This charming early work, first published in 1901, is the seventh book in a series of twelve ‘coloured’ fairy books published by Andrew Lang between 1889 and 1910. Each volume is distinguished by its own colour, and all in all, 437 tales from a wide array of cultures and countries are presented. The Violet Fairy Book is illustrated with numerous black and white illustrations by the master artist H.J. Ford. This book is thoroughly recommended for inclusion on the shelf of all folklorists and lovers of fairy tales. A delightful read for both adult and child.

The stories in this volume have been collected from Russia, Romania, Lithuania, Japan, Serbia, Africa, Portugal and others. You’ll find 35 stories that tell of a haunted forest, chests of gold coins, a magical dog, and a man who outwits a dragon. Stories: A Tale Of the Tontlawald, The Lute Player, The Child who came from an Egg, The Fairy of the Dawn, The Nunda - Eater of People, The Monkey and the Jelly-fish and many more.

Andrew Lang (1844 - 1912) was a Scots poet, novelist and literary critic, with a passion for folkloric storytelling. Most of his volumes (including this, ‘The Violet Fairy Book’) were beautifully illustrated by Henry J. Ford (1860 - 1941), an inordinately talented artist who came to public attention with his illustrations for Lang. The books captured the imagination of British children and later became worldwide bestsellers in the 1880s and 1890s.