Tuscan folk-lore and sketches, together with some other papers

Set against the gentle hills of the Tuscan Apennines, this anthology brings listeners into the intimate world of rural Italy. The compiler spent a summer among the peasants, nursing a mild illness while an elderly woman named Clementina shared the stories she had learned from generations of villagers. From a Tuscan version of Snow‑White to a local Bluebeard and a mischievous goblin horse, the tales retain the plainspoken diction and shrewd humor of their origins.

Interwoven with the folklore are vivid sketches of everyday life: bustling festa scenes, olive‑oil presses at work, a Florentine street game, and a quiet month spent on the island of Elba. The volume also offers short translations of foreign legends and brief literary essays on figures such as Carducci and Pascoli, giving a broader cultural context. Each piece is presented in a clear, unadorned style that lets the original flavor shine through.