Andrew Lang 
The Blue Fairy Book 

Once upon a time there lived a king who was deeply in love with a princess, but she could not marry anyone, because she was under an enchantment. So the King set out to seek a fairy, and asked what he could do to win the Princess’s love… The Blue Fairy Book is the first in a series of fairy-tale anthologies beloved of children in the last century. Each fairy book is a veritable treasure trove of stories for children and adults alike, spellbinding and special. Hesperus is very proud to present the first anthology, The Blue Fairy Book, which includes wonderful renditions of the old favourites such as Cinderella and Hansel and Gretel, as well as some intriguing fairy tales that modern audiences have yet to discover such as Why the Sea is Salt, Prince Hyacinth and The Dear Little Princess. Andrew Lang collected stories from communities and traditions all over the world for his fairy books: from the Arabian nights, China and the Brothers Grimm. Many of the tales were translated into English for the first time for these anthologies, from languages as diverse as Russian, Norse and Japanese. The book is republished here with a stunning blue jacket, accompanied throughout by the original illustrations. With its accompanying volume The Red Fairy Book and with more books in the series to come in 2014, the Fairy Book series is one to be treasured and would make a welcome addition to any family’s home.