
ILLUSTRATIONS
A BALLAD OF FAERY TALES
King Oberon’s Library.
THE RED ELF
SHADOWLAND
THE WATER-WITCH
MOON FANCIES
THE ROSE-PRINCESS
SORROW-SINGING
THE GOLDEN GOBLIN
A weary storyteller settles into an arm‑chair as snow blankets the world outside, the fire’s red glow casting flickering shadows on the walls. In that quiet hour he begins to spin tales of a hidden realm where giants lumber through caves, dragons guard glittering hoards, and enchanted princesses wait in ancient towers. The narrator’s soft voice invites listeners to see the magic that lives in the crackling flames, urging them to believe in a land where faeries linger without shadows.
Children gather close, eyes bright with wonder, as the storyteller weaves verses that echo like a lullaby. He describes how the fire reveals secret castles, brave knights on crimson plains, and mysterious magicians lurking in rocky depths. The cadence of the story draws the young audience deeper into a world that feels both familiar and wondrously otherworldly.
The narration itself becomes a portal, turning ordinary evenings into gateways to Faeryland. Listeners can almost hear the cricket’s song drifting from the hearth, feeling the gentle sway of leaves brushed by unseen breezes, and sensing that, for those who truly listen, the enchanted kingdom is waiting just beyond the flame.
Language
en
Duration
~4 hours (241K characters)
Publisher of text edition
Project Gutenberg
Original publisher
Philadelphia: J. B. Lippincott Company, 1911.
Credits
Carlos Colon, Gísli Valgeirsson, The Library of Congress and the Online Distributed Proofreading Team at https://www.pgdp.net (This file was produced from images generously made available by The Internet Archive/American Libraries.)
Release date
2023-09-21
Rights
Public domain in the USA.
Subjects

1859–1932
A pioneer of detective fiction, he became famous almost overnight with The Mystery of a Hansom Cab, one of the great publishing sensations of the Victorian era. He went on to produce a huge body of mysteries, thrillers, and popular fiction that helped shape early crime writing.
View all books
by Fergus Hume

by Fergus Hume

by Fergus Hume

by Fergus Hume

by Fergus Hume

by Fergus Hume

by Fergus Hume

by Fergus Hume