuff like that, if he doesn't intend to use them himself, and won't just give them away to whoever would benefit from them.
(6) The Story of The Yara: The Yara preys on men about to be married (? why?). One man's fiance comes up with a novel way to protect him.
(7) The Cunning Hare: Having acquired some fish, the hare sets out to get fire to cook it. Why he goes to such lengths, when he could just conjure up fire himself, I don't know. Reminds me of an old Muppet segment in which Rowlf the Dog is dramatizing Lassie's feats: and having swum the river, is outraged to discover that there was a BRIDGE all along.
(8)How Geirald The Coward Was Punished: But not a word as to WHY. Geirald didn't behave violently. His friend and comrade Rosald did. Geirald kept arguing that they should back off, and not go through ordeals set for them. So why, if anybody's 'punished', should it be him? Of course, he shouldn't have demanded 'credit' for disreputable acts in the first place. But that's another matter, and isn't really discussed.
(9) Habogi: So this Habogi chap picks a wife and essentially tricks her into accepting him. And she's supposed to be reconciled to this because he's rich? This is a sort of a Cinderella story.
(10) How The Little Brother Set Free His Big Brothers: or, 'why we don't kill bears'. There's a sort of clan feud among the bears. But there are several murders in this story, which remain unresolved. The rescue of the big brothers is really almost irrelevant.
(11) The Sacred Milk of Koumongue: There are several gaps here. It's not clear what the milk tree is, or why the father doesn't share the milk with the children. Also, what part does the mother play in this? She's there, but doesn't intercede in any way, as far as I can tell. And why do the ogre's family accept that he will eat any female child? And who is the old woman who raises the baby? Oh, well. Anyway, I like the poetic conjurations and responses. This is closer to the rhythms and forms of such oral tales generally than many of the others in this book. Many of the stories are credited to the Bureau of American Ethnology, and often they're NOT very well rendered. This one seems to be from a French source. I should say that the pictures, credited to a man named John Ford, are excellent throughout. This whole book is a facsimile reprint of the 1904 edition.
(12) The Wicked Wolverine: 'Wicked'? He's a Trickster type, and not very polite. Not a very exacting standard for wickedness.
(13) The Husband of The Rat's Daughter: One of those 'Who's the strongest?' stories. But the whole matter is absurd, anyway. The Rat's daughter already has wedding plans, and nobody asks HER.
(14) The Mermaid And The Boy: The mermaid doesn't seem to know what she wants. She takes the boy for no real reason, then lets him go without any real protest. I don't see any real relevance of the mermaid, except as a sort of dea ex machina, and she's not very significant, even so.
(15) Pivi And Kabo: Birds become human, after playing a game of dodgeball involving sling stones. I don't see any need to assault the jealous one. Doesn't he suffer enough from his own dissatisfactions?
(16) The Elf-Maiden: This seems to be a Nordic story. The Elf-Maiden is a winter resident of areas inhabited by humans in the summer, and marries into a human family because one human ends up stranded when the humans head to their wintering grounds.
(17) Fortune And The Wood-Cutter: The Wood-Cutter sits at home, and waits for fortune to come to him. And it does, if by a somewhat disreputable route
(18) The Elf-Maiden: This seems to be a Nordic tale. The Elf-Maiden is a winter resident of an area usually inhabited in the summertime by humans, and who marries into a human family because she gets involved with a human who was stranded overwinter when his clan went back to their winter encampments.
(19) The Enchanted Head: It's odd that, with all the powers and powerful magical servants, the head can't undo the curse placed upon him. This story seems likely to be an excerpt of a larger story. There's no explanation for the cause of the curse, for why the head picked that particular, not very extraordinary woman as his foster-mother, what became of her and her daughters...
(20) The Sister of The Sun: an ordinary archery contest somehow turns into a quest. The sister of the sun is easily won to the idea of marrying the poor boy who'd become foster-brother of a prince, and sacrifices her own family's interests. He repays the debt: but why was the sacrifice demanded? I like the detail that rustling a letter frees the carrier from exhaustion, but I find it odd that so many possessors of magical items are so credulous as to give the items to the boy as a mediator for disputes.
(21) The Prince And The Three Fates: The hero of this story is the prince's wife, and the story might well have been titled The Woman Who Was Stronger than Fate. I don't quite understand why she felt free to kill the serpent, when she negotiated with the crocodile, and only accidentally injured the dog. But this is a story with a strong female hero. The prince is somewhat passive, perhaps as a result of his sheltered upbringing. I don't quite understand why he felt he had to conceal his identity, or the (seemingly arbitrary) introduction of the stepmother motif. Again, I suspect that the original story was longer, and the excerpting process has left visible gaps and seams. This is one case among several where it might pay to go back to the original source.
(22) The Fox And The Lapp: Actually, 'Lapps', I think, because there were several involved. This is a traditional trickster tale, with elves kind of inserted with no real reason for their presence: as if it were extracted from longer 'Elfmarchen' stories. Unlike (say) the Bre'r Rabbit stories, the bear is killed, which makes the story somewhat more malicious than most.
(23) Kisa The Cat: Sort of a Puss in Boots story. It's odd that so many literatures seemed to think that the only way animals could be intelligent actors is by being enchanted humans. One wonders if this is an artifact of the translations/editing.
(24) the Lion And The Cat: This seems oddly incomplete. There must be more to the story. Several things are left quite unresolved.
(25) Which Was The Foolishest?: This sort of competition could get quite dangerous quite quickly. And in the end, who cares? In neither case is the husband unsatisfactory as a person.
(26) Asmund & Signy: The title siblings hide out most of the time, and intervene only whimsically. I don't understand quite what the motive of the ogress was. What would she gain by being married to the prince?
(27) Rubezahl: This is somewhat uneasy. The Gnome king is represented as not being angry about the destruction of the forest. But he doesn't think much of the mortals who've moved in. In turn, I don't think much of HIS judgments. I don't think an immortal should be sitting in judgement of mortals...there's too much basis for misprizing the behavior of creatures who don't have time to think things through. But it's odd that the gnome king thinks that ruthless vengeance is more honorable than forgiveness.
(28) Story of The King Who Would Be Stronger Than Fate: The king finds that what he does to escape the fated marriage of his daughter keeps backfiring. But it's not clear why he feels a need to try. And out of curiosity, why is it considered more wicked to kill an infant than an adult woman?
(29) Story of Wali Dad The Simple-Hearted: Somehow the grass-cutter Wali-Dad finds himself caught up in an extravagant contest of gift-giving. There's really no need for the divine intervention at the end. As in books by Wodehouse, all that would have been necessary would have been to sit down and explain matters.
(30) Tale of A Tortoise And of A Mischievous Monkey: More than one tale, really. Yet the implied partnership never materializes: one keeps expecting the two to meet, but they don't. These are standard Anansi tales. Those familiar with the story of the Tar Baby will recognize it almost unchanged, as only one element of the stories. The trickster tales in this volume are likely to be fatal to the victims. The humor is undercut seriously thereby, at least to me.
(31) The Knights of The Fish: Who are a pair of identical twin changelings, grown from the flesh of a fish caught by a cobbler. Their foster siblings appear once at the beginning, and are never heard of again. This is likely to be a Celtic tale, because a cauldron of regeneration figures prominently.
This one goes the furthest afield, dealing with folktales from many different peoples, and it was the one that impressed me the most. I particularly like the story of the bunyip.
Those who are sensitive to such things (probably most of us, by now) will find the Preface offensive and patronizing. I very much doubt whether Aboriginal children, for example, would prefer to take their chances with 'birching and bullying' than their own educational methods. I grant that scarification is not for everybody. But it is voluntarily adopted by people who ARE familiar with 'birching and bullying', as a form of initiation and identification. One may deplore this: but are we free of our own fashionable cruelties? Furthermore, it's doubtful that Aboriginal children at the time would have considered themselves poor just because they didn't have a lot of stuff. There are other measures of wealth, after all.
Still, it's important to read the Preface, if only to be warned that the stories have been bowdlerized. The authors have a very patronizing idea of what children will find offensive. So, for example, though it's likely that the original stories contained erotic passages (they were, after all, NOT meant only for children), these have been removed: and yet other, MUCH more offensive violent passages (steeped in gore, and in assumptions about the 'appropriate' forms of violence and revenge) are deliberately left in.
CONTENTS:
(1) What The Rose Did to The Cypress: From what I can tell, nothing. What's sauce for the goose is sauce for the gander. Why is it all right for the princely 'hero' to take four wives, but it's not (it's implied) all right for the wives to take lovers? And to defend them when they're attacked? Come to that, why SHOULD the penalty for not knowing the riddle be death? This never seems to be questioned. Why shouldn't the failed suitors just be sent home with their tails between their legs?
(2) Ball-Carrier And The Bad One: A Native American tale reminiscent of Little Red Riding Hood, except that it seems likely that what happened to Ball-Carrier was some sort of initiation. But it's a bad one, if so. I hadn't remembered that Ball-Carrier was a thief and a murderer. What exactly is supposed to be the difference between the Bad One and the witch who sends Ball-Carrier to despoil and murder him?
(3) How Ball-Carrier Finished His Task: Having successfully robbed and murdered The Bad One, Ball-Carrier gets lost, establishes and abandons a family, and eventually, having been raised from the dead, returns to the parents he'd abandoned in the first place without any apparent compunction.
(4) The Bunyip: Much less violent. The hunters do kidnap the baby bunyip, with the intention of butchering and eating it. But the consequences are not intentional, and the hunters don't end up just getting slaughtered. Which is why I prefer it to many other stories.
(5) Father Grumbler: another one of those 'quests in search of the wise hermit' stories. I don't remember this one, but I like the part at the beginning when Father Grumbler spends several hours in a pub trying to 'chase away Care': "...but when he came out...Care was still with him". I suspect that it'll end by him realizing he's not so badly off: but maybe not. Buddha realized that the sufferers were truly suffering. Maybe others do also. I've always found the premise that 'suffering is misunderstanding' dubious at best: and I don't believe in redemptive suffering, or earned happiness. So I probably won't agree with the resolution. But we'll see. Nope, turns out it's one of the 'magic gifts' sort: but the user doesn't abide by the conditions. One wonders, by the way, why the hermit keeps stuff like that, if he doesn't intend to use them himself, and won't just give them away to whoever would benefit from them.
(6) The Story of The Yara: The Yara preys on men about to be married (? why?). One man's fiance comes up with a novel way to protect him.
(7) The Cunning Hare: Having acquired some fish, the hare sets out to get fire to cook it. Why he goes to such lengths, when he could just conjure up fire himself, I don't know. Reminds me of an old Muppet segment in which Rowlf the Dog is dramatizing Lassie's feats: and having swum the river, is outraged to discover that there was a BRIDGE all along.
(8)How Geirald The Coward Was Punished: But not a word as to WHY. Geirald didn't behave violently. His friend and comrade Rosald did. Geirald kept arguing that they should back off, and not go through ordeals set for them. So why, if anybody's 'punished', should it be him? Of course, he shouldn't have demanded 'credit' for disreputable acts in the first place. But that's another matter, and isn't really discussed.
(9) Habogi: So this Habogi chap picks a wife and essentially tricks her into accepting him. And she's supposed to be reconciled to this because he's rich? This is a sort of a Cinderella story.
(10) How The Little Brother Set Free His Big Brothers: or, 'why we don't kill bears'. There's a sort of clan feud among the bears. But there are several murders in this story, which remain unresolved. The rescue of the big brothers is really almost irrelevant.
(11) The Sacred Milk of Koumongue: There are several gaps here. It's not clear what the milk tree is, or why the father doesn't share the milk with the children. Also, what part does the mother play in this? She's there, but doesn't intercede in any way, as far as I can tell. And why do the ogre's family accept that he will eat any female child? And who is the old woman who raises the baby? Oh, well. Anyway, I like the poetic conjurations and responses. This is closer to the rhythms and forms of such oral tales generally than many of the others in this book. Many of the stories are credited to the Bureau of American Ethnology, and often they're NOT very well rendered. This one seems to be from a French source. I should say that the pictures, credited to a man named John Ford, are excellent throughout. This whole book is a facsimile reprint of the 1904 edition.
(12) The Wicked Wolverine: 'Wicked'? He's a Trickster type, and not very polite. Not a very exacting standard for wickedness.
(13) The Husband of The Rat's Daughter: One of those 'Who's the strongest?' stories. But the whole matter is absurd, anyway. The Rat's daughter already has wedding plans, and nobody asks HER.
(14) The Mermaid And The Boy: The mermaid doesn't seem to know what she wants. She takes the boy for no real reason, then lets him go without any real protest. I don't see any real relevance of the mermaid, except as a sort of dea ex machina, and she's not very significant, even so.
(15) Pivi And Kabo: Birds become human, after playing a game of dodgeball involving sling stones. I don't see any need to assault the jealous one. Doesn't he suffer enough from his own dissatisfactions?
(16) The Elf-Maiden: This seems to be a Nordic story. The Elf-Maiden is a winter resident of areas inhabited by humans in the summer, and marries into a human family because one human ends up stranded when the humans head to their wintering grounds.
(17) Fortune And The Wood-Cutter: The Wood-Cutter sits at home, and waits for fortune to come to him. And it does, if by a somewhat disreputable route
(18) The Elf-Maiden: This seems to be a Nordic tale. The Elf-Maiden is a winter resident of an area usually inhabited in the summertime by humans, and who marries into a human family because she gets involved with a human who was stranded overwinter when his clan went back to their winter encampments.
(19) The Enchanted Head: It's odd that, with all the powers and powerful magical servants, the head can't undo the curse placed upon him. This story seems likely to be an excerpt of a larger story. There's no explanation for the cause of the curse, for why the head picked that particular, not very extraordinary woman as his foster-mother, what became of her and her daughters...
(20) The Sister of The Sun: an ordinary archery contest somehow turns into a quest. The sister of the sun is easily won to the idea of marrying the poor boy who'd become foster-brother of a prince, and sacrifices her own family's interests. He repays the debt: but why was the sacrifice demanded? I like the detail that rustling a letter frees the carrier from exhaustion, but I find it odd that so many possessors of magical items are so credulous as to give the items to the boy as a mediator for disputes.
(21) The Prince And The Three Fates: The hero of this story is the prince's wife, and the story might well have been titled The Woman Who Was Stronger than Fate. I don't quite understand why she felt free to kill the serpent, when she negotiated with the crocodile, and only accidentally injured the dog. But this is a story with a strong female hero. The prince is somewhat passive, perhaps as a result of his sheltered upbringing. I don't quite understand why he felt he had to conceal his identity, or the (seemingly arbitrary) introduction of the stepmother motif. Again, I suspect that the original story was longer, and the excerpting process has left visible gaps and seams. This is one case among several where it might pay to go back to the original source.
(22) The Fox And The Lapp: Actually, 'Lapps', I think, because there were several involved. This is a traditional trickster tale, with elves kind of inserted with no real reason for their presence: as if it were extracted from longer 'Elfmarchen' stories. Unlike (say) the Bre'r Rabbit stories, the bear is killed, which makes the story somewhat more malicious than most.
(23) Kisa The Cat: Sort of a Puss in Boots story. It's odd that so many literatures seemed to think that the only way animals could be intelligent actors is by being enchanted humans. One wonders if this is an artifact of the translations/editing.
(24) the Lion And The Cat: This seems oddly incomplete. There must be more to the story. Several things are left quite unresolved.
(25) Which Was The Foolishest?: This sort of competition could get quite dangerous quite quickly. And in the end, who cares? In neither case is the husband unsatisfactory as a person.
(26) Asmund & Signy: The title siblings hide out most of the time, and intervene only whimsically. I don't understand quite what the motive of the ogress was. What would she gain by being married to the prince?
(27) Rubezahl: This is somewhat uneasy. The Gnome king is represented as not being angry about the destruction of the forest. But he doesn't think much of the mortals who've moved in. In turn, I don't think much of HIS judgments. I don't think an immortal should be sitting in judgement of mortals...there's too much basis for misprizing the behavior of creatures who don't have time to think things through. But it's odd that the gnome king thinks that ruthless vengeance is more honorable than forgiveness.
(28) Story of The King Who Would Be Stronger Than Fate: The king finds that what he does to escape the fated marriage of his daughter keeps backfiring. But it's not clear why he feels a need to try. And out of curiosity, why is it considered more wicked to kill an infant than an adult woman?
(29) Story of Wali Dad The Simple-Hearted: Somehow the grass-cutter Wali-Dad finds himself caught up in an extravagant contest of gift-giving. There's really no need for the divine intervention at the end. As in books by Wodehouse, all that would have been necessary would have been to sit down and explain matters.
(30) Tale of A Tortoise And of A Mischievous Monkey: More than one tale, really. Yet the implied partnership never materializes: one keeps expecting the two to meet, but they don't. These are standard Anansi tales. Those familiar with the story of the Tar Baby will recognize it almost unchanged, as only one element of the stories. The trickster tales in this volume are likely to be fatal to the victims. The humor is undercut seriously thereby, at least to me.
(31) The Knights of The Fish: Who are a pair of identical twin changelings, grown from the flesh of a fish caught by a cobbler. Their foster siblings appear once at the beginning, and are never heard of again. This is likely to be a Celtic tale, because a cauldron of regeneration figures prominently.
April 28, 2022
It's difficult for me to rate this particular Fairy Book, as it's such a mixed bag. I really didn't like any of the stories about animals being dicks to each other (if any were allegorical, I'm afraid I completely missed the point!). There were several perfectly fine but forgettable stories, and the collection opener - 'What the Rose did to the Cypress' - started well, and even continued quite well, but then dragged on for far too long (it was interesting, though, to see so many clear influences for The Chronicles of Narnia!).
But then there were a fair few stories I particularly enjoyed. 'How Geirald the Coward was Punished' and 'The Prince and the Three Fates' are both engaging love stories in which the princesses are very active and drive the plot. I also enjoyed 'Which was the Foolishest?', finding the humour quite successful, and 'Story of the King who would be Stronger than Fate'; this was an interesting self-fulfilling prophecy story, rather different from any others I have heard or read, as well as being a compelling romance and my overall favourite in this collection. Remembering these particularly strong contributions, and most of the rest being inoffensive at worst, I feel inclined to rate on the generous side.
But then there were a fair few stories I particularly enjoyed. 'How Geirald the Coward was Punished' and 'The Prince and the Three Fates' are both engaging love stories in which the princesses are very active and drive the plot. I also enjoyed 'Which was the Foolishest?', finding the humour quite successful, and 'Story of the King who would be Stronger than Fate'; this was an interesting self-fulfilling prophecy story, rather different from any others I have heard or read, as well as being a compelling romance and my overall favourite in this collection. Remembering these particularly strong contributions, and most of the rest being inoffensive at worst, I feel inclined to rate on the generous side.
November 22, 2023
The initial narrative, a Persian fairytale titled 'What the Rose Did to the Cypress,' underwent a tricky translation. I believe individuals without a Persian background might encounter difficulty in grasping its essence at times but it's manageable more or less. The rest of the stories so far though seem much better translated and easier to read. I noticed some comments complained about the racist and misogynist themes present throughout the book series but we have to keep in mind that these are old stories describing notions of our historical beliefs from different parts of the world; erasing their existence and rendering them inaccessible would deprive us of invaluable insights into our shared human heritage—a loss that diminishes our understanding of the past and hampers our progress toward a richer, more enlightened future. There are some themes present in these book series (and other old fairytales) that are not acceptable today, but wiping them away is not the solution.
Some nice pieces I found throughout the book:
It was a long journey, even for a witch, but, like other things, it ended at last
Some nice pieces I found throughout the book:
It was a long journey, even for a witch, but, like other things, it ended at last
March 31, 2020
2.5 stars
I can always find something to love in Lang's Fairy Books, and this one is no exception. I would never say that The Brown Fairy Book is bad or not worth reading, because even though it has the fewest stories that I would re-read out of the series so far, there were still some good ones and the reason I didn't love a lot of them is that they were so similar to ones I had read already. But the only one I recall outright hating was "What the Rose Did to the Cypress" because it was so drawn-out and tedious. These are the ones that still made it worthwhile to slog through the slow stories:
-The Bunyip
-Father Grumbler
-Habogi(loved this one!)
-The Sacred Milk of Koumongoe
-The Husband of the Rat's Daughter
-Which Was the Foolishest?(this is a near duplicate of a story from another Fairy Book, but it's a wonderful humorous tale so I didn't mind reading a slightly different version)
I can always find something to love in Lang's Fairy Books, and this one is no exception. I would never say that The Brown Fairy Book is bad or not worth reading, because even though it has the fewest stories that I would re-read out of the series so far, there were still some good ones and the reason I didn't love a lot of them is that they were so similar to ones I had read already. But the only one I recall outright hating was "What the Rose Did to the Cypress" because it was so drawn-out and tedious. These are the ones that still made it worthwhile to slog through the slow stories:
-The Bunyip
-Father Grumbler
-Habogi(loved this one!)
-The Sacred Milk of Koumongoe
-The Husband of the Rat's Daughter
-Which Was the Foolishest?(this is a near duplicate of a story from another Fairy Book, but it's a wonderful humorous tale so I didn't mind reading a slightly different version)
April 9, 2018
Another one down.
It was a bit of a mixed bag for me. Some of the stories I enjoyed, others not so much, and a few I ended up skimming just to get them over with.
Still the same themes of brave knights, deserving peasants, damsels in distress, evil witches, deceitful kings and the like.
But not a lot of stand out stories. Although I did like the one about the humble old man who ended up playing matchmaker, because he was trying to do a good deed. I think that one was Indian based but I'm not for sure.
Overall it's a part of a collection but it's not a standout part.
Recommended? Sure
Buy/Borrow? Borrow
It was a bit of a mixed bag for me. Some of the stories I enjoyed, others not so much, and a few I ended up skimming just to get them over with.
Still the same themes of brave knights, deserving peasants, damsels in distress, evil witches, deceitful kings and the like.
But not a lot of stand out stories. Although I did like the one about the humble old man who ended up playing matchmaker, because he was trying to do a good deed. I think that one was Indian based but I'm not for sure.
Overall it's a part of a collection but it's not a standout part.
Recommended? Sure
Buy/Borrow? Borrow
February 15, 2023
I'm pretty sure that unlike the other books in this series, this one was named after the skin color of the people that most of the stories in it came from. Is that racist? Eh... I can't really say. Anyway, the stories in this book were mostly original, which was a fantastic change of pace after reading 50 different versions of the same stories in the other Fairy Books. Andrew Lang blatantly admits in the preface that some of them were censored, so it's hard to say if these versions were better or worse than the originals with no way to compare them. A few of them particularly stood out to me above the others, and the illustrations were gorgeous.
September 17, 2019
As beautiful as this book is, with lovely illustrations, the stories simply fell flat. I struggled with most of it,only enjoying about 4 of the tales. If I'd had it read to me as a child,I likely would've loved it,but as an adult,I really only enjoy romantic fairytales and this particular volume had only a couple, surprisingly. There are lots of animal fables,silly stories and tales of youths on quests which somehow leave out any romance you'd expect. To say a book of fairytales was boring makes me wince,as I love them,but I'm afraid this is the case.
January 18, 2021
A lot of old, interesting fairy tales and fables. They feature things that most modern fairy tales avoid - kidnapping, forced marriages, theft, princes as thieves, blatant misogyny, and general darkness. These are moralistic tales. They are dark, with a purpose of teaching children to stay within boundaries - obedience to parents, social norms and mores, parental responsibilities, etc. Very different from Disney and pretty, light-hearted fairy tales. I like them though.
January 12, 2022
I remember this book series and its beautiful illustrations from long, loooong ago in my elementary school library. What I did not remember was the very offensive racism in the writing. How is this still being published??
September 4, 2019
Another terrific collection of folk and fairy tales from around the world, this one included many i had never read before and thoroughly enjoyed.
Read
September 23, 2020Love Andrew Lang's rewrites of collected tales.
November 17, 2021
Racism to feed into dear little ears.
Indigenous tales DELIBERATELY altered to make them more palatable to the white readers.
Indigenous tales DELIBERATELY altered to make them more palatable to the white readers.
July 18, 2022
The classic collection of fairy tales, the 9th in the series. A wonderful collection of tales from varied countries. A Reader's Corner Must Read.
June 7, 2024
This series is excellent, though I enjoyed the stories in this collection a bit less than the tales collected in the related volumes.
October 1, 2025
2 stars
1. What the Rose Did to the Cypress (Persian)
2. Ball Carrier and the Bad One (Native American)
3. How Ball Carrier Finished his Task (Native American)
4. The Bunyip (Aboriginal)
5. Father Grumbler (African)
6. The Story of the Yara (Brazilian)
7. The Cunning Hare (Native American)
8. The Turtle and his Bride (Native American)
9. How Geirald the Coward was Punished (Icelandic)
10. Habogi (Icelandic)
11. How the Little Brother set free his Big Brothers (Native American)
12. Sacred Milk of Koumongoe (African)
13. The Wicked Wolverine (Native American, Great Basin tribes?)
14. The Husband of the Rat's Daughter (Japanese)
15. The Mermaid and the Boy (Sami)
16. Pivi and Kabo (Australasian)
17. The Elf Maiden (Sami)
18. How Some Wild Animals Became Tame (Sami)
19. Fortune and the Wood Cutter (Middle East or Central Asia)
20. The Enchanted Head (Middle East or Central Asia)
21. The Sister of the Sun (Sami)
22. The Prince and the Three Fates (Middle East or Central Asia)
23. The Fox and the Lap (Sami)
24. Kiss the Cat (Icelandic)
25. The Lion and the Cat (Native American)
26. Which was the Foolishest (Icelandic)
27. Asmund and Signy (Icelandic)
28. Rubezahl (German)
29. Story of the King who would be Stronger than Fate (Indian)
30. Story of Wali Dad the Simple Hearted (Indian)
31. Tale of a Tortoise and a Mischievous Monkey (Brazilian)
32. The Knights of the Fish (Spanish)
1. What the Rose Did to the Cypress (Persian)
2. Ball Carrier and the Bad One (Native American)
3. How Ball Carrier Finished his Task (Native American)
4. The Bunyip (Aboriginal)
5. Father Grumbler (African)
6. The Story of the Yara (Brazilian)
7. The Cunning Hare (Native American)
8. The Turtle and his Bride (Native American)
9. How Geirald the Coward was Punished (Icelandic)
10. Habogi (Icelandic)
11. How the Little Brother set free his Big Brothers (Native American)
12. Sacred Milk of Koumongoe (African)
13. The Wicked Wolverine (Native American, Great Basin tribes?)
14. The Husband of the Rat's Daughter (Japanese)
15. The Mermaid and the Boy (Sami)
16. Pivi and Kabo (Australasian)
17. The Elf Maiden (Sami)
18. How Some Wild Animals Became Tame (Sami)
19. Fortune and the Wood Cutter (Middle East or Central Asia)
20. The Enchanted Head (Middle East or Central Asia)
21. The Sister of the Sun (Sami)
22. The Prince and the Three Fates (Middle East or Central Asia)
23. The Fox and the Lap (Sami)
24. Kiss the Cat (Icelandic)
25. The Lion and the Cat (Native American)
26. Which was the Foolishest (Icelandic)
27. Asmund and Signy (Icelandic)
28. Rubezahl (German)
29. Story of the King who would be Stronger than Fate (Indian)
30. Story of Wali Dad the Simple Hearted (Indian)
31. Tale of a Tortoise and a Mischievous Monkey (Brazilian)
32. The Knights of the Fish (Spanish)
February 27, 2016
While I do like this book, this is probably my least-favorite of Andrew Lang's Fairy Books. Not too many of the stories were interesting, compared to the others which have lots of stories that captured my attention. There are some good ones, though.
My favorite stories:
- The Story of the Yara (the best one in the collection IMO)
- The Cunning Hare
- The Turtle and His Bride
- Habogi
- The Sacred Milk of Koumongoe
- Rubezahl (nice to see a German story from a source other than the Grimms!)
- Story of the King Who Would be Stronger than Fate
I also kinda like Pivi and Kabo, The Enchanted Head, and Ball-Carrier and the Bad One. The rest I don't care for.
My favorite stories:
- The Story of the Yara (the best one in the collection IMO)
- The Cunning Hare
- The Turtle and His Bride
- Habogi
- The Sacred Milk of Koumongoe
- Rubezahl (nice to see a German story from a source other than the Grimms!)
- Story of the King Who Would be Stronger than Fate
I also kinda like Pivi and Kabo, The Enchanted Head, and Ball-Carrier and the Bad One. The rest I don't care for.
August 15, 2020
It's impressive how uniform these stories feel given that they originate in different parts of the world and have been translated by different people before being put together for the collection. Though the subject matter and characters vary a lot, the tales somehow feel like pieces of a whole. As for the stories themselves, like all fairy tales they're fascinating and strange, with recognisable motifs repeated and adapted in all kinds of different ways. The illustrations for this edition are lovely as well.
June 14, 2012
I liked this book! It had quite a few different fairy tales from areas relatively unheard-of in fairy tales.
The ones I liked:
- The Bunyip
- The Story of the Yara
- The Turtle and his Bride
- How Geitald the Coward Was Punished
- Habogi
- The Husband of the Rat's Daughter
- The Enchanted Head
- The Prince and the Three Fates
- Stronger Than Fate
- The Story of Wali Dad the Simple-Hearted (Absolutely awesome)
- The Knights of Fish
The ones I liked:
- The Bunyip
- The Story of the Yara
- The Turtle and his Bride
- How Geitald the Coward Was Punished
- Habogi
- The Husband of the Rat's Daughter
- The Enchanted Head
- The Prince and the Three Fates
- Stronger Than Fate
- The Story of Wali Dad the Simple-Hearted (Absolutely awesome)
- The Knights of Fish
June 21, 2013
This is a fairy tale book focusing on tales from Persia, Australia, Africa, India, New Caledonia, Brazil and Pre-Colonial Americas.
I liked the following stories:
Father Grumbler
Fortune and the Wood Cutter
The Lion and The Cat
The Knights of the Fish
Geirald the Coward
Wali Dad the Simple-Hearted
How Some Wild Animals Became Tame Ones
Sacred Milk of Koumongoe
The book also contained full color illustrations which beautiful tones and detailed drawings.
I liked the following stories:
Father Grumbler
Fortune and the Wood Cutter
The Lion and The Cat
The Knights of the Fish
Geirald the Coward
Wali Dad the Simple-Hearted
How Some Wild Animals Became Tame Ones
Sacred Milk of Koumongoe
The book also contained full color illustrations which beautiful tones and detailed drawings.
Read
April 12, 2009finally! and i used to chew through these when i was 7 or 8. as an adult what strikes me is the sheer messiness of structure of most of the stories. i gather this is a later collection so maybe lang had run out of the more obvious stories?
[no stars because it wasn't really a question of enjoyment or quality - they are what they are, and lang was what he was:]
[no stars because it wasn't really a question of enjoyment or quality - they are what they are, and lang was what he was:]
March 25, 2008
Absolutely loved this book as a child. Have very pleasant memories of being curled up comforably lost in its stories. It also definitely increased my desire to read more stories and histories of other countries.
September 5, 2009
I read these as a kid, and I could swear that I read more than two of them (I loved them because they had fairies in them), but now I can't remember a dang thing that happened in any of them, so they only get 3 stars.
September 1, 2014
This collection is varied and entertaining, like The Green Fairy Book. Though I found the introduction distasteful because of its racial remarks. But it was originally published in 1906, a different time in history. Still, I'm glad we've moved on from that time.
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