It is almost impossible to envision what childhood would be like without the enchanting world of fairyland. The Wicked Wolverine, Wall Dad the Simple-hearted, giants and dwarfs, monster and magician, fairies and ogres—these are the companions who thrill young boys and girls of all lands and all times, as Andrew Lang's phenomenally successful collections of stories have proved. From the day that they were first printed, the Lang fairy tale books of many colors have entertained thousands of boys and girls, as they have also brought pleasure to the many parents who have read these unforgettable classics to their children.

The Brown Fairy Book is a delectable assortment of adventures from all over the world. Stories came from Persia, Australia, AFrica; others orignated in Brazil, India, New Caledonia, and other lands. One tells of a witch who used a magic all to steal children (Ball Carrier and the Bad One); another takes place at a time when birds were men and men were birds (Pivi and Kabo); a third deals with the magic world of gnomes and water nymphs (Rubezahl). Exotic tales from far-away places, the stories here are different enough to captivate the young imagination; familiar enough so that boys and girls everwhere will listen and understand. 

All in all, this collection contains 32 stories, all narrated in the clear, lively prose for which Lang was famous. Not only are Lang's generally conceded to be the best English versions of standard stories, his collections are the richest and widest in range. His position as one of England's foremost folklorists as well as his first-rate literary abilities makes his collections unmatchable in the English language.

From the Dover reprint cover