The Lilac Fairy Book

"The Lilac Fairy Book" by Andrew Lang is a collection of fairy tales, likely edited in the late 19th century. The compilation features a diverse assortment of stories adapted from various cultural traditions, and it highlights fantastical elements such as magic, adventure, and moral lessons. The tales include a range of characters from clever sons to enchanted creatures and emphasize themes of bravery, wit, and familial bonds. At the start of this collection, the editor presents a preface discussing the nature of fairy tales, touching on the author's own experiences and opinions regarding storytelling. It discusses how fairy tales have been passed down through generations, often evolving and being reconstructed by storytellers from different cultures. The narratives are described as rich in adventure, filled with light-hearted mischief, or moral implications, setting up the reader for a journey into the magical worlds of folklore represented throughout the book. The opening also leads into "The Shifty Lad," telling the story of a clever young man who aspires to live a life of petty crime, immediately showcasing the wit and mischief that define many of the tales to come. (This is an automatically generated summary.)

Andrew Lang was a Scottish poet, novelist, literary critic, and contributor to the field of anthropology. He is best known as a collector of folk and fairy tales. The Andrew Lang lectures at the University of St Andrews are named after him.