The Andrew Lang Library

In which a young man, grievously wronged by his elder brother and father, is gifted a magical ring by a fairy that grants invisibility and the power of disguise, enabling him to win favour at Court and bring about justice through courage and wisdom. Yet warned of the perils of deceit and ambition, he seeks to restore honour and peace to his family, mindful of the heavy burden that power may bring.

In which a young man discovers a magical snuff-box that grants his every wish and sets him upon a wondrous journey involving kings, lost treasures, and celestial beings such as the moon, sun, and wind. Therein he must summon courage and cunning to reclaim what has been stolen from him and restore his happiness.

In which the brave Prince Mannikin faces the insults and threats of a haughty ambassador, earning esteem in war while enduring the cold indifference of Princess Sabella, whose heart lies frozen atop a mighty Ice Mountain. With the aid of faithful spaniels and the kind Fairy Genesta, he undertakes a perilous journey to retrieve her heart, leading to astonishing transformations and the joyful unitin...

In which Prince Mannikin, despite his diminutive stature and modest retinue, embarks on a perilous quest to win the hand of Princess Sabella, whose heart has been stolen and hidden away in a remote, icy mountain by a spiteful fairy. Through encounters with magical guides, courtly rivals, and daunting challenges, he strives to prove that true worth lies beyond appearance and name, all against a bac...

In which a foolish King and Queen unwittingly offend a mysterious Fairy at their son’s christening, leading to the child’s peculiar upbringing under the care of the benevolent Fairy Genesta. Prince Mannikin, small in stature but great in spirit, embarks upon a perilous quest that leads him to strange lands inhabited by wondrous creatures and enchanted misfortunes.

In which a young prince, gifted with an invisibility ring and guided by a kind fairy, discovers the hidden Princess Potentilla, whose beauty and gentle nature belie the cruel tales spread by her jealous mother. Amidst enchanting entertainments and enchanted rivals, the tale unfolds with grace and gentle courage, painting a world where love and magic intertwine beneath the watchful eye of fairy gua...

In which a kind-hearted King and Queen, having lost everything through their generosity, find refuge in a fairy-protected valley where enchantments and lessons in humility shape the lives of their son, Prince Featherhead, and the spirited Princess Celandine. The tale gently unfolds their encounters and transformations, weaving themes of vanity, love, and the true nature of happiness amidst the whi...

In which a mother pig, mindful of her advancing years, endeavours to build suitable homes for her three very different children to shield them from the wiles of a cunning fox. The tale unfolds with the pigs’ contrasting choices of shelter and the inevitable test of their wisdom and courage against the sly intruder.

In which two children of a quarrelling village family grow up inseparable and beloved by the Fairy of the Meadows, who promises to keep them together so long as they tend her favourite fountain each morning. Their devotion is tested by unforeseen trials, and after a long journey, they find comfort in the fairy’s care and a humble but happy home where a tale of fortune and misfortune is told to ill...

In which Princess Sylvia, under the Flower Fairy’s gentle guidance, visits various princesses who have received different enchanting gifts, each revealing the hidden burdens and limits of their bestowed graces. After thoughtful reflection upon the trials of beauty, eloquence, charm, and wit, Sylvia chooses a gift of quiet spirit, embracing a serene contentment that brings joy both to herself and t...

In which a delicate contest between two fairies sets the stage for a tale replete with enchantment, as a royal babe named Rosanella mysteriously vanishes and twelve bewitching maidens emerge to console a grieving queen. Amidst courts adorned with charm and trials of constancy, the interweaving fates of princes and princesses unfold beneath the watchful eyes of their fairy patrons.

In which Caliph Chasid of Bagdad acquires a mysterious powder promising transformation into any creature, and in his curiosity, he and his Grand Vizier venture forth to test this wondrous magic among the storks by the pond. Their adventures lead them to unexpected companionship and a peculiar enchantment that entwines their fates with that of a sorrowful screech owl residing in ancient ruins.

In which a simple young man named Jenik is granted leave to travel by his wealthy father and, through a chance act of kindness, comes into possession of an enchanted watch with wondrous powers. As Jenik returns home and uses the watch to transform his fortunes and surroundings, he encounters both joy and tribulation, accompanied faithfully by a dog and a cat he once saved.

In which a most extraordinary little chick, quite unlike his brothers and sisters in form and spirit, resolves to leave his humble farmyard for the great city of Madrid despite his mother’s counsel. Along his journey, his refusal to aid others in need brings him a singular and memorable fate that lingers above the city to this day.

In which the reader is courteously introduced to the Green Fairy Book, the final volume in a charming trilogy that gathers timeless tales from various lands and ages, treasured for their age-old magic and gentle lessons. The preface reflects on the enduring appeal of fairy tales through generations, their capacity to enchant and instruct, and offers a glimpse of the splendid stories contained with...

In which a noble Princess, imprisoned and adorned with dazzling jewels, maintains secret communion with a mysterious Blue Bird despite the jealous machinations of a spiteful Queen. The Princess embarks upon a perilous journey aided by enchanted gifts, leading to a marvelous reunion and the triumph of love over enchantment and deceit.

In which a grieving King, newly remarried to a sorrowful Queen with a difficult daughter, becomes enamoured with his own radiant daughter Fiordelisa rather than the Queen’s unfavoured child, leading to a chain of jealousies and deceptions. Through enchantments and trials, a transformed King in the guise of a Blue Bird and the imprisoned Princess sustain their tender affection amidst the intrigues...

In which vividly wrought verses lead us through the misty glens of Yarrow, where the haunting beauty of the river and its surrounding landscapes stir the imagination and memory with tender melancholy. We then encounter haunting tales and dirges steeped in folklore, setting a somber tone through spectral fishers, tragic figures, and stirring odes that evoke ancient passion and prophecy.

In which the solemn stillness of a country churchyard evokes the dignity of humble lives and the inevitable peace of death, inspiring reflections on unrecognised greatness and the gentle solace found in memory’s keeping. There follows a vivid narrative of a moonlit meeting between the kind-hearted lady Christabel and the mysterious Geraldine, whose uneasy presence and haunting tale set an intrigui...

In which the somber tale of the Baron of Smaylho’me unfolds, weaving a spectral encounter and veiled secrets beneath the watchful beacon’s flame on the eve of St. John. Interspersed with rural musings and stirring ballads, this episode gently carries us through the poignant echoes of love, battle, and elegy that lend their voice to the Scottish Border’s rich tapestry.

In which the stirring valor of King Henry of Navarre at Ivry is celebrated with loyal fervour, followed by a haunting maritime ballad of Sir Patrick Spens that contemplates the perilous summons of duty. A sequence of vivid and intimate poems then unfolds, from the ethereal enchantment of Keats’s fairy lady to Wordsworth’s gentle observation of a kitten’s play and Bunyan’s steadfast pilgrim, closin...

In which an ancient mariner, met en route to a wedding feast, captivates a wedding-guest with a haunting tale of a sea voyage beset by icy mists, a mysterious albatross, and eerie supernatural happenings that unfold far from land. Through vivid and somber verses, the mariner recounts his lonely wanderings and supernatural penance upon the wide, wide sea, imparting a solemn message about the love a...

In which we are led through a tapestry of poetic visions—from the melancholic decline of a once-glorious palace haunted by spectral echoes, to the fierce cries of a bard weaving woes and vengeful fate upon the loom of history, and the somber finality of humanity's solitary witness to the world's twilight. Interspersed with stirring ballads of loyalty and daring escapades across borderlands, the ve...

In which the gentle art of poetry is displayed through a varied collection of verses that range from the tender and lyrical to the solemn and haunting, celebrating nature, love, and the echoes of history. These poems, by diverse hands, invite the reader to drift amid reflections on beauty, sorrow, battle, and the passage of time, all under a softly woven canopy of language and sentiment.

In which the solemn mood of Milton’s *Il Penseroso* summons a reverent darkness where contemplation and melancholy hold sway, inviting the reader to wander amid shadowy groves and the quiet mysteries of night, whilst the pastoral and heroic verses that follow evoke tender human passions and valiant deeds. These poems, ranging from the gentle grace of lovers to the stirring courage of Mary Ambree,...