Other editions of book English Fairy Tales

Who says that English folk have no fairy-tales of their own? The present volume contains only a selection out of some 140, of which I have found traces in this country. It is probable that many more exist.A quarter of the tales in this volume, have been collected during the last ten years or so, and some of them have not been hitherto published. Up to 1870 it was equally said of France and of Italy, that they possessed no folk-tales. Yet, within fifteen years from that date, over 1000 tales had been collected in each country. I am hoping that the present volume may lead to equal activity in this country, and would earnestly beg any reader of this book who knows of similar tales, to communicate them, written down as they are told, to me, care of Mr. Nutt. The only reason, I imagine, why such tales have not hitherto been brought to light, is the lamentable gap between the governing and recording classes and the dumb working classes of this country—dumb to others but eloquent among themselves. It would be no unpatriotic task to help to bridge over this gulf, by giving a common fund of nursery literature to all classes of the English people, and, in any case, it can do no harm to add to the innocent gaiety of the nation.

In the darksome depths of a thick forest lived Kalyb the fell enchantress. Terrible were her deeds, and few there were who had the hardihood to sound the brazen trumpet which hung over the iron gate that barred the way to the Abode of Witchcraft. Terrible were the deeds of Kalyb; but above all things she delighted in carrying off innocent new-born babes, and putting them to death.

Once upon a time there was a woman, and she baked five pies. And when they came out of the oven, they were that overbaked the crusts were too hard to eat. So she says to her daughter:“Darter,” says she, “put you them there pies on the shelf, and leave 'em there a little, and they'll come again.”—She meant, you know, the crust would get soft.But the girl, she says to herself: “Well, if they'll come again, I'll eat 'em now.” And she set to work and ate 'em all, first and last.Well, come supper-time the woman said: “Go you, and get one o' them there pies. I dare say they've come again now.”The girl went and she looked, and there was nothing but the dishes. So back she came and says she: “Noo, they ain't come again.”“Not one of 'em?” says the mother.“Not one of 'em,” says she.“Well, come again, or not come again,” said the woman “I'll have one for supper.”“But you can't, if they ain't come,” said the girl.“But I can,” says she. “Go you, and bring the best of 'em.”“Best or worst,” says the girl, “I've ate 'em all, and you can't have one till that's come again.”Well, the woman she was done, and she took her spinning to the door to spin, and as she span she sang:“My darter ha' ate five, five pies to-day. My darter ha' ate five, five pies to-day.”

English Fairy TalesJack the Giant-Killer, Tom Thumb, Goldilocks and The Three Bears, Henny Penny, Dick Whittington, The Three Little Pigs, Red Riding Hood and a host of immortal characters are found in this delightful collection of English Fairy Tales by Joseph Jacobs. The book made its first appearance in 1890 and has remained a firm favorite with both young and old ever since.Fairy tales have traditionally emanated from France and Germany. The famous compilations by La Fontaine and the Brothers Grimm have overshadowed children's literature for centuries. Yet, many of the stories we recount to children today have an English origin, something that we were unaware of. The author, Joseph Jacobs, was an Australian folklorist and historian who painstakingly compiled them from various sources. In the preface to the first edition he recounts how he collected some stories from the descendants of English immigrants in America and Australia, while he sourced others from English gypsies and old ballads. In many cases he had to rewrite and retell those stories which existed in verse form or in ancient dialects. Older forms of English had to be tailored to suit modern readers, while some of the more objectionable parts had to be discarded. Wicked step-mothers, rampaging giants, damsels in distress, gallant princes and evil spells are some of the staples in this fascinating collection.iBoo World's Best ClassicsiBoo Press releases World’s Best Classics, uses state-of-the-art technology to digitally reconstruct the work. We preserve the original format whilst repairing imperfections present in the aged copy. All titles are designed with a nice cover, quality paper and a good font.

Classic fairy tales endure from generation to generation. The source of countless adaptations and reimaginings, this collection is remarkable in its scale and diversity. Featuring familiar tales like "Jack and the Beanstalk," "The History of Tom Thumb," and "The Story of the Three Little Pigs," as well as more obscure gems like "The Old Woman and Her Pig" and "Childe Rowland," this anthology is a treasure trove of outstanding children's literature.

What would your childhood have been like without some of these popular fairy tales?•''Goldilocks''•''The Three Little Pigs''•''Henny Penny''•''Jack and the Beanstalk''Can you imagine growing up without having heard one - or all - of these classics? Well, without the help of author Joseph Jacobs, some of these famous stories may never have made their way to the listening ears of youngsters everywhere.