The Green Fairy Book

The third volume in Lang’s celebrated series brings together fairy tales from French, German, and other European traditions, chosen to enchant young readers while carrying the quiet moral weight the old stories so often held. Among its pages sit ‘The Blue Bird,’ the tale of the boastful half-chick, and stories of clever youngest sons and transformed princes. Though the books bear Andrew Lang’s name, much of the translating and rewriting fell to his wife Leonora and the group of women who worked alongside them, shaping tales from many languages into clear English prose. First published in 1892, it remains a fixture of childhood reading. A free PDF and EPUB edition can be downloaded.