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The Mammoth Book of Fairy Tales
This new collection brings together the perfect combination of ancient tales like The Sleeping Beauty, Little Red Riding Hood and Cinderella, with modern classics such as Oscar Wilde's The Happy Prince and Hans Christian Andersen's The Ugly Duckling. Plus, Mike Ashley has added a few selected tales that deserve to be better known, and a delightful handful of new stories by popular modern authors like Joan Aiken, Tanith Lee and Jane Yolen.
xi • Introduction: Tales of Wonder and Adventure • essay by Mike Ashley
1 • A Bag of Poetry • (1997) • short story by Lawrence Schimel
4 • Beauty and the Beast • (1757) • short story by Jeanne-Marie Leprince de Beaumont (trans. of La belle et la bête)
18 • The Bells of Carillon-Land • short story by E. Nesbit (variant of Belinda and Bellamant 1912) [as by Edith Nesbit]
34 • The Birthday Battle • (1997) • short story by Louise Cooper
49 • Blue Roses • (1903) • short story by Netta Syrett
60 • The Boy Who Plaited Manes • (1986) • short story by Nancy Springer
74 • The Castle • (1864) • short story by George MacDonald
88 • Cinderella or, The Little Glass Slipper • (1729) • short story by Charles Perrault (trans. of Cendrillon ou La petite pantoufle de verre 1697)
96 • The Fortress Unvanquishable, Save for Sacnoth • (1908) • short story by Lord Dunsany
113 • The Cloak of Friendship • (1905) • short story by Laurence Housman
123 • The Cotton-Wool Princess • (1892) • short story by Luigi Capuana (trans. of La figlia del Re 1885)
133 • The Drawing School • (1913) • short story by J. Muñez Escomez
138 • The Dutch Cheese • juvenile • (1908) • short story by Walter de la Mare
145 • The Elves • (1823) • novelette by Ludwig Tieck (trans. of Die Elfen 1812)
165 • The Enchanted Watch • (1892) • short story by Charles Deulin
170 • The Enchanted Whistle • juvenile • (1891) • short story by Alexandre Dumas (trans. of Le sifflet enchanté 1859)
177 • The Fairy Gift • (1925) • short story by Charlotte Brontë (variant of The Four Wishes 1918)
188 • The Forest Fairy • (1869) • short story by Lord Brabourne
201 • The Forest of Dreams • (1997) • short story by Lawrence Schimel (variant of Atmospheric Conditions 1994)
204 • The Girl Who Loved the Wind • (1972) • short story by Jane Yolen
209 • The Glass Dog • (1901) • short story by L. Frank Baum
218 • The Green Bird • (1894) • short story by Laurence Housman
226 • The Happy Prince • (1888) • short story by Oscar Wilde
236 • How Wry-Face Played a Trick on One-Eye • (1908) • short story by Agnes Grozier Herbertson
243 • Jack and the Beanstalk • (1912) • short story by Anonymous
253 • The Knave and the Fool • juvenile • short story by Juliana Horatia Ewing (variant of Knave and Fool 1872) [as by Juliana H. Ewing]
260 • Little Red Riding Hood • short story by Laura Valentine
271 • Little Snowdrop; or, Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs • [KHM (Kinder- und Hausmärchen)? • 53] • short story by Jacob Grimm and Wilhelm Grimm (trans. of Sneewittchen (Schneeweißchen)? 1812) [as by The Brothers Grimm]
281 • The Mad-Hatter's Tea Party • [Alice] • short story by Lewis Carroll
289 • The Mistreated Fellow • (1987) • short story by Jessica Amanda Salmonson
293 • Mother-of-All • short story by F. Gwynplaine MacIntyre
307 • The Necklace of Tears • (1896) • short story by Mrs. Egerton Eastwick
318 • The Night the Stars Were Gone • (1977) • short story by Joan Aiken
327 • Old Pipes and the Dryad • (1885) • short story by Frank R. Stockton
345 • The Pied Piper of Hamelin • short story by Charles Marelles (trans. of Le preneur du rats 1888)
352 • The Pot of Gold • (1864) • short story by Horace E. Scudder
360 • Princess Crystal; or, the Hidden Treasure • (1896) • short story by Isabel Bellerby
367 • Princess Sansu • (1972) • short story by Tanith Lee
378 • The Rat That Could Speak • (1860) • short story by Charles Dickens
384 • Rumpelstiltskin • [KHM (Kinder- und Hausmärchen)? • 55] • short story by Jacob Grimm and Wilhelm Grimm (trans. of Rumpelstilzchen 1812) [as by The Brothers Grimm]
388 • The Seekers • (1926) • short story by H. E. Bates
402 • The Seven Families of the Lake Pipple-Popple • (1870) • short story by Edward Lear (variant of The History of the Seven Families of the Lake Pipple-Popple)
412 • The Seven Ravens • short story by Ludwig Bechstein (trans. of Die sieben Raben 1847)
417 • Sleeping Beauty • short story by Charles Perrault (trans. of La belle au bois dormant 1697)
427 • The Snow Queen • juvenile • (1844) • novelette by Hans Christian Andersen (trans. of Snedronningen 1845)
456 • The Story of Nick • (1857) • short story by Christina Rossetti
463 • The Three Bears • (1870) • short story by Sarah Baker
471 • The Three Goats Named Bruse; or, The Three Billy-Goats Gruff • [Norske Folkeeventyr • 40] • (1859) • short story by Peter Asbjørnsen? and Jørgen Moe? (trans. of De tre bukkene Bruse 1842)
473 • The Three Tasks • (1951) • short story by Geraldine Elliot
486 • The Touchstone • (1895) • short story by Robert Louis Stevenson
493 • Touk's House • (1985) • novelette by Robin McKinley
517 • The Tree's Wife • (1978) • short story by Jane Yolen
523 • The Ugly Duckling • (1872) • short story by Hans Christian Andersen (trans. of Den Grimme Ælling? 1843)
532 • The Ugly Unicorn • (1991) • short story by Jessica Amanda Salmonson
544 • The Unhappy Princess • (1982) • short story by Richard Cowper
562 • The White Cat • novelette by Comtesse d'Aulnoy (trans. of La chatte blanche 1697) [as by Marie-Cathérine d'Aulnoy]
xi • Introduction: Tales of Wonder and Adventure • essay by Mike Ashley
1 • A Bag of Poetry • (1997) • short story by Lawrence Schimel
4 • Beauty and the Beast • (1757) • short story by Jeanne-Marie Leprince de Beaumont (trans. of La belle et la bête)
18 • The Bells of Carillon-Land • short story by E. Nesbit (variant of Belinda and Bellamant 1912) [as by Edith Nesbit]
34 • The Birthday Battle • (1997) • short story by Louise Cooper
49 • Blue Roses • (1903) • short story by Netta Syrett
60 • The Boy Who Plaited Manes • (1986) • short story by Nancy Springer
74 • The Castle • (1864) • short story by George MacDonald
88 • Cinderella or, The Little Glass Slipper • (1729) • short story by Charles Perrault (trans. of Cendrillon ou La petite pantoufle de verre 1697)
96 • The Fortress Unvanquishable, Save for Sacnoth • (1908) • short story by Lord Dunsany
113 • The Cloak of Friendship • (1905) • short story by Laurence Housman
123 • The Cotton-Wool Princess • (1892) • short story by Luigi Capuana (trans. of La figlia del Re 1885)
133 • The Drawing School • (1913) • short story by J. Muñez Escomez
138 • The Dutch Cheese • juvenile • (1908) • short story by Walter de la Mare
145 • The Elves • (1823) • novelette by Ludwig Tieck (trans. of Die Elfen 1812)
165 • The Enchanted Watch • (1892) • short story by Charles Deulin
170 • The Enchanted Whistle • juvenile • (1891) • short story by Alexandre Dumas (trans. of Le sifflet enchanté 1859)
177 • The Fairy Gift • (1925) • short story by Charlotte Brontë (variant of The Four Wishes 1918)
188 • The Forest Fairy • (1869) • short story by Lord Brabourne
201 • The Forest of Dreams • (1997) • short story by Lawrence Schimel (variant of Atmospheric Conditions 1994)
204 • The Girl Who Loved the Wind • (1972) • short story by Jane Yolen
209 • The Glass Dog • (1901) • short story by L. Frank Baum
218 • The Green Bird • (1894) • short story by Laurence Housman
226 • The Happy Prince • (1888) • short story by Oscar Wilde
236 • How Wry-Face Played a Trick on One-Eye • (1908) • short story by Agnes Grozier Herbertson
243 • Jack and the Beanstalk • (1912) • short story by Anonymous
253 • The Knave and the Fool • juvenile • short story by Juliana Horatia Ewing (variant of Knave and Fool 1872) [as by Juliana H. Ewing]
260 • Little Red Riding Hood • short story by Laura Valentine
271 • Little Snowdrop; or, Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs • [KHM (Kinder- und Hausmärchen)? • 53] • short story by Jacob Grimm and Wilhelm Grimm (trans. of Sneewittchen (Schneeweißchen)? 1812) [as by The Brothers Grimm]
281 • The Mad-Hatter's Tea Party • [Alice] • short story by Lewis Carroll
289 • The Mistreated Fellow • (1987) • short story by Jessica Amanda Salmonson
293 • Mother-of-All • short story by F. Gwynplaine MacIntyre
307 • The Necklace of Tears • (1896) • short story by Mrs. Egerton Eastwick
318 • The Night the Stars Were Gone • (1977) • short story by Joan Aiken
327 • Old Pipes and the Dryad • (1885) • short story by Frank R. Stockton
345 • The Pied Piper of Hamelin • short story by Charles Marelles (trans. of Le preneur du rats 1888)
352 • The Pot of Gold • (1864) • short story by Horace E. Scudder
360 • Princess Crystal; or, the Hidden Treasure • (1896) • short story by Isabel Bellerby
367 • Princess Sansu • (1972) • short story by Tanith Lee
378 • The Rat That Could Speak • (1860) • short story by Charles Dickens
384 • Rumpelstiltskin • [KHM (Kinder- und Hausmärchen)? • 55] • short story by Jacob Grimm and Wilhelm Grimm (trans. of Rumpelstilzchen 1812) [as by The Brothers Grimm]
388 • The Seekers • (1926) • short story by H. E. Bates
402 • The Seven Families of the Lake Pipple-Popple • (1870) • short story by Edward Lear (variant of The History of the Seven Families of the Lake Pipple-Popple)
412 • The Seven Ravens • short story by Ludwig Bechstein (trans. of Die sieben Raben 1847)
417 • Sleeping Beauty • short story by Charles Perrault (trans. of La belle au bois dormant 1697)
427 • The Snow Queen • juvenile • (1844) • novelette by Hans Christian Andersen (trans. of Snedronningen 1845)
456 • The Story of Nick • (1857) • short story by Christina Rossetti
463 • The Three Bears • (1870) • short story by Sarah Baker
471 • The Three Goats Named Bruse; or, The Three Billy-Goats Gruff • [Norske Folkeeventyr • 40] • (1859) • short story by Peter Asbjørnsen? and Jørgen Moe? (trans. of De tre bukkene Bruse 1842)
473 • The Three Tasks • (1951) • short story by Geraldine Elliot
486 • The Touchstone • (1895) • short story by Robert Louis Stevenson
493 • Touk's House • (1985) • novelette by Robin McKinley
517 • The Tree's Wife • (1978) • short story by Jane Yolen
523 • The Ugly Duckling • (1872) • short story by Hans Christian Andersen (trans. of Den Grimme Ælling? 1843)
532 • The Ugly Unicorn • (1991) • short story by Jessica Amanda Salmonson
544 • The Unhappy Princess • (1982) • short story by Richard Cowper
562 • The White Cat • novelette by Comtesse d'Aulnoy (trans. of La chatte blanche 1697) [as by Marie-Cathérine d'Aulnoy]
544 pages, Paperback
First published July 31, 1997
8 people are currently reading
115 people want to read
About the author
Mike Ashley
278 books130 followersMichael Raymond Donald Ashley is the author and editor of over sixty books that in total have sold over a million copies worldwide. He lives in Chatham, Kent.
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Displaying 1 - 5 of 5 reviews
July 5, 2024
This is a mammoth book of fairy tales. I don't think there is a trope of fairy tale that wasn't covered. The book was OK but I admit to falling asleep a few times when reading this book. There is apparently a limit to the number of times I can read about princes and princesses, magic, etc, especially in a fairy tale format. Maybe it would have been better for me to space these out, but I have to admit to feeling bored for some of these fairy tales. I don't think spacing these out would have helped much.
March 8, 2025
What is not to love about fairy tales. I had never heard the ending of the Goldilocks tail like that before.
November 4, 2010
I do love me a good fairy tale, and I found most of these to be quite entertaining. Of course there were a few in here that were just plain weird.
May 11, 2012
This is where I first encountered Touk's House, my favorite fairy tale. The rest of the book was "meh" but I love that one a lot.
March 21, 2011
A great collection of traditional, not so traditional, and modern fairy tales.
Displaying 1 - 5 of 5 reviews