The Dragon and the Prince

“The Dragon and the Prince.” The Crimson Fairy Book, edited by Andrew Lang, London: Longmans, Green, and Co., 1903, pp. 80-92.

Tale Summary Once upon a time, there were three princes, sons of the emperor, who all loved hunting. In quick succession, the first and then the second sons both tried to hunt a hare that lured them to a mill where it turned into a dragon and ate them both...

Beauty and the Beast

“Beauty and the Beast.” The Blue Fairy Book, edited by Andrew Lang, London and New York: Longmans, Green, and Co., 1889, pp. 100-119.

Tale Summary A merchant and father of 12, the youngest girl of which is Beauty, falls into ruin. The merchant hears that one of his vessels has returned and says he will bring back presents for his family, but Beauty only requests a rose. He finds the vessel ransacked and...

Dragon of the North

“The Dragon of the North.” The Yellow Fairy Book, edited by Andrew Lang, London, New York, Bombay: Longmans, Green, and Co., 1906, pp. 9-20.

Tale Summary With help from a good magician, an evil witch, and a magic ring, the Youth of the tale is able to kill the dragon and marry the princess. However, the evil witch soon seeks revenge for the wrong the Youth did to her by stealing her magic ring...

Ink Illustration of a queen kneeling in the forest eating a bud at the base of a tree.

“The Princess in the Chest.” The Pink Fairy Book, edited by Andrew Lang, New York: Longmans, Green, and Co., 1897, pp. 57-72.

Tale Summary Although it is modified for children, this version of The Princess in the Chest closely follows the typical narrative arc of this tale type. The tale begins with a king and queen who cannot have children. Instructed by a wise woman, the queen has a daughter, but the...

Black and white illustration of an old woman in a cloak standing over a baby in a crib

“The Sleeping Beauty in the Wood.” The Blue Fairy Book, edited by Andrew Lang, London: Longmans, Green, and Co., 1889, pp. 54-63.

Tale Summary A king and queen have a daughter and invite all the fairies to come and bestow a gift on the princess. There is one old fairy who has not been invited and shows up to the gathering unannounced saying that the princess will die when she pricks her...

Titled "The dragon and the mirror". Vibrant Illustration of a dragon looking into a mirror. Behind the mirror is a woman in gown and a tree. In the background is a castle and knight on a horse.

“The Knights of the Fish.” The Brown Fairy Book, edited by Andrew Lang, New York: Longmans, Green, and Co., 1914, pp. 343-350.

Tale Summary An apathetic, talking fish befriends a hungry cobbler who allows the cobbler to eat him and bury part of his flesh in a garden. The garden grows larger and spits out two twin babies that eventually become men. They decide to leave home one day after being tired...

Donkey skin

“Donkey Skin.” The Grey Fairy Book, edited by Andrew Lang, London: Longmans, Green, and Co., 1905, pp. 1-16.

Tale Summary The King has a donkey that at night pours gold out of its ears. Before the Queen dies, she says that the king should remarry a woman more beautiful than she is. The King wants to marry his adopted daughter, but she doesn’t want to. So she runs...

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