My edition of this book is yellow and worn.

It's a wonderful book. Totally unedited tales, including one where a man murders his wife. In fact, and this is horrible to say, that tale is rather funny. This collection includes tales that were sources for the better know [a:Hans Christian Andersen|6378|Hans Christian Andersen|http://photo.goodreads.com/authors/1183230200p2/6378.jpg] versions, such as "The Companion" and "The Twevle Ducks".

One of the better tales is a version of "Puss in Boots" mixed with the French "The White Cat". Puss in the Norwegian tale is a nice female cat. This makes the tale closer to the the older Italian form, but without the rather cycnical ending that tale offers. It also makes me wonder why Puss is most often, at least today, a tom. Most of the women in the collection are princesses in need of rescuing, though some construct tests for their would be lovers.

My favorite tale, as always, is "The Companion", which Andersen redrafted as "The Traveling Companion". The tale transends the standard feel of death that many children have, and says more about pity and piety than most other tales. Though, I do have to wonder about the view of the princess in it, especially towards the end.

All in all a charming collection.

Really good source for what I'm working on. Interesting stories. Really interesting to see the overlay in some stories and characters.

3.5
A fun collection of stories. There were a few that seemed to be the influence for Hans Christian Andersen tales (specifically "The Twelve Wild Ducks").

This book contained 35 stories and had many of princesses needing rescue, trolls that had enchanted people or stolen away a king's daughters.

My favorites were: "The Three Princesses in the Mountain-In-the-Blue," "The Companion," "Butterball," and "Squire Per."

As I often do, I found a story that I'm familiar with but has a bit of a twist. I don't really know of anyone who hasn't read some version of 'City Mouse and Country Mouse,' well - lo and behold, it exists as a Norwegian folk tale! In this version, titled 'The House Mouse and The Country Mouse,' two mice that live in different locales meet up at the edge of a forest one fall day. They promise to visit one another over Christmas. House visits Country, (nearly dying on the trip there), enjoys the kernels and husks and freshwater but is convinced his place has better food. So they go to House's place where they feast on crumbs and tallow and whatever else is dropped or forgotten about. Instead of freshwater, they drink beer and House knows that the Christmas ale is stronger than the usual stuff, so House just drinks enough to 'quench his thirst.' Country though, who has never had beer, finds it more than delicious; he gets ROARING DRUNK and the cat, or "the bailiff" as House calls him, catches him. Country is able to scurry away - back to his home never to visit again.

A shorter book of fairy/folk tales than most in my collection, but still, a fun read.

Just then, they saw the Trolls come rushing, and the were so big and tall that their heads were level with the tops of the fir trees. But they had only one eye among the three of them, and they took turns using it.

"There is happiness in good company."

"Sleep is a great thief; he will always steal half the time."

I have read back and forth through this book so many times it is almost ridiculous. A marvelous collection of tales, some epic, some droll, almost all of them entertaining. There are tales here to while away many a winter's evening, as we often did throughout my childhood.