More English Fairy Tales

Metadata

Gutenberg ID

14241

Title

More English Fairy Tales

Language

en

Book source

Project Gutenberg

Description max 80 words

A vibrant collection of traditional English folk-tales edited by Joseph Jacobs, featuring archaic dialect and vivid storytelling. From the Pied Piper's rat-slaying tune to Yallery Brown's magical aid, these tales offer an authentic glimpse into rural folklore, blending humor, magic, and moral lessons for readers who cherish classic narrative charm.

Summary up to 500 words

Joseph Jacobs presents a rich anthology of English fairy tales in *More English Fairy Tales*, a collection drawn from diverse sources including ballads, chap-books, and oral traditions. The volume opens with the Pied Piper of Franchville, where a colorful musician uses his pipe to lead an infestation of rats into the sea, only to be cheated by the greedy townsfolk who refuse payment. Another tale introduces Yallery Brown, a mysterious figure emerging from a stone who offers Tom Tiver magical assistance in exchange for no thanks, demonstrating Jacobs' interest in helpful animal motifs and supernatural helpers. The narrative continues with stories like 'The Black Bull of Norroway,' where three daughters seek fortune and face trials involving a black bull and castle brothers, culminating in a test of loyalty against an old witch. Other entries include 'Tattercoats,' featuring a poor girl who gains wealth through magical transformations; 'The Old Witch,' involving a daughter who outwits her stepmother; and 'Catskin,' where a heroine transformed into a cat must prove her worth to win a prince's love. Jacobs retains archaic spellings and dialects like 'Lawkamercy' to preserve the folk-tale atmosphere, while adapting incomplete stories and prosing ballads for readability. The collection also includes humorous anecdotes such as 'The Wise Men of Gotham,' showcasing human folly, and tragic legends like 'The Lambton Worm.' Through these varied narratives, Jacobs celebrates the enduring power of oral tradition, blending scholarly rigor with a deep affection for the rustic voices that shaped English folklore. In his preface, Jacobs defends his editorial choices against critics who view his modifications as sacrilege. He argues that folk-tales are not static artifacts but living stories that have traveled across borders and dialects. Jacobs insists on retaining archaic touches and 'vulgar' words because they resonate with children and preserve the authentic spirit of the tales, rejecting the notion that a story's origin dictates its validity. By including tales from Lowland Scotch sources alongside traditional English ones, he challenges rigid distinctions between North and South, asserting that a tale told in Durham is just as English as one told south of the Tweed. His work aims to fill children's imaginations with bright images, honoring the tradition of his old nurse rather than adhering to the artificial diction of smart society.

LLM editorial rating

4.2/5

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https://www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/14241.epub.noimages

Local file path

data/epubs/pg14241.epub

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2026-08-20 14:05 UTC

Categories

• Folklore
• Fairy Tales