Page:The Wonderful Fairies of the Sun.djvu/11



HE subject of Fairies as a basis for children’s stories is by no means a new one. From time immemorial writers of fiction have resorted to their characteristic magical achievements, either as an embellishment to rational stories, or devoting a volume entirely to them. But all fairy tales heretofore have borne a similarity of style, seemingly limited by the customary manner of introducing them into the fables. Generally, human beings, such as Kings, Princesses, or children, are made the leading characters, with the fairies as occasional participants in the unfolding of the fable’s wonders.

In “The Wonderful Fairies of the Sun” the elves are given exclusive prominence, with human beings brought in only when necessary to carry out an idea of surroundings. The subjects dealt with are manifestly well known to children, and it is hoped that many pleasant thoughts in connection with the workings of Nature may be derived from this volume, wherein the fairy bands appear in a new field of action, portrayed in simple verse of easy metre, but at the same time avoiding the conventional “jingle.”