
A weary wanderer named Tommy finally reaches the glittering heart of the city, drawn to a window that bursts with the most marvelous toys he has ever imagined. The shop belongs to Peter Poodle, a kindly little craftsman whose eyes sparkle with mischief and kindness. As Tommy peers inside, a handwritten sign pleading “BOY WANTED!” sparks his hope that the shopkeeper might share the secret of the elusive Fairy King.
Peter welcomes the rag‑clad stranger with open arms, inviting him to play a simple “dinner party” among the shelves of wonders. Their gentle banter and the playful repair of a torn tablecloth reveal a world where imagination and generosity intertwine. Together they begin a modest adventure, hinting at larger quests that lie beyond the shop’s door, while the promise of friendship and a possible path to the king hangs in the air.
Language
en
Duration
~2 hours (149K characters)
Publisher of text edition
Project Gutenberg
Credits
Produced by MFR, RichardW, and the Online Distributed Proofreading Team at http://www.pgdp.net (This file was produced from images generously made available by The Internet Archive. Two missing pages with high resolution illustrations were produced from images generously made available by University of Minnesota Libraries, Twin Cities, Children's Literature Research Collections)
Release date
2018-02-12
Rights
Public domain in the USA.

1868–1962
A leading American graphic artist of the Art Nouveau era, he helped shape the look of late 19th-century posters, magazines, and book design. His work blended elegant decoration with a strong sense of craft, and his influence reached far beyond illustration alone.
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