The Lilac Fairy Book

Our stories are almost all old, some from Ireland, before that island was as celebrated for her wrongs as for her verdure; some from Asia, made, I dare say, before the Aryan invasion; some from Moydart, Knoydart, Morar and Ardnamurchan, where the sea streams run like great clear rivers and the saw-edged hills are blue, and men remember Prince Charlie. Some are from Portugal, where the golden fruits grow in the Garden of the Hesperides; and some are from wild Wales, and were told at Arthur's Court; and others come from the firesides of the kinsmen of the Welsh, the Bretons. There are also modern tales by a learned Scandinavian named Topelius. All the stories were translated or adapted by Mrs. Lang, except 'The Jogi's Punishment' and 'Moti,' done by Major Campbell out of the Push-too language; 'How Brave Walter hunted Wolves,' which, with 'Little Lasse' and 'The Raspberry Worm,' was done from Topelius by Miss Harding; and 'The Sea King's Gift,' by Miss Christie, from the same author. It has been suggested to the Editor that children and parents and guardians would like 'The Grey True Ghost-Story Book.' He knows that the children would like it well, and he would gladly give it to them; but about the taste of fond anxious mothers and kind aunts he is not quite so certain. Before he was twelve the Editor knew true ghost stories enough to fill a volume. They were a pure joy till bedtime, but then, and later, were not wholly a source of unmixed pleasure. At that time the Editor was not afraid of the dark, for he thought, 'If a ghost is here, we can't see him.' But when older and better informed persons said that ghosts brought their own light with them (which is too true), then one's emotions were such as parents do not desire the young to endure. For this reason 'The Grey True Ghost-Story Book' is never likely to be illustrated by Mr. Ford.

Thousands of boys and girls have been captivated by Lang's colorful fairy tale works. Andrew Lang and his wife, Leonora Blanche Alleyne, wrote The Langs' Fairy Books, a series of 25 compilations of factual and fictitious stories for children. The 12 collections of fairy tales known as Andrew Lang's "Colored" Fairy Book or Andrew Lang's Multicolored Fairy Book are the most well-known publications in this series. While his wife was also a writer and translator, Andrew Lang was a Scottish poet, novelist, and literary critic. In addition to being widely regarded as the greatest English translation of classic tales, Lang's collection is also the richest and widest, with the colorful writing that made Lang renowned serving as the narration. One of the books in the collection, The Lilac Fairy Book, has tales from Wales, Portugal, Ireland, and other Eastern and Western locales.

DigiCat Publishing presents to you this special edition of "The Lilac Fairy Book" by Andrew Lang. DigiCat Publishing considers every written word to be a legacy of humankind. Every DigiCat book has been carefully reproduced for republishing in a new modern format. The books are available in print, as well as ebooks. DigiCat hopes you will treat this work with the acknowledgment and passion it deserves as a classic of world literature.

About The Lilac Fairy Book by Andrew Lang It is almost impossible to envision what childhood would be like without the enchanting world of fairyland. Old witches in cloaks of gold, giants that turn into dwarfs, tears that become birds, monsters and magicians, ogres and fairies - these are the companions who thrill boys and girls of all lands and times, as Andrew Lang's phenomenally successful collections of stories have proved. From the day they were first printed, the Lang fairy tale books of many colors have entertained thousands of youngsters, as they have also brought pleasure to parents who have read these classics to their children. The Lilac Fairy Book by Andrew Lang delves into the oral traditions of Rhodesia, Uganda, and the American Indian; the traditions of the Punjab and of Jutland; for its stories. But it is not important that the lad climbing the tree to a cloud kingdom is an Indian brave rather than Jack, or that the giant-killer Mak�ma is African. The events are familiar favorites with children the world over. All the tales are narrated in clear, lively prose. Not only are Lang's collections generally considered to contain the best English versions of the standard fairy tales; they are also the richest and widest in range. His position as one of England's foremost folklorists, as well as a first-rate editor, make his collections unmatchable in the English language.

The Lilac Fairy Book zo un dastumad kontadennoù saoznek gant Andrew Lang e 1910, er rummad The Lang's Fairy Books.

The Fairy Books, or "Coloured" Fairy Books is a collection of fairy tales divided into twelve books, each associated with a different colour. Collected together by Andrew Land they are sourced from a number of different countries and were translated by Lang's wife and other translators who also retold many of the tales. The collection has been incalculably important and, although he did not source the stories himself direct from the oral tradition he can make claim to the first English translation of many. First published in 1910, The Lilac Fairy Book is the final volume in this series.

Also known as 'The Libation Bearers' this is the second play of Aeschylus' Oresteia trilogy. Many years after king Agamemnon's murder at the hands of his wife Clytamnestra and her lover Aigisthos, his son Orestes returns home with Pylades to mourn at his grave. He has been living in exile and has come back to Argos in secret; his mission is to avenge Agamemnon's death.