The Book of Elves and Fairies for Story-Telling and Reading Aloud and for the Children's Own Reading

In Short

This comprehensive anthology gathers enchanted legends, myths, and folktales from global traditions, including Irish, Cornish, Chinese, Japanese, and Native American lore. Across its pages, humble peasants, inquisitive children, and noble heroes encounter magical beings such as Pixies, Knockers, Tengus, and Fairy Godmothers. Those who display kindness, honesty, and humility receive extraordinary blessings, while the greedy, prideful, and cruel suffer fitting punishments. The collection has endured because it combines timeless moral lessons with imaginative storytelling, offering young listeners and readers an engaging gateway into international folklore.

The Story

The anthology opens in the lush countryside of Ireland, where mortal lives constantly intersect with the supernatural realm. Peasants encounter mysterious little folk on dusty roads or near ancient stone forts. In one tale, a priest challenges the fairies regarding their eternal souls, prompting the frightened creatures to vanish into the night. Elsewhere, a poor farmer named Mick meets a strange, wrinkled dwarf on Bottle Hill and exchanges his cow for a magical bottle, discovering that supernatural gifts require careful faith. Nearby in Cornwall, underground tin mines echo with the picks of Knockers—tiny, doll-sized subterranean spirits. Generous tinners who share their meals and candles with these mine-elves are shown dazzling grottos lined with diamonds and colored crystals, whereas disrespectful workers who mock the Knockers find their luck ruined and the mines closed against them.

As the tales expand into distant lands, readers travel to China and Japan, where supernatural beings test human virtue under different cultural guise. In China, sickbed elves appear to a feverish boy after a wise magician administers a soothing drink. In another Asian tale, a humble servant girl follows the cryptic advice of a talking dog, choosing a donkey's tail and a bag of charcoal over gold; her obedience is rewarded when the fairy mistress transforms the charcoal into gold and grants her a glowing star upon her forehead. When her envious elder sister attempts the same journey with a greedy heart, her vanity leads to disaster. In the forests of Japan, the youth Kintaro learns the languages of birds and beasts while playing with hawk-headed Wood-Elves known as Tengus. He wrestles a mighty bear in front of the Chief Tengu, impressing the great hero Raiko, who resolves to adopt the brave boy as his son.

The collection then moves into familiar European fairy tales and allegorical fables. Readers witness Cinderella attending the royal ball through her godmother's magic, bound by the strict condition to leave before midnight strikes and her grand coach reverts to a pumpkin. In another story, Prince Chéri is transformed into a tiny dog to learn humility; he sacrifices his only crust of bread to feed a starving woman and attempts to rescue his beloved Zelia from a corrupt palace. In the fable of Fannie, a vain young girl ignores her promises to hunt for an enchanted watch, causing a deafening racket throughout the town. Other stories follow children like Timothy, who watches a fierce fairy lady use a fiery scourge to force lazy imps to scrub a subterranean palace until it sparkles with topaz, ruby, and mother-of-pearl.

The overarching narrative concludes with moral awakenings and homecomings. Little Tiny, born no bigger than an inch, survives a harsh winter wrapped in dry leaves after being judged ugly by cockchafers, eventually finding shelter and joy. The story of Marion demonstrates that true beauty comes from a gentle heart rather than magic fountains, while young Frederic and Fanchon discover that their bizarre tutor is actually Mouche, the wicked King of the Gnomes, who is ultimately routed by a giant Purple Bird. Throughout every tale, the narrative arc moves from temptation or trial toward resolution, proving that inner goodness always triumphs over dark magic and self-centered desires.

How It Unfolds

A strange encounter on the road Mick drives his cow toward the Fair of Cork when a dwarf with white hair and a face like a dried cauliflower emerges from Bottle Hill. The strange little man convinces Mick to trade his cow for a seemingly empty glass bottle that promises vast fortune.

The subterranean mine grotto Jack the tinner strikes a rock wall and discovers a glistening cave filled with diamond clusters and crystals. He converses politely with three tiny Knockers who are sharpening their iron tools on a miniature anvil, offering them his candles in exchange for their goodwill.

A trick played on the chimney sprite A little boy sitting alone by the fire meets a tiny girl named Ownself who tumbles down the chimney. When a hot ember accidentally burns her foot, she screams for help, leading her mother to scold her for injuring her own self.

An enchanted servant's test A girl enters a fairy city and receives bizarre orders to smash dishes and mess up the kitchen. By listening to a friendly little dog and choosing modest rewards, she earns a star for her forehead and a sack full of shiny gold.

A wrestling match in the forest Kintaro sits on a mossy stone among hawk-headed Tengus who balance fishbowls on their long noses. The brave boy wrestles a powerful father-bear to the ground, drawing the admiration of the heroic samurai Raiko who watches from the trees.

The midnight escape from the ball Cinderella dances gracefully with the King's son while the royal court looks on in awe. As the palace clock strikes fifteen minutes before midnight, she bids farewell and hurries home before her fine clothes turn back into humble rags.

A lesson in selfless charity Transformed into a small pet dog, Prince Chéri trots toward a sparkling palace where visitors enter in grandeur but emerge starving and ragged. He willingly gives his only breakfast crust to a dying woman outside the gates.

The grand cleaning of the imp hall Timothy watches a stern fairy lady plunge rebellious imps into basins of pure fire and water. The imps sing as they sweep dirt, polish rusty pillars, and convert a dark cavern into a radiant hall made of jasper, pearl, and rose-diamonds.

The People

• Mick: A poor Irish tenant farmer who fears losing his home. He trades his only cow to a strange hill-dwarf for a magic bottle, desperately seeking a way to pay his rent and support his wife Molly.
• Jack the Tinner: An industrious Cornish miner who works hard underground. His politeness and willingness to share his candles with the tiny Knockers grant him entry into hidden grottos of diamonds.
• Wang Little-Third-One: A sick young boy lying on a bamboo bed in China. He suffers from a low fever until a wise Magician gives him a cool drink that allows him to rest and see night spirits.
• Kintaro: A strong, wild boy raised in the Japanese forest. He learns the secret languages of animals and wrestles wild bears, guided by the long-nosed Tengu wood-elves.
• Cinderella: A gentle, beautiful young woman mistreated by her household. She gains the favor of a Fairy Godmother, attending the prince's ball under the strict command to return before midnight.
• Prince Chéri: A proud monarch transformed into a tiny dog as punishment for his flaws. Through starvation and hardship, he learns true compassion by sharing his food and protecting his beloved Zelia.
• Timothy Tuttle: A curious boy who observes the underground world of imps. He witnesses their fiery discipline and ultimate transformation as they turn a filthy cave into a gem-encrusted palace.
• Marion: A young girl who seeks the Immortal Fountain of Beauty out of vanity. She eventually learns that gentleness and a pure heart create true attractiveness, transforming her scowl into a warm smile.

In Its Own Voice

“Go and ask Father Horrigan to tell us whether our souls will be saved at the Last Day.” An anxious Irish fairy seeks news of salvation through a local villager.

“I am now eight hundred years old, and I have never seen the like of that before!” A fairy changeling sitting in a sickbed blurtly reveals his true ancient age when presented with water in egg-shells.

“Know that a pure and happy heart, and gentleness toward others, are the only Immortal Fountains of Beauty!” The Fairy Queen explains the true secret of transformation to Marion after her journey to the enchanted grotto.

What It's Really About

Beneath its playful folklore and magical creatures, the book presents a clear moral philosophy centered on human integrity and spiritual justice. The stories serve as allegories for daily choices, contrasting the long-term rewards of kindness, patience, and humility against the immediate penalties of greed, vanity, and deceit. By showcasing tales from diverse global traditions—from Cornish mines to Japanese mountain forests—the text highlights a shared human belief: the supernatural world acts as a mirror to mortal conscience. Supernatural beings like the Knockers or the Tengus do not operate on random malice; rather, they respond directly to the moral posture of the humans who cross their paths. Ultimately, the book argues that true magic lies in selflessness, hard work, and compassion toward all living creatures.

Why Read It Today

This collection remains a valuable resource for parents, educators, storytellers, and lovers of traditional folklore. Its structured short-story format makes it exceptionally well-suited for reading aloud at bedtime or in classroom settings. Readers will appreciate the remarkable geographic variety, which brings together rare regional folktales alongside classic favorites. The writing carries a rhythmic, old-world cadence that makes the magical events feel vivid and immediate.

Modern readers should note that the text reflects early twentieth-century editorial sensibilities, including simplified prose for young audiences and occasional dated moralisms or period depictions of rural life. Additionally, some stories employ regional dialect and archaic phrasing, such as traditional Irish idioms or formal fairy dialogue, which may require brief explanations for younger listeners. Nevertheless, the core themes of empathy, courage, and fairness remain entirely timeless. The book offers a delightful escape into enchanted realms while reminding us that simple human virtues are the greatest treasures of all.

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