The Brown Fairy Book

The Brown Fairy Book.

Published by The Folio Society in 2010. First printing. Edited by Andrew Lang, with an introduction by Adam Phillips, paintings and decoration by Omar Rayyan. 252 × 192 × 48 mm. Pp. [i–iv] v–xviii [xix–xx], 1–282 [283–284]: [13] leaves of plates. Type: Caslon with hand-drawn lettering for the title. Printed (the title-page in brown and black) by Memminger MedienCentrum. Bound by Real Lachenmaier in series binding (item 1124). Full brown buckram blocked with a design by Rayyan in blue, black, gold and cream; brown endleaves with a design in gold. Brown slip case. First published in 1904. The 32 stories are punctuated by additional drawings by Rayyan.

Contains stories from the American Indians, Australian Aboriginals and African Kaffirs, and from Persia, Lapland, Brazil, and India. These far-flung tales all obey the time-honoured rules of fairyland: in the Persian story ‘What the Rose did to the Cypress’, a prince must guess a riddle to win his princess’s hand in marriage, and in the Scandinavian tale ‘The Fox and the Lapp’, a wily fox hitches a ride on a merchant’s sledge and plays tricks on everyone he meets.

The tales: What the Rose did to the Cypress; Ball-Carrier and the Bad One; How Ball-Carrier finished his Task; The Bunyip; Father Grumbler; The Story of the Yara; The Cunning Hare; The Turtle and his Bride; How Geirald the Coward was Punished; Habogi; How the Little Brother set Free his Big Brothers; The Sacred Milk of Koumongoe; The Wicked Wolverine; The Husband of the Rat’s Daughter; The Mermaid and the Boy; Pivi and Kabo; The Elf Maiden; How Some Wild Animals became Tame Ones; Fortune and the Wood-Cutter; The Enchanted Head; The Sister of the Sun; The Prince and the Three Fates; The Fox and the Lapp; Kisa the Cat; The Lion and the Cat; Which was the Foolishest?; Asmund and Signy; Rubezahl; Story of the King who would be Stronger than Fate; Story of Wali Dad the Simple-hearted; Tale of a Tortoise and of a Mischievous Monkey; The Knights of the Fish.

Condition

Near-fine book with pages tightly bound and free of inscriptions. In equally near-fine slipcase with a little shelf-wear and the lightest, innocuous bump to rear. A lovely copy.