
The story opens with Oberon, the Elfin King, haunted by a crystal‑bright vision of a grand town conjured by a mischievous witch. Though his forest home is all he has ever known, the image sparks an impossible yearning to shape that glittering city for his people. Driven by both wonder and a restless discontent, he summons the fae to claim a bare patch of earth and lay the first stone of what will become Elfintown.
From that moment the poem‑like narrative follows the elves as they trade dew‑kissed meadows for mortar and stone, turning beetles, ants and even sluggish slugs into laborers for roads, walls and towers. Their once‑gentle rhythm gives way to industrious toil, yet the excitement of creating something new keeps their spirits bright. The listener is invited to watch the birth of a civilization that balances ancient magic with the sweat of countless tiny hands, all while the kingdom’s original enchantment lingers in the background.
Language
en
Duration
~31 minutes (30K characters)
Publisher of text edition
Project Gutenberg
Original publisher
United Kingdom: The MacMillan & Co., 1894.
Credits
Charlene Taylor, Chuck Greif and the Online Distributed Proofreading Team at https://www.pgdp.net (This file was produced from images generously made available by The Internet Archive)
Release date
2022-04-20
Rights
Public domain in the USA.
Subjects

1856–1917
Best known for vivid stories and poems about Irish rural life, this Dublin-born writer brought humor, sympathy, and sharp observation to the world of ordinary people. Her work was widely read in the late 19th century and still stands out for its strong sense of place.
View all books
by Jane Barlow

by Jane Barlow

by Jane Barlow

by Jane Barlow

by Annie Keary, Eliza Keary

by Dion Boucicault

by Maria Edgeworth

by Ben Jonson