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by David Boyle (Author)
How did that cat get so helpful - and so human? The gipsy boy waiting to hear his fate as the will of his guardian is read to his unpleasant relatives...The author explains that he believes in fairies, and says a little bit about why in a final essay. These authentic but contemporary folk tales don't quite prove it - they go beyond that question to show what a little magic does to us all, good and bad alike. The tales plunge us into a world where princesses are so used to being outside that they feel they simply have to stay there, and where princes find a way to stop losing things - and people - wih disastrous results. There are some new takes on Puss-in-Boots, Rip van Winkle and News from Nowhere too, similar to Angela Carter - and a plea for help from a tourist stuck a century hence who can't get home again. And all from the author of the fairy novel, Leaves the World to Darkness...
