Edmund Dulac's Fairy-Book: Fairy Tales of the Allied Nations

In Short

This anthology serves as a curated journey through the folk traditions of Russia, England, Flanders, Belgium, Italy, France, Ireland, Serbia, Japan, and China. Through tales of star-crossed lovers, magical beasts, and trials of wit, it explores the archetypal landscape of fairy tales. These stories persist because they speak in the universal tongue of the imagination, transforming common anxieties—like greed, separation, or the search for identity—into vibrant, often surreal narratives that have fascinated readers for generations.

The Story

The narrative arc of the book is a sprawling, kaleidoscopic tour of the marvelous. It opens in the frost-bitten landscapes of Russia with Snegorotchka, a tale of a delicate maiden, before moving into the eerie, shadow-filled marshes of England in The Buried Moon, where malevolent bog-creatures conspire to extinguish the light of the night sky. We travel to Flanders to witness the reconciliation of the two Carolines, who shed their human forms to become swans, and to Belgium, where an ambitious boy seeks to win a legendary queen by surrounding himself with gifted companions.

The middle section delves into the transformative power of love and enchantment. In the Italian Serpent Prince, a young man must perform impossible tasks for a king to secure a marriage, while the French tales of The Hind of the Wood and The Blue Bird weave complex plots of royal transformation. Princes are turned into birds or beasts, and princesses must navigate the cruel whims of fairies like Soussio or Magotine. The Serbian tale Bashtchelik brings a darker, more rhythmic intensity as a hero ventures through the domains of a Dragon King to reclaim his wife from a powerful, elusive adversary.

As the collection reaches its final movements, the scale shifts toward the mythic and the eternal. The Japanese tale of Urashima Taro explores the intoxicating, time-bending nature of a life lived in a coral palace beneath the sea. Finally, the Chinese Story of the Bird Feng serves as a lyrical conclusion, following the artist Ta-Khai as he is guided by a magnificent, celestial bird to the princess he has seen only in his dreams. Throughout these arcs, the movement is consistent: a character finds themselves in a state of lack or imprisonment, encounters a supernatural force or guide, and—through a combination of courage, curiosity, or kindness—is ultimately transported to a state of wholeness or revelation.

How It Unfolds

The call to adventure Protagonists set out, often from humble or stifled beginnings, to seek something they are missing, whether it be a bride, a lost sibling, or the hand of a fabled queen. They are rarely alone; they are frequently aided by magical horses, kind strangers, or fairies who demand specific, ritualized actions.

The descent into trial Characters must navigate worlds governed by impossible logic, such as the bottom of the sea or a castle made of diamonds. They endure the malice of witches or the arrogance of kings, often finding that their greatest obstacles are the very tasks they were told would bring them fortune.

The transformative reversal Moments of crisis—such as being buried in mud or locked in a tower—are resolved through sudden shifts in form. Characters become birds, animals, or golden statues, reflecting their internal states of grace or suffering in physical reality.

The homecoming The journey concludes with the reconciliation of lovers or the restoration of a rightful order. Whether through a marriage celebrated in ancient style or a quiet return to a peaceful life, the protagonists find that their suffering has been the necessary price for a permanent, often transcendent, change.

The People

The protagonists are defined by their yearnings. Ivan of the Russian tales is a quiet, unassuming figure who succeeds because he honors his family and the dead, contrasting sharply with his ambitious, superficial brothers. White Caroline and Black Caroline embody the struggle for equality and identity; they move from a state of disparity to a literal unity as identical swans. Laideronnette, the "ugliest baby in the world," finds her dignity not through beauty, but through her musical talent and her capacity to endure the relentless cruelty of the fairy Magotine.

The antagonists are rarely just obstacles; they are manifestations of greed or possessiveness. The Dragon King is a figure of immense, terrifying power who nonetheless shows a strange respect for his brother-in-law, while the Queen of the Mississippi represents an unattainable goal that shifts the trajectory of the boy who seeks her. Meanwhile, figures like Ta-Khai and Urashima Taro represent the dreamer archetype. They are passive in their daily lives but become conduits for destiny, guided by supernatural entities—the Feng-Hwang bird or the Princess of the Sea—who bridge the gap between the mundane world and the divine.

In Its Own Voice

"All the things of darkness raised their harsh and cracked voices against the Bright One of the sky."

This scene describes the malevolent creatures of the marsh gathering to trap the Moon in the English fairy tale, "The Buried Moon."

"The chestnut horse seemed to linger in the air at the top of its leap while that kiss endured."

This moment highlights the supernatural, time-dilating nature of the romance between the hero and the princess in the Russian tale, "Ivan and the Chestnut Horse."

"I hear the distant notes of the song that comes from my own lips, and I can see nothing but the flowers and the trees."

The Princess Sai-Jen recognizes her own soul reflected in the music of the flute, signaling the climax of her long-distance romance in the Chinese tale.

What It's Really About

At its core, this collection investigates the relationship between desire and fate. The stories suggest that human longing—for love, for recognition, or for escape—is a powerful force that can warp time and geography. There is a recurring argument that the "impossible" is merely a matter of perspective; whether it is turning fruit into gold or surviving in a palace at the bottom of the ocean, the book posits that true transformation requires the surrender of the ego. The tales also explore the cost of curiosity and the necessity of patience, suggesting that the most meaningful rewards come only to those who are willing to wait for the light of dawn.

Why Read It Today

This book is a treasure for anyone who enjoys the rhythmic, slightly archaic beauty of folklore and the specific, ornamental artistry of classic fairy tale prose. It feels like a relic of a more deliberate age, where the reader is asked to pause and contemplate the symbolic weight of a bird's feather or a diamond castle. However, modern readers should be prepared for the tonal shifts typical of early 20th-century collections. Some of the period attitudes—particularly the rigid gender dynamics and the occasional, swift dismissals of "ugly" characters—may feel jarring or limited by today’s standards.

Despite these conventions, the book remains compelling for its sheer imaginative reach. It does not shy away from the darker elements of the psyche—the "Horrors of the Bog" or the "shriek of baffled hate"—giving the lighter, more romantic moments a necessary gravity. You will likely walk away from these pages with a renewed appreciation for the way these stories have traveled across borders, carrying the same fundamental questions about identity and love into the present day. It is a dense, beautiful, and occasionally haunting experience that rewards a slow, reflective pace.