Description
The Very Good dust jacket is illustrated, soiling at edges and toning to back panel A mylar dust jacket has been added. The Near Find binding is salmon cloth over boards illustrated with giant, a boy and several goats. The book cover and dust jacket have the same illustration. Name on the front free endpaper. The binding is tight and pages are clean. The book measures 8.9″ tall x 6.2″ wide.
Stated “First Printing”
About the book (from the dust jacket)
Retold by INGE HACK Illustrated by Harry and Ilse Toothill. While spinning and knitting in their moor. land homes, Danish peasants–men and women -used to entertain each other with stories that reflected their customs, hopes, fears, and fantasies.
The mountain-man, the most frightening bogeyman to be found in Denmark, figures prominently in these stories. Many an exciting tale spins itself around the way in which he is punished for his wickedness by either some resourceful boy or industrious maiden.
Then, too, there is the merman coming from the sea with his many heads and his fear- some mother who can turn people and animals into stone. Trolls, little black men, and devils appear; to offset them, there are of course good old women-sometimes nine hundred years old -and strange old men with magical powers who grant wishes to the pure in heart.
There are many lessons to be learned from these tales and the culpable characters in them are often chastised, The prince who can’t bear to look at ugliness is cured of his squeamishness; the rich and cruel Per Muller who is overjoyed to learn that he will live forever finds that he is to be the ferryman for hell; the arrogant princess who makes fools of her suitors is properly humbled Readers will find much here to delight them.
