THERE lies before me, as I write, a quaint old book; from this little book—torn and soiled, its edges all gone—nearly all the stories in this volume are drawn. In their earliest childhood Hungarian children hear the story of "Forget-me-Not" (Nfelejts), the history of the "Twin Hunchbacks" (A Rét Törpe), and the doings of the wicked Sultana in the "Magic Cat" (A Büvos Macska.) In my little book is the shell of these stories told simply and in few words. Who was the originator of them? I do not think any one knows, for I have found in many instances the same incidents occurring in the fairy tales of most nations. A modified form of the vain fairy Narcissa is revived in "Little Snow White," and "Riquet with the Tuft" has, if I mistake not, an incident similar to that in "The Twin Hunchbacks." But then again, who has ever traced the origin of all the proverbs and jokes that exist, and have existed for generations, in two score or more Eastern and Western, Latin, Teutonic, or Slavonic languages? Old Hungarian legends, just like old Hungarian music, have to the national mind no palpable origin, though Jókay or Gaal have rewritten the former and Liszt or Brahms have familiarized the world with the latter. The following little collection has helped me in my childhood to pass many pleasant hours, so I now give them to my little English readers—embellished by many drawings—in the hope that they may derive as much pleasure from this little volume of magic and adventure as I did from my old torn copy of "Népmesék."
... Owen Wister, James Fenimore Cooper, B. M. Bower, J. Allan Dunn, Robert E. Howard, ... and when Forrest admitted having the widow Timberlake's beef herd, ...
Frost would kill the last of the blackberries and gooseberries that I'd found for us to subsist on. The acorns were long gone. I'd been lucky to find a crab ...
... Cinderellas turning to Vasilisas, Snow Queens into Father Frost, ... Two she'd heard from her own father, “The Mirror of Matsuyama” and “Kaguya-hime,” ...
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Table of Contents A good deal of water had run under Beulah Bridge since Letty ... and the third, Deacon Todd's eldest son, had somehow or other met a siren ...
Table of Contents A good deal of water had run under Beulah Bridge since Letty ... and the third, Deacon Todd's eldest son, had somehow or other met a siren ...
“Casey is fairly withdrawn now, so don't be discouraged if she won't talk.” Andi puts a hand on my shoulder. “I'm sure your presence here will be a comfort to her.” “I hope so.” What if Casey doesn't even want to see me? “Let's go.
Casey sets the dining room table and eats with us, telling stories about Luke that make us laugh and make Luke's face grow redder and redder. “If I'd known all my deepest secrets were going to be spilled tonight, I'd have suggested we ...
A classic science fiction novel from bestselling author Neal Shusterman is back in print.
Deftly entwining swashbuckling action and quiet magic, Maggie Tokuda-Hall's inventive debut novel conjures a diverse cast of characters seeking mastery over their fates while searching for answers to big questions about identity, power, and ...