Login to MoboReader
icon 0
icon TOP UP
rightIcon
icon Reading History
rightIcon
icon Log out
rightIcon
icon Get the APP
rightIcon
The Green Fairy Book

The Green Fairy Book

Andrew Lang

5.0
Comment(s)
768
View
43
Chapters

This is the third, and probably the last, of the Fairy Books of many colours. First there was the Blue Fairy Book; then, children, you asked for more, and we made up the Red Fairy Book; and, when you wanted more still, the Green Fairy Book was put together. The stories in all the books are borrowed from many countries; some are French, some German, some Russian, some Italian, some Scottish, some English, one Chinese. However much these nations differ about trifles, they all agree in liking fairy tales. The reason, no doubt, is that men were much like children in their minds long ago, long, long ago, and so before they took to writing newspapers, and sermons, and novels, and long poems, they told each other stories, such as you read in the fairy books. They believed that witches could turn people into beasts, that beasts could speak, that magic rings could make their owners invisible, and all the other wonders in the stories. Then, as the world became grown-up, the fairy tales which were not written down would have been quite forgotten but that the old grannies remembered them, and told them to the little grandchildren: and when they, in their turn, became grannies, they remembered them, and told them also. In this way these tales are older than reading and writing, far older than printing. The oldest fairy tales ever written down were written down in Egypt, about Joseph’s time, nearly three thousand five hundred years ago. Other fairy stories Homer knew, in Greece, nearly three thousand years ago, and he made them all up into a poem, the Odyssey, which I hope you will read some day. Here you will find the witch who turns men into swine, and the man who bores out the big foolish giant’s eye, and the cap of darkness, and the shoes of swiftness, that were worn later by Jack the Giant-Killer. These fairy tales are the oldest stories in the world, and as they were first made by men who were childlike for their own amusement, so they amuse children still, and also grown-up people who have not forgotten how they once were children.

Chapter 1 To The Friendly Reader

This is the third, and probably the last, of the Fairy Books of many colours. First there was the Blue Fairy Book; then, children, you asked for more, and we made up the Red Fairy Book; and, when you wanted more still, the Green Fairy Book was put together. The stories in all the books are borrowed from many countries; some are French, some German, some Russian, some Italian, some Scottish, some English, one Chinese. However much these nations differ about trifles, they all agree in liking fairy tales.

The reason, no doubt, is that men were much like children in their minds long ago, long, long ago, and so before they took to writing newspapers, and sermons, and novels, and long poems, they told each other stories, such as you read in the fairy books. They believed that witches could turn people into beasts, that beasts could speak, that magic rings could make their owners invisible, and all the other wonders in the stories. Then, as the world became grown-up, the fairy tales which were not written down would have been quite forgotten but that the old grannies remembered them, and told them to the little grandchildren: and when they, in their turn, became grannies, they remembered them, and told them also. In this way these tales are older than reading and writing, far older than printing. The oldest fairy tales ever written down were written down in Egypt, about Joseph's time, nearly three thousand five hundred years ago. Other fairy stories Homer knew, in Greece, nearly three thousand years ago, and he made them all up into a poem, the Odyssey, which I hope you will read some day. Here you will find the witch who turns men into swine, and the man who bores out the big foolish giant's eye, and the cap of darkness, and the shoes of swiftness, that were worn later by Jack the Giant-Killer. These fairy tales are the oldest stories in the world, and as they were first made by men who were childlike for their own amusement, so they amuse children still, and also grown-up people who have not forgotten how they once were children.

Some of the stories were made, no doubt, not only to amuse, but to teach goodness. You see, in the tales, how the boy who is kind to beasts, and polite, and generous, and brave, always comes best through his trials, and no doubt these tales were meant to make their hearers kind, unselfish, courteous, and courageous. This is the moral of them. But, after all, we think more as we read them of the diversion than of the lesson. There are grown-up people now who say that the stories are not good for children, because they are not true, because there are no witches, nor talking beasts, and because people are killed in them, especially wicked giants. But probably you who read the tales know very well how much is true and how much is only make-believe, and I never yet heard of a child who killed a very tall man merely because Jack killed the giants, or who was unkind to his stepmother, if he had one, because, in fairy tales, the stepmother is often disagreeable. If there are frightful monsters in fairy tales, they do not frighten you now, because that kind of monster is no longer going about the world, whatever he may have done long, long ago. He has been turned into stone, and you may see his remains in museums. Therefore, I am not afraid that you will be afraid of the magicians and dragons; besides, you see that a really brave boy or girl was always their master, even in the height of their power.

Some of the tales here, like The Half-Chick, are for very little children; others for older ones. The longest tales, like Heart of Ice, were not invented when the others were, but were written in French, by clever men and women, such as Madame d'Aulnoy, and the Count de Caylus, about two hundred years ago. There are not many people now, perhaps there are none, who can write really good fairy tales, because they do not believe enough in their own stories, and because they want to be wittier than it has pleased Heaven to make them.

So here we give you the last of the old stories, for the present, and hope you will like them, and feel grateful to the Brothers Grimm, who took them down from the telling of old women, and to M. Sebillot and M. Charles Marelles, who have lent us some tales from their own French people, and to Mr. Ford, who drew the pictures, and to the ladies, Miss Blackley, Miss Alma Alleyne, Miss Eleanor Sellar, Miss May Sellar, Miss Wright, and Mrs. Lang, who translated many of the tales out of French, German, and other languages.

If we have a book for you next year, it shall not be a fairy book. What it is to be is a secret, but we hope that it will not be dull. So good-bye, and when you have read a fairy book, lend it to other children who have none, or tell them the stories in your own way, which is a very pleasant mode of passing the time.

Continue Reading

Other books by Andrew Lang

More

You'll also like

After Divorce: Loved By The Secret Billionaire CEO

After Divorce: Loved By The Secret Billionaire CEO

Romance

4.8

After a devastating divorce with the man she had been married to for over three years, Rachel thought her life was over. Her family disowned her, they wanted nothing to do with her anymore and she couldn't blame them. She had just divorced David Hart, one of the top successful bachelors in the country and heir to the Hart industries. But they would never understand that she didn't divorce him, he divorced her after she caught him cheating on her with her god-damned best friend! Rachel was just about to end everything by jumping off a bridge when she was saved by the most unexpected person. The boy she once bullied severally in highschool because he always wore ugly glass and was from a poor background, how come that glass make him so hot now? Why was he helping her get revenge on ex-husband who is trying to make her life even more miserable? And most important how did he get so handsome? What exactly does he want from her? ... No, you must want something, anything. If you can really help me get revenge on David and Lana, I can't just let you do it for free". Ethan went quiet for a while. I held my breath waiting for what his request might be. If it was something money could buy, I'll try my best to get it for him even though I was somehow broke right now. "You're right I do want something". He said after thinking for few minutes "What?" I asked slowly. " Until you get your revenge on David, Lana and every other person you want, you will live here". Live here as in...?  " Wha... What are you saying? ". I stammered hoping he wasn't saying what I thought he was saying. I tried to step back but I missed a step and almost fell on the bed but Ethan caught me holding me in his muscular arms.  Ethan moved his face closer to mine be was so close, our nose almost touched. " I want you to be with me! ".

Chapters
Read Now
Download Book
The Green Fairy Book
1

Chapter 1 To The Friendly Reader

18/11/2017

2

Chapter 2 The Blue Bird

18/11/2017

3

Chapter 3 The Half-Chick

18/11/2017

4

Chapter 4 The Story of Caliph Stork

18/11/2017

5

Chapter 5 The Enchanted Watch

18/11/2017

6

Chapter 6 Rosanella

18/11/2017

7

Chapter 7 Sylvain and Jocosa

18/11/2017

8

Chapter 8 Fairy Gifts

18/11/2017

9

Chapter 9 Prince Narcissus and the Princess Potentilla

18/11/2017

10

Chapter 10 Prince Featherhead and the Princess Celandine

18/11/2017

11

Chapter 11 The Three Little Pigs

18/11/2017

12

Chapter 12 Heart of Ice

18/11/2017

13

Chapter 13 The Enchanted Ring

18/11/2017

14

Chapter 14 The Snuff-Box

18/11/2017

15

Chapter 15 The Golden Blackbird

18/11/2017

16

Chapter 16 The Little Soldier

18/11/2017

17

Chapter 17 The Magic Swan

18/11/2017

18

Chapter 18 The Dirty Shepherdess

18/11/2017

19

Chapter 19 The Enchanted Snake

18/11/2017

20

Chapter 20 The Biter Bit

18/11/2017

21

Chapter 21 King Kojata

18/11/2017

22

Chapter 22 Prince Fickle and Fair Helena

18/11/2017

23

Chapter 23 Puddocky

18/11/2017

24

Chapter 24 The Story of Hok Lee and the Dwarfs

18/11/2017

25

Chapter 25 The Story of the Three Bears

18/11/2017

26

Chapter 26 Prince Vivien and the Princess Placida

18/11/2017

27

Chapter 27 Little One-Eye, Little Two-Eyes, and Little Three-

18/11/2017

28

Chapter 28 Jorinde and Joringel

18/11/2017

29

Chapter 29 Allerleirauh; Or, the Many-Furred Creature

18/11/2017

30

Chapter 30 The Twelve Huntsmen

18/11/2017

31

Chapter 31 Spindle, Shuttle, and Needle

18/11/2017

32

Chapter 32 The Crystal Coffin

18/11/2017

33

Chapter 33 The Three Snake-Leaves

18/11/2017

34

Chapter 34 The Riddle

18/11/2017

35

Chapter 35 Jack My Hedgehog

18/11/2017

36

Chapter 36 The Golden Lads

18/11/2017

37

Chapter 37 The White Snake

18/11/2017

38

Chapter 38 The Story of a Clever Tailor

18/11/2017

39

Chapter 39 The Golden Mermaid

18/11/2017

40

Chapter 40 The War of the Wolf and the Fox

18/11/2017