Gardner, John

New York. 1975. Knopf. 1st American Edition. Very Good.in Worn Dustjacket With Tears & Pieces Missing. 0394831225. Illustrated by Charles Shields. 75 pages. hardcover. Cover illustration By Charles Shields. keywords: Literature America Children's Books. FROM THE PUBLISHER - In this, his first collection of tales for young readers, John Gardner's stunning and irreverent pen brings to the fairy tale a slyly humorous, contemporary flare. Here, in the best tradition of the classic tales, princes, witches, dragons and giants play their age-old mysterious games against a background of magic forests and haunted castles. Yet here, all the mysteries, however ancient, are made new. Thus in the story which gives the title to this book, a loving old father's ridiculous advice proves sounder than logic or common sense. In ‘The Tailor and the Giant,' a cowardly tailor and an army of brave soldiers discover that they have more in common than you might think. And while ‘The Miller's Mule' reveals that it is sometimes helpful to have a villain around - or even two or three - 'The Last Piece of Light' makes it clear that a brave though scatterbrained chimney-sweep can - despite herself - save a handsome prince in distress and rescue the whole world from darkness. Here then are four splendid fairy tales full of wonder and suspense - a surprising new addition to a timeless tradition. inventory #13263 ISBN: 0394831225.