This classic compilation of Scandinavian folktales enchants the reader - of any age - not only with unfamiliar and quixotic stories, but with whimsical and gorgeous illustrations. This influential book has inspired jazz composers, fashion designers and many writers; even Theodore Roosevelt's sons, Kermit Roosevelt and Theodore Roosevelt, Jr., penned a version. If this book's magic could be decanted, it would spill forth as the intoxicating perfume of lilies of the valley, alpine fir on winter winds, sea salts, bear fur and the froth of hag's caldrons. This small book, with its timeless wisdom and depth, is destined to charm future generations as a definitive childhood memory.