Old English Fairy Tales

Fairy Gold: A Book of Old English Fairy Tales was compiled by Ernest Rhys (1859 – 1946) and illustrated by Herbert Cole (1867 – 1930). Rhys was a famed writer and editor – best known for his role as founder of the ‘Everyman’s Library’, a series of affordable classics. Rhys was passionate about English folkloric tradition, and making such wonderful works of literature accessible to the common people. The book starts with a quotation from Shakespeare’s A Winter’s Tale, informing the reader that: ‘This is fairy Gold boy; and t’will prove so...’ From here on in, it is a text to amuse, delight, scare and inform – all in equal measures – for young and old alike. Fairy Gold contains a set of wonderful black and white illustrations by Herbert Cole, as well as such well-known tales as ‘The Three Bears’, ‘Tom Thumb’, ‘Jack and the Beanstalk’ and ‘The Mermaid’ as well as other, near-forgotten English stories such as ‘The Fairy Fair’, ‘Mr and Mrs Vinegar’, ‘The King and the Vipers’ and ‘Queen Mab’s Good Grace.’ The text appears in its original translation, ensuring that none of the work’s initial brilliance is lost. Pook Press celebrates the great ‘Golden Age of Illustration‘ in children’s literature – a period of unparalleled excellence in book illustration from the 1880s to the 1930s. Our collection showcases classic fairy tales, children’s stories, and the work of some of the most celebrated artists, illustrators and authors.

From the founding editor of Everyman's Library comes this enthralling illustrated collection of thirty-three fairy tales to please children of all ages—and the parents who read to them. Favorite English characters such as Dick Whittington, Jack the Giant Killer, and King Arthur appear alongside Tom Thumb, Chicken-Licken, and other figures from the wider world of folklore. Young readers will be spellbound by tales of an orphan who rises from scullery boy to Mayor of London with the aid of his cat, how a worm becomes the scourge of Britain, and of the beanstalk that helps a young man avenge his father's death and find his fortune. Children will also be thrilled to meet "The Green Knight," "The Princess of Colchester," and "The Giant of Saint Michael's." Plus, this treasury includes a beautiful array of full-color plates.

This volume contains 43 English folk and fairy tales. Stories like: “Tom Tit Tot”, “The Three Sillies”, “The Rose Tree”, “The Old Woman and Her Pig”, “How Jack Went to Seek His Fortune”, “Mr. Vinegar”, “Nix Nought Nothing” and many, many more. Many of the tales in this volume, as in similar collections from other European countries, are what the folklorists call Drolls, or a short comical sketch. They serve to justify the title of “Merrie England” and mostly originate from the puritan era (1649 – 1660), a title which used to be given to England, indicating the unsuspected capacity for fun and humour among the English. The story of Tom Tit Tot, which opens the collection, is unequalled among all other folk-tales, for its combined sense of humour and dramatic power. But why call them FAIRY STORIES? One cannot imagine a child saying, 'Tell me a folk-tale', or 'Another nursery tale, please, grandma'. The words 'Fairy Tales' must accordingly be taken to include tales in which occurs something 'fairy', something extraordinary--fairies, giants, dwarfs, speaking animals. It must be taken also to cover tales in which what is extraordinary is the stupidity of some of the actors, as is so common in moral tales. So take some time out and travel back to a period before television, or even radio for that matter, when families would gather around a crackling and spitting hearth and granddad or grandma, or an uncle or aunt, would delight and captivate their audience with stories passed on to them from their mothers, fathers and grandparents before them. YESTERDAY'S BOOKS FOR TODAY'S CHARITIES 10% of the PROFIT from the sale of this book will be donated to Charities. ================= TAGS: Fairytales, folklore, fairy, tales children’s stories, faerie, classic stories, English, England, faerie, tales, children, classic fairy tales, antique fairytales, something extraordinary, fairies, giants, dwarf, dwarves, speaking animals, grandma, grandpa, magical, comical, stupid, stupidity, morals, moral tales, old and forgotten, rare, prince's trust, Tom Tit Tot, Three Sillies, Rose Tree, Old Woman and Her Pig, How Jack Went to Seek His Fortune, Mr Vinegar, mister vinegar, mrs vinegar, Nix Nought Nothing, Jack Hannaford, Mouse and Mouser, Cap o' Rushes, cap o’,cap of rushes, Teeny-Tiny, Jack and the Beanstalk, Three Little Pigs, Master and His Pupil, Titty Mouse and Tatty Mouse, Jack and his Golden Snuff-Box, Three Bears, goldilocks, Jack the Giant Killer, Henny-Penny, Childe Rowland, Molly Whuppie, Red Ettin, Golden Arm, Tom Thumb, Mr Fox, Lazy Jack, lazy,Johnny-Cake, Earl Mar's Daughter, Mr Miacca, Whittington and his Cat, Strange Visitor, Laidly Worm of Spindleston Heugh, Cat and the Mouse, Fish and the Ring, Magpie's Nest, Kate Crackernuts, Cauld Lad of Hilton, cold lad, Ass, Table, Stick, Fairy Ointment, Well at the World's End, Master of All, Three Heads of the Well,

English Fairy Tales By Joseph Jacobs A word or two as to our title seems necessary. We have called our stories Fairy Tales though few of them speak of fairies. The same remark applies to the collection of the Brothers Grimm and to all the other European collections, which contain exactly the same classes of tales as ours. Yet our stories are what the little ones mean when they clamour for "Fairy Tales," and this is the only name which they give to them. One cannot imagine a child saying, "Tell us a folk-tale, nurse," or "Another nursery tale, please, grandma." As our book is intended for the little ones, we have indicated its contents by the name they use. The words "Fairy Tales" must accordingly be taken to include tales in which occurs something "fairy," something extraordinary--fairies, giants, dwarfs, speaking animals. It must be taken also to cover tales in which what is extraordinary is the stupidity of some of the actors.

Joseph Jacobs (1854 – 1916) Australian folklorist, literary critic, historian and writer. Joseph Jacobs was a notable collector and publisher of English folklore. He popularized some of the world's best known English fairy tales including Jack and the Beanstalk, Goldilocks and the three bears, The Three Little Pigs, Jack the Giant Killer and The History of Tom Thumb and many others. Jacobs published his English Fairy Tales in 1890 and More English Fairytales in 1894 but also went on after and in between both books to publish fairy tales collected from continental Europe as well as Jewish, Celtic and Indian Fairytales.

How to get into this book. Knock at the Knocker on the Door, Pull the Bell at the side, Then, if you are very quiet, you will hear a teeny tiny voice say through the grating "Take down the Key." This you will find at the back: you cannot mistake it, for it has F. F, in the wards. Put the Key in the Keyhole, which it fits exactly, unlock the door and Walk In. -- Half title verso.