John Ruskin 
The King of the Golden River 

John Ruskin (1819-1900) was an aesthetician, art historian, reformer and economist, who is perhaps best known for his works on social reform. One of his earliest, and most surprising, is a fairy tale called ’The King of the Golden River. Ruskin wrote the story in 1841 (it was not published until 1851) for nineteen-year-old Euphenia Chalmers Gray, whom he married in 1848. The story is set in the ancient country of Stiria, in a beautiful and fertile valley called Treasure Valley, owned by brothers Schwartz, Hans and Gluck. When the cruel Hans and Schwartz turn an important stranger away from their home, the valley turns to desert, leaving them penniless and desolate. It is only through Gluck’s honesty and generous spirit that the valley can be revitalized. This early Victorian classic will delight both children and adults as a charming tale of goodness and love triumphing over evil.