Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1919-11-29
~nINEW FAIRY TALES FOR THE HOLIDAYS SEASON
STORIES FOR CHILDREN
THAT STRETCH THE MIND
Tales of Wonder From the Classics From Belgium Csecho-
Slouakia and Some Netoy Invented by Modern authors

syndcated her work. has also provided
quaint black and white illustrations.
Fairy stories made according to the
old fashioned recipe are seldom put on
the market. The new supply that ap-
pears every year about Christmas time
is usually made according to some new
tangled system and the product does
not satisfy the intellectual palate trained
on the kind mother used to read by the
freight before bedtime. It has re-
mained for Henry b. Boston, wearied
with his war experiences, 10 relax him
self and provide amusem INT for the
children by barking back to the old for.
mulas of the Grimm brothers and con
cocting bakers dozen of tales which
ought to entertain many generations of
children. They are about magicians and
hidden treasure and enchanted prin-
cesses and such like things. Some of
them are so novel in plot as to be cap
able of entertaining the mothers who
will read them to their children.
Take as an example "'The Lost Half
hour" which is about silly boy.
kings daughter working as kitchen
maid and princess The boy is sent
on allssorts of bootless errands because
he knows no better, and when the priu-
cess oversleeps herself one morning and
remarks when she goes downstairs that
she has lost half an hour the boy offers
to go in search of it. He has numerous
adventures and in the course of them
he RECEIVERS the half hour and has the
gift of wisdom bestowed on him. lie
is told that the girl in the kitchen is
kings daughter and that at . o'clock
on certain day a dragon will carry
her off unless he can prevent it. He
arrives home just half an hour too late,
but bothinks him of the lost half hour
and let's it loose. Thcrcupon all the
clocks turn back and everything that
has happened reyerses itself and things
are as they were at . o'clock. The
dragon is Just about TO seize the girl
The boy kills it in time. and, of course,
marries the girl and lives happily ever
after The book is one which will
delight those youngsters who have read
all the old fairy stories and want some
new ones of the same kind
Children, as Andrew Lang once said,
like to read tales that stretch their
minds. This is why fairy stories are
perennially popular with them and why
they revel in the great myths and leg
ends. Joseph Jacobs has edited for
them collection of four of the tales of
wonder Journeys in various literatureS.
The first is that Of the Argonauts The
version used is that which Kingsley
wrote for his book on Greek Heroes. -
| This is followed by "The Voyage of
Maclduiu" from the Celtic. The won
derful adventures of IIasan of Bassorah
from the Arabic follows. 1t is full of
the magic that makes the arabian
Nights" fascinating The book con
cludes with The Journeyings of Thor
/ D. f NJ. Al. II
from the folklore of the Norsemen.
ten make the tales seem more real.
1t has remained for Rupert Hughes
to write detective story for the nur-
Sery in order that the children may ac-
quire a taste for the kind of fiction
which they will read for relaxation in
their maturity. Mr.. uughes's detective
is II fairy, and he is first discovered by IL
little girl in Central Park, where he is
wearing the disguise of "A squirrel. He
has been engaged to discover who stole
the winters supply of nuts gathered
by squirrel widow. An exciting
story of his adventures follows. Then
the reader is introduced to him as u
mouse, as Il fish and as an eagle. In
each disguise he is engaged in unraveling
| II my uuu NuNu tllht tut llbtic 81
has many interesting conversations with
him. Mr.. Hughes is to be congratulated
for refraining from making any conces-
sions to the probabilities. He does not
explain that the little girl was dreaming,
but has all the things happen while
she is wide awake and in full posses
sion of her senses. The book will ell =
tertain the. youngsters who can read il
for themselves. and it is likely to be
even more entertaining to those who
have to be read to.
TALES OF FOLK. AMI, FAIRY, BY Kstth-
CZECHO- SLOVAlt FAIRY TALES. BY Par
ker Fillmore New York; Harcourt Brace
| & Howe. 50.
THE WISHING RING by Eleanor Schorer,
New York: IIarcourt Brace & Howe. 81 70.
| TALES FROM THE SECRET KINGDOM,
BE- By Ethss!o NJ Gate New Haven; Yale
BELGiAN 5LessA FAIRY TALES. BY w. Elliot
-, Grlffis. New York; r, Z GroweIl.
sss 6o ante MontEy RY MPqgco Pqess Day
THE iG'''i5 BOOK k OF Of WoNpER VOYAGES,
Edited by Joseph Jacobs, Illustrated by
John D.. Batten; New York; G. P Put
THE FAIRY DETECTIVE. BY Rupert
Hughes. New York: Harper Bros. IL
| cents.
PiuerO's Social PLays