TALES OF THE AMBER RING.

London: B. Mitchell / Orbis, 1985. 191 pp, 11 1/4" H. Translated from the Czech. Colour and b&w illustrations throughout. "These marvellous tales come from the faraway Baltic countries of Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania, as well as from Finland. They are full of earthy humour as well as heroism and romance. They range from court to farmyard, from heaven to hell. the characters are unusually true to life, even unexpectedly so. God Himself is portrayed as being sometimes grumpy, sometimes angry, and very human. The Devil and his cohorts appear frequently, sometimes tricking men, more often being tricked by them. One intriguing aspect of these stories is the way so many of them lead on to another: just as you think you have reached the end, something new happens, and the protagonist is off again. These are among the most intriguing tales ever set down for children, because they do not end with simple morals or easy solutions. Each story creates a world of its own, one which you are unlikely to have encountered before, or ever to find again." One tiny corner bump, small light scuff across fore-edge of text block. Dust jacket has very light edge wear/wrinkling - mainly at top/bottom of hinges and flap-folds, small soiling mark on rear panel, soft crease down rear flap.. First English Edition. Hard Cover. Very Good/Very Good. Illus. by Petr Sis..