Benjamin Thorpe 
Yule-Tide Stories 
A Collection of Scandinavian and North German Popular Tales and Traditions, From the Swedish, Danish, and German

This collection of ancient Scandinavian tales takes you on a journey to fight werewolves, rescue the princess on the glass mountain, and explore "the beautiful palace east of the sun and north of the earth."There are over ninety stories, each is entertaining with a valuable moral lesson to teach a child, and leave an adult smiling.It’s surprising to discover the similarity between these and the modern, familiar stories, like Cinderella, Robin Hood, and Jack the Giant Slayer. It leaves you wondering about the origin of the tales and how they developed over the centuries.At the beginning, the editor likens "Imagination" to a marvelous bird which takes you upon its wings, and hover over each story as you turn the pages of the book. A beautiful metaphor bound to impress your young ones and leave you nostalgic about the good old days of childhood."Many of them possess considerable poetic merit, and their moral is invariably excellent.""To the inquirer they are important, as affording an insight into the manners, customs, modes of thought, and superstitions of bygone days.""Another, and even greater mystery, is their dissemination among the several nations of Europe, and at a time when communication between countries was beset by obstacles."