French Folktales (Pantheon Fairy Tale & Folklore Library)

Selected from Henri Pourrats classic Le tresor des contes one of the finest folktale collections in the world these one-hundred-odd legends fairy tales devotional pieces jokes and animal stories from the rural provinces of France comprise a magical volume. Fairies changelings giants demons bumpkins knaves bewitched and bewitching princesses bandits and others enact stories of perilous tests of love contests with the devil the beneficence of saints and more. Royall Tylers translation deftly captures the vigor and resonance of the originals and his cogent introduction illuminates for the reader the earthy chilling mischievous and mystical realm these tales evoke.