風の妖精たち [The Windfairies and Other Tales]

Mary De Moran began by telling stories to the children of friends and ended by publishing three collections of fairy tales: On a Pincushion and Other Tales (1877), The Necklace of Princess Fiorimonde (1880), and The Windfaires (1900).

The Windfairies was dedicated to the children of Margaret Burne-Jones who had heard the first stories. There is less enchantment and more homliness and moral purpose in these, but 'Dumb Othmar' with Hulda's hallucinatory quest, accompanied by a glittering green snake, for her lover's lost voice has echoes of the supernatural world of Hoffman's 'The Golden Pot'.

Contents:

The Windfairies -- Vain Kesta -- The Pool and the Tree -- Nanina's Sheep -- The Gipsy's Cup -- The Story of a Cat -- Dumb Othmar -- The Rain Maiden -- The Ploughman and the Gnome.

This book for the Kindle includes 29 pages of illustrations, which are available for viewing at www.digitaltextpublishing.com

風の妖精たちに踊りの秘術をならった娘の話、悪い妖精に声をぬすまれた少年の話、土の精と知恵くらべをする農夫の話など、民話風な7つの短編。ゆたかな想像力と人生への深い愛情にあふれた、フェアリー・テイルの傑作です。