Fairy tales told around the fire on Christmas Eve—including "The Light Princess," "The Shadows," "The Golden Key," and "The Giant's Heart."

Reminiscent of Chaucer's Canterbury Tales, MacDonald's attempt to package a collection of short stories in the guise of a novel is built around a group of snowbound travelers attempting to pass the time in a country house by sharing stories in hopes of distracting young Adela Cathcart from her illness. Early in his career, MacDonald was trying different genres and storytelling methods, and this is a prime example of his creative experimentation. First published in 1865, the included stories changed with a new edition in 1882. Some of MacDonald's well-known short stories made their first appearance in one of the two editions. This new publication from Michael Phillips includes the best from both original editions.