Fairy Tales

Six fairy tales by Friedrich Wilhelm Hackländer, first published in Stuttgart in 1843, here in their first English translation.

Hackländer (1816–1877) was a widely read German prose writer in his own day and is nearly forgotten now. His tales splice wonder with a sly smile and a clear eye for human nature. In one, a poor weaver settles into a ruined hut beside an old prison tower where, on full-moon nights, the dwarves hold their hunt; what follows is a bargain between human need and otherworldly terms.

The collection contains six tales: Castle Schweigern, The Dwarf's Nest, Of Princess Morgana, The Face in the Moon, The Magic Jug, and the Christmas Tale. With a note from the translator and an afterword.