IN gleaning the fields of Fairy Land, Andrew Lang hoped that some of the tales in the Red Fairy Book may have the attraction of being as familiar as old friends. The tales have been translated, or adapted, from the originals originally written in old Norse, French, German, Romanian and many other European languages - he had a large field to choose from.
The popularity of Andrew Lang's books, and similar books from other folklorists of the day, did not rest well with some in the Folklore Society whose president believed it was not acceptable for the then prominent folklorists to be publishing fairy tales. Messers Lang, Jacobs and Campbell disagreed and opted to "Put themselves on their country and be tried by a jury of children" - and they were certainly not found wanting. So high was the demand that Andrew Lang followed the Red Fairy Book with the Blue Fairy Book and intended the third in the sequence, the Green Fairy Book, to be last. But so popular were these books that he published no less than 12 - almost running out of the colours that were available on the Victorian palette.
But why call them FAIRY TALES? One cannot imagine a child saying, 'Tell me a folk-tale', or 'Another nursery tale, please, grandma'. Fairy tales are stories in which something 'fairy' occurs, something extraordinary -- fairies, giants, dwarfs, speaking animals, or the remarkable stupidity of some of the characters. nd what better way to bring a gleam into a child's eye and put a smile on their face than by reading them a fairy tale. And just when you think you've finished, don't be surprised if you feel a tug at your sleeve and a request for "'nuther fairy tale please" for you have to remember that this is where good always wins over evil, where the Prince always gets his Princess and where the common man is allowed to best Knights, Princes and Kings.
In this volume, the first of many compiled by the late Andrew Lang, you will find the familiar fairytales and stories of the Pied Piper, Jack and the Beanstalk, Rapunzel and The Golden Goose and less familiar tales of Sigurd, Drakestail, Little Golden Hood, The Six Sillies, Snowdrop and many others. With the exception of a few perennial favourites most will have not been seen, read nor heard for over a century thereby re-introducing children and young parents of today to a library of "new" material.
This book has been published to raise funds for The Great Ormond Street Hospital (GOSH) Children's Charity. In buying this book you will be donating to this great charity that does so much good and enables families to stay together in times of crisis. And what better way to help bring a sunbeam of joy into an ill child's life than to read them a fairytale and help them, albeit for a moment, to escape their reality.
33% of the Publisher's profit from the sale of this book will be donated to the GOSH Children's Charity.
For more information, a table of contents or to view a sample of the interior, go to http://www.abelapublishing.com/redfairybook.html.
John Halsted is CEO of Abela Publishing and an out-and-out fan of fairytales, folklore and legends.
He founded Abela Publishing as a Social Enterprise and specialises in publishing new and old Children's stories, fairytales, folklore, myths and legends. He donates 33% of Abela Publishing's profit to charities around the world.
To see which charities are currently supported, go to http://www.abelapublishing.com/charity.html
No comments:
Post a Comment