Tales

The edition includes one hundred and two German folk tales in the presentation of famous linguists and folklorists brothers Jacob Grimm (1785-1863) and Wilhelm Grimm (1786-1859). All tales are given in translation by Grigory Petnikov. At the end of the collection to the fairy tale "Children from Hammeln" is a transposition of the legend of the Pied Piper by Prosper Merimee translated from French by Anatoly Vinogradov. The edition is decorated with magnificent black-and-white and color drawings by the famous British artist Arthur Rackham, who is deservedly considered the outstanding master of the Golden Age of British book illustration.
The Brothers Grimm - who hasn't heard of these remarkable ascetics who put so much effort into recording and processing over a hundred German folk tales? It was they who introduced readers to the Bremen Street Musicians, the Brave Tailor, Hansel and Gretel, the Twelve Months, Tom Thumb, and other characters so familiar to us now. Jacob and Wilhelm were yearlings, they were born in the last quarter of the XVIII century in a modest official family. The brothers lost their father early, but managed to enter the law faculty of the University of Magdeburg. However, the study of law, which they took up at the insistence of his mother, did not fascinate neither Jacob nor Wilhelm. They were more interested in history, especially the life of the common people. A few years after graduation, the brothers were able to give themselves entirely to their favorite subject: Jacob was lucky enough to get a place in the royal library. This well-paid position left a lot of free time, and the brothers enthusiastically gave themselves to scientific and literary works. Jacob and Wilhelm began recording German fairy tales at the very beginning of the nineteenth century; a book of their collected texts was published in 1816. In the preface to this edition, the brothers wrote that "a man receives from his homeland guardian angel, which accompanies him in life; it is an inexhaustible treasure of fairy tales, sagas and stories". Now, thanks to the Brothers Grimm, the treasures of German folk tales have become the property of all mankind. In this edition the texts of fairy tales are accompanied by the works of the famous British artist Arthur Rackham, who is deservedly considered the outstanding master of the Golden Age of British book illustration. The future artist was born in the fall of 1867 in a large family. He began an independent life with a modest position of a clerk, but the clerical routine Arthur was not satisfied with: he wanted to do more creative work, and he began to take drawing lessons. It did not take long, and by the beginning of the twentieth century Rackham gained a reputation as a recognized master of book illustrations. In particular, he became the author of magnificent drawings for a collection of legends and legends, collected popularizer of ancient Irish myths James Stevens. By the age of fifty, Rackham had entered a period of creative flourishing, his illustrations often adorned luxury expensive publications. The original drawings were often shown at numerous exhibitions, including the Louvre, and sold at international art auctions.