As the pot of water boils with the stone in it, he urges her to add more and more ingredients until the soup is a feast "fit for a king".

    How could everyone in a castle - even the flies on the walls - sleep for a century and then wake up? This magical, beautifully illustrated tale begins when the king excludes the most difficult fairy of the kingdom from a feast celebrating the birth of his beautiful daughter Briar Rose. Furious, the fairy storms in and curses the baby, pronouncing that on her fifteenth birthday she will be pricked by a distaff (from a spinning wheel) and fall down dead. The youngest fairy softens the curse to a century-long sleep. Despite the fact that the king burns all the spinning wheels in the kingdom, 15-year-old Briar Rose finds herself in the tower where the evil fairy and her fate await her. The drama of the spell unfurls as she and the other inhabitants of the castle fall instantly asleep, from courtiers to kitchen maids. Thorny briars - moodily captured by Trina Schart Hyman's masterful paintbrush - grow up around the castle. Hyman depicts those who died attempting to break through the maze of thorns to reach the legendary sleeping beauty in a nightmarish illustration. But goodness and true love prevail when the perfect prince does finally find his way through the thick vines.Hyman won a Caldecott Medal for her work in Saint George and the Dragon by Margaret Hodges, and her version of The Sleeping Beauty makes us believe in the magic of the spell. The scenes inside the castle are alive with color and movement and rich with details that children will devour eagerly. Moods and expressions are rendered exquisitely, especially those of the wild, red-haired beauty Briar Rose. This wonderful read-aloud classic is one of Hyman's best.

    A "Who's Who" of fairyland, with entries by fairy name and additional legends, songs, and anecdotes within each entry.

    Containing almost 2,850 plant descriptions and 2,705 superb illustrations, Gerard’s Herbal is a monumental work, the book all modern English herbals are derived from, and the one herbal every serious enthusiast should have in its entirety. Original editions are worth perhaps $750.

    In them the modern reader can catch a glimpse of the genius an entire generation found irresistible.

    Although based on East Anglia, this book was and remains of wider interest, for - as the author pointed out at the time - similar changes were occurring in North America, and also happening with remarkable speed in Africa. In chronicling the old culture George Ewart Evans has taken its two chief aspects, the home and the farm. He describes the house with its fascinating constructional details, the magic invoked for its protection, the mystique of the hearth, the link of the bees with the people of the house, and some of their fears and pre-occupations. Among the chapters on the farm is one of Evans's most original pieces of research: the description of the secret horse societies. Beautifully illustrated by David Gentleman, this book is important not only for the material it reveals about the past but for the implications for present-day society. 'As real (and as valuable) as the evidence unearthed by the spadework of archaeology.' Observer

    The Wonderful Shirt (Russia)*2. The Frog (Ukraine)3. Jack and the Beanstalk (England)4. Knurremurre (Zeeland)5. Bottle Hill (Ireland)6. The Nine Doves (Greece)7. The Goblins at the Bath House (Esthonia)8. Johnny and the Witch-Maidens (Bohemia)9. Sven and Lilli (Denmark)10. Aniello (Sicily)11. Aladdin (Arabia)12. Essen and the Witch (Denmark)13. Sneezy Snatcher and Sammy Small (England)14. Mons Tro (Denmark)*15. Rake Up! (Denmark)16. King Johnny (Slavonia)17. The Enchanted Prince (Hungary)18. The Adventures of Billy MacDaniel (Ireland)19. Little Hiram (India)*20. Prince Loaf (Rumania)21. Hans and his Master (Hungary)22. Golden Hair (Corsica)23. Constantes and the Dragon (Greece)24. Tatterhood (Norway)25. The Princess’s Slippers (Archangel)26. Jack and the Wizard (Wales)27. The Two Wizards (Africa)28. The Three Mermaids (Italy)29. The Girl Who Picked Strawberries (Germany)30. The Magic Lake (Ireland)31. Old Verlooka (Russia)*32. Stan Bolovan (Rumania)

    Full-color illustrations.

    As an example of the relatively unknown oral literature of Africa, this poem is rich in historical and cultural interest. But it can be read and enjoyed simply as a beautiful and exciting story that shows clearly the universality of art and of human experience.

    Reissue.

    Among the topics are creation, fertility, sacrifice, Easter, and games. Includes 24 color plates of decorated eggs, and many black- and-white reproductions of artwork and photographs. Appendices list egg-coloring substance from various countries, and discuss the goddess Eastre. A delightful book.

    The Magic Bridle (Bosnian)2. Chief-Nang (Chinese)3. The Enchanted Wine Jug (Korean)4. The Flute Player (Finnish)5. The Dwarf with the Long Beard (Slavic)6. The Hat (Esthonia)7. Fedor and the Fairy (Gypsy)8. Pancakes and Pies (Russian)9. The Forty Goats (Valley of the Nile)10. The Ogre, The Sun, and the Raven (North American Indian)11. Peppi (Sicilian)12. The Sun Mother (Transylvanian)13. The White Lamb (Brittany)14. Rubizal (Silesian) 15. Tredrill (Cornish)