The Classic Fairy Tales

Presents twenty-four of the best known tales in the exact words in which they were first published in English; or, in a few cases, in the exact words of the earliest surviving or source text. Each tale has an introduction telling something of its origin. This volume contains twenty-four of the best known fairy tales in the English language, presented here in the exact words of their first English publication or of the earliest surviving text. Including "Sleeping Beauty," "Bluebeard," "Cinderella," "Thumbelina," and "Hansel and Gretel," as well as many others, this collection provides a historical introduction for each tale and a general Introduction which traces the history of fairy tales collected in Asia and Europe long before they appeared in English.