Andrew Lang (1844–1912) was a Scottish poet, novelist, literary critic, and contributor to the field of anthropology. He is best known as a collector of folk and fairy tales, a series of 25 collections of stories for children published between 1889 and 1913, generally regarded as among the richest collections in the English language. Gathered from around the world—from Norse and Icelandic sources, from the Far East, Mideast, Europe, Africa, Australia, and many other areas—these books not only introduced generations of youngsters to the enchanting world of fairyland but gave adults an opportunity to return to the wonderful realm of make-believe.
Lang created the enchanting world of fairyland inhabited by the snow-queen, the mermaid's son, giants, ogres, dwarfs, monsters and magicians. ‘The Blue Fairy Book’ (1889) is the first volume in the series and contains some of the most familiar tales from sources like The Arabian Nights, Grimm, Charles Perrault, Madame D'Aulnoy, Norwegian folklore and more.
Tales featured in ‘The Blue Fairy Book’ include Aladdin, Beauty and the Beast, Blue Beard, The Bronze Ring, Cinderella, East of the Sun, West of the Moon, The Forty Thieves, Hansel and Gretel, Puss in Boots, Trusty John, Jack and the Giantkiller, Goldilocks, Sleeping Beauty and Rumpelstiltskin.
