Europa's Fairy Book

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Pages: 144

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About this book

Shared tales from across Europe meet in Joseph Jacobs's collection for children, retold with the voice of an English storyteller. His preface explains an attempt to reconstruct common story patterns from versions found in different countries. The contents bring familiar figures such as Beauty and the Beast alongside Cinder-Maid, Thumbkin and the Master-Maid, with pictures by John D. Batten.

In the middle excerpt, Prince Edgar is taken to a giant's castle and set tasks that seem simple until their magical obstacles appear. A maiden knows how to clear an enchanted stable and offers help when the prince receives a glass axe for cutting trees. Such scenes give readers clever helpers, impossible demands and repeated exchanges suited to reading aloud. Jacobs also explains his changes for young listeners, while the notes offer material for those interested in how folk tales vary across borders.

About the author

Joseph Jacobs

Joseph Jacobs (1854-1916) was an Australian-born folklorist, literary critic, and historian who spent much of his career in England. He edited English Fairy Tales, Celtic Fairy Tales, and other collections, becoming one of the most influential compilers of folk stories in the English language.