The Other Side of the Sun: Fairy Stories

In Short

This collection of eight inventive fairy tales follows a cast of spirited children, earnest princes, and reluctant rulers who encounter magical beings while trying to solve very human problems. Across enchanted forests, miniature kingdoms, and journeys to the stars, characters trade places, learn woodcraft from wild animals, build imaginary castles that come to life, and challenge the boundaries of their small worlds. The collection endures because of its sharp, light-hearted wit, its refusal to patronize young readers, and its deep sympathy for childhood frustration.

The Story

The volume opens on the pink cottage of the Weird Witch of the Willow-Herb, setting a tone of light, benevolent magic. When Kit the Coward sets off to rescue a princess trapped in a beast-filled forest, his fearlessness stems from a humble skill: he speaks the language of the woods. Befriending lions, bears, and bees instead of fighting them, he lives contentedly in the thicket until songbirds carry the news of his quiet bravery back to his home village.

Dissatisfaction takes a different form in the Monotonous Isles, where eight-year-old King Wistful finds his kingdom utterly boring. Guided by a cheerful girl named Eyebright, he visits a thousand-year-old magician who wears a hat trimmed with caramels. After a trickster wymp magically swaps Eyebright's eyes with the King's, Wistful finally beholds the vibrant beauty of his land, while Eyebright gently accepts his original, simpler vision.

Courts and borders offer no protection from enchantment. A hunting-obsessed King is cured of his bloodsport when the Green Enchantress bewitches his meals and court, sending him on a search for a mysterious hundredth princess with red hair. Nearby, Princess Gentianella grows up behind a wall built continuously higher to hide the outside world. When Prince Amaryllis leaps over the barrier, the two become fast companions, but his pre-existing vow to a witch's daughter sends Gentianella on a cross-country trek. She marches through mixed-up seasons, casually chats with a frozen skate, and blunders past an unappreciated, thirsty sea-serpent to ensure her friend's freedom.

Human emotion itself becomes the central puzzle in later tales. Princess Prune-lla, overwhelmed by a roomful of identical royal suitors, chooses deaf Robert, a minstrel's son who cannot hear her cry and suggests sticking-plaster for her tears. Only when Robert loses his magical detachment from the world and returns to her can he truly comfort her. Elsewhere, Prince Picotee builds an intricate toy castle on his nursery floor, only to be pulled into its fully realized halls alongside his skeptical playmate Dimples. Finally, young Jerry and Chubby face arithmetic homework and a stubborn kite. With the help of a cynical wymp who insists the sun vanishes every night to avoid inquisitive tourists, they hitch a ride on a comet to the moon, returning just in time for breakfast while their kite stays behind to shine in the sky.

How It Unfolds

The coward's journey Kit ventures into a sunless, animal-dense forest where the royal army fears to tread. By speaking the woods' language, he turns wild beasts into generous neighbors who feed him honey and berries.

A change of eyes King Wistful complains of his identical, island-bound kingdom until a magical trade alters his perception. He returns home seeing brilliant fields where he once saw only repetition.

The missing princess A restless King demands raw garden beans and searches his palace for a red-haired royal he has only dreamed of. His quest transforms his court and brings peace to the local wildlife.

Over the garden wall Gentianella discovers the world outside her walled enclosure when a neighbor prince jumps into her flowers. Learning he is bound to another, she marches into a chaotic landscape of shifting seasons to set things right.

The sound of tears Prunella selects a playmate who possesses a distant, wonderful look but cannot understand her grief. Their misunderstanding drives him back to the forest to regain his empathy.

The floorboard kingdom Picotee constructs a palace with haphazard windows and a drawbridge made of string. The structure expands into a real domain where he acts as King and imprisons his scoffing friend.

Flight to the moon Jerry seeks an explanation for his failed kite and stumbles into a cosmic journey. Guided by a practical wymp, he and Chubby ride a comet across the night sky before landing back home for breakfast.

The People

• Kit, a boy labeled a coward by his peers, who wants to prove his worth by rescuing a missing princess. Blocked by a dangerous forest, he uses his knowledge of animal languages to turn potential threats into lifelong companions.
• King Wistful, an eight-year-old ruler who wants something new to break the monotony of his five round islands. Stymied by his own sulky perspective, he gains a newly joyful appreciation for his realm after exchanging sight with a companion.
• Princess Gentianella, a sheltered girl who wants to see beyond the high wall built around her garden. Restricted by her parents' overprotection, she boldly steps into an unpredictable world, confronting sea-serpents and mixed seasons to save her friend.
• Prince Amaryllis, a bound royal who wants to escape an execution brought on by a failed enchantment. Facing an unwanted marriage to a witch's daughter, he accepts his fate until Gentianella intervenes.
• Deaf Robert, a minstrel's son with a distant, wonderful expression who wants to understand the royal court. Unable to process human tears, he leaves the princess to regain his emotional connection to both town and forest.
• Jerry, a seven-year-old boy who simply wants his home-made kite to fly. frustrated by math sums and unhelpful advice, he travels to the moon and back, returning with supreme confidence.

In Its Own Voice

"What do you suppose they have four legs for?" asked the magician, smiling.

The magician gently teases the children when a wooden tea-table walks into the room on its own.

"I am very pleased to meet you," she said, with her most charming smile; "I have often wanted to meet a dragon."

Gentianella politely greets a terrifying fifty-five-finned creature blocked across a hot, dusty road.

"Some people never will know when they're not there," he complained.

A wymp grunts in exasperation when the children question whether they disappear when they go to sleep.

What It's Really About

Beneath their playful surface, these stories examine how perspective shapes reality. King Wistful's kingdom does not physically alter; his mood and vision change how he experiences it. Similarly, the physical barriers adults erect—like the high brick wall surrounding Gentianella—cannot protect children from the wider world, nor can they suppress natural curiosity. The collection repeatedly contrasts rigid adult authority, represented by weary prime ministers and anxious kings, with the practical, direct logic of children. Sharp suggests that true bravery is rarely about violence or grand displays; Kit saves the day through patience and communication, while Robert learns that true understanding requires listening to human distress rather than tuning it out.

Why Read It Today

This collection will charm readers who appreciate classic British fantasy with a dry, ironic edge. Evelyn Sharp writes with a crisp, unsentimental humor that feels modern despite the book's turn-of-the-century origins. Instead of preaching moral lessons, the narrative treats children as sensible figures navigating an absurd world of fussy adults and theatrical monsters.

The reading experience is light and swift, marked by brisk dialogues and clever situational comedy. While the tales feature traditional elements like princesses, witches, and royal courts, they quietly subvert expectations: dragons get offended by misidentification, sea-serpents complain about drinking salt water, and magical tricksters offer practical advice on travel logistics.

Readers accustomed to modern fantasy should note the book's episodic structure, as each chapter operates as an independent story bound by shared sensibilities rather than a single continuous plot. The prose carries a gentle period flavor, but it remains accessible, clear, and thoroughly entertaining for anyone who enjoys clever fairy-tale inversions.