Fionn and a Horse

"The Boyhood of Fionn." Irish Fairy Tales, Stephens, James, London: Macmillan, 1920, pp. 37-90.

Tale Summary Fionn is the son of Muirne and Uail, the captain of the Fianna of Ireland, While he is young, the sons of Morna kill his father, so his mother hides him with some trusted druids in a forest who take care of him. He meets his mother only...

Wild creatures roamed Ireland

"The Story of Tuan MacCairill." Irish Fairy Tales, Stephens, James, London: Macmillan, 1920, pp. 3-31.

Tale Summary Finnian, the Abbot of Moville, discovers one day that someone in his province still believes in gods, rather than the Christian God. He sets off to change this person’s mind because he finds this appalling. Tuan, the man who believes in gods, does not wish to speak to...

Tom Puss and the Ogre

"Puss in Boots." George Cruikshank's Fairy Library, George Cruikshank, London: Routledge and Sons, [1870s], pp. 1-27.

Tale Summary A miller, upon his retirement, gifts his youngest son Caraba the mouser cat, Tom Puss. Caraba and Tom Puss grow very close, and even more so when Caraba saves Tom from a savage dog. One day, after going to town to sell flour, Caraba lays eyes on the...

llustration from first page of tale, depicts a seven-headed dragon/serpent terrorizing a group of people

"The Seven-Headed Serpent.” The Yellow Fairy Book, edited by Andrew Lang, London: Longmans, Green, and Co., 1906, pp. 60-63.

Tale Summary A king and his men set sail and discover a bountiful island. On this island there was a large population of lions who attacked the king’s men. The men were able to defeat the lions but at a great cost and the majority of them perished. They set...

An inked illustration of a man like beast stepping out of a hedge, and a man startled by the appearance of the beast

The History of Beauty and the Beast. Devonport, England: Samuel and John Keys, [c. 1840].

Tale Summary This tale of Beauty and the Beast follows the typical narrative arc found in the description of the ATU. The story begins with a very rich merchant who has three daughters and three sons. His youngest daughter is named Beauty because of her beautiful appearance, which drew jealousy...

hop

“Hop O’ my Thumb.” George Cruikshank’s Fairy Library, George Cruikshank, London: Routledge and Sons, [1870s], pp. 1-30.

Tale Summary George Cruikshank participated in the Temperance movement, and like other tales in this volume (Cinderella), this version of Hop O’ My Thumb denounces the evils of “strong drink” (alcohol). He also omits the violent scene in which the Ogre kills his own children after being tricked by Hop...

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...

Screenshot of the first page of the tale, text only.

“Jack and the Beanstalk.” English Fairy and Other Folk Tales, edited by Edwin Sidney Hartland, London: The Walter Scott Publishing Co., LTD, [1890], pp. 35-44

Tale Summary Jack and his mother were poor had to sell the cow because she had nothing left to sell. Jack never helped her and only expressed hunger. He sells the cow to the old man in exchange for beans, but Jack did not know the beans were magical. The...

Cinderella

"Cinderella." Mother Goose's Fairy Tales, London: G. Routledge, 1880, pp. 72-83.

Tale Summary This simplified version of Charles Perrault’s Cinderella includes a fairy godmother who transforms a pumpkin into a coach, mice into horses, and rats into coachmen. Cinderella receives the beautiful gown and glass slippers and attends two nights of the ball, losing her shoe on the second night. When...

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...

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